Buddhism & Gandhara

Day 01: Islamabad – Peshawar – Peshawar Museum (200kms/3hrs)

• Drive to Peshawar and transfer to hotel on arrival.
• In the afternoon, we will visit Peshawar Museum, housing a good collection of Buddhist artifact.
• Later on, the city sightseeing tour would include a visit to Qissa Khawani bazaar and Masjid Mohabat Khan.

Day 02: Peshawar – Saidu Shareef (Swat Valley) (170kms/5hrs)

• After breakfast in hotel, we will depart for Swat Valley and on arrival transfer to hotel.
• In the afternoon, we will drive to Manglore, a nearby town to visit the laregest rock cared figure of Lord Buddha at Jahanabad.

Day 03: Saidu Shareef – Takhat-e-Bahi – Shahbaz Garhi – Khanpur (230kms/7hrs)

• After breakfast, we will checkout and visit Swat Archaeological Museum, mainly with the collection of Buddhism relics and pieces of art.
• We will visit the site of Butkara 1 as well, prior leaving Swat Valley. Crossing the picturesque Malakand Pass, we will make stop at Takhat-e-Bahi, one of the most important sites in the region.
• Resuming our drive, we will visit the Ashoka Rock Inscription at Shahbaz Garhi near Mardan.
• We continue our drive to Taxila and make a night stop at Khanpur, a scenic spot with turquoise green lake.

Day 04: Khanpur – Jaulian – Sirkap – Taxila Museum – Islamabad (60kms/2hrs)

• After breakfast, we will check out and visit the famous site of Jaulian with a good collection of votive stupas and statues in the monastery above a hillock.
• We will later visit the site of Sirkap, which was the second city of Taxila and then visit the Archaeological Museum of Taxila, which would complete the story of the tour.
• We will drive back to Islamabad and drop participants at the designated spot.

End of the Tour...