Wagah Border Crossing Tips (India to Pakistan on Foot)

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The Wagah border between India and Pakistan is one of the most heavily militarized borders in the world. It’s also the only way to cross overland between the two countries despite their long land border. Don’t believe the swirling rumors that you can’t cross the border or that it’s dangerous or that it’s a complicated process. It’s very straightforward. This is the guide to help get you across it with ease. 

Pakistan was not on our planned itinerary. But after spending two months in India, we were ready for a change. And with its rugged mountainous landscape promising less human interaction…Pakistan seemed like the perfect choice. But getting from India to Pakistan by plane is ridiculously expensive and lengthy considering they are neighboring countries. At the time of our trip flights were routed through Sri Lanka (no direct flights to Pakistan from India) and cost more than $400 one-way. India to Pakistan on foot, however, is a cheap, easy, and convenient alternative. Here’s your guide to crossing the Wagah border from India to Pakistan with ease.

Your Guide to the Wagah Border Crossing

I won’t bore you with the step-by-step details on how to physically walk across the border and what the two customs offices were like because despite being one of the most heavily militarized border crossings in the world…it felt very normal. Like crossing from the US to Mexico or Thailand in Myanmar, the border proceedings were very nondescript. But there are a few oddly-specific things you should be warned about before crossing the Wagah Border.

That’s the kind of stuff I’m going to cover for you here.

Things to Know Before You Head to the Border 

1. You need to have your Pakistan Visa Arranged. 

You need a Visa to enter Pakistan. Fortunately, they have a very straightforward E-Visa process you can access here. You will also need a sponsor letter to apply for a Pakistan visa. Many hotels can provide this for a fee if you contact them. Or you can get one from my friend Lost With Purpose! She runs excellent motorcycle tours within the country.

IMPORTANT: If, like us, you are traveling in India and applying for your E-Visa to Pakistan you will need a VPN to access the website. This is because the two countries despise one another. Unfortunately, once you reach the last step (paying for the visa) the VPN will not work. This means you should have a friend back home (outside of India) log in with your credentials and pay to complete the process. This is annoyingly complicated, especially for those who have never used a VPN before. Nordic VPN usually has a free trial you can use.

2. FOR THE LOVE OF ALLAH PLZ HAVE CASH 

Not Indian Rupees. Those will be useless when you cross the border into Pakistan. USD is best. There are no *working* ATMs until you reach Lahore. This makes reaching Lahore (about a 45-min rickshaw ride) very difficult. 

A backup option for that that forgot to prearrange cash is before you reach the Pakistan customs office (in that no man’s land between the border) swap your leftover Indian rupee for Pakistani rupees with the men lingering outside the front office. Once you enter the Pakistan customs office you won’t have another opportunity to exchange money. 

We entered without money and spent 3 HOURS driving from ATM to ATM on the way into Lahore trying to extract cash. It was awful. For me and the poor rickshaw driver. Internet and electricity are spotty in Pakistan. If you make our mistake just go all the way into Lahore city where the internet is better and try to find an international ATM there. Standard Chartered Bank always worked for our cards. 

3. The border is open from 8 AM to 5 PM. 

You should try to arrive by 3 PM so you can assure you make it through the full process. 

4. If you plan to return across the Wagah border make sure you have the right Indian Visa. 

You need a multi-entry E-visa for India if you want to come back the same way you exit. Otherwise, you’ll be restricted to air travel borders.

5. You need proof of Polio Vaccination. 

This is new and fun. The joys of travel post-COVID.

You can imagine my surprise when Indian customs asked me for my vaccine certificate and when I presented them with my COVID cards… they laughed and said “No no polio”. If like me, you do not have a bright yellow card from when I was vaccinated as an infant, you’ll get a little booster dose of the oral vaccine.

This is only required if you are returning to India after Pakistan. If you are not coming back across the Wagah Border just tell them so and you’ll be waved past the medical checkpoint.

Note: The health checkpoint on the way back across into India DID ask for my polio certificate so you can’t just lie and hope and make it back in without getting the booster.

And no, polio is not really a concern in Pakistan. There have been a few reported cases but the risk of exposure is SO low it’s not even worth mentioning.

