Running daily · easiest road in the region

Gilgit to Hunza on the KKH.

The simplest drive we run. Paved Karakoram Highway from Gilgit to Karimabad, open through most winters, with a viewpoint of Rakaposhi about halfway that is worth the stop even if you have seen the photographs. Most people underestimate how short this is and over-plan the day.

Book Gilgit to HunzaSee fares
Distance
100 km
Drive time
2h 30m
Shared seat
PKR 1,100
Private from
PKR 6,500
Surface
Paved KKH the whole way
Vehicle
Car is fine, any season
Departure advice
Any time before 15:00

Fares

What it costs, agreed up front.

OptionPrice
Shared seatCar or van, one seatPKR 1,100Several departures a day in season.
Private carCorolla, CityPKR 6,500Whole vehicle one way, up to 4 passengers.
Private vanHiace, Grand CabinPKR 10,000Up to 12 with luggage.
Day trip, returnCar with driverPKR 11,000Gilgit to Hunza and back with waiting time. Long day but comfortable.

One fare, agreed before you accept the booking. No meter, no surge.

What we know

Driving it, not describing it.

Two and a half hours is the honest number with one stop. Add an hour if you want tea at Rakaposhi viewpoint and a walk at Attabad, which most people do.

Karimabad and Aliabad are not the same place. Karimabad is the old town up the slope with Baltit fort and the hotels with the view. Aliabad is the working town on the highway. Tell your captain which one you actually want.

In winter the KKH below Hunza usually stays open, but Khunjerab Pass and the high side roads do not. If you are coming in January for the pass, you are coming for a closed gate.

Where you stop

The drive, hour by hour.

0h 30mRahimabadLast easy fuel out of Gilgit.
1h 20mRakaposhi viewpointTea, glacier stream, 7,788 m of mountain directly in front of you. Twenty minutes.
2h 10mAliabadBazaar, banks, pharmacies. The working town of central Hunza.
2h 30mKarimabadBaltit and Altit forts, hotels, the terraced view down the valley.

Roads, honestly

When this road is worth driving.

Mar to MayBestCherry and apricot blossom, roughly late March into mid April. Cool, clear, quieter than summer.
Jun to AugBusyPeak season and peak traffic. Book vehicles ahead around Eid and August holidays.
Sep to NovBestAutumn colour through the terraces and the strongest light of the year.
Dec to FebOpen, coldKKH normally open. Khunjerab closed, fewer hotels running, short days.

Questions

Asked often enough to answer here.

How far is Hunza from Gilgit?

Karimabad is 100 km from Gilgit, about two and a half hours on the Karakoram Highway with one stop.

What does a car from Gilgit to Hunza cost?

A shared seat is PKR 1,100. A private car is from PKR 6,500 one way, or PKR 11,000 for a return day trip with waiting time.

Is the road from Gilgit to Hunza open in winter?

Usually yes. The KKH between Gilgit and Hunza is paved and cleared in most winters. Khunjerab Pass above Hunza is closed to tourist traffic from roughly late November to April.

Do I need a jeep for Hunza?

Not for Karimabad, Aliabad, Attabad or Passu: a car is fine. You need a jeep for Duiker, Hoper glacier road and the higher side valleys.

When is the Hunza blossom?

Usually late March to mid April, and it moves with the year's weather. Ask us the week before you travel and we will tell you what the valley actually looks like.

Read before you go

Seven days in Hunza, planned properly.Most seven day plans for Hunza are five days of driving and two days of regret. Here is one built around what the roads actually take.Renting a car in Gilgit, with a driver.Self-drive is available and it is usually the wrong choice. What to hire, what it costs, and what a fair quote looks like.Hunza in winter, and what actually stays open.The highway stays open. The pass does not. Winter in Hunza is quiet, cheap and beautiful, and it punishes anyone who plans it like summer.Babusar or the KKH: which way to drive north.One road is open two months a year and worth the detour. The other is open all year and will take fourteen hours of your life.

Other routes

Hunza to Khunjerab PassGilgit to SkarduIslamabad to GilgitAll fares from Gilgit