LAHORE: The Walled City of Lahore Authority has announced the resumption of its popular History by Night tour for visitors, with the programme formally beginning from September 12.
Under the programme, residents and tourists will be able to enjoy a tour of Lahore’s historical and cultural heritage at night.
The Walled City Authority has also increased the fee for the History by Night tour. The fee for the programme has been raised from Rs2,500 to Rs2,800.
During the tour, the striking views of Hazuri Bagh will be a focus of visitor attention, while the historic Badshahi Mosque and Lahore Fort will also form an important part of the programme. Visitors will additionally be given the opportunity to see the world’s largest picture wall from close quarters.
The History by Night tour will include a special visit to the Jahangir Quadrangle and the Diwan-e-Khas, where a special musical performance will also be arranged for visitors. In addition, a tour of the Pain Bagh, the historic Sheesh Mahal and the royal kitchens will be part of the programme.
Special dramatic performances will also be presented to highlight the history and culture of the Mughal era, giving visitors an opportunity to become acquainted with Lahore’s historical heritage in a distinctive manner.
The Walled City of Lahore Authority was established under provincial legislation in 2012 with a mandate covering the conservation, management and adaptive reuse of the historic core of the city. Its work has included the Shahi Guzargah conservation project along the Delhi Gate to Lahore Fort route and extensive restoration within the fort complex itself.
Lahore Fort is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List together with the Shalimar Gardens. The Picture Wall — the decorated northern and western façade of the fort, executed in glazed tilework, fresco and filigree — is among the largest surviving mural surfaces of its kind anywhere, and has been the subject of a long-running conservation programme.
The fee revision, from Rs2,500 to Rs2,800, represents an increase of 12 per cent. For a heritage authority, pricing of this kind sits at the intersection of two objectives that do not always align: generating revenue that can be reinvested in conservation and site management, and keeping access affordable for domestic visitors.
Night programming has a specific commercial logic. It extends the earning window of a monument that would otherwise generate revenue only during daylight hours, spreads visitor pressure across a longer period, and — because it involves guided, escorted access with performance elements — commands a higher ticket value than ordinary daytime entry.
Cultural tourism has been repeatedly identified in provincial policy documents as an underexploited economic sector for Punjab, given the concentration of Mughal, Sikh and colonial-period heritage in and around Lahore. The constraint has consistently been product rather than inventory: visitors have monuments to see but comparatively few structured, ticketed experiences to buy.
The History by Night tour is among the authority’s most recognised offerings and has previously drawn both domestic visitors and foreign tourists. Booking and scheduling arrangements are handled by the Walled City of Lahore Authority.
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