"PAKISTAN ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE TOURS"

Archaeological sites of Pakistan clearly reflects the facinating and glorious heritage of the land. This voyage of discovery will take you to 5000 years old Indus valley civilization of Harappa, Moenjodaro and centuries old buddhist monasteries ans syupas of Gandhara period.

YOUR ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrival at Islamabad airport, meet, assist and transfer to the hotel.Overnight at the hotel.(B)

Day 2: Breakfast at the hotel and drive to Swat en route visitng Taxila.Situated 35 miles from Rawalpindi, Taxila was once the seat of Oriental culture. It was first mentioned as a satrapy of the Archemenian empire in 6th century B.C. It was invaded by Alexander the Great and passed along to other rulers untill finally reaching the hands of Ashoka the Great, who moulded the city into a center of learning. The creative Gandhara period followed shortly thereafter and Taxila remained the centre of learning, philosophy and art. It came to a disasterous and pathetic end when sacked by the White Huns. Today, Taxila is an archaeologist's paradise:there is a well-maintained museum here and eight sites scattered around a very short radius. Amongst the best preserved are Sirkap, Jaulian ( the University).Lunch at local restaurant. Arrive at Swat and transfer to the hotel.The Greeks fought for its beauty , the Buddhist inhabited it because of its eternal beauty and peace, the Moghals envied its lush green valleys and fast flowing rivers and today it is coveted by the Pathans, the Kohistanis and the Gujars. Over two thousand years ago, this prosperous valley of Swat - originally known as Udyan - was the home of well - settled people, living within magnificently planned towns. In 327 B.C., Alexander the Great fought his way to Udigram and Barikot and settled a good part of his army here. Later, the Buddhists came, they preached,converted, fought and stayed for worship. Graphic remains of the Buddhist culture date back to the 2nd century. In the 11th
century Mahmud of Ghazni invaded Swat after having advanced through Dir, and defeatd Gira, the local ruler, near Udigram. After him followed the Moghals, under Babar and his grandson Akbar, yet they were unable to conquer the valley. There is evidence that by then the Yusufzai Pathans-fierce, proud and resolute warriors - defended their soil against all invaders ,including the British. Winston Spencer Churchill, in his account of the Malakand campaign, narrates a colourful tale. Swat, a land that shines with fruit -laden orchards, flower-filled slopes, meandering rivers, tumbling streams and is surrounded by the mighty ranges of the Hindu Kush and the Karakoram. The valley is 3250 feet above sea level and Saidu Sharif and Mingora are the towns that form the twin capital of this area. Kalam, 64 miles from Saidu Sharif, is the last town accessible by road. It is at a height of 6800 feet, and is surrounded on all sides by the snow - covered peaks of the Hindu Kush, dense forests of pine , fir deodar and wild flowers, dotted with orchards of walnut and borders the Ushoo stream.
Overnight at the hotel. (B) (L)

Day 3: Breakfast at the hotel.AM VISIT Jahanabad and Madyan/ Bahrain. 35 miles north of Saidu Sharif is the charming town of Madyan,lying at an elevation of 4336 ft. The town borders the Swat river and trout fishing is a favourite pastime. 6 miles further north is the town of Bahrain, whose precarious wire bridge and bulous woodcarving makes it a must see.PM: Visit Butkara/ Saidu stupas/ Museum and Bazzar. Butkara - the remains of one of the most important Buddhist shrines in the valley. This site consists of a main stupa around which jostle 215 votive stupas in apparently glorious disarray.The main stupa was believed to contain some ashes of Lord Buddha
and to have been built by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. It is difficult to imagine it as it must have been once, all painted and gilded and topped by stone umbrellas.You can still see the statue of lions crouching on their haunches. They probably fell off the tops of the tall columns which once stood near the stupa.Then you will visit Mingora Bazaar, which is the commercial centre well - worth visiting, for there you will find emeralds for which Swat is famous. Then continue to Murghazar where you will behold the old white palace constructed from white marble and adorned with ornate carvings. The Museum in Saidu Sharif has a large collection of Gandharan sculptures collected from some of the buddhist sites in Swat.In the ethnographic section there is some local embroidery , carved wood and tribal jewellery. There are also a few coins on display. Overnight at the hotel.
(B)

