How to Visit Taxila Alone as a Tourist
Visit Taxila alone: The ancient megacity of Taxila in Pakistan has its title cemented in history manuals like many distinctive locations in the region retain. Taxila has endured the reigns of many empires and hosted habitants of colorful ethnic and religious backgrounds, leaving back impactful remains from different ages.
For this account, the archeological sites of Taxila are a must-visit traveler magnet if you spend further than a day in Islamabad.
Still, traveling to Taxila singly ( meaning without locals to guide you around) can be a short exacting, particularly for trippers who are new to Pakistan. From the transportation to Taxila to getting around the spots themselves, the effects can be a bit dodgier than hoped.
Here are details of what trippers should hope for when seeing Taxila and what goods to be cognizant of so that you can delight in a worry-free outing to the aged remains without a tour guide!
Where Is Taxila?
The ancient remains of Taxila are located in the ultramodern megacity of Taxila about 30 kilometers outside of Islamabad. Depending on your position and business, the drive to Taxila from Islamabad may take between 40 twinkles to one hour, making it an easy day trip from Islamabad.
What Is Taxila Famous For?
Taxila is famous for its colorful ancient remains from a multitude of different ages. Throughout its continuance, Taxila was ruled by numerous different conglomerates including the Persian Achaemenid Empire, the Hellenistic (Greek) Conglomerate, the Indian Mauryan Empire, and the Indo-Greek Bactrian, Scythian, and Parthian Fiefdoms, the Kushan, and the Gupta.
The oldest remains date back to the neolithic period further than times agone, while more recent bones are lower than times old. This leaves Taxila with a variety of ancient remains.
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Major Archeological Sites in Taxila:
The major archeological spots include:
1: Sirkap:
The alternate megacity point of ancient Taxila was innovated by Bactrian King Menander conforming to the remains of four super-imposed ages Pre-Greek, Greek, Scythian, and Parthian. The megacity was well fortified and peopled over glories and has accumulated a variety of artistic and religious rudiments, including Christian churches, Buddhist stupas, and Jain tabernacles.
2: Dharmarajika:
A large Buddhist stupa was erected by Mauryan King Ashoka in the alternate century BC. It houses a Buddha tooth relic and an ancient friary, making it a passage destination for Buddhists from around the world.
3: Mohra Moradu:
Another Buddhist complex conforming of a stupa and a friary, established by Kushan King Kanishka in the first-century Announcement. Its position outside of the megacity handed a quiet terrain for contemplation.
4: Oldest University:
Taxila also used to have one of the world’s oldest universities. Still, this ancient Taxila University no longer exists.
Why Is Taxila Important?
According to UNESCO, Taxila showcases the designs of civic expansion in a way no other megacity in the Indian subcontinent does due to the nonstop Population for further than five centuries. This solitary history aided the site’s rise to UNESCO World Heritage Status in 1980.
How To Get To Taxila From Islamabad?
(1): By Van
Going by van is the affordable but less handy way of going to Taxila from Islamabad for not greatly more than 50 PKR ($ 0.30 USD), per person! Vans leave from Rawalpindi Railway Station and take around an hour to reach Rawalpindi. Keep in mind that local vans aren’t recommended for solo female travelers.
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(2): By Auto
The easiest and most accessible way to get to Taxila from Islamabad is by auto. purely call a Careem from your location to Taxila Museum. Depending on your location and the time of the day, the lift should bring nearly between 600 to 1000 PKR ( veritably roughly 5 USD) oneway.
Still, because Careem doesn’t operate in Taxila, it’s firmly recommended to have your driver stay for you. bargain a fare in advance (it should be no further than 2x the fare that Careem for your ride to Taxila (700 PKR) and make certain to change phone numbers with the driver.
How To Get Around Taxila
Remains of Sirkap in Taxila, Pakistan: Sirkap is an old megacity that was peopled over glories under diverse empires and shows the progress of civic evolution like no other South Asian megacity does.
All this is because Sirkap is one of four sites to visit in Taxila. Do you need to walk?
Taxila consists of four sizable sites, numbering the Taxila Museum, Dharmarajika, Sirkap, and Mohra Moradu. These sites are relatively spread out across the megacity and there are no shuttle services, stranding visitors with two options to get around Taxila by auto or by foot.
Visiting Taxila by foot may save you many hundred rupees but will clearly bring you a lot of time. Only strive for it if you have all daytime to spend in Taxila and guard off the heat in summer.
The elegant option if you don’t possess your own car is to ask your Careem driver (who should be staying for you in Taxila anyhow) to drive you to each site. Drivers frequently ask for around 700 PKR for all sites but you can bargain fewer prices if you don’t aim to visit all sites. The guardians at the entrance of the museum speak sensible English and can help you with these things.
Things To Keep In Mind While Touring
(1) Opening Hours And Entry Fees
On most days, the archeological complex of Taxila is open from 9 am – to 4 pm and there are different entry fees for the museum and the three archeological sites united.
(2) The entry fees are the following
- The fee for locals is 20 PKR
- The fee for foreigners is 500 PKR for museums and 500 PKR for archeological sites (1000 PKR for museums and archeological sites combined)
- The fee for children under 12 is just 10 PKR
All tickets can be bought at the entrance (gateway) to the museum, one of the first points you’ll reach when you get to Taxila.
You can find out further on the museum’s official website.
(3) Guide Fees
When you visit Taxila, the guardians of each site welcome you and offer you an individual tour of the site with lots of accounts and factual background. At the finish of the tour, they would ask you for a small guide fee.
For this purpose, you must have some extra change in your handbag up to 100 PKR.
It’s practical to keep in mind that this came to you as a foreign tripper at a time when all the sites might be fully vacant, so there’s no bond that all tourists will feel these unasked private trips.
Monuments
Another recreating theme you may endure during your visit to Taxila is the guardians’ contended affection for ancient coins. At the closure of every tour, the guardians of all sites will narrate to you the coequal story about how they frequently dig out ancient coins across Taxila.
They will showcase their collections to you which all boasted identical coins from different ages while mentioning on the side that they’re alike for trade. If you inquire about the cost of a coin, the guard may ask for hundreds of rupees. After you turn down, he will extend you a coin as a gift.
The identical thing may come at the other site as well. If you decline to buy any of the coins and the guard will gift coins to you.
This fantastic pattern induced you that the coins aren’t genuine and are exclusively utilized to trick foreign travelers. Therefore, it is advised not to purchase from the guardians and shop for monuments at the museum’s entrance rather.
Where To Go Next?
Done with Taxila? Also head to Khanpur Dam!
Khanpur is located simply half an hour by road from Taxila. The town is home to the well-known Khanpur Lake, a water reservoir (dam) where tourists can involve in entertainment exercises similar to jet skiing, paragliding, and further. It’s the comprehensive site to chill after a history assignment at Taxila.
Getting to Khanpur by car is enough to direct but to save expenditures, it’s recommended to bargain prices with your driver afresh and call hiring him for the whole day. instead, there are also affordable public vans going from Taxila Bypass to Khanpur.
If you have many spare days on your hands? Drive a little farther and sort out the beautiful Naran Valley!
Conclusion
The world-renowned UNESCO World Heritage site of Taxila is an unmissable location for anyone seeing Islamabad and due to its closeness; it’s the comprehensive destination for a daytime trip from the megacity.
However, exploring Taxila independently can be a tittle demanding for foreigners but it isn’t an undoable tour de force.
I hope this guide will assist you in visiting Taxila if you don’t have a tour guide or local friends to show and guide you around. And if you’ve ever visited Taxila independently, what was your experience like? Let us know in the commentary!
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