The place got its share of fame in 1739 when Nadir Shah defeated Muhammad Shah here.

The city is known as a walled town. The citadel of old time can still be seen in form of Kot Mohalla (Kot means fort). The fort was built by Raja Gajpat Singh of Jind. The fort was used in many ways as British converted it into a residence for Dost Mohammad Khan, Amir of Kabul, part of it was also used as jail and a school was also running in the fort.

Some of the dignitaries have their association with the city of Karnal. Late Dr. Kalpana Chawla, an Indian-American scientist and NASA astronaut was born in a Punjabi Hindu family at Model Town, Karnal. She also did her schooling at Tagore Baal Niketan, Karnal. The first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan was born in Karnal.

Here is a list of top 5 places that are a must see when in Karnal:
1. Karnal Lake
2. Cantonment Church Tower
3. Qualander Shah’s Tomb
4. Karnal Fort
5. Pukka Pul

Transport Of Karnal:

1. Local Bus Network - Local buses are uncommon in Karnal, as it is a small city. However, you can make use of intercity private and public bus operators to travel around the city.

2. Cabs - The most common mode of local transport in Karnal is auto rickshaw. They are quite prevalent and you can even make use of ‘tuk-tuk’ or shared auto. You can also make use of cycle rickshaws, which are slower but quite reliable. The city has many private taxi companies in Karnal, offering city tours at reasonable rates.

3. Rental - Karnal has several car rental companies offering cars on rent. Some of the popular ones are Clear Car Rental, VIP Cars, Savaari, etc., while local companies are Manish Tour & Travel, Om Sai Taxi Services, Manish Tour & Travel, etc.

4. Metro - There are no metro trains in Karnal.

5. Local Trains - There are no local trains in Karnal.

6. Trekking - It is not possible to cover all the tourist places in Karnal, on foot.