A 7 days northern areas itinerary from Islamabad works best as one of three routes. Hunza by road gives you the Karakoram Highway and the Khunjerab Pass, at the cost of four long driving days. Skardu by air gives you Deosai, Shigar and Khaplu with very little driving, at the mercy of the weather for the flight. Swat and Kashmir stays low, avoids passes and flights, and splits the week between two green valleys. Each is a full, realistic week; trying to mix them is where seven-day trips go wrong.
Below, each route is laid out day by day with the hours you will spend on the road, followed by how to choose between them.
| At a glance | Hunza by road | Skardu by air | Swat and Kashmir |
|---|---|---|---|
| Getting there | Two days on the KKH or via Babusar | One-hour flight from Islamabad | Motorway and valley roads |
| Hours on the road in the week | About 40 to 50 | About 16 to 20 | About 34 to 43 |
| Highest point | Khunjerab Pass, 4,693 m | Deosai, over 4,000 m | Mahodand or Pir Chinasi, below 3,000 m |
| Best months | June to September | June to September | May to October |
| Main risk | Landslides and closures | Flight cancellations | Security news in 2026; LoC closures |
| Suits | Friends and couples who like driving | Families and older parents | Families who want gentle altitude |
Route 1: Hunza and Khunjerab by road
The classic week. Two days up the highway, three in Hunza including the border, and two back down. It depends on nothing but the road.
| Day | Plan | Hours on the road | Night |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Islamabad to Chilas, via the KKH or Babusar | 10 to 13 | Chilas |
| 2 | Chilas to Karimabad, via Gilgit and the Rakaposhi viewpoint | 6 to 7 | Karimabad |
| 3 | Baltit and Altit forts, Duiker at sunset | Under 1 | Karimabad |
| 4 | Attabad, Passu and the Khunjerab Pass | 8 to 10 | Karimabad |
| 5 | Spare day, or Hopper and Nagar | 0 to 3 | Karimabad |
| 6 | Karimabad to Chilas | About 6 | Chilas |
| 7 | Chilas to Islamabad | 10 to 13 | Home |
Four of the seven days are mostly in the car, and two of them are long. In return you see the whole of the highway from the Indus gorge to the Chinese border, and nothing depends on a flight. The spare day on day 5 is not optional: a landslide on the way up, or snow at Khunjerab, will use it more often than you would like.
Leave Islamabad by 5 or 6 in the morning on days 1 and 7, and don't drive after dark. In summer, going up over Babusar and coming back on the KKH, or the reverse, avoids repeating the same road. Our seven-day Gilgit-Baltistan itinerary takes this route in more detail, stop by stop.
Route 2: Skardu, Deosai and Khaplu by air
The easiest week in Gilgit-Baltistan, because the flight replaces four days of driving. PIA, Airblue and AirSial fly Islamabad to Skardu in about an hour, and the rest of the week is spent within a few hours of one hotel.
| Day | Plan | Hours on the road | Night |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fly to Skardu; an easy afternoon by the Indus | Under 1 | Skardu |
| 2 | Upper Kachura and Shangrila; Katpana at sunset | 1.5 to 2 | Skardu |
| 3 | Shigar Fort, the Amburiq mosque and the orchards | About 2 | Skardu |
| 4 | Deosai by jeep, to Sheosar Lake and back | 6 to 8 | Skardu |
| 5 | Khaplu Palace and the Chaqchan mosque | About 6 | Skardu or Khaplu |
| 6 | Spare day for weather | 0 | Skardu |
| 7 | Fly to Islamabad | Under 1 | Home |
The order matters. Three nights at about 2,200 metres come before Deosai, which averages over 4,000, so almost everyone copes well with the jump. The spare day sits just before the flight home, so a cancelled flight on day 1 or a cloudy day on Deosai can be absorbed without losing anything.
This is the shape of our seven-day Skardu and Deosai trip, which goes one step further and spends a night on the plateau itself. For a self-planned version with more detail on each day, see our seven-day Skardu itinerary.
Driving to Skardu instead of flying doesn't really fit seven days. It is two long days each way, which leaves three days in Baltistan and no spare. If you want the road, fly one way.
