June 2026 · 8 min · By Zain Karim
Lahore to Hunza Overland: The Honest Version
The romantic Lahore-to-Hunza overland is doable, but it isn't a single drive. Here's how we break it, where we stop, and when we tell clients to take the flight.
The Lahore-to-Hunza overland is a real and beautiful thing. It is also longer, more tiring and more weather-dependent than most travellers expect. Done right it takes three days minimum with overnight stops at the correct places. Done wrong it is two 14-hour drives back to back. This is the lahore to hunza overland route we run when clients specifically want the road experience.
Overview
Roughly 1,400 km in total. Lahore to Islamabad on the Motorway (4 hours, easy). Islamabad to Chilas on the Karakoram Highway (10-11 hours, mountainous, must be daylight only through Kohistan). Chilas to Hunza (6-7 hours). Three driving days, two overnights.
The route
| Segment | Distance | Driving time | Surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lahore → Islamabad | 375 km | 4 h | M2 Motorway, smooth |
| Islamabad → Besham | 280 km | 6 h | KKH, mountain |
| Besham → Chilas | 200 km | 5 h | KKH, daylight only |
| Chilas → Gilgit | 130 km | 3.5 h | KKH, gorge |
| Gilgit → Karimabad | 100 km | 2.5 h | KKH, scenic |
Day by day
Day 1, Lahore to Islamabad
Easy Motorway day. Leave Lahore late morning, lunch at a Motorway service area, arrive Islamabad mid-afternoon. Overnight Serena. Use the evening to rest before the mountain run.
Day 2, Islamabad to Chilas
The hard day. 5:30 am departure to clear Kohistan in daylight. Lunch at Besham. Arrive Chilas before sunset. Chilas is a transit town with one decent hotel, we book Shangrila Midway. Not a destination, a sleeping place.
Day 3, Chilas to Hunza
Early start, breakfast in the car. Junction Point stop (the three mountain ranges meeting). Gilgit lunch. Karimabad by mid-afternoon. The drive opens up after Gilgit, Rakaposhi appears and the trip starts to feel like Hunza.
When to fly instead
We tell clients to fly Islamabad-Gilgit when: total trip is under 10 days, anyone has back trouble, the season is December-March, or weather reports are unstable through Kohistan. The PIA flight is 1 hour and replaces two full driving days. The overland makes sense when the road is the experience, not just the means.
Q. Can it be done in two days?
Only if you push through Kohistan into the dark, which we don't do for safety reasons. Three days is the responsible minimum.
Q. Is the road open year-round?
Yes Lahore to Gilgit, though winter snow can close sections briefly. The Khunjerab beyond Hunza closes November to April.
Q. Is there a train option?
Lahore to Rawalpindi by train then road from there. We use Green Line for clients who want one rail experience.
Written by
Zain Karim
Head of mountain operations
Zain has run private trips through Hunza, Skardu and the Karakoram since 2019. He spends about 120 nights a year above 2,500 m and writes about the routes he guides.
Has guided the Hunza-Skardu loop more than forty times.
More from Itineraries & Routes
