Pakistan is one of our destinations that's constantly in the media for all the wrong reasons. But just like a lot of the places we go to, the media exaggerates and doesn't really tell the whole story. If we only heard the news about bad things happening in Europe or the USA, we'd probably avoid those too — but just like Europe and the USA, Pakistan is a big place, and it's easy enough to avoid anything genuinely dangerous if you know where those places actually are.
How Safe Is Pakistan in 2026?
Despite what you may hear in the news, Pakistan is very safe. If you're heading to the main tourist areas — Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Lahore — the thing you'll actually have to worry about is traffic or maybe some stomach issues, not crime. Crimes against tourists are few and far between, and common sense will get you through without any issues at all.
The numbers back this up too: Pakistan pulled in over 1.3 million international tourists in 2024, up nearly 30% on the year before. That's not a fluke — it's a country that's genuinely opening up to travellers, and we've watched the shift happen firsthand over the last few years.
Where Is Dangerous?
There have been isolated attacks in recent years, mainly in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and, less often, in Karachi. None of these have been targeted at foreign tourists, and they remain very isolated events. These areas are still safe to travel through — we go to them regularly — but there are some extra steps involved when you do.
What Security Measures Are in Place?
If you travel anywhere inside KPK or Balochistan, you'll have an armed escort with you. As soon as you cross into either province, soldiers will follow you to your destination. Every time this has happened to us, the soldiers have been relaxed, friendly, and honestly it makes for a bit of a fun experience rather than a tense one. They also will often let you take photos with them which makes for some great pics to send home.
Is Karachi Safe?
Karachi gets a mixed reputation, and it's worth addressing directly since it's Pakistan's biggest city and most people pass through it at some point. The food and art scene there is genuinely excellent, but street crime is a real issue — armed muggings and mobile phone snatching by men on motorbikes happen often enough that it's worth taking seriously. However, if you use common sense and take precautions you should be totally fine.
Our advice: don't walk around alone at night, use ride-share apps rather than hailing anything off the street, and don't have your phone out and visible while walking. During the day, in the main areas, it's a completely different city and well worth exploring properly.
What Should You Avoid?
We wouldn't advise going for a jog at night along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border — that's genuinely a little unstable. On a tour, though, you'd never be anywhere near it unsupervised. Joking aside, the real things to be mindful of are showing large amounts of cash in public, and for women not to walk alone at night in certain areas. Realistically, our advice here isn't any different to travelling around Europe — and we'd honestly rate the risk of petty crime or robbery as higher in a lot of European cities than in the parts of Pakistan tourists actually visit.
What About the March 2026 US Advisory Update?
Worth addressing head-on rather than ignoring it: in March 2026, the US State Department pulled non-emergency staff from its consulates in Lahore and Karachi. This gets reported as scarier than it is — it's a specific, targeted precaution affecting government personnel, not a signal that the country has become broadly unsafe for tourists. We've kept running tours through it without issue. That said, if you're the kind of traveller who wants the full picture before booking, it's worth reading the current advisory for your own country rather than relying on headlines alone.
How Can I Travel to Pakistan?
The best way is, of course, to join us on a Saiga tour. We run several Pakistan tours a year, and they line up perfectly with our Afghanistan tours for an amazing combo trip. If you're sorting your visa before you go, we've also got a full, up-to-date guide to the Pakistan e-Visa process .
If you would like to see our Pakistan group tours , have a look on our website, or get in touch and join one of our Pakistan tours by sending us an email to [email protected].
