Photograph Merewether Tower, a Victorian clock tower

Most Karachi auto-rickshaws and many yellow-and-black taxis run without a working meter, so the fare is whatever you settle. Karachi's Regional Transport Authority recently approved digital fare meters for rickshaws after persistent overcharging complaints, but no start date is announced. Name the destination and…

Karachi's People's Bus Service runs pink buses reserved for women. Route R10 runs from Numaish Chowrangi along MA Jinnah Road past Teen Talwar, Do Talwar and Dolmen Mall towards Ibrahim Hyderi, so it is an easy way to cross the city without bargaining over a rickshaw fare. Only women board the pink buses. Check the…

Churna Island, a boat ride from Mubarak Village, became a marine protected area in September 2024, yet tourism around it is still largely unregulated. Crowded snorkeling and diving trips are what threaten its reefs. Choose an operator that keeps groups small, tell everyone not to touch or stand on coral, and skip the…

The Pakistan Maritime Museum near PNS Karsaz has galleries on maritime history, the Pakistan Navy, ports and harbours, marine life and traditional boats, plus a whale skeleton. Outside, a lake and park hold a submarine, a minesweeper and a former patrol aircraft that visitors can enter. It stays open into the evening…

Frere Hall, a colonial-era building from 1865 with Venetian-Gothic touches, has been through a three-year restoration led by the Sindh Exploration and Adventure Society. The work covered the staircase, floors, doors and bookshelves, and the library was renovated with a CSS Corner. The green lawns around it are a…

The Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi is one of the city's busiest stages for concerts and festivals. In October 2025 it ran a three-day Pakistan Music Festival with more than 50 performers, and its 39-day World Culture Festival closed with a Rahat Fateh Ali Khan concert. Partner groups also book its halls, such as the…

Every first Sunday of December, Sindh Culture Day fills Karachi with people in the Sindhi topi cap and ajrak, the block-printed shawl. Cultural programmes gather around the Karachi Press Club, and local markets see higher sales of caps and ajraks around the day. Visitors can join in by wearing one. Buy your ajrak…

When the Arabian Sea turns rough, Karachi's administration can ban swimming, bathing and diving at the Sandspit side beaches. In June 2025 an eight-day order under Section 144 covered KANNUP, Sunerah, Mubarak Village, Turtle Beach and Dua Chowk because of high waves. Orders can be extended while the sea stays rough…