June 2026 · 9 min · By Bilal Hussain
Getting Around Pakistan: Flights, Roads and Drivers
Flights cancel. Roads are long. Trains have their own romance. Here's what to use for which leg, and what the realistic timings are.
Pakistan is bigger than people expect, Karachi to Hunza is the same distance as Paris to Athens, and the country is laid out long and thin against the mountains. Getting around pakistan well is about matching the right mode to each leg, and building enough slack into the plan for the things that don't go to schedule.
Domestic flights
PIA, AirBlue and SereneAir run the domestic network. The routes that matter for travellers: Islamabad-Skardu, Islamabad-Gilgit, Islamabad-Lahore, Islamabad-Karachi, and Lahore-Karachi. The Skardu and Gilgit flights are weather-dependent and cancel often, especially November-March. Always plan a road backup for any mountain flight. Booking opens 90 days out; book early in summer.
Private car with driver
The default for any organised trip. Toyota Hiace (2-4 people with bags), Toyota Coaster (5-8 people), Land Cruiser 4WD for rough sections. Drivers are licensed for specific regions, a Punjab driver does not drive Gilgit-Baltistan, and vice versa. Operators (us included) hand vehicles over at the GB border. Allow USD 80-150 per day for vehicle + driver + fuel depending on region.
The Karakoram Highway
The road of the trip. Islamabad to Hunza is roughly 600 km and takes 14-18 hours of driving, broken at Chilas or Besham. The road is paved the whole way and in good condition through the upper section; some stretches between Mansehra and Chilas are narrow and landslide-prone in monsoon. We never drive the KKH at night above Chilas.
Trains
Pakistan Railways runs the punjab-sindh corridor (Karachi-Lahore-Rawalpindi) with some genuinely lovely services, the Green Line and Tezgam in particular. Sleeper compartments are basic but the experience is part of the trip. We use trains for Lahore-Rawalpindi (5 hours, beats the drive) and the long Karachi-Lahore run if a client wants it. Trains do not serve the mountains.
Buses and intercity coaches
Daewoo and Faisal Movers run executive coaches between cities, comfortable, reliable, cheap. NATCO and Silk Route run the mountain routes (Islamabad-Gilgit, Gilgit-Hunza, Gilgit-Skardu). Long, basic, and an experience in themselves, used by every backpacker and almost no client of a private operator. Not unsafe; just not the experience our clients are paying for.
Rideshare and taxis
Careem (Uber's sister, post-merger) works in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, cheap, reliable, and the right answer for short city hops. InDrive works too. Yellow-and-black metered taxis exist but rarely use the meter; negotiate up front.
Realistic route timings (private vehicle)
| From → To | Distance | Driving time |
|---|---|---|
| Islamabad → Lahore (motorway) | 380 km | 4.5 hrs |
| Islamabad → Chilas | 470 km | 9-11 hrs |
| Chilas → Gilgit | 130 km | 3.5-4 hrs |
| Gilgit → Karimabad (Hunza) | 100 km | 2.5-3 hrs |
| Karimabad → Khunjerab Pass | 190 km | 5 hrs each way |
| Gilgit → Skardu | 240 km | 6-8 hrs |
| Hunza → Skardu (via Gilgit) | 340 km | 8-9 hrs |
| Islamabad → Naran (Babusar route, summer) | 260 km | 7 hrs |
| Naran → Gilgit (Babusar Pass) | 200 km | 8 hrs |
| Islamabad → Chitral (via Lowari Tunnel) | 450 km | 12 hrs |
Q. Are domestic flights in Pakistan safe?
Yes. PIA's domestic network has a strong recent safety record, and AirBlue and SereneAir are well-run. The Skardu and Gilgit flights are weather-cancelled, not safety-cancelled, pilots refuse to fly the approach in cloud, which is the right call. Treat cancellation as the safe outcome.
Q. Can I rent a self-drive car in Pakistan?
Possible in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi (Avis, local agencies). Not advisable. Roads are chaotic, signage erratic, traffic norms unfamiliar. Every operator (us included) uses driver-included rental. Spend the money; gain the trip.
Q. How long does Islamabad to Hunza take by road?
14-18 hours of driving, almost always split over two days with an overnight in Chilas or Besham. We never run it in one day for clients, it's exhausting and dangerous near Chilas after dark.
Q. Is the Karakoram Highway scary?
It is dramatic, exposed, and on a few short stretches (mostly Kohistan, Mansehra-Chilas) genuinely narrow. The drivers we use have run it a thousand times. Most clients describe it as the highlight of the trip rather than the price of it.
Q. Are trains worth taking?
Lahore-Rawalpindi yes, a genuinely pleasant 5-hour journey through Punjab. Lahore-Karachi only if you specifically want the long-distance train experience and have 18 hours. Otherwise fly.
Written by
Bilal Hussain
Safety and logistics lead
Bilal runs ground logistics, permits, NOCs, drivers, contingencies. He writes about the practical and safety side of travel in Pakistan with the directness of someone who has to make it work.
Coordinates with district authorities across Gilgit-Baltistan and KP.
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