Gadani Beach Ship Breaking Pakistan

When staying in Karachi – whether for an extended period or just on a stopover – a little trip to Gadani Beach might come to mind. First of all, it's a bit less crowded than the local Karachi beaches. Secondly, with a little bit of research you will likely discover the massive ship breaking yards in the area.

Over a stretch of 10 kilometres, there used to be more than 130 spots where ships would be dismantled. Back in the 1980s, Gadani Beach was actually the largest ship breaking yard in the world.

But is it worth visiting this "hidden gem" today? Well, yes and no: If you expect endless beaches filled with stranded ships, you will be disappointed. However, some of the yards are still operational, and if you visit during the week, the workers might even let you climb up aboard the old vessels.

A Little History of Gadani Ship Breaking

The history of Gadani as a ship breaking yard - a place where decomissioned vessels are being taken apart to produce scrap metal - goes far back into the early days of Pakistan as a state. By the 1980s it had reached its peak as the biggest ship breaking yard in the world, competing with Alang in India and Chittagong in Bangladesh.

However, the golden era of dismantling vessels in Gadani Beach is long gone. Today, the area produces only a fifth of the scrap it generated before.

As of 2024/2025, it can no longer compete with the much bigger yards in India and Bangladesh anymore. I visited this unique place to pursue my urbex ambitions in late 2024 and was, well, slightly disappointed.

When arriving by car, we could spot a few big structures at the shore. Just getting there was a bit harder than expected. Talking your way in, isn’t much of a problem though. After a few rejections, someone let us through the gate.

Where is Gadani Beach and How to Get There From Karachi?

Gadani Beach is about 40 km away from Karachi. By car, the journey takes 40 min to an hour, depending on your starting point. I managed to convince some couchsurfers in Karachi to get a car together and drive there.

Public transport, such as busses and smaller minibusses, might be available too. These would most likely take you as far as Hub, the first settlement past the border in Balochistan.

From Hub you continue to the Gadani Road Junction. Turning left, you will reach Gadani after another 15 minutes. There are a few beaches suitable for swimming near the mouth of the Marsadai Dhora River. You can also spot some restaurants, viewpoints and little boat basins in this area.

To reach the dismantled vessels, you need to turn left again before entering Gadani town. The so-called Ship Breaking Yard Road gets you closer. You will have to cross another bridge and the massive tankers soon appear on the horizon. In November 2024, I only spotted two big vessels, but maybe, if we would have gone further, there might have been more rusty metal heaps to admire.

When to Visit the Ship Breaking Yards of Gadani?

Weekdays! Or maybe not? I reached Gadani on a Sunday and it wasn't bad at all. At the first ship breaking yard we were turned away due to security concerns. Then we headed to the neighbouring area, where a random man let us enter and walk around by ourselves.

That said, having some local language knowledge is really helpful. If you can't speak any Urdu, Sindhi or Balochi, you're better off taking someone with you from Karachi. I did have two people at my side, who later told me that weekdays would have been much better. Then the workers would have lifted me up onto the decks by one of the cranes. Unfortunately, there wasn't much work on the weekend and the big machines not in use.

What Else to Do at Gadani Beach?

There is the beach. Gadani town is actually a cute little place that features somewhat deserted-looking playgrounds, all a bit brutalist, but upgraded with some Sprite and Coca-Cola commercial graffiti. The kids seem to like it, even though I can't imagine it to be pleasant going down a rough concrete slide.

The beachfront is long, wide and sandy. At the snack points, you can grab some crisps and ice cream. There are a few horses and camels available for rides or can you join a short ten-minute boat cruise. We did exactly that and I can only recommend to take off your shoes before trying to board the kind of skiff. Inevitabily, you will have to wade through the water, before hoisting yourself over the railing.

At the weekends, many people come here to relax. You'll encounter not only Sindhis from Karachi but also Balochi people, who stand out with their wide pleated trousers. Balochi culture is quite lively, and no one really held back in expressing their excitement about the local music blaring from a rickshaw's tinny speaker. Watching their dances added another layer to this day trip.

Pro Tip: Enjoying Balochi Food in Hub

Hub is perfectly located half way between Karachi and Gadani Beach; it's an ideal stop for lunch before or after the ship breaking yards. The city has around 200,000 inhabitants and boasts countless traditional restaurants. Plus, it's a great spot to get to know a little bit of Balochi culture without venturing into riskier areas like Quetta.

The restaurants serve both Sindhi and Balochi food. If you've already been to Karachi, you will probably want to go for the latter. There are quite a few meaty options like the slow oven-cooked Sajji-chicken, which is quite similar to its tandoori style cousin from India. A major difference is the use of pomegranate, which is often used with salt to marinade dishes. There should also be fried fish available. However, after having seen the workers at the beach catching seafood right next to the toxic leftovers of the ships, I lost my appetite for it.

Balochistan: Risky to Visit?

For years, Balochistan is considered to be the most dangerous of all the dangerous regions of Pakistan. Due to the lack of infrastructure and political autonomy, many people here became angry and joined an organization called the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). This group is in open fights with the Pakistani army and commits plenty of terrorist attacks, especially in Karachi and Quetta.

Currently, Chinese citizens are the main targets. The reason for this is the massive investment of the country in the commercial road from Xinjiang past the most beautiful places of the Hunza valley to the port of Gwadar, without letting Balochi people profit from it. While Quetta and Gwadar are central for the BLA, traveling to Gadani seems fairly safe. In fact, even the motorway at the Karachi airport can be riskier, as recent incidents have shown.

(Source: https://www.deviantart.com/iori-komei/art/Partition-of-Pakistan-206583098, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

My companions were worried at first that we might not be let through the border for security reasons. Usually, the Pakistani army gives you an escort, especially if you want to go deeper into Balochistan or toward Iran. However, out of caution, I was placed in the back of the car, so no BLA member would spot me.