Best Viewpoints in Lahore, Ranked

Six places in Lahore for a view of the Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort and the old city, ranked, with timing and practical tips.

1. Fort Road Food Street Rooftops

Fort Road Food Street lies inside Taxali Gate, next to the Badshahi Mosque and Lahore Fort, and its rooftop restaurants give the most direct view of the mosque you can get while sitting down. Cooco's Den, Haveli Restaurant and Andaaz Restaurant all offer rooftop or terrace seating facing the mosque. Haveli is inside the Haveli Khalil Khan building, listed at an address opposite the Badshahi Mosque, and Cooco's Den is in a historic haveli. It ranks first because you can sit down for a meal while you look.

Go towards sunset or later. Andaaz is described as having a view of the sun setting behind the Badshahi Mosque, and the street's rooftops are best known for their night views of the mosque, the fort and the skyline. Choose a restaurant first, then ask for a roof or terrace table, since each place also has ground-level seating. The street is set inside Taxali Gate, so name the gate when you give directions.

2. Badshahi Mosque and Hazuri Bagh

The Badshahi Mosque stands on the west side of Hazuri Bagh, directly facing the Alamgiri Gate of Lahore Fort. Its sandstone courtyard covers 25,600 square metres, and four red sandstone minarets, each 60 metres tall, mark the corners. The wide open space gives you a clear frame of the domes and minarets with the fort across the garden, which is why it ranks second.

Wear modest clothing that covers shoulders and knees, and expect to take your shoes off at the entrance. Sources give different opening hours, so check current times before you travel, and plan around prayer times. Roshnai Gate, one of Lahore's original thirteen gates, is on the southern side of Hazuri Bagh next to the mosque, so you can walk there afterwards.

3. Lahore Fort

Lahore Fort is in the northern part of the Walled City, across Hazuri Bagh from the Badshahi Mosque, and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. Aurangzeb built the Alamgiri Gate in 1674; it opens onto Hazuri Bagh and faces the mosque, so the entrance itself gives a first view. Inside, the Shah Burj block in the north-west corner holds the Sheesh Mahal, built in 1631-32, and the Naulakha Pavilion, built in 1633.

Allow time for the Picture Wall, a decorated wall about 440 metres long, and for the white marble Moti Masjid. The fort is a monument rather than a lookout, so it ranks third: go for the architecture and the setting beside the mosque. Check the Walled City of Lahore Authority for current opening hours and ticket rules before you go, since sources conflict.

4. Wazir Khan Mosque and Delhi Gate

Wazir Khan Mosque is about 260 metres west of Delhi Gate on the Shahi Guzargah, the old Royal Road, and faces Wazir Khan Chowk. Its courtyard has four minarets, each about 107 feet tall, and the entrance iwan carries tilework and calligraphy. Restoration led by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Government of Punjab, and the Shahi Guzargah project of 2012 to 2015, restored views of the mosque along the route. Wazir Khan Chowk, the square in front of the main entrance, was rehabilitated as part of the same work.

It ranks fourth because it is a close-up view of Mughal decoration rather than a wide panorama. Nearby, Delhi Gate and the Shahi Hammam were restored in 2015 by the Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan. The restored heritage trail from Delhi Gate runs 383 metres towards Chowk Purani Kotwali. Inside the mosque, the courtyard measures about 160 by 130 feet, with arched galleries and 32 study cloisters.

5. Minar-e-Pakistan and Greater Iqbal Park

Minar-e-Pakistan stands in Greater Iqbal Park, just north of the Alamgiri Gate of Lahore Fort. The tower rises about 70 metres, and its rostrum faces the Badshahi Mosque. You can see it from the park lawns, and from there the tower, the fort and the mosque sit close together, which is useful if you want one place that links the main sights.

Do not plan around a view from the top. Wikipedia and Lonely Planet both report that the lift and stairs to the upper level were withdrawn, so treat this as a view of the tower from the ground and confirm locally before you go. It ranks fifth for that reason, but it is close to the fort and mosque and easy to add.

6. Jahangir's Tomb, Shahdara

Jahangir's Tomb stands in Shahdara Bagh, north-west of the Walled City and across the Ravi River, in what was Jahangir's Dilkusha Garden. The garden follows the Persian chahar bagh pattern, a quadrangle about 500 metres on each side, divided by paved walkways and two central water channels. Four octagonal minarets about 30 metres tall rise at the corners of the tomb. This is a long garden view rather than a skyline view, so it ranks sixth. The entrance is on the western side through the Akbari Sarai. The site is on Pakistan's tentative list for World Heritage status, added in 1993. Allow a separate trip, as it is across the river from the Walled City.

Where to stay

Browse the Lahore hotel pages on this site and compare each listing's map position against the places above. Staying close to the stop you care most about cuts the time spent in traffic, and you can check each property's own page for its location and facilities before you book.

Questions, answered

Where can you see the Badshahi Mosque from a rooftop in Lahore?

Fort Road Food Street, inside Taxali Gate, has rooftop restaurants, including Cooco's Den, Haveli Restaurant and Andaaz Restaurant, with seating that faces the Badshahi Mosque. Evening visits give the best views of the mosque and fort.

Can you climb to the top of Minar-e-Pakistan?

Wikipedia and Lonely Planet both report that the lift and stairs to the top were withdrawn, so you should expect to view the 70-metre tower from Greater Iqbal Park. Confirm the current position locally before you plan a visit around it.

What is the best time of year to visit Lahore for views?

June is the hottest month, with temperatures often above 45 degrees Celsius, and July to September is the wettest. January is the coolest month and can bring dense fog, so check the forecast for clear light before you plan a viewpoint day.

← Pakistan's page