Cholistan Desert Jeep Rally

Pakistan's largest motorsport event, a multi-day off-road rally across the Cholistan dunes, staged around the great Derawar Fort.

Held each February near Bahawalpur, the TDCP Cholistan Jeep Rally draws hundreds of drivers and huge crowds to the desert. Racing is paired with a cultural festival of folk music, food, and the floodlit silhouette of Derawar Fort.

Off-road desert racing
Derawar Fort backdrop
Cholistan dunes
Folk music & food
Largest motorsport event in Pakistan

When to plan: February each year; book Bahawalpur stays early as the rally fills the city.
Getting there: Fly or drive to Bahawalpur, then travel out to the Cholistan desert and Derawar with a local operator. A 4x4 and guide are essential off the metalled road.
Region: Punjab guide →

What to expect

Days of qualifying and racing across open dunes, with a festival atmosphere of stalls, music, and camping. Dust, heat by midday, and big crowds at the start line are part of it, come prepared and follow marshals around the track.

Derawar Fort

The rally is inseparable from Derawar, the vast square fort whose forty bastions rise straight from the sand. It is one of Pakistan's most striking heritage sights, and the festival's natural centrepiece.

Respectful travel

Cholistan is a living desert with local communities and herders. Travel with a guide, carry water, and keep to the rally and visitor areas rather than driving off across grazing land.