Lahore to Taxila: Badshahi Mosque, Hiran Minar and the Taxila Museum

Some of our favourite trips start in Lahore and head north along the Grand Trunk Road towards Islamabad. In a few days you move from Mughal Lahore to a Mughal hunting lodge and then back two thousand years to the Buddhist cities of Gandhara. Here is how that journey looked for a recent group of guests travelling with our founder and guide, Bilawal.

Morning at the Badshahi Mosque

Most of our Lahore trips begin in the Walled City. The Badshahi Mosque was built by Emperor Aurangzeb and completed in 1673, and its red sandstone courtyard is one of the largest in the world. We like to arrive early, before the crowds and the heat, so there is time to talk about the marble domes, the prayer hall and the view across to the Lahore Fort.

• Shoes come off at the gate, so wear socks you are happy to walk in
• Women should bring a scarf to cover their hair; men should wear long trousers
• The Lahore Fort, Shahi Hammam and Wazir Khan Mosque are all close by

Read more in our guide to the top things to see at the Badshahi Mosque.

Hiran Minar, Sheikhupura

About an hour’s drive north-west of Lahore, Hiran Minar is one of the most peaceful Mughal sites in Punjab. Emperor Jahangir built the tower in the early 1600s in memory of his favourite antelope, Mansraj, and the great water tank with its pavilion in the middle was finished under his son Shah Jahan. A causeway leads out to the pavilion over the water, and it is a lovely place to sit and hear the story of the emperor who loved to hunt here.

It makes an easy half-day trip from Lahore, or a first stop on the way north. See our Sheikhupura and Hiran Minar tour.

The Taxila Museum

Taxila, around 35 km from Islamabad, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the great centres of the ancient Gandhara civilisation. The museum, opened in 1928, holds Buddhist sculpture, coins, jewellery and everyday objects found in the ruined cities and monasteries nearby. Seeing the stone Buddhas first makes the walk around sites such as the Dharmarajika stupa, Sirkap and Jaulian much easier to understand.

• Allow two to three hours for the museum and one or two of the sites
• Photography rules can change, so ask at the ticket desk before using a camera inside
• Taxila fits well into a day from Islamabad, or on the drive from Lahore

Plan your own route

Lahore, Hiran Minar and Taxila can be combined in a private tour of two or three days, with Islamabad as the next stop. Tell us your dates and interests and we will suggest a route, or start with our Lahore full-day tour. When you are ready, book a tour or message us on WhatsApp.