1. Witness a state of trance at a Sufi dhamal
Dol drums and dhamal at the shrine of Madhu Lal Hussain
On Thursdays, Sufis gather at shrines around Lahore for dhamal. Pounding drums and uninhibited dancing like you’ve never seen before bring mystics to a state of trance which they believe brings them closer to God. Smokeable substances help onlookers enter another mental state with a bit more ease.
Dhamal ceremonies are harder to find since the famous dhamal at Shah Jamal stopped for security reasons; see my post on Sufi dhamal in Lahore for more information. This is by far one of the most interesting things to do when you visit Lahore.
2. Catch live music at Peeru’s Cafe
Colorful Peeru’s Café is a bit of a hike, but it’s one of my favorite places to visit in Lahore. Thursday night is Sufi night and Friday is for qawwali, another foot tapping kind of Sufi music. The crowd is mixed: both young adults and families come to enjoy music over dinner. No matter your age, it’s worth checking out. They also serve a variety of tasty food from all over Pakistan. One of the more original cafes in Lahore.
Pro tip: Not that you’d ever think of drinking in the Islamic Republic *ahem* but Peeru’s is willing to turn a blind eye—and serve you mixers or empty glasses—if you’re pouring things under the table.
3. Eat your way down Gawalmandi food street
Have one dinner with a view on the tourist food street next to Badshahi Mosque… then forget about it.
Gawalmandi food street is just outside the walled city. By day, it’s a street of colorful buildings full of foot traffic. Once the sun sets, it becomes a hopping food street with myriad foods on offer.
Try a little bit of everything, and don’t be afraid to show up late. It’s not unusual to see families with children having dinner at 2 in the morning!
4. Booze behind the scenes
Contrary to popular belief, alcohol isn’t entirely illegal in the Islamic Republic. Did you know if you’re foreign—or can prove you’re not Muslim—you can legally buy alcohol from shops in Lahore?
Select international hotels such as the Pearl Continental have attached “permit shops” where visitors can buy unlimited quantities of beer and liquor. I’ve patronized the shop in the back right corner of the Avari Hotel property many a time. To my knowledge, the Ambassador Hotel has the cheapest alcohol but is also the seediest option for buying alcohol in Lahore.
Beers are around 250 Rs per, liquor depends. Officially you can only buy domestic Murree products, though if you’re friendly with the salespeople they can arrange imported drinks under the table.
Pro tip: Murree liquor is gnarly—and you will definitely regret your decision the next morning—but their beer is passable. People agree the light blue Wheat beer is tastiest. The red Strong will do otherwise.
5. Get sucked into the flow of Anarkali Bazaar
Anarkali is a massive shopping street in Lahore overflowing with wares, foods, and bodies, and is a must-visit place in Lahore. Whether you’re questing for a specific item, or just want to watch aunties harass salesmen, Anarkali is a great place to observe Lahoris doing their thing. Anarkali is one of the most interesting bazaars in Lahore, and its side streets are a joy to explore.
6. Find the feminine side of Lahore at Bibi Pak Daman.
Deep within the maze of Muhammad Nagar—Muhammad Neighborhood—lies six ladies in repose. So they say, anyway.
Believed to be the tomb of women from the Prophet Muhammad’s household, Bibi Pak Daman shrine is one of the largest shrines dedicated to women in Lahore.
Local ladies reading the Quran and praying at the shrine. Taken with my phone because cameras were not allowed in the shrine. Possibly because I visited during Muharram, but it might be a year ’round thing.
Both Shia and Sunni Muslims visit the shrine, and the streets around the shrine are filled with shops peddling items related to Muhammad and Muharram. Poke around in the alleys, and you might stumble across men crafting zanjeers, the knives on chains Shias use for self-flagellating during Muharram and other notable events.
Want to know more about traveling to Pakistan as a woman? Check out my guide to female travel in Pakistan!
7. Explore the Walled City from less popular gates
13 gates used to lead into the walls of old Lahore… then the British happened. Six gates have since been rebuilt; the rest exist in name only. Nevertheless, they’re good starting points for exploring different parts of the walled city of Lahore. Delhi Gate, near Wazir Khan mosque, is the most renowned… so why not start your quest from another part of the Walled City to shake things up a bit?