Route 3: Swat and Kashmir, low and pass-free
A week at gentle altitude, with no flights and no high passes, joined in the middle at Islamabad. It works from May to October, when the passes further north may still be shut, and it suits families who would rather avoid thin air.
| Day | Plan | Hours on the road | Night |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Islamabad to Mingora; Malam Jabba in the afternoon | 4 to 5, plus 2 to 3 for Malam Jabba | Mingora |
| 2 | Mingora to Kalam, up the Swat river | 3 to 5 | Kalam |
| 3 | Ushu forest and Mahodand Lake by jeep | About 4 | Kalam |
| 4 | Kalam to Islamabad | 8 to 10 | Islamabad |
| 5 | Islamabad to Muzaffarabad; Pir Chinasi in the afternoon | 5.5 to 6.5 | Muzaffarabad |
| 6 | Muzaffarabad to Keran on the Neelum | About 3 | Keran |
| 7 | Keran to Islamabad | 6 to 7 | Home |
The Swat half gives you orchards, Buddhist-era sites around Mingora and the pine forest above Kalam, where the Mahodand jeep track fills up by mid-morning. The Kashmir half gives you the rivers at Muzaffarabad, the view from Pir Chinasi at about 2,900 metres, and a night beside the Neelum at Keran, where the far bank is Indian-administered Kashmir.
Two honest caveats for 2026. Security in Swat worsened this year, including a suicide bombing in Kabal in August, so read the news before you commit. And Azad Kashmir saw weeks of unrest from June, with a government advisory asking visitors to stay away for part of that month and mobile data cut for much longer; the Neelum road also closes to tourists when tension rises on the Line of Control. If either half looks doubtful, swap it for the Kaghan valley: a night in Shogran and three in Naran fill the same days. Our Kashmir page introduces the region.
Comparing the time on the road
The table at the top gives the totals, but how the hours fall matters more:
- Hunza by road has two days of 10 to 13 hours, at each end, and a long day at Khunjerab. The days in between are easy.
- Skardu by air never has a day over eight hours, and most are under two.
- Swat and Kashmir has one long day in the middle, from Kalam back to Islamabad, and otherwise days of three to six hours.
If anyone in the group gets carsick on mountain roads, or you are travelling with children under five, that pattern should decide the route more than the scenery.
What to book before you leave
- Hunza by road: both Chilas nights and the four in Karimabad, especially for July, August and Eid, when the valley fills. Arrange a car with a driver if nobody in the group is experienced on mountain roads, and get the brakes and tyres checked if you take your own.
- Skardu by air: the flights first, early, and the morning departure in both directions. Then one hotel for six nights, and a jeep for Deosai through the hotel, agreed a day ahead.
- Swat and Kashmir: rooms in Kalam and Keran, which fill up on summer weekends, and a jeep in Kalam for Mahodand. Check the Neelum road and the news from Swat the week before.
Spring and autumn changes
- April and May: Deosai, Khunjerab (until early May) and Babusar are closed. Hunza by road still works for the blossom, with Khunjerab replaced by Passu, Borith Lake and Hopper. Skardu by air works with Khaplu and Shigar in place of Deosai. Swat and Kashmir work well.
- October: Deosai has closed and Khunjerab can shut for a day or two with snow, but the autumn colour in Hunza and Skardu is at its best. Take the KKH rather than Babusar.
- July and August: all three routes are open, but the monsoon brings landslides to the KKH and flash floods to Swat and Kaghan. Keep the spare days sacred.
Which route should you choose?
First trip north, want the famous views, happy in a car: Hunza by road.
Families with young children or older parents, or anyone short of leave: Skardu by air. It is the least tiring week, and one hotel for six nights makes a real difference.
Want to avoid altitude, flights and passes entirely: Swat and Kashmir, if the news is quiet, or Naran and Kaghan if it isn't.
Have a few more days? Seven days is enough for one of these, not two. With ten, you can combine Hunza and Skardu properly; see our ten-day itinerary.
Frequently asked questions
Is 7 days enough for the northern areas?
Seven days is enough for one region: Hunza by road, Skardu by air, or a lower valley such as Swat, Naran or Neelum. It is not enough to combine Hunza and Skardu without rushing.
Which is better for 7 days, Hunza or Skardu?
Hunza if you are driving, because the road is part of the trip. Skardu if you are flying, because the flight saves four days and the valley has enough for a full week.
How many hours a day will I drive on a 7-day Hunza trip?
Two days of 10 to 13 hours at the start and end, a Khunjerab day of eight to ten hours, and short days in between. Roughly 40 to 50 hours on the road over the week.
Can I do a 7-day northern trip without flying?
Yes. Hunza by road or the Swat and Kashmir route both start and end in Islamabad by car. Skardu really needs a flight at least one way on a seven-day trip.
What is the best month for a 7-day northern trip?
June to September for Hunza and Skardu, when Khunjerab and Deosai are open. May and October suit the Swat and Kashmir route, with fewer crowds and settled weather.
