Facts for the Traveler Visas

Visas are required by nationals from most European and English-speaking countries. A Pakistan visa allows you to enter the country up to six months from the date you get it, and stay up to three months from the date you enter. However, if you arrive in Pakistan as a tourist without a visa you will receive a 30-day landing permit, which can be changed into a three month entry visa at a regional passport office in Pakistan.

When to Go

The best time for traveling to Pakistan depends on which part of the country you intend to visit. Generally speaking, the southern parts of Pakistan including Sind, Baluchistan, Punjab and southern North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) are best visited in the cooler months between November and April. After that it gets uncomfortably hot. The northern areas like Azad Jammu Kashmir, and northern NWFP are best seen during May to October before the area becomes snowbound. The weather may be a little stormy during this time, but the mountain districts are usually still accessible.

Events

Nationwide celebrations include Ramadan, a month of sunrise-to-sunset fasting which changes dates every year (as the Islamic calendar differs from the Gregorian one); Eid-ul-Fitr, two to three days of feasting and goodwill that marks the end of Ramadan; Eid-ul-Azha, when animals are slaughtered and the meat shared between relatives and the needy; and Eid-Milad-un-Nabi, which celebrates Mohammad's birthday.

Costs

By staying in hostels or dorms and eating like a local you can get by on as little as US$10-15 a day. If, however, you were looking for a moderate touch of luxury you could spend as much as $30-40 a day which could get you accommodation that included a satellite T.V., a desk, a balcony, and a spotlessly clean bathroom. As in any place you can spend as much as you like to live in the lap of luxury and stay in swanky hotels. It's worth noting that rooms and food are cheaper in the north than in the south.

One US$ = 60 Pakistani Rupees

Forms of Money

Both travellers' checks and cash are easy to change throughout the country, but commissions on checks can be high. Apart from top-end hotels, most places won't accept credit cards as payment although you can often use them for cash advances at western banks. Facilities for validation seem better for Visa then Mastercard. Occasionally a tattered note will be firmly refused as legal tender, and often in the smaller towns the appearance of a 1000 or 500 rupee note will cause consternation and an inability to provide change, so make sure you get some smaller notes when buying your rupees.