PESHAWAR

There are very few ancient cities in the subcontinent which inspite of the great stresses and strains have retained their old complexion, and Peshawar is one of them. A walk through the old city's blind alleys will help you appreciate how Peshawar has retained its centuries old grandeur and complexion. The ramparts though in dilapidated state and the various Darwazas(gates) still exist to tell a story of the good old days. A town set in the rugged splendour of the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, it is undoubtedly a true metropolis of the Orient. It has till today preserved its traditional flavour and retained the air of Arabian Nights without remaining indifferent to the demands of modern development.

PLACES TO SEE
Half day city tour of Peshawar city visiting museum and old bazaars.
Half day excursion for historical Khyber Pass.
Half day excursion for Darra Adam Khel.
Half day excursion to Takht Bhai.

Geography and climate:
Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass and sits mainly on the Iranian plateau along with the rest of the NWFP. Peshawar is literally a frontier city of South-Central Asia and was historically part of the Silk Road.
The Peshawar valley is covered with consolidated deposits of silt, sands and gravel of recent geological times. The flood Plains/Zones are the areas between Kabul River and Budni Nala. The meander flood plain extends from Warsak in the Northwest towards Southeast in the upper Northern half of the district. The Kabul river enters the district in the Northwest. On entering the Peshawar Plain, the Kabul River is divided into several channels. Its two main channels are the Adizai River Eastward flows along the boundary with Charsadda District. Another channel branching from the right bank of the Naguman River is the Shah Alam, which again merges with Naguman River further in the East. In general the sub-soil strata is composed of gravels, boulders, and sands overlain by silts and clays. Sand, gravel and boulders are important aquifer extends to a depth of about 200 feet (61 m). As further confined water bearing aquifer occurs at depths greater than 400 feet (120 m).
Winter in Peshawar starts from mid November to the end of March. Summer months are May to September. The mean maximum temperature in summer is over 40 °C (104 °F) and the mean minimum temperature is 25 °C (77 °F). The mean minimum temperature during winter is 4 °C (39 °F) and maximum is 18.35 °C (65.03 °F).
Rainfall is received both in winter and in the summer. The winter rainfall due to western disturbances shows a higher record during the months of February and April. The highest winter rainfall has been recorded in March, while the highest summer rainfall in the month of August. The average winter rainfall is higher than that of the summer. Based on a 30-year record, the average 30-year annual precipitation has been recorded as 400 millimetres (16 in). Wind speeds vary during the year from 5 knots (5.8 mph 9.3 km/h) in December to 24 knots (28 mph; 44 km/h) in June. The relative humidity varies from 46% in June to 76% in August.
Peshawar’s environment has suffered tremendously due to an ever increasing population, Afghan influx, unplanned growth and a poor regulatory framework. Air and noise pollution is a significant issue in several parts of the city, and the water quality, once considered to be exceptionally good, is also fast deteriorating.
In addition the city has lost 2,700 acres (1,100 ha) of agriculture land during the two decades (1965-85). This in the addition to 400 acres (160 ha) of vacant land that has been also eaten up by expending urban functions. In the same period, the land under parks and green space has shrunk from 163 to 75 acres (66–30 ha).

Educational institutions:
With the level of higher education on the rise, there has been a surge of prestigious educational institutions in Peshawar.
Abasyn University
Khyber Medical University
Institute of Management Sciences
Agriculture University of Peshawar
University of Engineering & Technology (U.E.T.)
National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST-NU), (Peshawar Campus)
Islamia College Peshawar (1913)
Gandhara University
Iqra University
Institute of Management Studies
ICMS
Oxfords College University Town Peshawar
City University Of Science & Technology
Institute of Business & Management Sciences
CECOS
Gandhara Medical College
Sarhad University
Ghulam IOshaq Khan Institute of Science & Technology, Topi, NWFP
College of Aeronautical Engineering (CAE, NUST), Risalpur, NWFP
Peshawar Medical College
University of Peshawar
Preston University
Greenwich University
PAC

Transport:
Airport
The Peshawar International Airport serves the city and the province of the North-West Frontier as the main international airport in the region. It is served by all airlines of Pakistan as well as many major airlines including Emirates and Qatar Airways who have regular flights to the Gulf and forward connections to Europe.

Public transport
The city is linked to the main motorway as well as the Karakorum Highway from which it is connected to all of the major cities of Pakistan including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan. The roads are also linked to Afghanistan and China. Afghanistan is linked through the Khyber Pass, which the main gateway for most cargo and passenger travel. In the city, there are all sorts of methods to travel around the city, from coaches, buses, rickshaws (Auto rickshaws), yellow and black taxis as well as traditional methods such as horse and carts

Trains
Peshawar Railway Station run by Pakistan Railways, the largest operator of rail companies in Pakistan, with connections to all parts of Pakistan as well as Afghanistan.