Day 4: Breakfast at the hotel. AM visit Nimogram.
Nimogram is impressive , and the drive there both beautiful and archaeologically interesting.Nimogram is unique in that it has three main stupas, one of Buddha he teacher, one for Dharma (the Buddhist doctrine)and one for Sangha (the Buddhist Order), the three principles, or jewels, of Buddhism. Surrounding the main stupas are a number of votive stupas, and nearby is an unexcavated monastery site. Much superb sculpture was found at Nimogram, most of which is now in the Swat Museum at Saidu Sharif.
PM visit Udigram. The site of countless battles fought or control of the Swat valley. The town flourished from the 4th century B.C. to the 4th century A.D., and harboured the armies of Alexander the Great, Mahmud of Ghazni and Raja Gira. Overnight at the hotel.
(B)

Day 5: Breakfast at the hotel and proceed to Peshawar en route visiting Takhtbai. Shahbaz Gadi is 40 miles from Peshawar on the ancient route to India. Here lies the ruins of a Buddhist monastery dating back to the 2nd century B.C. A few miles further on lie the ruins of another monastery,Takht-Bahi,situated 500 feet high on a rocky spur. This site, dating back to 45 A.D. has produced sculptures in stone and stucco that are uniquely arranged on small shrines that surround the main stupa. Arrive at Peshawar and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel. (B)

Day 6: Breakfast at the hotel. AM city sightseeing tour of Peshawar. We begin by visiting the rich museum of Peshawar , which houses treasures of the Gandhara period. Proceed to old Peshawar through the Kabuli Gate - one of the sixteen - to the Qissa Khawani bazaar, " the street of story tellers", and witness unusual and unforgetable sights . We will also visit the coppersmith's bazaar, which flourished from the 1st century B.C. to the 5th century A.D. Continue to Mahabat Khan's mosque, built in 1670 by the Governor of Peshawar under Moghal Emperor Shah Jahan. Our tour will pass by Balar Hisar Fort, built by Babar in 1526 - 30, and rebuilt by Hari Singh Nalva, under the guidance of French engineers in 1830. PM transfer to the airport for your flight to Lahore. Arrive at Lahore and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.(B)

Day 7: Breakfast at the hotel. Full day city sightseeing tour of Lahore.Our tour includes visit to Lahore Fort, a marvel of Moghal architecture begun in the 11th century and completed finally by the end of the 16th century. Amongst the Emperors who contributed to its splendour are Emperors Akbar, Jahangir and
Shah Jahan. We will visit the beautiful palace of Mirrors, Shah Jahan's Quadrangle and the Pearl Mosque. Overlooking the Fort is the Badshahi mosque - the world's largest - and it is our next stop . It was constructed during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb. Pakistan's famous poet-philosopher, Dr. Mohammad
Iqbal, lies buried outside the mosque. We will drive to the National Museum which contains one of the finest collections of Buddhist Art from the Gandhara period.Here one is able to view the original Fasting Buddha statue. In front of the museum is the Zam - Zama, the gun immortalized by Rudyard Kipling and the campus of the Punjab University. We will also visit the Town Hall, a yelow building with bulbous silver domes.We drive through Lahore's crowded streets to the Shalimar Gardens, designed by Ali Mardan of Persia and set out in the Persian style with marble pavilions, a marble waterfall and more than 400 fountains in an area of 42 acres. Emperor Shah Jahan ordered the construction of this " Garden of Heaven" in 1642. Next we proceed to the Anarkali Bazaar, named after a pretty dancer named Anarkali who was put to death by Emperor Akbar for having an affair with Prince Salim,who later became Emperor Jehangir. We will also visit Wazir Khan's Mosque, constructed under the stewardship of the Governor in 1643, and Jahangir's tomb.Overnight at the hotel.(B)

Day 8: Breakfast at the hotel and drive to Multan en route visiting Harappa.Harappa is on the bank of the Ravi river situated 140 miles from Lahore, and is a very important archaeological site. The houses unearthed were constructed with baked bricks set in mud or mortar. Every house had a well,and amazing sewage and drain facilities, indicating that the inhabitants were well versed in Town Planning. One building of particular beauty has six inter - connecting halls approximately 52" x 17" wide,with a wooden floor and it was used to store grains. The famous Chinese religious historian, Hieun Tsiang, remained here for two months since
Harappa had four Buddhist stupas and twelve monasteries. It also had over twenty Hindu temples. The city was destroyed during an 8th century Arab invasion. Lunch at the local restaurant. Continue drive to Multan. Arrive at Multan and transfer to the hotel.Overnight at the hotel.(B) (L)

