Things to do in Quetta
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Quetta
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Cold winter: highs near 12 to 15 C, nights below freezing, snow concentrated in these months, and the best dry fruit season.
Spring, the best window: warming days, cool nights, orchard blossom in Urak, and Hazarganji-Chiltan in season.
Hot dry summer: highs roughly 31 to 37 C, cool nights by plains standards, and Ziarat in its main season to October.
Clear autumn, the second best window: harvest bazaars, falling temperatures, and cold nights from October.
What's on
- Sibi Mela February
Balochistan's great livestock and cultural fair in Sibi, listed as regional context, not a recommended road trip from Quetta.
- Pakistan Independence Day 14 August
Marked officially in Quetta, and in Ziarat the anniversary of the Residency reopening on 14 August 2014.
- Quaid-e-Azam Day 25 December
The founder's birthday, when the Ziarat Residency carries special meaning for Pakistani visitors.
Best things to do in Quetta
Archaeological Museum of Balochistan
The province in objects, from Mehrgarh and the Stone Age to Baloch crafts, in a small and modestly labelled museum.
Geological Museum
Rocks, ores, gems and Baluchitherium fossils at the Geological Survey museum, a specialist half hour on Sariab Road.
Liaquat Bazaar
Old Quetta rebuilt in bazaar lanes off Shahrah-e-Liaquat, the most visited gathering place in the centre.
Kandahari Bazaar
The dry fruit bazaar on Shahrah-e-Iqbal, almonds and pistachios by weight, plus carpets and Balochi mirror work.
Askari Park
A large, well kept cantonment family park with lawns and rides, where Quetta relaxes at weekends.
Where to stay in Quetta
Zarghoon Road and the Cantonment
security, quiet and official business
The insulated side of the city, with the Serena garden compound and the overlander-used Bloom Star nearby.
Jinnah Road and the old centre
price and bazaar access
Closer to Liaquat and Kandahari bazaars and Prince Road eating, with the Grand and the Lourdes, and more noise and crowds.
Think twice about
- Within 10 miles of the Afghanistan border
The border area faces acute security risks, and the whole province faces terrorism and kidnapping risks.
- Intercity highways in Balochistan after dark
Long checkpointed roads cross open country with serious security risks. Travel in daylight only, with arrangements cleared in advance.
- Large gatherings, processions and demonstrations in Quetta
Attacks on crowds, religious gatherings and public areas are recorded. Stay away and change plans if a crowd forms.
Best restaurants in Quetta
Ziarat Restaurant
The Serena dining room, the city's top table for karahi and biryani at several times Prince Road prices.
Lehri Sajji House
The essential Quetta sajji, whole chicken or mutton leg roasted by an open fire and served with roti.
Usmania Tandoori Restaurant
A long running sit down restaurant for tandoori, karahi and biryani, with a proper family dining room.
Gulshan Karahi
A no frills karahi house cooking prized local mutton to order in the wok, served with fresh naan.
Cafe China
One of the oldest Chinese restaurants in town, cheap soups and noodles on the Jinnah Road side of the centre.
Outdoor things to do in Quetta
Hanna Lake
An 1894 reservoir between bare hills east of the city, with boats, pines and a lakeside restaurant.
Urak Valley
An orchard valley of apples and pomegranates east of Hanna Lake, ending at a small waterfall by Wali Tangi Dam.
Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park
A rugged park created to protect the rare Chiltan markhor, with juniper scrub, a small museum and picnic spots.
Quaid-e-Azam Residency
Jinnah's last home in the ancient juniper forest at Ziarat, rebuilt after a 2013 fire and reopened in 2014.
Best hotels in Quetta
Quetta Serena Hotel
The city's only true luxury hotel, a walled garden compound on Zarghoon Road with a pool, spa and full security.
Grand Hotel Quetta
A well reviewed mid range hotel on Moti Ram Road with family rooms and a restaurant, at a fraction of Serena rates.
Bloom Star Hotel
A functional hotel long used by escorted overlanders, whose staff understand police escort routines.
Lourdes Hotel
A plain, old fashioned budget hotel on Staff College Road with British era roots and a garden feel.
Is Quetta expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | PKR 8,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | PKR 16,000 a person |
| Splurge | PKR 35,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park: a few days ahead
- Quaid-e-Azam Residency: a few days ahead
- Quetta Serena Hotel: weeks ahead
- Settle visa, any required NOC, a host or operator, and an approved hotel room before booking flights.
- Book the Serena early in official peak periods, and arrange any Ziarat or national park car the day before through the hotel.
Is Quetta safe?
- Balochistan faces terrorism and kidnapping, with an active separatist movement. Travel insurance may not cover a visit here.
- Assume a foreigner needs prior permission, may be escorted even inside Quetta, and needs separate clearance for excursions, which may be refused.
- Keep a low profile in bazaars and markets, avoid crowds and Friday afternoon gatherings, and be ready to cancel any plan on the morning of travel.
- Carry insurance with evacuation cover. Serious medical cases are referred out of Balochistan.
Quetta travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Any operator promising a foreigner free, unescorted touring of Balochistan.
- Treating the 2019 end of the national NOC regime as proof that Balochistan is open in practice.
- Judging Hanna Lake from old photographs in a drought year, when water levels can fall badly.
- Underdressing for Quetta winter, which is below freezing at night in January.
Getting around Quetta: public transport and more
- Fly to Quetta International Airport, about 8 to 9 km from the Zarghoon Road hotels, rather than taking intercity trains or highways.
- Use a hotel arranged car with the fare agreed in advance, travel in daylight, and expect checkpoints.
- Carry passport and visa copies at all times. Hotels register foreign guests with the police.
Who Quetta suits
| Solo travellers | Not ideal |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | OK |
| Couples | Not ideal |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Not ideal |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Quetta your trip
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