Visitors
Renting a Car in Lahore as a Visitor to Pakistan
Booking from abroad, arriving without a local number, and the licence question nobody in Pakistan has answered in writing.
A visitor books exactly as a resident does: a photograph of your passport page, a number we can reach you on, and the address or hotel. No driving licence is needed because you will not be driving, no deposit is taken and no original documents are held. Everything is confirmed on WhatsApp before you fly, and the driver meets your flight at Allama Iqbal International.
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Booking from outside Pakistan
- Message us on WhatsApp with your flight number and arrival time. The number is 0300 5534187 and it works from any country.
- Send a photograph of your passport page. That is the whole document requirement.
- We send the full figure in writing before you travel: the fare or the daily rate, the duty hours, the overtime rate and what fuel will be handled how.
- The driver's name and number reach you the night before. So you are not landing in a new country looking for a stranger.
- Pay at the end. Nothing is taken in advance and no deposit is held.
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Airport arrivals are covered properly on the airport page, including the free waiting time and what happens when a flight is delayed.
What we could not verify, and will not guess
One of the most asked questions by visitors is whether they may legally drive in Pakistan on a home licence or an International Driving Permit. We went looking for an official answer.
Why this page says so. Every other page we found on this subject states a confident answer with no source. We would rather tell you that the record is silent than add a fourth confident guess to it. If you are travelling with us it does not arise, because you are not driving.
The journeys we do most for people arriving from abroad
Fixed fares, with fuel and motorway tolls already inside the number, so there is nothing to calculate at the end of a long day in an unfamiliar country.
| Destination | Distance | Driving time | One way | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islamabad and Rawalpindi | about 375 km | about 4 hrs 30 by the M2 | 18,000 | 32,000 |
| Faisalabad | about 140 km | about 2 hrs by the M3 | 13,000 | 20,000 |
| Sialkot | about 120 km | about 1 hr 45 by the M11 | 11,000 | 17,000 |
| Multan | about 330 km | about 3 hrs 30 by the M3 and M4 | 16,000 | 28,000 |
| Murree | about 335 km | about 5 hrs | 25,000 | 45,000 |
| Nankana Sahib | about 75 km | about 1 hr 15 | 8,000 | 12,000 |
| Kartarpur, Narowal | about 110 km | about 2 hrs | 10,000 | 16,000 |
| Karachi | about 1,220 km | about 16 hrs | 60,000 | Not offered |
The pilgrimage routes
Nankana Sahib is about 75 kilometres from Lahore and an easy morning. Kartarpur, at about 110 kilometres, is a longer day and depends on the corridor arrangements that apply when you travel, which are a matter for the authorities rather than for us. Both have their own pages: Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur.
Lahore itself
The Fort, Badshahi Mosque, the Walled City, Shalimar Gardens and the Wagah ceremony fit comfortably into one 12 hour day with a driver who knows where to park, which in the Walled City is most of the problem. The daily rate covers the day and fuel is billed at cost.
Questions
Asked before booking
Can a foreigner rent a car in Lahore?
With a driver, yes, easily. A passport photo is the whole requirement and the booking can be confirmed on WhatsApp before you arrive. Self drive as a visitor is a different question and a much harder one.
Can I drive in Pakistan on my own licence or an International Driving Permit?
We looked for an official Pakistani source that states this and could not find one. The Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance validates licences from other Pakistani provinces; the Punjab traffic police pages cover permits issued by Pakistan to Pakistanis going abroad. Nobody publishes the inbound rule, so we will not pretend to. Take the driver.
How do I pay if I have no Pakistani bank account?
Cash in rupees at the end of the hire is simplest, and a bank transfer works if you have one. Nothing is taken in advance, so there is no transfer to arrange before you travel.
Do the drivers speak English?
Some do. Say so when you book and we will assign accordingly rather than promising it across the fleet.
Is it safe to travel by road in Pakistan?
The motorway network between the major cities is good and well policed. The variables are the local roads, the night driving and the mountain sections in the north. We will tell you honestly which parts of a plan are comfortable and which are not, including when the answer costs us the booking.