Day 9: After breakfast half day city tour of Multan.
Visit the old Fort, Shrine of Hazrat Rukne Alam, and the colourful Bazaar full of local handicrafts. PM transfer to airport for your flight to Karachi. Arrive at Karachi and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel. (B)

Day 10: After breakfast proceed for full day Moenjodaro Excursion. Moenjodaro - The "Mound of the Dead ", is situated about 563 Kms (350 miles) from Karachi on the Super Highway via Dadu.
It is one of the world's oldest Civilizations, dating as far back as 2000 B.C., and it is preceeded in age only by the Egyptian and Mesopotanian Civilizations. This archaeological wonder was discovered in 1922, and subsequent excavations show it to be divided into two parts:the upper & the lower. The Archaeological
Museum in Moenjodaro is definitely worth a visit.
It had mud - brick and baked - brick buildings , an elaborate covered drainage system with soak - pits for disposal bins a spacious pillared hall a college of priests a large and imposing building ( Probably a palace) and a citadel mound which incorporates in its margin a system of solid burnt brick
towers. Efforts are being made to save the ruins from crumbling due to rising water table. Lunch at local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.(B) (L)

Day 11: Breakfast at the hotel. Proceed for full day Thatta excursion. Thatta is an ancient town whose history dates back to Alexander the Great , who used the town to rest his weary troops. Founded in the 15th century, it was used by the Moghuls as the capital of Sind. It is rumored that at this time upto 400
institutions of learning flourished . Some outstanding Moghul ruins, such as the Shahi Masjid, form the core of the religious and historical monuments preserved . The Makli Hills is an ancient necropolis containing upto a million graves spread over an area of six miles. The geometric and floral designs carved upon the stone tombs help identify the different eras and their dynasties, and reveal many a secret of the gone days. We will also visit the archaeological site of Bhanbore, whose network of streets and narrow lanes associate it with the legendary city of Debal.
Drive back to Karachi Overnight at the hotel.(B) (L)

Day 12: Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to airport for home bound flight.(B) (END OF SERVICES)

To contact this tour operator please use the contact form next to the map on the right.

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Price/Person: 80/DAY/PERSON DOL
Number of participants 02-20
Duration: 12 Days

Area: Archeological tressure in Paksitan
Accomodation is included in this tour: Feel free to ask what kind of servives you are expecting from us as we tried our best to give you standard class of services int the above given pckage.

The Guide is able to understand this language also    
   german
   english
   french
   spanish

Special Hints: Pakistan is one of the countries in the world with diversified ecological and cultural treasure. Archaeological development in the past and present highlights major discoveries, expeditions and research in Pre-History, Proto-History, early-History, Late History and Muslim periods.

edited at 30.05.07 | 04:44 AM
last update 30.12.08 | 08:19 AM

Guide details

Karim Uddin

Web: To contact this tour operator please use the contact form above.
Phone Number: ---
Vita
Respected & Valuable Clients


Warmest greetings from Hunza, Pakistan,

We are pleased to introduce our company (Active Tour Pakistan) is one of leading tour operators in Pakistan.

Active Tours Pakistan is a registered tour operating company with the Ministry of Tourism in Pakistan. We organize and operate expeditions, treks, jeep safaris, culture tours, bike safaris, mountaineering, hotel reservations, and overland trips to and from China, Iran & India.

We offer you something new and unique throughout your trip. You are more than merely tourists to our country, you are our honored guests. Whether you visit the north or south of Pakistan, our tradition of hospitality will strengthen the ties of affection between you and our local people.

For more information about our itineraries you can visit our web-site, To contact this tour operator please use the contact form above.
If you require any additional information, please don't hesitate to contact us. We shall be glad to reply accordingly.


With best wishes and kind regards, Yours


sincerely,


Karim - Executive Director
Cell No. +92-345-522024
6ACTIVE TOURS PAKISTAN
G.P.O Box # 428, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-2850883, 4320468WEB:

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edited at 30.05.07 | 04:21 AM
last update 30.12.08 | 11:30 AM

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