Babusar Top vs the KKH comes down to the month, the car and the forecast. From about mid-June to September, in a car with good brakes and a dry forecast, the route through Naran and over Babusar Top is usually the better drive: shorter, more scenic, and it avoids the Kohistan gorge. From November to late May, in heavy rain, in a heavily loaded van or with anyone who would struggle at 4,173 metres, take the Karakoram Highway. Both roads meet at Chilas, so everything beyond it, to Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu or Fairy Meadows, is the same.
This guide is the decision, not the drive. It compares the two routes by season, by vehicle, by who is in the car and by the real risks on each, and ends with the combination most people should use.
| Babusar route (N-15) | Karakoram Highway (N-35) | |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Mansehra, Balakot, Naran, Babusar Top, Chilas | Hazara Motorway to Thakot, then Besham, Dasu, Chilas |
| Length of the mountain section | 240 km from Mansehra to Chilas | Besham to Chilas alone is about 200 km |
| Open | Roughly late May or June to October or November | All year, apart from closures |
| Highest point | 4,173 m | Well under 2,000 m |
| Natural overnight stop | Naran | Besham or Chilas |
| Main hazards | Steep Diamer descent, brake failure, flash floods, early-season ice | Rockfall, narrow gorge, construction holds, heat, fatigue |
| Hours | Daylight only | Daylight strongly advised |
How much time does Babusar actually save?
Less than the headlines suggest, but enough to matter. When the pass reopened in May 2025, officials in Diamer said the Babusar road took about seven hours between Chilas and Mansehra, against about fourteen on the Karakoram Highway. That comparison is fair for the old highway; the Hazara Motorway now speeds up the first part of the KKH route considerably.
From Islamabad, a more realistic comparison:
- KKH: 5 to 6 hours to Besham, then 5 to 7 hours through Kohistan to Chilas. Ten to thirteen hours of driving, usually split at Besham or Chilas.
- Babusar: 6 to 8 hours to Naran, then about 2 to 2.5 hours up to the top and 2 hours down to Chilas. Similar total hours on a quiet day, but in two comfortable halves, with the night in Naran instead of Besham.
The real saving is not the clock. It is avoiding the most tiring and exposed stretch of the whole journey, and swapping it for a day through the Kaghan valley. On a busy weekend or at Eid the saving can disappear altogether: in 2026 almost 129,000 tourists entered the Kaghan valley in the three days of Eid ul Adha, and the valley road jammed with them.
Which route in which month?
| When | Best choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| November to mid-May | KKH | Babusar is closed by snow |
| Late May to mid-June | KKH, with Babusar as a bonus | The pass opens around now, often with snow walls, one-way traffic and short closures |
| Mid-June to mid-July | Babusar | Open, dry and at its best |
| Mid-July to August | Decide on the day | Monsoon: flash floods on the Diamer side, slides on the KKH |
| September to mid-October | Babusar | Settled weather, thinner traffic |
| Late October to November | KKH, unless the pass is confirmed open | The first heavy snow closes it, sometimes early |
The pass reopened on 25 May in 2026 and in the fourth week of May in 2025, but in 2023 and 2024 not until June, and in 2026 it was shut again twice in early June to finish clearing snow. It closed early, on 14 October, in 2023. Our guide to whether Babusar Top is open or closed has the year-by-year dates.
In the monsoon, neither road is safe from weather. The difference is where the risk sits. On Babusar it is concentrated in the steep side valleys below the top, where a cloudburst on 21 and 22 July 2025 sent a flash flood down Thak Nala, killing tourists and stranding more than 200 people. On the KKH it is spread along the gorge, with landslides that usually close the road for hours rather than days. If heavy rain is forecast for Diamer, take the KKH or wait.
Which route for which car?
Ordinary sedans and hatchbacks
Both routes are paved and ordinary cars cross Babusar every summer. What matters is the brakes, the tyres, the cooling system and the driver. The Babusar descent to Chilas is where things go wrong: the most common cause of accidents on this road is brake failure on the steep grades. Use a low gear, don't ride the brakes, and stop to let them cool if you smell them.
Small-engine cars (660cc to 1,000cc)
These manage the KKH easily and can manage Babusar, but they are slow on the climbs with four adults and luggage, and engines lose power at altitude. If your car is small and full, the KKH is the calmer choice. If you do cross Babusar, travel light, start early while the air is cool, and keep an eye on the temperature gauge.
