Quetta
Pakistan · Balochistan · 1680 m
Description
Quetta is the capital of Balochistan and the only provincial capital in Pakistan that sits in a mountain bowl, ringed by the Chiltan, Takatu, Zarghun and Murdar mountains at sixteen hundred and eighty metres. The name comes from a Pashto word for fort and the British held it as the gate to Kandahar. Its orchards supply the country with apples, grapes, almonds and pomegranates, and the dry-fruit stalls of Liaquat Bazaar are what most visitors remember. Hanna Lake sits in a gap in the hills east of town. Ziarat and its junipers are two and a half hours away.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: March – May or September – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Liaquat Bazaar and the dry-fruit stalls
- Hanna Lake below the hills
- Ring of mountains around the city
- Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park(Day trip)
- Archaeological Museum of Balochistan
- Kandahari and Sardar bazaars
- Sajji and Balochi barbecue
- Chiltan wild goat on the reserve slopes
- Urak valley and its orchards(Day trip)
- Bolan Pass road south towards Sindh
- Hazara quarter and its teahouses
Getting there
- Airports:
- UET
- Train stations:
- Quetta