Peshawar walking tour & city guide

The old city

Qissa Khwani Bazaar, the 'Storytellers' Bazaar', was where traders once shared tales. The Mahabat Khan Mosque is a Mughal mosque with painted interiors. Sethi House is a beautifully restored merchant's mansion.

History

The Peshawar Museum holds a great collection of Gandharan Buddhist art. The Bala Hisar Fort overlooks the city.

A day in Peshawar

Explore the Qissa Khwani Bazaar, the Storytellers' Market, and the old city's Mahabat Khan Mosque. Visit the Sethi House, a merchant's mansion with carved woodwork.

The Peshawar Museum has a fine collection of Gandhara Buddhist art.

Good to know

Peshawar is one of the oldest cities in South Asia. Check current travel advice before visiting.

Try chapli kebab, a Peshawar specialty.

Why it is fascinating

Peshawar sits at the foot of the Khyber Pass, and for more than two thousand years it was a crossroads on trade routes between Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Under the Kushan kings, it was a center of Gandhara Buddhist culture, and later it became a key city of the Mughal and Sikh empires. Its old city, with carved wooden balconies, crowded bazaars and tea houses, still feels like a caravan town. Pashtun hospitality is famous, and visitors are often offered green tea in the shops.