There is no single bus ticket that carries you from Lahore straight to Gilgit. Every operator that runs to Gilgit, Hunza or Skardu, NATCO, Mashabrum Tours, Silk Route and Faisal Movers among them, leaves from Pir Wadhai in Rawalpindi, not from Lahore. The practical route is two buses: a frequent daytime coach from Lahore to Rawalpindi, then an overnight service from Pir Wadhai up the Karakoram Highway.
This guide explains why the trip works this way, how to book each leg, what the full journey costs and takes, and what a day and a half on the road is actually like.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Direct Lahore–Gilgit bus | Not offered by any operator we could confirm |
| Leg 1 | Lahore to Rawalpindi, several operators, about 5 hours |
| Leg 2 | Rawalpindi (Pir Wadhai) to Gilgit, overnight, about 18 to 20 hours |
| Total journey | Roughly 24 to 26 hours, plus any wait between buses |
| Combined fare, one way | Roughly PKR 7,500 to 9,000 (2026), before any wait-time meals |
| Where the buses meet | Pir Wadhai bus terminal, Rawalpindi |
Why there's no direct Lahore–Gilgit bus
Gilgit-Baltistan's own transport company, NATCO, is based in Rawalpindi and has run its Karakoram Highway coaches from Pir Wadhai for decades. Private operators that also serve Gilgit, Hunza and Skardu, among them Mashabrum Tours, Silk Route and, in some seasons, Faisal Movers, use the same terminal. None of them lists a departure point in Lahore for these routes; Lahore simply isn't on the way for a company whose depot and drivers are set up around Rawalpindi.
What Lahore has instead is very frequent service to Rawalpindi and Islamabad on the M-2 motorway, run by Daewoo Express, Faisal Movers and several smaller companies, dozens of departures a day. The practical journey is to take one of those to Rawalpindi, then change onto the Gilgit coach.
Booking the first leg: Lahore to Rawalpindi
Daewoo Express and Faisal Movers both run Lahore to Rawalpindi throughout the day, with the trip taking roughly five hours on the motorway in normal traffic. Fares for the standard Luxury or equivalent class have been in the region of PKR 2,000 to 2,700 in 2026, though both companies also sell premium classes at a higher price. Book this leg for the morning if you want to catch an evening coach north the same day, since NATCO and the private operators leave Pir Wadhai mostly in the late afternoon and evening.
Booking the second leg: Rawalpindi to Gilgit
Once at Pir Wadhai, NATCO is the long-established choice, with Yutong and Daewoo coaches and seats bookable through its own app, through Bookme, at the terminal, or by phone. Seats have been priced at roughly PKR 5,500 one way in 2026 listings, and the ride takes about 18 to 20 hours when the Karakoram Highway is clear. Our full guide to the Rawalpindi to Gilgit bus compares NATCO with Mashabrum Tours and Silk Route, and covers how to book, what class of coach to choose and where each one arrives in Gilgit.
If you'd rather go on to Hunza without a change in Gilgit, NATCO and Mashabrum Tours both sell tickets through to Aliabad.
How to time the change in Rawalpindi
Buses to Gilgit have generally left Pir Wadhai in the late afternoon and evening, so a Lahore departure early in the morning gives you the whole day in hand before the connecting coach leaves. Build in a wide margin rather than booking back-to-back departures: motorway traffic, a late Daewoo arrival or a sold-out early NATCO seat can all cost you a few hours, and Pir Wadhai is not a place you want to be rushing through with luggage.
If your Lahore bus is delayed and you miss the last coach north, Pir Wadhai has hotels nearby for an overnight stay, and there is usually another departure the following evening.
What the journey actually feels like
The first leg is an ordinary intercity coach ride: air conditioning, a rest stop, seats that recline a little. The second is longer and rougher by comparison. NATCO and the private coaches run through the night on a narrowing, winding road, with a couple of stops for food and the toilet, and the last stretch past Chilas into Gilgit is where the mountains actually appear, usually as dawn breaks. Expect to arrive tired, and don't plan anything demanding for your first day in Gilgit.
What it costs altogether
Add the two fares and you're looking at roughly PKR 7,500 to 9,000 one way in 2026, well below the cost of flying and a fraction of driving your own car with fuel and a hotel night. It is also the slowest option by a wide margin, and both legs' prices move with fuel costs, so treat these as a starting point and check current fares when you book.
Is the bus worth it from Lahore?
For a student, a solo traveller or anyone on a tight budget, yes. It's the cheapest way to Gilgit by far, and doing it in two bookable, well-established legs is more reliable than hoping for a direct service that doesn't exist. For a family with young children, or anyone short on time, flying from Islamabad or driving your own car will feel far less gruelling; our Gilgit-Hunza and Khunjerab tour is built around exactly that trade-off, with private transport for the whole route.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a direct bus from Lahore to Gilgit?
No confirmed operator runs a single through service. Every company serving Gilgit, Hunza or Skardu departs from Pir Wadhai in Rawalpindi, so travellers from Lahore take a separate bus there first.
How long does the whole Lahore to Gilgit bus trip take?
Roughly 24 to 26 hours of travel: about 5 hours from Lahore to Rawalpindi, then about 18 to 20 hours on to Gilgit, plus whatever time you spend waiting between the two.
How much does it cost to take the bus from Lahore to Gilgit?
Combining both legs comes to roughly PKR 7,500 to 9,000 one way in 2026. Fares on both legs change with fuel prices, so confirm current prices when you book.
Can I book both legs as one ticket?
Not through a single operator, since no company runs the whole route. Book the Lahore–Rawalpindi leg and the Rawalpindi–Gilgit leg separately, ideally the Gilgit seat first if you're travelling in peak season, when it sells out earliest.
Do buses to Gilgit run all year?
NATCO runs through most of the year, though winter snow and landslides on the Karakoram Highway can delay or cancel departures. Check the current Karakoram Highway road status before you travel.