Procession my friend and I stumbled across while exploring the area around Mochi Gate
8. Retail therapy at Liberty Market
The semicircular marketplace is the city’s go-to for affordable clothes and accessories. Several layers and stories of shops ring the central area. Market stalls line the outside, too. Even if you don’t need clothes, it’s a colorful place to wander around. There are plenty of places to grab snacks and drinks, making Liberty Market a great place to visit in Lahore.
Pro tip: If you’re in need of a new book to read, Variety Books in Liberty Market has a massive selection of English books.
A bird’s eye view of Wazir Khan
9. Enjoy the view from above at Wazir Khan mosque
Wazir Khan is one of Lahore’s most famous mosques, second only to the massive Badshahi Mosque. Most travelers know they need to pay a visit to admire its intricate tiles and paintings… but not everyone knows it’s also possible to check it out from above!
The men who collect shoes at the entrance also have keys to other parts of the mosque. For a bit of baksheesh—at this point around 500 Rs—they’ll let you up into one of the mosque’s minarets. The minarets offer a great view of both the mosque and the busy bazaar streets of Lahore’s walled city. Win-win!
10. Go underground at Shahi Hamam
An opulent and slightly subterranean Persian-style bathhouse right next to Delhi Gate, Shahi Hamam is easy to miss despite being close to the famed Wazir Khan. Thanks to a loving restoration funded by the Agha Khan Foundation a few years back, the painted, vaulted halls are in surprisingly good condition for a historical site in Pakistan. Good thing, as it’s the last historical hamam in all of Lahore!
A typical haveli courtyard
11. Hunt havelis in the Walled City
Haveli hunting might be my favorite thing to do in Lahore. Seemingly endless numbers of havelis, historic mansions, line the claustrophobic streets of the old city. Most are in disarray, some are still occupied by family servants, all still have majestic airs despite years of neglect.
Don’t be afraid to knock on doors and ask to poke your head inside! Many of the people maintaining the properties will happily show you around if you’re nice, though you’ll have to use your imagination at times.
If you don’t have an Urdu-speaking friend who can help you say hello, try the Haveli Nau Nihal Singh. It’s been converted into a girls’ school, so try visiting in the mid- to late afternoon when school isn’t in session.
12. Shop for psychedelic salwar kameez at Generation in Packages Mall
I hate shopping with a flaming passion, and still I recommend this.
If you don’t yet have local clothes to wear, Generation is, by far, my favorite Pakistani clothing store. All of its readymade clothes are insanely colorful and uniquely geometric in design (as opposed to the feminine floral patterns favored by the fashion industry). They also make an effort to use stronger and more “realistic” women as models, rather than pasty pale waifs.
Generation has both standalone stores and shops in malls; I prefer the branch in the shiny new (and air-conditioned) Packages Mall in Gulberg.
13. Cool off with ice cream from Chaman’s
Given I’m an ice cream addict, I have tо mention Chaman’s! Down Mall Road from Lahore’s (in)famous Lahore Backpackers Hostel, Chaman’s ice cream is known and loved in the city, and is probably Lahore’s best place for ice cream. They have endless flavors to choose from—don’t worry, there’s a menu in English—but my favorite is pista badam, pistachio almond.
Pro tip: Want to do things the Pakistani way? Order drive thru ice cream. That is to say, park your car on the side of Mall Road and wait for Chaman’s ice cream runners to bring you a menu and serve you directly in your car!
Actually decent coffee? Be still my heart!
14. Ogle socialites over (real) coffee in Gulberg
As a tourist, you’ll likely spend more time in cramped bazars and historical buildings than chic new digs. But it’s important to see both sides of modern Pakistan, and Mall 1 is the place to go to rub shoulders with Pakistan’s upper class.
Grab a blissfully legit cup of coffee at Mocca, then sit and watch heavily made up ladies snap selfies with the latest iPhones while men tap away on sleek laptops with a side of coffee. Or just whore out their stable wifi. That’s cool, too.
Sunny afternoon at Dai Anga mosque