Loaded vans, Hiaces and coasters
Take the KKH unless the driver knows Babusar well. A long, heavy vehicle on the Diamer descent is the scenario that ends in the news: in July 2023 a high-roof van carrying tourists from Sahiwal went into a gorge near Gittidas, about 2 km from the top, killing eight.
4x4s
A 4x4 handles either route, and in the first weeks after Babusar opens its ground clearance and low range are genuinely useful on slushy, rutted sections. It does not make the pass safe in a storm.
Which direction to cross in?
The two sides of the pass are very different. From Naran, at 2,409 metres, the road climbs about 1,800 metres over some 65 km. From Chilas, at about 1,265 metres, it climbs nearly 3,000 metres in around 50 km.
- Going north (Naran to Chilas), you climb the gentle side and descend the steep one. It is harder on the brakes.
- Going south (Chilas to Naran), you climb the steep side, which is hard on the engine and cooling on a hot day, and descend the gentler side.
A common plan is to go up the KKH early in the season and come back over Babusar later in the trip, when the pass is more likely to be open and settled. Our Islamabad to Gilgit road guide describes each leg in detail.
Who is in the car?
Babusar Top is 4,173 metres. You are there briefly, but you drive up from Naran in a couple of hours. Most healthy people feel only a little breathless. For babies, older parents, and anyone with a heart or lung condition, a long stop at the top is not a good idea; for some, the KKH, which stays below 2,000 metres, is the better choice. Ask a doctor first rather than finding out at the top.
The KKH is long and hot. Chilas averages around 35 °C on July afternoons, and Kohistan is a full day of close concentration. For small children and anyone prone to car sickness, the Babusar route, broken by a night in Naran and a cool morning at Lulusar, is usually easier to bear.
Risks on each route, side by side
Babusar
- Brake failure on the Diamer descent.
- Flash floods in the side valleys during the monsoon.
- Ice and snow walls in the first weeks and last weeks of the season.
- Heavy weekend and Eid traffic in the Kaghan valley.
- Night travel is banned in recent seasons; the pass is a daylight-only road.
The Karakoram Highway
- Rockfall and narrow, broken edges through Kohistan, worst in the rain.
- Construction holds at Dasu, where sections have at times opened only in set windows.
- Long hours and fatigue, especially if you try to reach Gilgit in one day.
- Security advisories: in December 2023 gunmen attacked a passenger bus near Chilas, killing ten people. Check current advice before travelling, and follow instructions at checkposts.
From Chilas onwards both routes share the same highway, and the same Tatta Pani and Raikot stretches that close in heavy rain. Our guide to Karakoram Highway road status explains how to check before you set off.
Our recommendation
For most private cars in summer, the best plan is KKH one way, Babusar the other. Go up whichever road is sensible on your departure date, and come back the other way if the pass is open and the forecast dry. You see both, and you never depend on Babusar being open on the one day you need it.
Take the KKH both ways if you are travelling between October and May, in a loaded van, with anyone for whom altitude is a real concern, or during a monsoon warning. Take Babusar both ways only if you are visiting Naran as part of the trip and the season is well established.
If you would rather hand the road decisions to someone who drives them every week, our Gilgit, Hunza and Khunjerab tour starts in Gilgit, and an experienced mountain driver takes it from there.
Frequently asked questions
Is Babusar shorter than the KKH?
Yes. The Babusar road from Mansehra to Chilas is about 240 km, and it bypasses the whole Kohistan gorge. From Islamabad the total driving hours are often similar, but the Babusar drive is easier and splits naturally at Naran.
Can a normal car go over Babusar Top?
Yes, in season. The road is paved; what matters is good brakes, a sound cooling system and a driver who uses a low gear on the steep Chilas side.
Which is safer, Babusar or the KKH?
Neither is risk-free. Babusar's risks are the steep descent, altitude and monsoon flash floods; the KKH's are rockfall, fatigue and security advisories. In a dry spell in summer, with a good car, Babusar is usually the easier drive.
Is Babusar open in May?
Usually not for most of the month. It reopened on 25 May in 2026, and in some years not until June. Plan on the KKH until the pass is confirmed open.
Can you cross Babusar at night?
No. Night travel over the pass has been banned in recent seasons. Aim to be over the top by early afternoon.
Do both routes go to Skardu and Hunza?
Yes. They meet at Chilas, and from there the road to Gilgit, Hunza, Fairy Meadows and, via Jaglot, Skardu is the same.
