The choice, in one paragraph
If you are travelling between roughly July and mid September, take Babusar. It is higher, shorter in distance, immeasurably more beautiful, and it puts Naran and Lulusar on the way rather than as a separate trip. Outside that window the pass is shut and the Karakoram Highway via Abbottabad, Besham and Chilas is the only road.
Babusar, honestly
The pass tops out at 4,173 m and the climb from Naran is the reason people drive north instead of flying. It opens when the snow clears, usually late June or July, and closes with the first serious fall, sometimes in early October.
The catch is Naran. In August it is one of the busiest tourist towns in Pakistan and the road through it can cost you an hour. Leave Naran early and you have the pass to yourself; arrive at midday on a Saturday and you will remember it as a traffic jam at altitude.
The KKH, honestly
About 600 km and fourteen hours, and roughly four of those are the Kohistan section between Besham and Dasu, narrow, busy with trucks, and slow. It is the part of the journey that eats schedules.
After Chilas the road opens into the Indus valley and, past Jaglot, gives you the Nanga Parbat viewpoint and the confluence. The last two hours are the best of the route, which is small consolation at hour twelve.
Break the drive. Both ways.
Doing Islamabad to Gilgit in a single push is possible and we will drive it if you insist. It means starting at four in the morning and arriving after dark, having seen the good parts through a windscreen at the end of a fourteen hour day.
- ·Besham, about six hours from Islamabad. Splits the drive unevenly but gets Kohistan out of the way on day two in daylight.
- ·Chilas, about eleven hours. Long first day, short second day, hot in summer.
- ·Naran, on the Babusar route. The obvious and pleasant split, and the reason most people take that road.
Or fly, and hire the vehicle here
PIA flies Islamabad–Gilgit and Islamabad–Skardu. When it flies it is one of the great short flights anywhere. It is also weather dependent and cancels regularly, and in winter you should assume it might not go.
The pattern most of our customers settle on: fly north, hire a vehicle and captain in Gilgit for the trip, and drive south at the end when losing a day matters less. It removes the fourteen hour day from the start of the holiday, when you are least able to absorb it.
What it costs either way
Babusar does not change the price much. It changes the day.
- ·Private car, Islamabad–Gilgit: from PKR 38,000 one way with driver.
- ·Van for a family or group: from PKR 52,000.
- ·Land Cruiser: from PKR 62,000, and the right choice if you are continuing to Skardu or Deosai.
- ·Shared seat, when running: PKR 7,500 per person.
Questions
Is Babusar Pass open now?
It is open roughly July to mid September, snow dependent, and closed the rest of the year. Ask us the week you plan to travel and we will tell you the current state.
Which route is better, Babusar or KKH?
Babusar, whenever it is open. It is shorter, higher and far more scenic. Outside summer the KKH via Chilas is the only option.
How long does Islamabad to Gilgit take by road?
About fourteen hours on the KKH with short stops. Similar via Babusar but broken more naturally at Naran.
Is it better to fly to Gilgit or drive?
Fly if your time is tight, and expect the possibility of cancellation. Drive if the journey is part of the trip. Flying one way and driving the other suits most travellers.