The newly launched Special Mohenjo Daro Train Safari is putting Sindh’s ancient past on track for a wider audience, turning a two day rail journey into a rolling showcase of Indus Valley heritage, Sufi culture and contemporary tourism ambitions.

Departing from Karachi and winding through Sehwan Sharif to Larkana before reaching the Bronze Age ruins of Mohenjo Daro, the inaugural safari at the turn of January to February 2026 is being hailed by provincial authorities and tour operators as a milestone in heritage based travel.

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A New Tourist Train for a Very Old Civilization

The Special Mohenjo Daro Train Safari, inaugurated on January 31, 2026 by Sindh’s provincial Minister for Culture and Tourism Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, is designed as a two day, one night package that links Pakistan’s largest city with one of the world’s most important archaeological sites. The business class charter departs Karachi Cantonment Station in the morning, arrives in Larkana by evening and returns to Karachi the following night, effectively transforming a complex overland journey into a curated, all inclusive experience.

The first safari carried around 100 passengers, including families, domestic visitors from across Pakistan and a small group of foreign tourists and journalists. According to officials of the Sindh Tourism Development Corporation (STDC), which is operating the trip in coordination with Pakistan Railways, the response was strong enough that additional coaches were added in the run up to departure. The per person fare of about 25,000 rupees covers train travel, hotel accommodation in Larkana, meals, guided tours and cultural programming.

The initiative builds on a recent push by Sindh’s Culture, Tourism, Antiquities and Archives Department to use special trains as moving platforms for regional tourism. In 2025, the province launched the Thar Desert Train Safari toward Khokhrapar and Zero Point, pairing a rail journey through the dunes with camping, bonfires and desert music. Officials describe the Mohenjo Daro safari as a natural extension of that model toward Sindh’s archaeological heartland.

From Karachi to Larkana: A Route Layered in Culture

The itinerary of the Mohenjo Daro Train Safari is structured to highlight multiple layers of Sindh’s cultural and spiritual landscape rather than treat Mohenjo Daro as a single destination. After departing Karachi around 9 a.m., the train runs north through the Indus plain to Sehwan Sharif, arriving early afternoon for a scheduled stop at the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, one of South Asia’s most revered Sufi saints. Pilgrims and tourists mingle in the town’s crowded lanes, and safari participants are given time to pay their respects and observe the devotional rituals that define Sehwan’s identity.

From Sehwan, the special train continues toward Larkana, arriving in the evening. Here, the program shifts from spiritual to musical. A folk music night at a local hotel features Sindhi performers who present regional songs, traditional instruments and contemporary takes on sufi and folk genres. Organizers say the aim is to create an immersive experience that introduces visitors to Sindh’s living culture before they confront the silent bricks and baked mud of Mohenjo Daro the next morning.

The overnight in Larkana also reflects a pragmatic travel calculation. Regular public transport to Mohenjo Daro can be time consuming and fragmented, particularly for first time visitors. By chartering a train, coordinating buses and bundling accommodation, the safari eliminates logistical hurdles that have long discouraged both domestic and foreign tourists from making the journey. For Pakistan Railways, it also showcases the potential of themed charters at a time when the network is seeking new revenue streams and public goodwill.

Walking Through 4,500 Years of History at Mohenjo Daro

The highlight of the safari unfolds on the second morning, when participants leave Larkana for the short onward segment to Mohenjo Daro, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best preserved urban centers of the Indus Valley Civilization. After breakfast near the site, groups are taken on guided walks through sectors of the ancient city, including the iconic Great Bath, the granary remains, residential blocks with sophisticated drainage and the elevated mound often referred to as the citadel.

Archaeologists believe Mohenjo Daro, whose name is often translated as “Mound of the Dead,” thrived between roughly 2600 and 1900 BCE. Its standardized fired brick architecture, grid like street layout and complex water management suggest a highly organized urban culture that flourished along the Indus River at the same time as ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. For many visitors on the safari, the experience of standing in paved streets laid out more than four millennia ago and peering into the foundations of multistory houses is a powerful and often surprising revelation.

