Distances look short — mountain roads are slow
Domestic flights, road transfers, realistic journey times on mountain roads and what happens when flights are grounded.
Practical information last reviewed October 2026. Conditions change — we confirm the details for your dates when we send your program.
How long journeys really take
Typical times in good conditions. Landslides, snow, roadworks and traffic can add hours, so a realistic itinerary leaves slack for delays and avoids mountain roads after dark.
| Journey | Typical time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Islamabad → Gilgit or Skardu | About 1 hour by air | Flights depend on clear weather and are often delayed or cancelled |
| Islamabad → Gilgit | Usually two days by road | Along the Karakoram Highway, with a night at Besham or Chilas; in summer also via Naran and the Babusar Pass |
| Gilgit → Hunza (Karimabad) | 2 – 3 hours | About 100 km up the Karakoram Highway |
| Gilgit → Skardu | 6 – 8 hours | 241 km along the Indus gorge |
| Islamabad → Naran | 6 – 7 hours | Via Abbottabad and the Kaghan valley |
| Islamabad → Peshawar | About 2 hours | By motorway |
| Islamabad → Lahore | 4 – 5 hours | By motorway |
| Peshawar → Chitral | About 50 minutes by air | Weather permitting; by road it is a long day via Dir and the Lowari Tunnel |
| Multan → Bahawalpur | About 2 hours | Bahawalpur is the gateway to Cholistan |
| Quetta → Ziarat | About 3 hours |
Flights to the north
The flights to Gilgit and Skardu are some of the most spectacular anywhere, but they only fly in clear weather. If a flight is grounded on one of our treks, we continue by road instead.
Keep a spare day at the end of a northern trip before your international flight home.
Vehicles
Cars, vans and coaches on the motorways and main roads; four-wheel-drive jeeps on mountain tracks such as the road to Askoli for K-2, Fairy Meadows or Deosai. See our services for everything we arrange.
The Karakoram Highway
The main road north runs 805 km from Havelian, near Islamabad, to the Chinese border at the Khunjerab Pass. It is open all year as far as Hunza, but the Khunjerab Pass is closed to travellers in winter.
Rail and other options
Pakistan’s railway connects Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Quetta, and domestic flights link the major cities. More in About Pakistan.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: The Karakoram Highway — Saadzafar91, CC BY-SA 3.0
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