Finding the route…
Finding the route…
Every trip comes with a guide: what it cost, how the visa worked, where to stay and what to eat. In English, with a short Roman Urdu summary on top.
The whole route of my 2024 trip with Chachu Waleed: SriLankan Airlines via Colombo, Bangkok, AirAsia to Phuket, a boat to Phi Phi, on to Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi, and Eid ul Adha in Kuala Lumpur.
Lahore to Colombo on SriLankan Airlines, a visa desk that didn't work the way we were told, 17 hours inside Colombo airport, a $100 room we didn't take, and finally Bangkok.
Umrah explained practically, the way I filmed it in Masjid al-Haram: Ihram and Talbiyah, wudu and where to leave your shoes, starting Tawaf at the Black Stone, Zamzam, Sa'i between Safa and Marwa, and Halq or Qasr.
The Makkah ziyarat bus tour stop by stop, plus the new night route up Jabal al-Noor to the Cave of Hira and a free bus ride through Makkah after Isha.
Every Madinah ziyarat I've done, with how to get there: the 10-riyal pilgrim bus after Fajr, Jannat al-Baqi after Asr, Bi'r Ghars by night and the 20-riyal coach to Badr.
A full Ramadan in the two holy cities: flydubai from Faisalabad, Ihram in Dubai, rooftop iftar at Masjid an-Nabawi, rain in Madinah, Jummah in the Mataf and Eid prayer in front of the Kaaba.
Flynas from Jeddah to Baku, a new friend at the gate, a hotel that was hard to find, and nearly a month exploring Old Baku, the Maiden Tower, Yanardag fire mountain, Nizami Street and Quba.
Sargodha to Faisalabad and Karachi by train, Etihad through Abu Dhabi to Jeddah, then 17 days of Umrah with my brother, a late-night Makkah street market and the walk to Jannat al-Mu'alla.
Sargodha to Islamabad, Peshawar and the Torkham border, then 4–5 days in Jalalabad. The kind people, the hard moments, and why I turned back instead of going on to Kabul and Iran.
Every journey has a first step. Mine was a 20-day Umrah in December 2022: Saudia from Pakistan to Jeddah, then Makkah, Madinah and back to Makkah.
Altit Fort in Hunza is 1,100 years old. Here's the 2026 ticket price, why the doors are so small, the hidden prison, the standing grave and the 300-metre drop, from my own visit.
My first trip to Northern Pakistan with a tour group: the overnight coaster to Naran, Lulusar Lake, the Babusar Top zipline at 13,700 ft, 24 hours on the KKH, the Three Mountain Junction and the sky cycle at Rakaposhi, with every price I paid.
Practical Umrah tips from my time in Makkah and Madinah: where to get a 35–50 riyal ride to Madinah, when Jannat al-Mu'alla opens, the As-Safiyyah Museum, street markets and changing money.
Hafiz Tayyab is Muhammad Tayyab Khalid, a 24-year-old travel vlogger from Sargodha, Pakistan. Since his first Umrah in December 2022 he has travelled to 8 countries and taken 24 flights. Here's his story, channels and schedule.