Larkana
Pakistan · Asia
About Larkana
Larkana is a city located in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the 15th largest city of Pakistan by population. It is home to the Indus Valley civilization site Mohenjo-daro. The historic Indus River flows in east and south of the city.
The city is located within Larkana District. Formerly known as Chandka, Larkana is located on the south bank of the Ghar canal, about 40 miles (64 km) south of the town Shikarpur, and 36 miles (58 km) northeast of Mehar. With a population of 551,716 in the 2023 Census of Pakistan, it is the 4th most populated city of Sindh province (after Karachi, Hyderabad, and Sukkur), and the 19th most populated city in PAKISTAN.
Larkana is situated at 27°33'30"N 68°12'40"E. It is in the northwest part of Sindh and it has its own division. It is also included in Upper Sindh.
Larkana has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh), bordering a hot semi arid climate (Koppen: BSh), with sweltering summers and mild winters. The highest recorded temperature is 53.0 °C (127.4 °F), recorded On 26 May 2010 and the lowest recorded temperature is −4 °C...
Larkana travel guide
Understand
The historical name of Larkana until the year 1901 was Chandka. In August 2000, Larkana celebrated the hundredth anniversary of its founding. In the Sindhi language, the name of the city is pronounced 'Larkano'.
Getting there
By plane The closest airport is 30 km away in Mohenjo-daro, from where you can get direct flights from Karachi. Pakistan's national carrier PIA operates direct and non-direct flights from Karachi to Mohenjo-daro. Direct flights run four times a week and take one hour, while the non-direct flights make a stop at Sukkur Airport and operate only on Fridays.
By train Larkana railway station serves the city. There are two trains each day briefly stop at Larkana railway station: the Bolan Mail is run between Karachi and Quetta and has economical and air-conditioned class, while the Khushal Khan Khattak Express is run between Karachi and Peshawar and has only economical class.
1 Larkana Junction railway station. (updated Jan 2021)
By bus Larkana is on National Highway N-55 (the Indus Highway). The 1,264-km-long N-55 runs from Karachi to Peshawar and one can easily get a bus for Larkana from cities situated along the highway. If coming from Karachi, there are A/C and non-A/C buses between Karachi and Larkana, which can be found at "Blue Lines bus station" (Dr Daud Pota Rd) near the Cantonment railway station in Karachi. A ride on bus from Karachi may take 10-hour-long journey and seat in an air-condition bus may cost around Rs 800. From Sukkur, buses for Larkana may take 2-3 hours.
Getting around
There are plenty of taxis, buses, vans and motorcycle rickshaws in city.
Buy
There are a couple of bazaars in the town. Popular among locals are Khataan market, which sells pickle flavours, Sonarki market, and Machi market. You may buy some good quality Sindhi caps and traditional Ajrak here at affordable prices.
Sleep
There are several hotels in the city, including:
Asia, Station Rd, ☏ +92 74 4055601. A good hotel with A/C rooms, free Wi-Fi Internet, and a restaurant. Rs 3,000 for singles. Paris Inn, Station Rd. This hotel is yet another good place to stay in town. Rs 2,000 for singles. Green Palace Hotel. Reasonably clean and spacious room along the main stretch. Among the cheapest options in the area. Rs 1,200 for singles, 2,500 for doubles.
Go next
Mohenjo-daro — this ancient city is an important archaeological site in Pakistan. Mothparja
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.