Gujranwala (Punjabi and Urdu: گوجرانوالہ) is a major industrial city in Punjab, Pakistan. It is on GT Road at the distance of 56 miles from Lahore.

The Nishan-e-Manzil landmark

Understand

Gujranwala is famous as the city of wrestlers. The city and wrestling run neck to neck. It has produced famous wrestlers of the sub-continent, who have proved their skill and strength. This city is proud to attain fame in sub-continent in this behalf with grand titles ever won by any city of the world. Before the independence of Pakistan The Great Gama was the unbeatable champion of Indo-Pak sub continent, but a Gujranwala Wrestler Raheem Sultani wala wrestled twice with the Great Gama and won the title of "Rustum Hind" or "The Lion Of India". The famous Wrestlers (grapplers) were: Rahim Bux Phelwan Sultani wala (Rustum Hind), Younus Phelwan (Sitar-e-Pakistan), Acha Phelwan (Sher-e-Pakistan) and many more were there who entitled the city as the "City of Wrestlers" or "Phelwana da shehur.

University of the Punjab

Weather

Gujranwala is a hot, dusty city and the combination of the two may reduce visibility in the summer. In April through June, temperatures regularly top 40°C, meaning that proper hydration is of the utmost importance. In winter there can be seasonal fog; on particularly foggy days, it can be difficult to see across the street. If you happen to be traveling in or out of city during the winters, be aware of fog-related flight delays. Drink only bottled water so you may avoid any water-related illness. Keep yourself covered in summers to avoid a heat stroke. Drink a lot of water - 3 litres a day - particularly in the summer

Get in

Gujranwala is a major centre of rail, highway and river transportation.Tourists can find old steam engines frequently, and enjoy rickshaws and chingchis to reach narrow street of clothing market/Bazar. Beautiful painted buses run on the road and painting on trucks and buses, is another indigenous form of art performed in Pakistan . With its all colorful floral patterns, depiction of human heroes with creative aspect ratios, calligraphy of poetic verses and driver's words of wisdom, this form of art is truly a part of Pakistani transport tradition. You can find it all in Gujranwala. The city has a dry port for the export of local products to the rest of the world. The major transporter is City tour.

The interior of the Sheranwala Baradari is elaborately decorated.

By road

The city is less than forty minutes' drive from Lahore, the capital of Punjab and three hours drive from Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

By rail

Gujranwala's rail station dates from the British era.

There are also excellent rail links with major cities in Pakistan including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar etc. Gujranwala has convenient connections to Lahore and Sialkot airports. The city is in a great location and easy to get to from almost anywhere in the country. The city is served directly by the motorway providing fast links to the rest of the country.

• 1 Gujranwala railway station. (updated Jun 2022)

Get around

Gujranwala is an extremely accessible city, benefiting from excellent road and rail links. Getting around the city is really easy. It has a bus system and students can travel on the buses to any place in the city. It's simple to visit places further.

The crackling of a rickshaw often breaks the silence of the night. There are some rickshaws whose engine sound resembles the burst of a Kalashnikov. In Gujranwala, this mode of transport is very popular among all classes, directly or indirectly, thousands of families are dependent on them. Conversations with rickshaw drivers can be revealing as it gives one an insight into their lives — their hardships, meagre earnings, problems with police and passengers, hopes, patriotism and views on politics.Most rickshaw drivers appear rude. This behaviour is less due to their working conditions — smoke, noise, traffic jams, economic pressures.

See

Old Town

The core of Gujrunwala has some relics from its Sikh and British Raj times. Prior to all this, the Mughals and Sikhs had used a defensive wall around the city, but this has largely been demolished.

• 1 Estcourt Clock Tower (Intersection of Guru Nanakpura Rd and Clock Tower Rd.). Landmark from 1906. (updated Jun 2022)
• 2 Sialkoti Gate. Part of a bazar in Old Town that was established in 1869 during British/Sikh rule. If you're really into this and don't mind dusty chaos, there are other gates like Lahore Gate in the city as well. (updated Jun 2022)
• St. Paul's Presbyterian Church. Historic church built in 1875. (updated Jun 2022)

Do

• Gujranwala Business Center
• Boat Point, Peoples Colony, a good place for a riverside picnic. Locals bring chilled mangoes and watermelons to cool off in the summertime.
• Cinema

The city has several cinema halls like Zinco Multiplex. Catch a movie at any one of the halls all of which are air conditioned and well maintained. The best cinema halls are located in Zimco and Kasmir Mehal. best hall is and second is Roxy.

• Breakfast (Nashta), Guru Nanakpura. It has a food street famous for its breakfast. Many local famous food brands started from here. You can have a nice local desi nashta (breakfast) here. (updated Jan 2022)

Buy

• King's Mall a good place for shopping and hang out spot, inaugurated in November 2016. One feature of this shopping mall is that people can dine while shopping. There are fast food outlets and a cinema. Famous clothes outlets are Breeze and dinner's, Junaid jamshed, endrobe, monark.
• Satellite Town Market
• Model Town Market has a mini food market. You can have fast food here in the evening.
• Wapda Town Market is known for all famous clothing brands, which are situated here. You should get a parking and then walk around the whole market.
• Bank More Cantt Market
• Butta Plaza offers you a mobile market
• Rail Bazaar Rail Bazaar is the oldest bazaar of Gujranwala, yet it has coped with the changing times by introducing new trends in business. Today it can be considered as one of the best business centres of Gujranwala.just like any down town or high street transport inside market not supposed to come down.
• 1 Gujranwala Mart, Satellite Town, ☏ +92 323 5836363, info@albabcreators.com. Gujranwala Mart is an online metropolitan shopping mart to help the residents of Gujranwala get their groceries, food items and many other things at their doorstep. (updated Dec 2020)

Eat

No trip to Gujranwala can be complete without visiting at least one of its many enticing restaurants. Gujranwala is the foremost name in kabab & barbecue, the latter being one of the most unique aspect of this city.

