Places to Visit Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi city is not a tourist destination, except in some areas overall the city was built without any planning and infrastructure. Now you cannot find any good place for an outing or a playground for kids. There are some parks remaining which can accommodate whole the city.

Jinnah Park, Public Park, Roomi Park, Race Course, and Ayub National Park are on the list. Here are some iconic and most famous places in Rawalpindi where you can have a good time.

Ayub National Park:

Ayub National Park is one of the biggest parks in Pakistan and also in Asia. It was named after the former president and field marshal of the Pakistan Army Mr. Ayub Khan.  It was built before the independence of Pakistan and called ‘Topi Rakh’ (keep a hat on) at that time, later on in 1959, they announced it as a National Park. It covered an estimated area of 2300 acres. It is the best entertainment for kids and families, and for school children to tour from Pindi as well as nearby areas. This park has a small lake with boating, an animal zoo “Jungle Kingdom”, kids playing area, walking and jogging tracks, and an open theater for Music or Cultural programs.

Liaqat Bagh and Dark History:

Another famous place in Rawalpindi is Liaqat Bagh (Liaquat Garden) which was named after the 1st Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan before that it was called Company Bagh (East India Company Garden). The significance of this garden is that two Prime Ministers were killed here.

First Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated here on 16th October 1951 during a political rally. The person who killed Liaquat Ali Khan was also killed at the spot by a policeman and the assassination of the Liaquat Ali Khan remains a mystery till now.

Benazir Bhutto was also assassinated in Rawalpindi at the same Garden on 27th December 2007 during a political rally. She delivered a speech after that when she was leaving in her vehicle, she came out of the sunroof to wave her hands to her supporters, someone shot a bullet in her head and a suicide bomb exploded. It was rumored that the Taliban killed her, but till now not a single person has been identified in this case.

Raja Bazar (Prince Market):

Rawalpindi was ruled by Ghakhars, Sikhs, Mughals, and Britishers. Everyone contributes their part to building the city. Most famous is Raja Bazar (Prince Market) which was developed during the Sikh regime. Raja Bazar is a commercial and economic hub of Rawalpindi, As Rawalpindi is the main route to the Northern and upper areas of Pakistan this market remains a significant part throughout the history of Rawalpindi. Till now Raja Bazar’s significance is so pivotal that hundreds of thousands of people visit this market for buying and selling daily use products to industrial level goods.

A fountain in the middle of the intersection of different bazaars called Fawara Chowk was there a few years ago but was eliminated due to the Dengue outbreak. Raja Bazar was built centuries ago as per the needs of that time, today market has expanded, and thousands of Shops have been created from every side of the roads, streets, and roundabouts but the market remains congested. If you ever visit Raja Bazar, you will find chaos and overcrowded roads everywhere. Most residents of Pindi try to avoid Raja Bazar and prefer buying from their local market or cash-and-carry stores.

Taxila Museum:

Besides the rich historical place of Taxila ruins, Taxila Museum is full of pre-historic relics dating back to the 1st to 7th centuries CE including stones, clay pots, coins, and jewelry.

Hill Stations:

If you want to enjoy natural beauty, greenery, and hilly areas, you can visit Murree, Kotli Sattiyan, and Kalar Kahar which are the best tourist destinations near Rawalpindi.

Murree was a hill station since the British Colonial Era, and now it is one of the most visited places in the region. In winter when snowfall starts people rush from Punjab and other parts of Pakistan to witness the live snowfall and to enjoy the beautiful weather. In summer it is so crowded that traffic police often appeal to the public not to come to Murree, road blockage is normal in summer, especially on vacations like Eid holidays. So, if you want to plan a trip to Murree be prepared and cautious about road conditions.

Kotli Sattiyan is also a beautiful area with its greenery and amazing waterfalls. This area was recently announced as a tourist destination, but people are not aware of it, you can find peace and real nature here.