Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore

Mughal splendour reaches a double climax in Lahore. Inside the fort, marble palaces and mosques glitter with mosaics and gilding; a short ride away, the Shalamar Gardens step down three terraces of pavilions, waterfalls and broad ornamental ponds. Both reflect the empire at its zenith under Shah Jahan, and UNESCO inscribed the pair together in 1981 — Lahore's essential half-day, ideally ending at the gardens toward evening.