Experience the best of Lahore

Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, grew great under the Mughal emperors, and its Walled City holds some of the finest buildings of that age. The Badshahi Mosque, built by Aurangzeb in the seventeenth century, has a vast courtyard and white marble domes over red sandstone, and the Lahore Fort beside it holds the Sheesh Mahal, a palace of mirror work. With the Shalimar Gardens, the fort is a World Heritage Site, and the Wazir Khan Mosque is covered in tilework.

The Walled City's gates, lanes and bazaars lead to Delhi Gate, Anarkali Bazaar and Data Darbar, the shrine of a Sufi saint. The Lahore Museum holds Gandharan sculpture, and the Zamzama cannon in front is said to have inspired the opening of Kipling's novel Kim. The tombs of Emperor Jahangir and his wife Nur Jahan lie across the Ravi river at Shahdara, and the border crossing at Wagah, east of the city, is known for its daily flag ceremony.

Breakfast in Lahore is halwa puri with chickpea curry, lunch might be nihari or paya, slow-cooked beef or trotter stews, and kebabs, karahi and naan come from roadside stalls at night. Lassi, falooda and kulfi cool the afternoons. The cooler months from October to March are best for walking the old city.