G’day folks and today it’s a look at all the amazing things to see and do in and around Lahore’s Walled City, which frankly is plenty! I’ll walk through it the way I approached my day there in perhaps Pakistan’s most popular city (to visit at least) as it seems to be the easiest way to do this. I was in Pakistan early February this year, and from Lahore I shot a video in the Walled City which should mirror somewhat this post (or vice versa I guess to be more accurate).

This tour starts at a monument to the creation of the state of Pakistan back in 1947. This is known as ‘Minar e-Pakistan’. It’s a 70 metre tower that was built in the 1960s (to commemorate 1947 to be clear) and it is in the middle of a large park which you pay a little bit to get in (a buck or two from memory). There are sculptures and play equipment and even the odd ride in the park. Taking the toy train around the park seemed like the thing to do so I did. You can’t go up the tower, there was an incident many years ago (2003) when someone jumped from the top to their death.

Minar e-Pakistan is a good place to start a tour of the Walled City because it is located just outside an entrance to the Walled City, which enter by passing through the Lahore Fort and the Badshahi Mosque to get to the Walled City (we are talking 100 metres maybe). Actually to be fair the ‘wall’ technically goes around the fort and mosque. So I started at Minar E-Pakistan, and then visited the Fort and the Mosque before entering the Old City proper, which I think is a good way to do it.

The Lahore Fort is a fort dating back to the 16^th Century (at least in its current incarnation). There are a number of guides waiting around outside it, and well good luck! I took a guide but I have to be honest I wasn’t super happy, he was hard to understand and all he wanted from me was to promote him. He wanted to do my walking tour at his pace. There is certainly a lot to know about the fort, parts of it were once a palace and there are many beautiful buildings inside what is a very large area, so a guide is without a doubt worthwhile, if you get a good one. There are so many parts to the Fort to explore, and its an iconic Lahore landmark so one of the ‘must-see’s of Lahore.

As equally is the beautiful Badshahi opposite the fort. I do remember being a bit confused as to how to get out of the fort but fortunately ended up at the exit directly opposite the mosque. From between them you really do get the feeling you are in a very special place.

The mosque is really something, and beautifully maintained. There are stalls outside where you can leave your shoes as you are not permitted to wear shoes in mosques. You can tip if you want, there is no cost to visit the mosque. Through an impressive gate/door and a metal detector – quite common in Pakistan there was probably one at the Fort as well – and you stand in the magnificent open area surrounded by walls.

As is the custom in age we live, the area is now utilised for mainly one thing when it’s not prayer time – and that’s for selfie taking. So be careful when walking backwards to get you perfect shot. The domes are quite magnificent and there is a calmer air about below where you are basically inside and on carpet. The mosque was completed in 1673 and the minaret is nearly 69 metres tall so almost as tall as the Minar E Pakistan!

Once the mosque has been admired, it’s time to enter the Walled City proper and immerse yourself in its atmosphere. There are different streets for different wares – for example, there’s ‘Sari Street’ which is the place to go for dresses. I think it is ‘Gold Street’ or something like that for gold and jewellery, and so on.

Like any Old/Walled City it oozes a souq-like feel and just exploring is half the fun. You’ll find many buildings worth taking photos of including old houses owned by well off locals. I snuck into a home that a group was touring, well I thought it was open to the public. I got stopped at the entrance where they told me the place wasn’t open, but they let me in nevertheless and it was a great combination of outdoor and indoor space. Well, to be fair I was only allowed in the outdoor area.

Two places worth checking out I feel in the Walled City, bar the experience of exploring and meeting the people who are super friendly – and that is worth a few hours by itself – are a mosque and Hamman. The Wazir Khan Mosque is quite beautiful dating back to the 17^th century and part of its charm is its location nestled into the alleys and streets.

Depending on how lost you get in Lahore’s Walled City, it could take you five minutes to get to the Shahi Hammam, or an hour. And these are the best streets to get lost in. This Hammam, which is a term for a public bath house, is well preserved but hasn’t been functioning for a long time. But today it is basically a museum and you can walk around and see below ground level or marvel at the inside of the beautiful dome. It dates back as far as 1635 and was restored as a historical site in 2013 to 2015.

One other feature of Lahore’s Walled City are the City Gates which allow entry from Greater Lahore into the Walled City. I only really went through one of those, and this was right by the Shahi Hammam. This was the Delhi Gate but there are others too which are worth a look and a photo – apparently the Lohari Gate is one of the most famous.

You’ll find other mosques and houses and hidden gems in the Walled City of Lahore, but these were my highlights. It’s a must do and what I’ve described is a full day in Lahore. Next time ‘round I will be looking at the other places I explored in Lahore. It’s really a city with a lot for the visitor and with wonderfully friendly locals. Thanks for joining me today, take care wherever you may be in the world, and May the Journey Never End!