What To Do In Peshawar Pakistan
Is Peshawar Dangerous
Before you even decide what to do in Peshawar, you might first want to consider if Peshawar is safe. For years Peshawar has been labeled one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Being only 54 km away from the Afghanistan border at the Torkham Crossing and on the line dividing the tribal administrative regions of Pakistan, Peshawar has long harbored extremist groups wreaking havoc throughout the world. From Taliban commanders leading their troops in safety across the border in Pakistan to other terrorist organizations committing atrocities such as the Peshawar school massacre, this city has a rap sheet to dissuade even the most adventurous travelers from visiting the historic city.
As you begin your research searching for an answer to the question, “Is Peshawar safe?” it is easy to jump to get psyched out and scared out of your wits about traveling to western Pakistan. While things could always change at the drop of a hat, Peshawar, like much of the rest of Pakistan has been tremendous strides in recent years to tighten up their control of the country and push out extremist groups. Along with their new campaign trying to revive the long-dead tourism industry in Pakistan, stability and safety have been brought to many places throughout the region. Being in such a sensitive area, Peshawar is still on the front lines of spillover conflict from Afghanistan. And although you still need to be cautious, Peshawar is a far different city from what you have seen on the news over the past decade.
When you are done in Peshawar, be sure to head up to the mountains in Swat Valley!
Is Peshawar Worth Traveling To?
Being right by the entrance to the famous Khyber Pass, Peshawar has seen countless armies and leaders march through its gates. From the Persian Darius I to the Royal British Army, countless empires have all left their mark on the city that we all know as Peshawar. Sprinkled throughout the surrounding countryside you will find countless ruins and forts, all leftover from the Kingdoms that came before. With a history stretching back centuries, there is more than enough heritage buildings and unique traditions to keep your average traveler occupied for weeks exploring the back alleys and bazaars.
Winding markets and historic mosques are nothing new if you have spent any time in Pakistan, not to mention South Asia as a whole. So what makes Peshawar worth traveling to? Of course you will find a lot of the same things that are in the bazaars of Rawalpindi or the Walled City of Lahore. But it is those unplanned experiences that will make Peshawar one of the most memorable cities of your trip to Pakistan. While you are staring up at that historic colonial ear building, the owner may come out and give you a peek inside over a cup of tea. While wandering the narrow alleyways, you may come face to face with a whimsical character burning esfand, a traditional Zoroastrian custom used to purify. It is not necessarily what you plan on doing in Peshawar that will make it the trip of a lifetime, but rather the experiences you come across purely by chance.
While in Peshawar you can also check out some of the colorful jingle trucks found all across Pakistan!
Bala Hisar Fort
Although you may be wanting those unplanned misadventures that will take you into people’s houses and discovering little known treasures off fo the beaten path, it is still good to have an end destination before you start all your side trips down the back alleys of Peshawar. Arguably the biggest attraction is the Bala Hisar Fort located smack in the middle of the city off of the N5 Highway. With the markets built up along the sides of the great walls of the fort, the rest of the city seems like waves crashing up against its ramparts.
The fortress seems stunning from the outside and does offer stunning views from the top of its towers, but don’t get too excited if you are a foreign traveler. Although the Bala Hissar Fort is a popular tourist attraction for Pakistani Nationals, foreign tourists will be yelled at for even taking a picture of the fort’s entrance. Being a country new to the idea of foreign tourists, many of the rules seem quite ambiguous. Like many of the forts in the region, the Pakistani army has set up house in many of the historic castles. Doubling as a barracks and a tourist attraction makes the site relatively sensitive, therefore foreign travelers are barred from entering for the time being.
One of the most famous sites in all of Pakistan is Uch Sharif, you can read about how to get there here!
Mahabat Khan Mosque
As you continue east away from the walls of the fort towards the bazaar you may stumble across the marble minarets of the Mahabat Khan Mosque. Although this house of prayer has nothing astounding about it to stand apart from the many other mosques you have seen throughout Pakistan, its history and serenity alone makes it worth a visit. Away from the dirty streets, you can feel the purity of the site as you are surrounded by glimmering white tiles.
Although the Mahabat Khan Mosque seems peaceful now, it was once used as a place of execution. Throughout history, minarets have often be used as a place to punish people. While at some mosques executioners would simply throw prisoners down to their death from atop the minarets, at Peshawar’s Mahabat Khan Mosque, they would actually hang people from the tower in place of gallows. Fortunately the times of public executions are long past. If you are lucky, you may even be able to find someone who can give you a top view of the mosque from one of the nearby houses.
