Photo: Mohammed Ahmed Arsalan Khan · CC BY-SA 4.0Area guides / Khyber Pakhtunkhwa / Peshawar
Area guide
Peshawar
Old city bazaars at the foot of the Khyber Pass
Region
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
When to go
October to April for comfortable walking in the old city. Visit in daylight and confirm access to each site.
Getting there
By road or air from Islamabad and Pakistan's other cities. In the old city, the final stretch is best on foot or with a local driver who knows the lanes.
Places
15 field guides
Overview
About Peshawar
Peshawar, capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, lies in the broad Peshawar Valley east of the Khyber Pass. Its walled city keeps Qissa Khwani, the 'bazaar of the storytellers', the Mughal Mahabat Khan Mosque, the Gor Khatri complex and the Bala Hisar fort, and its museum holds one of the great Gandhara collections.
By road or air from Islamabad and Pakistan's other cities. In the old city, the final stretch is best on foot or with a local driver who knows the lanes.
The walled city
Qissa Khwani, the Mahabat Khan Mosque and Gor Khatri are close together and best walked with a local guide. Bala Hisar remains an active headquarters, so public entry cannot be assumed; confirm before going.
Gandhara
Peshawar Museum is the place to read the archaeology of the valley before or after the Gandharan sites around Takht-i-Bahi and Taxila. Check the weekly closure day before you go.
Top sights in Peshawar
All 15 places →
Resorts
All resorts →GreenPak stays in this area are listed on the region guide.
Peshawar: Questions Travellers Ask
What is there to see in Peshawar?
15 places in Peshawar have their own field guide here, the most in landmarks and buildings (7), parks and gardens (3), museums, libraries and colleges (2) and sikh heritage (1).
When is the best time to visit Peshawar?
October to April for comfortable walking in the old city. Visit in daylight and confirm access to each site.
How do you get to Peshawar?
By road or air from Islamabad and Pakistan's other cities. In the old city, the final stretch is best on foot or with a local driver who knows the lanes.
What day trips can you take from Peshawar?
22 within about 40 km of Peshawar, all listed on this page: Samadh of Hari Singh Nalwa, Jamrud Fort (about 1 km outside), Bab-e-Khyber (Khyber Gate) (about 1 km outside), Ali Masjid, Khyber Pass (about 11 km outside), Gurdwara Nihang Singh Chhaoni, Nowshera (about 20 km outside), Tanda Dam and Lake, Kohat (about 20 km outside), Shrine of Kaka Sahib, Nowshera (about 24 km outside), Samadh of Akali Phoola Singh, Pir Sabak (about 25 km outside), Attock Fort (about 38 km outside), Hindu Temple-I (East of Indus View Hotel) (about 39 km outside), Behram ki Baradari (about 39 km outside), Attock Tomb (about 40 km outside) and 11 landmarks and buildings.
The complete guide
Everything to See in Peshawar
All 15 places in Peshawar with their own field guide, grouped by kind.
Sikh heritage · 1
Mosques, shrines and tombs · 1
Forts, gates and palaces · 1
Museums, libraries and colleges · 2
Islamia College, PeshawarIslamia College in Peshawar, founded in 1913: a landmark red-brick building mixing Mughal domes, chhatris and multi-cusped arches with Corinthian columns.
Peshawar MuseumA landmark museum established in the early twentieth century, with a major collection of Gandharan sculpture and regional archaeology.
Parks and gardens · 3
Bagh-e-Naran, PeshawarOne of the largest gardens of Hayatabad, Peshawar, with a mini zoo, walking track and children's playground.
Shahi Bagh, PeshawarThe 'royal garden' of Peshawar: a 100-acre Mughal-era park beside the Arbab Niaz Stadium, long the city's meeting ground.
Tatara ParkTatara Park, one of Peshawar's most visited parks, with lawns and man-made lakes in Hayatabad.
Landmarks and buildings · 7
Dargah Pir Ratan Nath, PeshawarOne of Peshawar's few working Hindu temples, in Jhanda Bazaar, dedicated to the Nath saint Ratan Nath and to Shiva.
Gor KhatriA layered archaeological complex in Peshawar's walled city, centred on a Mughal caravanserai courtyard and earlier sacred remains.
Kotla Mohsin KhanA three-storey fortified residence of the late 16th century, founded by the Mughal mansabdar Arbab Mustajab Khan Momand.
Peshawar ZooPeshawar Zoo, opened in 2018: the city's first zoo and the second largest in Pakistan, run by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's wildlife department.
Qissa Khwani Bazaar, PeshawarThe 'Bazaar of Storytellers' in Peshawar's old city, a living caravanserai of spice merchants, copper smiths, chai kiosks, and some of the finest Pashtun frontier cooking in Pakistan.
Sethi HouseA 19th-century Sethi merchant mansion in Peshawar's walled city, known for its carved wood, coloured glass and mirror-inlaid alcoves.
Shah-ji-ki-Dheri (Kanishka Stupa), PeshawarShah-ji-ki-Dheri is an archaeological site located around 6 kilometers from Peshawar, Pakistan.
Around Peshawar: day trips · 22
Outside Peshawar, straight-line distance from its boundary.
Samadh of Hari Singh Nalwa, Jamrud Fort~1 km outside Peshawar
Bab-e-Khyber (Khyber Gate)~1 km outside Peshawar
Mirchi ki Dheri~4 km outside Peshawar
Pushkalavati, Charsadda~8 km outside Peshawar
Bala Hisar Mound (Pushkalavati), Charsadda~8 km outside Peshawar
Ali Masjid, Khyber Pass~11 km outside Peshawar
Sphola Stupa, Khyber Pass~15 km outside Peshawar
Khyber Pass~19 km outside Peshawar
Taj Building, Nowshera~19 km outside Peshawar
Gurdwara Nihang Singh Chhaoni, Nowshera~20 km outside Peshawar
Tanda Dam and Lake, Kohat~20 km outside Peshawar
Shrine of Kaka Sahib, Nowshera~24 km outside Peshawar
Khushal Garh~25 km outside Peshawar
Samadh of Akali Phoola Singh, Pir Sabak~25 km outside Peshawar
Sahri Bahlol, Mardan~28 km outside Peshawar
Takht-i-Bahi: UNESCO World Heritage Site~30 km outside Peshawar
Old Attock Bridge~37 km outside Peshawar
Attock Fort~38 km outside Peshawar
Begum ki Sarai~38 km outside Peshawar
Behram ki Baradari~39 km outside Peshawar
Hindu Temple-I (East of Indus View Hotel)~39 km outside Peshawar
Attock Tomb~40 km outside Peshawar