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Rawalpindi
Metropolis in Punjab, Pakistan

Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi, colloquially known as Pindi, is the third-largest city in the Pakistani province of Punjab and the fourth-most populous city in Pakistan.

Plan a trip to Rawalpindi→From Peshawar

Located along the Soan River in north-western Punjab, Rawalpindi lies adjacent to Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, and the two are jointly known as the "twin cities".

Get in

Getting to Rawalpindi

Islamabad International Airport (ISB IATA) has daily flights from various international and local destinations. It is accessible via GT Road, Motorway M2 at Pind Ranjah, and is a 30-minute drive from Saddar area. Rawalpindi has its own central railway station, with regular services to many destinations within Pakistan.

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    Rawalpindi

    Rawalpindi has extensive road networks, linking it directly to various major cities such as Lahore, Peshawar and Taxila to the north.

See

Worth seeing

Rawalpindi is not blessed with an extensive architectural history. However the city is an interesting place to wander, especially if you are based in Islamabad and are looking for some hustle and bustle.

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    Liaqat Bagh
  2. 02
    Jinnah Park

    McDonald's, Pappasalis, Cinepax and COSMO (Cash and Carry) are built inside this park.

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    Ayub Park
Do

Things to do

There are various things you can do in Rawalpindi. A few of them are: Plan a trip to Raja Bazar, Bara Bazar and Murree Road. Although the traffic gets horrible at times, but you will find such amazing stuff at amazing prices that you'll forget the pain. Be careful in Raja Bazar in particular - it is not recommended for lone female travellers.

Eat

Where to eat

A visit to Rawalpindi makes a pleasant change from Islamabad's restaurant scene. As you might expect Pindi offers some excellent places for top-notch Pakistani food, and offers better value than you find in Islamabad. You'll almost certainly be the only non-Pakistani customer, and you can expect the staff to go out of their way to be hospitable. Fortress Street (Next to Rawalpindi cricket ground, off Stadium road).

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    Mini
How locals move

Getting around Rawalpindi the local way

  • Go nextIslamabad is well situated for day trips and weekend trips to nearby cities and attractions.
  • Go nextKetas Temples and the Khewra Salt mines makes for a pleasant day trip - the Salt Mines are good to visit in the summer as a place to escape the punishing heat of the salt range.
  • Go nextRohtas Fort 2-hour drive south of Islamabad off the GT road - enormous old fort that makes for a great day trip from Islamabad.
  • Go nextPeshawar can be visited in a long day trip - about 2½ hours on the motorway - visit the museum, have lunch, then go for a guided wander around the old town before heading back to Islamabad.
  • Go nextminivan from G-9 markaz for Rs 700 (2025)), from there take a shared taxi to the border.
  • Go nextOn Afghani side, take another shared taxi to Kabul.
  • Go nextApproach by bus, minivan or jeep via Peshavar or Gilgit, but check security situation first.

From Wikivoyage: Islamabad, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.