6. Hide yo drone. 

You *can* take your drone into Pakistan. But it’s questionable whether or not the Wagah border is okay with that rule. It’s best to say you don’t have one if asked, make sure it’s hidden deep within your backpack, and plead stupid tourist if caught.

We got ours into and back across Wagah with no problems. India is much more concerned about it than Pakistan. 

7. Have an Address in Lahore readily available. 

The only question Pakistan officials will ask is where you are going. Have a hotel address and name on hand. Also, don’t mention that you are visiting remote regions like Kashmir if asked. You *technically* need a different visa for that. Just stick to common destinations like Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi. 

8. I recommend going to the border early because of the heat. 

You will have to walk about 1 km in the heat while carrying your bags on the Pakistan side to reach the rickshaw taxi area. This area is desert and both Amritsar and Lahore suffer 100+ temps from May to August. Keep in mind the scorching temps when timing your border crossing.

Getting from Amritsar to Wagah Border (India to Border) 

Many blogs say you should taxi from Amritsar to the border but with such a cheap and easily accessible bus — that’s basically throwing your money away. 

A taxi to the border is 1000 rupees or about $9. 

The bus was 40 rupees per person. Or $1 for the two of us. 

Walk or take a rickshaw to the Amritsar bus stand and then get on a bus labeled Wagah or Atari (the town nearest the border). The bus will take about 30 minutes and you’ll be dropped on the side of the road near the cycle rickshaws. For 100 rupees or less, he will cycle you to the border. 

The taxi drops you at nearly the same place as the bus and takes almost the same amount of time. Unless you’re traveling with a group it’s not worth the cost. 

Crossing the Border 

In classic overly complicated border fashion, you’ll be shuffled from desk to desk for uniformed men to examine your passport and all its stamps. You’ll scan your bags in machines no one seems to be checking anyways. You’ll stamp out of India and be seated on a free bus across the no-man’s-land to the literal stadium where the Wagah Border ceremony is held nightly. 

For those that don’t know this ceremony is essentially a big grand show of nationalism on both sides and seems to stoke even more hatred between the two countries. And yet it’s a very popular tourist attraction for those visiting Amritsar. It happens at sundown each night if you’re interested. 

After the bus, you’ll walk through more bureaucracy and hot sun through the gate to the Pakistan side. Again you’ll enter the customs building (don’t forget to change money around here if you haven’t already!!) and show your passport numerous times. 

Wagah Border to Lahore (Border to Pakistan)

Free at last!! Now you’re in Pakistan. After a short walk, you’ll reach a small decrepit shopping mall area with a shop, restaurant, a broken ATM, and a few scammy taxi drivers. 

Don’t use these taxis. They try to charge INSANE prices. If you just keep walking through the scorching sun (for about 1 km) you’ll find some rickshaw taxis. They will take you all the way to Lahore for 1,000 rupees. 

If you don’t have any Pakistani rupees at this point just tell the driver you have to exchange US or EU currency and he will take you to a shop on the way. Indian rupee can’t be exchanged nearly anywhere in Pakistan. 

Hot Tip: Drivers in Pakistan rarely know where they are going. You should have an offline map to help guide them. They often say they know where they are going and then stop and ask 10 people along the way. Totally normal. As long as you get there. 

There are also roadblocks from military areas to contend with. Getting to your hotel might take longer than anticipated. This is yet another reason why I prefer to cross Wagah earlier in the day rather than later. Settling into a new country after dark is never my favorite.

Wagah Border Crossing from Pakistan to India

This process was exactly the same but in reverse! I would add one money-saving tip though…

Getting from Lahore to Wagah Border

The city of Lahore utilizes Uber. This means that you can get a cheap and direct taxi to the border for about…1000 Pakistani rupees or $3.50. Way cheaper than the Indian side. There are irregular buses available as well leaving from all the city bus stands BUT I was never quite able to crack the code on which bus would actually get me where I wanted to go.

Buses also won’t go through the various checkpoints where you’re baggage will be perused once you get close to the border on the Pakistan side. If you take a bus be prepared to walk for several KM through the sun to the actual border crossing. My recommendation: take the Uber.

Crossing the Wagah Border was a very straightforward experience considering you have the proper visas and have stowed your contraband correctly. Let me know if you need any help on your journey across the Wagah border and enjoy your time in Pakistan!! 

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