Touch down in Pakistan's capital. Your guide meets you at the airport, transfers you to your hotel and gives you the evening to settle in. Overnight stay in Islamabad.

Begin with the iconic Faisal Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world and a landmark of modern Islamic architecture. Visit the Monument of Pakistan before heading to Taxila — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological centres of the ancient world, where Buddhist, Hindu and Greco-Bactrian civilisations all left their mark over more than a thousand years. Return to Islamabad for overnight stay.

Depart for Lahore with two exceptional stops. Khewra Salt Mine is the world's second largest salt mine — its pink-lit chambers, salt crystal sculptures and underground mosque make it one of Pakistan's most surreal experiences. Katas Raj Temples is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage complex dating back over 2,000 years, built around a holy lake believed to have formed from the tears of Lord Shiva. Arrive in Lahore for overnight stay.

A full day immersion in Lahore's Mughal soul. Begin at the majestic Shalimar Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site laid out by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1641. Pass through Delhi Gate into the ancient Walled City. Visit the Shahi Hammam, a beautifully preserved 17th century royal bathhouse. Stand in the courtyard of Wazir Khan Mosque, considered the most ornate mosque of the Mughal era. Walk to the Badshahi Mosque, one of the largest in the world, and explore Lahore Fort, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Overnight stay in Lahore.

Drive south with a stop at Harappa — one of the two great cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation, dating back to 2600 BCE. Arrive in Multan, the City of Saints. Visit the towering shrine of Shah Rukn-e-Alam, one of the finest examples of Tughluq architecture in South Asia, and the shrine of Bahauddin Zakariya, one of the most revered Sufi saints of the subcontinent. Overnight stay in Multan.

Visit Uch Sharif, an ancient city that was once a major centre of Islamic learning and home to some of the most beautifully decorated medieval tombs in the Muslim world, including the Tomb of Bibi Jawindi. Continue to Bahawalpur and visit Noor Mahal, an extraordinary Italian Renaissance palace built in 1872 by the Nawab of Bahawalpur. Overnight stay in Bahawalpur.

Drive deep into the Cholistan Desert to reach Derawar Fort, one of the most dramatic fortresses in South Asia. Its 40 massive circular bastions rise from the flat desert floor with no warning, visible for miles in every direction. Visit the adjacent Abbasi Jamia Shahi Mosque. Return to Bahawalpur for overnight stay.

Travel south to Sukkur, a historic city on the banks of the Indus. Visit Sadhu Bela Island Temple, a Hindu pilgrimage site sitting on a rocky island in the middle of the river. See the Masum Shah Minar, a centuries-old tower with a spiral staircase that leans slightly like a minaret version of Pisa, and the historic Lansdowne Bridge, one of the great engineering achievements of the British colonial era. Overnight stay in Sukkur.

Visit Kot Diji Fort, a well-preserved 19th century Talpur dynasty fortress overlooking the plains. Continue to Mohenjo-Daro, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world's earliest and most sophisticated urban settlements, built around 2500 BCE by the Indus Valley Civilisation. Walk the excavated streets, granaries and public baths of a city that flourished when most of the world was still in the Bronze Age. Continue to Sehwan and visit the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, one of the most vibrant and spiritually charged shrines in Pakistan, famous for its nightly dhammal drumming and dance ritual. Overnight stay in Sehwan.

Travel to Keenjhar Lake, one of Pakistan's largest freshwater lakes and a tranquil stop before the final stretch to Karachi. Visit the Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta, considered one of the finest Mughal mosques outside Lahore. Explore the Makli Necropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest funerary sites in the world — over half a million graves and tombs spanning several centuries of Sindhi, Mughal and Persian architecture spread across a vast plateau. Visit Chaukandi Tombs if time permits. Arrive in Karachi for overnight stay.