On request · private vehicle recommended
Islamabad to Gilgit by road.
Two ways north. The Karakoram Highway via Abbottabad, Besham and Chilas runs all year and takes about fourteen hours. Babusar Pass via Naran is shorter, higher and far more beautiful, and it is only open roughly July to September. Both are long enough that the honest advice is to break the drive rather than do it in one push.
- Distance
- 600 km
- Drive time
- 14h 00m
- Shared seat
- PKR 7,500
- Private from
- PKR 38,000
- Surface
- Paved. Babusar route seasonal.
- Vehicle
- Van or Land Cruiser for comfort
- Departure advice
- Leave Islamabad by 05:00 or break the drive
Fares
What it costs, agreed up front.
One fare, agreed before you accept the booking. No meter, no surge.
What we know
Driving it, not describing it.
Fourteen hours is a real fourteen hours, and the last four along the Indus past Chilas are the least interesting part of the entire journey. We recommend splitting at Besham or Chilas, or flying to Gilgit and hiring the vehicle here.
Babusar is open roughly July to September and it turns the drive into one of the best days of driving in Pakistan. It is also higher, colder and closed at the first snow. Do not plan a Babusar arrival in October.
PIA flies Islamabad to Gilgit and Skardu, and the flight is spectacular when it goes. It is weather dependent and cancels often. Most travellers who fly in book a vehicle with a driver from the airport rather than driving themselves.
The Kohistan section of the KKH is where you want a driver who does this run regularly. It is a working road with trucks and it rewards patience, not speed.
Where you stop
The drive, hour by hour.
Roads, honestly
When this road is worth driving.
Questions
Asked often enough to answer here.
How long is the drive from Islamabad to Gilgit?
About 600 km and 14 hours on the Karakoram Highway with short stops. Via Babusar Pass in summer it is shorter in distance but similar in time, and much more scenic.
What does a private vehicle from Islamabad to Gilgit cost?
From PKR 38,000 for a car, PKR 52,000 for a van and PKR 62,000 for a Land Cruiser, one way with driver. Fuel included, tolls and the driver's night stay extra on multi-day hires.
Is Babusar Pass open?
Roughly July to September, snow dependent. It is closed for most of the year. If your dates are outside that window, you are taking the KKH via Chilas.
Should I fly or drive to Gilgit?
Fly if your dates are tight and you accept the risk of cancellation. Drive if the journey is part of the trip. Many travellers fly one way and drive the other, which is the best of both.
Where should I break the Islamabad to Gilgit drive?
Besham at about six hours, or Chilas at about eleven. Besham makes the second day long but scenic; Chilas makes the first day very long.
Read before you go
Other routes