Karachi

Mazar-e-Quaid, Frere Hall and Karachi's landmarks in two days

Two days covers Karachi's main landmarks. Start at the Mazar-e-Quaid, the tomb of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, then visit Frere Hall and Empress Market in the old Saddar district. On day two, see Mohatta Palace in Clifton and finish at the seafront for sunset.

The Mazar-e-Quaid, a white marble mausoleum in a modernist style, was completed in 1970 and stands in large gardens in the centre of the city. The changing of the guard is a popular sight. Dress modestly and leave bags with security at the gate.

Frere Hall, completed in 1865, was built as Karachi's town hall in the years when the British were turning the town into a major port. It now hosts exhibitions and cultural events, and its gardens are a weekend meeting place. Empress Market, nearby, is a busy covered market of spices, dried fruit and household goods.

Mohatta Palace was built in 1927 as a summer residence for the Marwari businessman Shiv Rattan Mohatta. Its pink and yellow stone domes now house a museum with changing exhibitions on Pakistani art and history. The Clifton seafront, a short drive away, fills with families and food stalls in the evening.

How Kolachi became Pakistan's largest city

Karachi grew from Kolachi, a fortified settlement founded in 1729 on the Arabian Sea coast. The British took it in 1839 and built it into a port and rail hub. After independence in 1947 it became Pakistan's first capital, until 1958, and today it is the country's largest city, with about 18.9 million people at the 2023 census.

Partition brought hundreds of thousands of refugees and reshaped the city's population, which is still among the most diverse in Pakistan. Karachi remains the country's main financial and industrial centre and handles most of its foreign trade through its ports.

The legacy of each era shows in the streets: colonial halls and churches around Saddar, the merchant palaces of the early twentieth century, and the post-1947 national monuments such as the Mazar-e-Quaid.

Burns Road, biryani and Karachi street food

Karachi is Pakistan's food capital, and its street food is the main reason many visitors linger. Burns Road, in the old city, is lined with stalls and small restaurants serving nihari, a slow-cooked beef stew eaten with naan, haleem, kebabs and Karachi-style biryani. Go in the evening, when the street is busiest.

Seafood comes fresh from the harbour, and Clifton and DHA have restaurants for every budget. Sweets shops sell jalebi, gulab jamun and halwa, and tea stalls serve strong, milky doodh patti.

Stick to busy stalls with fast turnover, eat food cooked in front of you and drink bottled water. During Ramadan most daytime eateries close and the city eats after sunset.

Day trip to the Makli necropolis and Thatta

The best day trip from Karachi is the Makli necropolis near Thatta, east of the city. One of the largest burial grounds in the world, its stone and brick tombs of rulers, saints and nobles span several centuries, and the site is listed by UNESCO as the Historical Monuments at Makli, Thatta.

Hire a car with driver for the day, start early to avoid the midday heat and carry water, since shade is limited among the tombs. Combine the necropolis with the old town of Thatta on the same trip.

Closer to the city, the Chaukhandi tombs, carved sandstone graves on the road east, make a short stop on the way. For the wider country, see our Pakistan travel guide.