A museum at the site provides additional context, displaying artifacts such as terracotta figurines, seals, pottery, weights and jewelry excavated over nearly a century of archaeological work. Although many of Mohenjo Daro’s most famous finds are housed in national museums in Karachi and elsewhere, the on site collection still offers a tangible sense of the city’s daily life and artistry. STDC guides, some trained in collaboration with archaeologists and heritage experts, are on hand to interpret the ruins for first time visitors and connect the ancient city’s planning to contemporary urban debates.

Tourism as a Tool for Heritage Preservation

The decision to launch a high profile tourist train to Mohenjo Daro comes at a sensitive moment for the site, which has repeatedly been listed as under threat due to erosion, waterlogging, salt efflorescence and past conservation missteps. Heavy monsoon rains and flooding in Sindh in recent years have also raised concerns about the resilience of exposed structures and the capacity of local authorities to manage large visitor flows. Provincial officials insist that the safari is being coordinated with conservation teams and that visitor movement within the site is regulated to minimize damage.

Cultural authorities argue that well managed tourism can generate both political and financial support for preservation. By raising Mohenjo Daro’s profile among urban residents who might otherwise never travel beyond Karachi or Hyderabad, they hope to build a constituency that values and advocates for heritage funding. The train safari’s pricing model is designed to recover operating costs while allocating a portion toward site management and local services, though detailed breakdowns have not been publicly disclosed.

There is also a local economic dimension. Residents in and around Larkana and Mohenjo Daro stand to benefit from increased demand for accommodation, guiding, transport and handicrafts if the safari evolves from a one off event into a more regular offering. Small scale vendors and artisans have already begun to position themselves around the routes used by the delegation, and tour operators in Karachi report growing interest from schools, corporate groups and diaspora families looking for curated heritage experiences during visits to Pakistan.

Part of a Broader Sindh Tourism Strategy

The Mohenjo Daro Train Safari does not exist in isolation. It follows on the heels of the Thar Desert Train Safari and other regional initiatives that the Sindh government has launched over the past two years to reposition the province as a multi day destination rather than a transit corridor. Officials frequently refer to Sindh as a “cradle of civilizations,” pointing not only to Indus Valley sites like Mohenjo Daro and the vast necropolis of Makli, but also to Islamic, Hindu and Sikh shrines, colonial era architecture in Karachi and natural attractions such as Keenjhar Lake and the Thar dunes.

Tourism planners see themed rail safaris as a particularly effective tool because they bundle multiple experiences into a single, bookable product. For urban middle class families wary of long distance driving, or for overseas Pakistanis unaccustomed to rural roads and security nuances, a chartered train with set timings and an official escort can make the difference between dreaming of a heritage trip and actually taking one. The involvement of public agencies like STDC also helps reassure participants about safety and standards, even as private tour operators are increasingly involved in marketing and customization.

The government’s messaging around the train initiatives has also emphasized inclusivity and cultural pride. By pairing visits to Sufi shrines, desert communities and ancient ruins in one itinerary, the safaris present Sindh as a mosaic of identities that coexist within a single geographic space. Officials have repeatedly underlined that these journeys are not only for foreigners but also, and perhaps primarily, for Pakistanis to rediscover their own heritage in a structured and accessible way.

Challenges and Opportunities on the Rails

Despite the optimism surrounding the inaugural Mohenjo Daro safari, significant challenges remain if the project is to evolve into a sustainable, recurring service. Pakistan Railways’ aging infrastructure and rolling stock, persistent delays on some routes and the financial pressures facing the state owned operator all pose potential risks to the reliability required for a tourism product. Dedicated charter trains, such as the safari, can be prioritized operationally, but they still depend on the broader network’s resilience.

There are also questions about affordability and reach. At around 25,000 rupees per adult, the Mohenjo Daro safari package is geared toward middle and upper income travelers, particularly those in Karachi. For many residents of Sindh’s rural districts or low income urban neighborhoods, this remains out of reach. Officials say they are exploring school and university partnerships, subsidized educational trips and differentiated pricing for local groups to broaden access, but concrete schemes have yet to be rolled out on a large scale.

On the opportunity side, the safari has quickly generated publicity that tourism stakeholders hope will attract private investment. Hospitality operators in Larkana are watching to see whether demand rises for upgraded guesthouses and small hotels. Entrepreneurs in Karachi are floating ideas for add on city tours and pre departure cultural briefings. If the model proves successful, it could act as a template for similar rail based circuits to other sites in Sindh and beyond, linking coastal, desert and riverine landscapes through curated itineraries.

