Multan - the City of Saints

Multan, known as the City of Saints for its concentration of Sufi shrines, lies about 340 km south of Lahore and is best reached by Pakistan Railways mainline trains such as the Karakoram Express or Millat Express from Lahore Junction to Multan Cantt, a journey of roughly 4.5-5.5 hours, or by Daewoo Express coach in 5-6 hours; a domestic flight to Multan International Airport under an hour is an option for a very long single day. The city centers on its old walled quarter, home to the Shrine of Shah Rukn-e-Alam with its striking blue-tiled dome, the Shrine of Bahauddin Zakariya, Multan Fort's remaining bastions, and the bustling Hussain Agahi Bazaar known for multani khussa footwear, blue pottery, and dried fruit. Given the long travel time, a day trip realistically requires an early morning train departure from Lahore Junction, arriving at Multan Cantt by late morning to spend the afternoon visiting the shrines and fort area before a return train in the evening; visitors with more flexibility should consider an overnight stay instead. Local eateries near the shrines and in the bazaar serve Multani specialties such as sohan halwa and multani sohan, and tonga or rickshaw transport connects the railway station to the old city sites. The November-February window avoids Multan's extreme summer heat, which regularly exceeds 45C and makes walking the shrine complexes and bazaar impractical.