Wanting to visit some more beautiful mosques in Pakistan? Don’t miss out on traveling to Wazir Khan’s Mosque!
The Bazaars of Peshawar
There are several places throughout the massive Peshawar bazaar east of the Bala Hisar Fort that are noteworthy while you are exploring the city. There are several gates that you will find tucked away throughout the market that indicates that you are entering what is now the old city of Peshawar. Although none of the walls exist, the Lahori, Kohati, amongst the other gates do help visualize the sense of entering a more old and historic part of Peshawar.
Throughout the markets of Peshwar you will find much of the same that you would find in any other bazaar in Pakistan. With fresh bread and fruit to clothing and home goods shops, you will find a little bit of everything throughout the markets. Although there is not a whole lot to hold the attention of your average traveler in terms of the items being sold, the culture of bartering and life of the city is on full display as you wander the stalls.
If you are wanting to get in touch with traditional Sufi culture in Lahore, be sure to visit Data Darbar!
Where To Explore In The Peshawar Bazaar
Being such a massive sprawling bazaar with many neighborhoods whose names are only known to those who live there, you may find it to be a daunting task to actually organize your trip while exploring the market. Of course, walking aimlessly has its benefits, but you may still want to have a rough idea on where you are going. Not far from the Mahabat Khan Mosque you will find Chowk Yadgar with its distinctive monument in the middle of a wide-open courtyard. It is here where tourists can find a place to exchange money in Peshawar.
Continuing east from Chowk Yadgar you will come across the Ghanta Ghar or Cunningham Tower. Built-in 1900, Cunningham was the governor of the region and built the tower in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen of England. Around the tower you will see that the streets are lined with decorative lanterns and stalls are kept in pristine condition. Once tourism expands to Peshawar, one can only imagine it will start from the Ghanta Ghar. Another noteworthy part of the market is the Qissa Khwani Bazaar. Although it may not seem that spectacular when compared with the clocktower, the massacre of protesters in 1930 elevated the market to a place of historic importance.
Just north of Peshawar you will find a wonderland of nature and beauty, read about visiting the Jarogo Waterfall here!
Day Trips From Peshawar
From the city, there are several day trips from Peshawar and half-day trips you can take to get out and explore a bit more of the sites around the Khyber Pass. For some tourists traveling to Peshawar places like Peshawar University and Islamia College top the list of places to visit in the city. While the architecture is beautiful and you can always attempt to visit, you may have trouble due to the gates being monitored by pretty tight security. Continuing out along the Great Trunk Road towards Afghanistan you will also come across the infamous Smugglers Bazaar (also known as Karkhano Market). At one time this bazaar was known for the selling of military-grade weapons and illegal drugs, but nowadays you will find more rice cookers and crockpots than machine guns.
One of the most iconic symbols not only in Peshawar but all of Pakistan is the Bab-e-Khyber Gate. This iconic gate straddling the highway leads straight to the Pakistan Afghanistan border and sits at the entrance of the famous Khyber Pass. Despite all of the pictures you see online of tourists posing in front of the gate, visiting is not as easy as you would think. Although the Bab-e-Khyber Gate is just 15km away from Peshawar, the police will often shoo away or even detain foreign tourists who try to visit the town where the gate is found. You could always visit the gate, but I would not linger around the highway for too long.
You can read about how to get from Peshawar to the Smugglers Bazaar and Bab-e-Khyber here!
Traveling to Peshawar
Peshawar is not only safe, it can not even be classified as a dark tourism destination anymore. For years thrill-seekers have made their way out to western Pakistan in search of places such as the Smugglers Market and weapons market of Darra Adam Khel to see a part of local culture which many people would rather forget about. Today, Pakistan, as well as Peshawar, are emerging as examples of how a country can shake off the instability caused by decades of insurgency and extremism. Out of the ashes Pakistan has even started leading the world with their example, thus reviving both their economy and public image.
Today, visitors will still get a thrill out of visiting Peshawar, not because of any danger, but from the high of traveling into the unknown. Much of Pakistan is still left undiscovered and unexplored by those outside of the country. By simply wandering the streets of the markets you will begin chatting with the locals and learn about some of the most beautiful places on the planet that are still not quite in the international eye. You are bound to find tons of things to do in Peshawar, but much of the fun is finding the things that are still not yet known by the tourism industry.