What the Mohenjo Daro Safari Means for International Travelers

For international travelers, especially those interested in archaeology and cultural history, the Special Mohenjo Daro Train Safari offers a relatively straightforward way to reach a site that has historically required substantial effort and local knowledge to visit. While security perceptions about Pakistan remain mixed in many source markets, curated group journeys backed by a provincial government can provide a degree of reassurance and structure that independent travel sometimes lacks.

Tour operators say overseas inquiries began coming in even before the inaugural departure, particularly from members of the Pakistani diaspora, Indus Valley scholars and regional travelers from Gulf states. Some agencies are looking at combining the safari with city stays in Karachi and short flights to other Pakistani destinations such as Lahore or the northern mountains, framing Mohenjo Daro as one component of a broader cultural circuit. The timing of future departures, and whether they can be aligned with international holiday seasons, will be a key factor in determining overseas uptake.

At the same time, specialists caution that non local visitors should be prepared for relatively basic infrastructure around the site compared with more heavily touristed world heritage locations in other countries. Although the train package includes hotel accommodation, local transport and meals, broader services in the region remain limited. For some travelers, that rough edged authenticity is part of the attraction; for others, it underscores the importance of booking through reputable operators familiar with the realities on the ground.

FAQ

Q1. What exactly is the Special Mohenjo Daro Train Safari?
The Special Mohenjo Daro Train Safari is a two day, one night tourist train package operated by Sindh’s Culture and Tourism authorities and the Sindh Tourism Development Corporation, using a chartered business class train from Karachi to Larkana with guided visits to Sehwan Sharif and the Mohenjo Daro archaeological site.

Q2. When did the first Mohenjo Daro Train Safari run?
The inaugural safari departed Karachi Cantonment Station on January 31, 2026 and returned on February 1, 2026, carrying around 100 passengers including tourists, journalists and officials.

Q3. What is included in the ticket price?
The advertised per person fare of about 25,000 rupees includes round trip train travel in business class, hotel accommodation in Larkana on a sharing basis, all main meals and hi tea, a folk musical night, surface transport, and guided tours of Mohenjo Daro and its museum.

Q4. What is the route and main stops of the safari?
The safari departs from Karachi Cantonment, travels to Sehwan Sharif for a visit to the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, then continues to Larkana for an overnight stay and cultural program before taking participants to Mohenjo Daro the next morning and returning to Karachi in the evening.

Q5. How long do visitors spend at Mohenjo Daro itself?
On the current itinerary, visitors arrive at Mohenjo Daro in the morning, have breakfast near the site and then spend several hours on guided walks through key areas such as the Great Bath, residential quarters and museum exhibits before returning to Larkana station for the journey back to Karachi.

Q6. Who operates and manages the safari?
The safari is organized by the Culture, Tourism, Antiquities and Archives Department of the Government of Sindh and the Sindh Tourism Development Corporation, in coordination with Pakistan Railways and local administration in Sehwan and Larkana.

Q7. Is the Mohenjo Daro Train Safari a one time event or will it be repeated?
The inaugural departure was scheduled as a specific two day event, but provincial officials have indicated that strong demand could lead to additional departures or a more regular schedule, potentially tied to holiday periods or tourism festivals.

Q8. How does the safari relate to other train based tourism in Sindh?
The Mohenjo Daro safari follows the earlier launch of the Thar Desert Train Safari and is part of a broader strategy to use special trains to connect Karachi with key cultural, spiritual and natural sites across Sindh, positioning the province as a multi day tourism destination.

Q9. Are there any concerns about the impact of increased tourism on Mohenjo Daro?
Conservationists have long warned that Mohenjo Daro is vulnerable to environmental damage and overuse, so authorities say visitor flows from the safari are managed through guided routes and time limits, with an emphasis on raising awareness and channeling some tourism revenue into preservation efforts.

Q10. How can travelers book a seat on a future Mohenjo Daro Train Safari?
Bookings for the inaugural safari were handled through the Sindh Tourism Development Corporation’s official channels and partner tour operators; prospective travelers are advised to monitor announcements from Sindh’s Culture and Tourism Department and contact authorized operators for information on future departures and availability.