Bahawalpur

Bahawalpur (Bhawalpur, Bhawulpore; Punjabi, Urdu: بہاولپور‎) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the capital of the district of the same name and anchors the 11th most populous metropolitan area in Pakistan.

By plane


Bahawalpur is one of the safest cities in Punjab. It has its own airport which connect all major cities in Pakistan. PIA operate in Bahawalpur to Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad. A new airport is also built near the old airport and it is expected that international flights will operate at the new airport.



By train
Bahawalpur is connected with all major cities of Pakistan by train.



By car
From Lahore you can travel on KLP road.

By bus
Bus services are available throughout Pakistan. Bahawalpur has a very beautiful Daewoo Bus Terminal. You can catch a daewoo bus, from any big city like Karachi, Rawalpindi or Lahore and come to Bahawalpur directly.

Renting a car with driver (for about US$30 per day) is the best way to move around though you can use local transport as well. But to see things around Bahawalpur you will need a car.

See



 * Advance permission from the Army is required to visit the Darbar Mahal.
 * Advance permission from the Army is required to visit the Darbar Mahal.

Do

 * Bahawalpur Golf course
 * Derawar Fort is a beautiful desert tourist place for safari. It runs the off-road Cholistan Desert Jeep Rally or also known as "TDCP Cholistan Jeep Rally". The rally starts near the Derawar Fort in Ahmadpur East Tehsil.

Buy
You can buy local tie/dye clothes (Chunri) from the local markets. Silver jewellery is also very pretty. Handmade closed sandals (with embroidery) called khussas are also available at affordable prices (about US$5 for a pair). To shop for clothes you can visit Outfitters, Crossroads, Riverstone and Boom Fashion.

Specialties
Sohn Halwa: Sohn Halwa is the most special sweet dish of Bahawalpur. You can buy most delicious and fantastic Sohn Halwa mixed with dry fruits and nuts from certain old halwa maker shops.

Sleep

 * Hotel one - This 2-star hotel near airport is probably the best hotel in Bahawalpur.
 * New Bahawalpur Hotel, Inside Ahmad Puri Gate, Shahzadi Chowk. Single room Rs 350.
 * New Bahawalpur Hotel, Inside Ahmad Puri Gate, Shahzadi Chowk. Single room Rs 350.

Stay safe
Follow a conservative dress code and try to dress as locals. It is better to have someone from the city as a guide. In the case of an emergency, call police by 15 from any landline phone. As of May 2023 your hotel will arrange a police escort if you wish to leave the hotel - you may have to specify your itinerary in advance and wait for the police to arrive. If you found yourself in serious trouble and need any type of emergency rescue or help then feel free to dial 1122. The name of the emergency service is "Rescue 1122".
 * Ambulance Access To get an ambulance in case of an emergency, dial 115 from any landline or cellphone.

Go next

 * Ahmadpur Sharqia
 * Hasilpur
 * Khairpur
 * Tamiwali
 * Yazman




 * Cholistan Desert of Bahawalpur - You can make an interesting excursions from Bahawalpur, a half day trip (no four-wheel drive vehicle required) to Derawar Fort (Qila Derawar), through the semi-desert of Cholistan.

Best to take a guide for Derawar fort - although with a GPS and a pre-planned route you could self drive. You also need permission from the present Amir of Bahawalpur to get inside the fort. The drive takes two hours on a sealed road through fascinating barren landscape. The Cholistan Desert covers 26,000 km2 (10,000 sq miles) and extends into the Thar desert to India. The whole area was once well watered by the river Ghaggar, now called the Hakara in Pakistan, and known in vedic times as the Sarasvati. All along the 500 km (300 miles) of the dried-up river are over 400 archaeological sites. Most of these date from the Indus civilisation, 45,00 years ago, and are clustered round Derawar Fort, the only perennial water hole in the desert.

There is very little to make out today. The desert has an average rainfall of 12 cm (5 inches) a year, and there is very little civilisation. The underground water is brackish. The few people of the desert dig artificial wells in the troughs between the sand hills and use camels to draw the water up.


 * Fort Darawar- Derawar Fort (Qila Derawar) is in good condition, its walls are intact and still guarded by soldiers in fezes. Its age is unknown. The tombs of the Amirs of Bahawalpur are also at Derawar, decorated with attractive blue glazed tiles contrasting with the ochre landscape. Some of the cannons which were used times ago by the Army of Bahawalpur are also kept in this fort.