Taj Mahal hotel

• Food Street A small food street with name of Liberty Market is also establish in Gujranwala. Renowned restaurant like Hot Grill restaurant, Quick Pizza Hut and Fry Master are providing high services. After Shebaz Tikka Shop it's the busiest food area in Gujranwala.
• Shelton Hotel besides these traditional spots, Shelton Hotel has been providing % different types of cuisine since 1987 in Gujranwala, and also providing banquet and other hotel services.
• Royal Garden In 2002, Royal Garden Hotel started its operations in Gujranwala. This restaurant also provides variety of cuisine along with restaurant services.
• Marian Hotel Marian hotel was brought a great change in traditional and continental cuisine in Oct. 2006, This restaurant also provides the same services as Royal Garden Hotel does but it has created different through its environment which is modern but with a traditional artistic touch.
• Hotel Global Village Hotel Global Village is also a great name in traditional and continental cuisine. It has facilities of restaurant as well as Marriage Hall along with a beautiful Marriage Lawn. Hotel Global Village situated near Rahwali Cantt opposite DC Colony, a famous modern housing colony at G T road N5.
• Fast Junk Food Many small restaurant have also started there operations in Gujranwala in last five years. Among those restaurants famous names are Salva Restaurant, Chanab Rutt, Usmania Restaurant, etc., there are also many fast food outlets in fried chicken such as HFC, AFC and in pizza KIng Pizzaetc, whose branches are spread all over the city.
• Picking Picking is new addition in cuisine market of gujranwala, and other sea food specialist are Sardar Restaurant and Meraj Deen have been serving their Chinese stuff to their loyal customers. Their Pakistani continental also grabbing market share.
• Ghanni kay Pai Ganni kay pai once in a lifetime you should eat, from across the Pakistan, families come to eat here
• Shabaz Tika You'll find a variety of dishes, including grilled foods, Batair, Tikka, Chiray (sparrow), rice dishes, curry, and everyone's favourite, desserts here. Its menu offers a combination of continental food, local cuisine and dessert. The focus being the main entrées on the desi menu; curries, kebabs, barbecue dishes, naans chicken dishes. Good service.
• Allah Rakha (at Sialkoti Darwaza) is famous for its chicken karahi & seekh kabab (ground beef grilled on skewers marinated with aromatic herbs and succulent spices), grilled goat chops, and dal fry with fresh cilantro and green peppers.
• Briyani Express is new addition in Gujranwala traditional food. Rice was fluffy and tempting blended with saucy chicken. However, its standards have decreased a lot especially in Lahore. There is usually no sitting place and the sometimes the rice do not have enough masala in it and are usually non spicy.
• Baba Fareed Burger (BFB). Gujranwalians are extremely fond of eating. Most people say that they live just for eating. If you visit Gujranwala then you must go to BFB. BFB is one of the most busy restaurants in Gujranwala. It has a lot of variety in menu. The most famous dish is Nan Shami. It's served with raita and salad. It was just started with a 200 square feet shop. Now it's extended to thousands of square feet. (updated May 2017)

Drink

• Badamo ki Sardai is a traditional summer drink of Punjab which has cool effect on your body. There is a sardai shop on pasrur road. It was a different kind of drink shop, in hygiene and taste side. Drinks in all color were on front shelf of the shop. The taste was, heavenly flavoured and divinely delicious, with out pick up a chilled glass of sardai or thandai, no trip is complete widout visit here kind of phrase can be use for this place. They create an attractive environment in which customers can enjoy their products like alaichi sherbet and marraba.each product gives one unique taste that never fails to please – that the best part of this shop's magic.

This drink is a very nutritious and very good for every one.

• Sialkoti Gate

Lots of food shops serving fish, samosa, sweets, and tikkay chiray at just few step further to Sialkoti Gate and throw a fun street in middle of the city as well. Sialkoti Gate is a centre of traditional Pakistani food and there was a lot on offer for every taste. The site is surrounded by food shops and places like Anarkali Bazaar lahore and other narrow street bazaar. There are some chicken charga shops with excellent food such as grilled batair and the grilled chicken, Kabab, chicken katakat, fried fish, chicken boti and mutton biryani. The bar-b-Q looked mouth-watering as well but no room to try it. For those with a sweet tooth, there was much in the dessert section to delight jalaibi, gulab jaman, kheer, ice cream, Someone in our group was having it with a hot gulab jamun and swore it tasted better that way. Although ambiance is similar with other bazaars of city in portraying chaos and pell mell.

• Chatti Ki Lassi

Sleep

Mughal Mahal Hotel, on Grand Trunk Road (N5) south of downtown. Here you can try the high tea or buffet, gazing from the rooftop, or possibly even seeing a local wedding. +92 55 4299107

Stay safe

As the city is crowded and the driving is wild in this city. It is very easy to get into a street fight.

Go next

• Kamoke
• Naushara Virkan
• Wazirabad

Do not miss to go to Emin abad a historical and well preserved village with pre partition Hawelis Temples and GuruDawaras