Rawalpindi

About Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi is the older, louder twin of Islamabad, a crowded Punjabi city of bazaars, colonial cantonments and some of the best street food in northern Pakistan. The two cities sit side by side at the edge of the Pothohar Plateau, and many visitors stay in one and explore both.

The city grew as a trading town on the old road between Lahore and Peshawar, and under British rule it became a major military cantonment. That history shows in the churches and bungalows of Saddar, the Pakistan Army Museum and the headquarters of the army, while the old city around Raja Bazaar keeps a dense maze of lanes, wholesale markets and historic buildings.

For travellers, Rawalpindi is above all a place to wander, shop and eat: try chapli kebabs, nihari and sweet tea in the bazaars. Ayub National Park offers green space, the cricket stadium hosts international matches, and the Gakhar fortress of Rawat lies just outside the city on the Grand Trunk Road.