A Gilgit-Baltistan trip cost in 2026 depends mostly on three things: whether you drive or fly, how many people share the vehicle, and which kind of hotel you book. As a rough guide, a week-long road trip to Hunza works out at around Rs 35,000 to 50,000 per person for four friends sharing a car and staying in guesthouses, and around Rs 70,000 to 105,000 per person at mid-range hotels. Flying in and staying at the best hotels can pass Rs 170,000 per person before you hire a car.
Prices in Pakistan are moving quickly this year: petrol is now revised daily, and PIA added a fuel surcharge to domestic fares in the spring. Every figure below comes with its date and source type, and should be treated as a starting point, not a quote.
| At a glance | Rough cost | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | About Rs 390 a litre | 25 September 2026 |
| Fuel for a week in Hunza by car | About Rs 50,000 to 60,000 for a sedan | Our estimate, September 2026 |
| Islamabad–Skardu return flight, next-day booking | About Rs 51,000 to 88,000 | Booking-site search, September 2026 |
| Guesthouse room | About Rs 3,000 to 5,000 a night | 2026 |
| Mid-range hotel room | About Rs 10,000 to 18,000 a night | Booking.com listings, September 2026 |
| Top hotel room | About Rs 28,000 to 35,000 a night | Booking.com listings, September 2026 |
| Fairy Meadows jeep, return | About Rs 16,000 to 17,000 per jeep | 2025 |
| Simple local meal | About Rs 400 to 500 | 2025 |
What decides the cost
Three choices move the total far more than anything else:
- Road or air. Driving costs fuel and two days each way; flying saves the days but costs more per person and still needs a car at the other end.
- How many share the vehicle. Fuel, a hired car or a jeep cost the same whether two people are in it or five. Four friends in one car pay half as much each for fuel as a couple does.
- Hotel standard. A guesthouse room and a top hotel room in Hunza can differ by a factor of eight or more, and the hotel bill is usually the largest single line for couples and families.
Timing matters too. The Eid holidays and the school summer holidays are the most expensive weeks of the year, while September, October and spring outside Eid are cheaper.
Getting there: car, coach or plane
Your own car is the usual choice for groups. The government set petrol at Rs 389.28 a litre from 25 September 2026, and since July 2026 prices have been revised daily rather than every fortnight, so check on the morning you leave. Some grades cost a few rupees more in Gilgit than in Rawalpindi.
A week from Islamabad to Hunza and back, with a day trip to Khunjerab, covers roughly 1,650 to 1,850 km depending on the route. If your car manages about 13 km a litre on mountain roads, that is around 130 to 140 litres, or roughly Rs 50,000 to 60,000 at current prices. An SUV doing 8 km a litre would use closer to Rs 80,000 to 90,000. Add motorway tolls, and budget for a brake and tyre check before you go.
Coaches run regularly from Rawalpindi to Gilgit and to Skardu, with NATCO the best-known operator. They are by far the cheapest way up, but the journey is long, and many coaches leave in the afternoon or evening and travel overnight. Fares have risen with fuel prices this year, so check the current fare with the operator or a booking app rather than relying on older figures online.
Flights save two days each way. Only PIA flies to Gilgit, on small turboprops. Skardu has more choice: in 2026 PIA, Airblue and AirSial all flew there from Islamabad, and PIA and Airblue from Lahore. On 25 September 2026, a booking-site search for a next-day return from Islamabad to Skardu showed about Rs 51,000 on Airblue, Rs 63,000 on AirSial and Rs 80,000 to 88,000 on PIA. Booking weeks ahead is usually cheaper, but fares are higher across the board this year: PIA added a fuel surcharge on domestic routes in April 2026.
Getting around: drivers and jeeps
If you fly in, or don't want to drive the Karakoram Highway yourself, you will hire a car with a driver. Rates vary a lot with the vehicle, the season and the number of days, and we could not find published 2026 rates we would stand behind. Get at least two written quotes, and ask each one:
- Is fuel included, or charged separately?
- Who pays for the driver's meals and room at night?
- Are tolls, parking and any park vehicle fees included?
- What is charged for a day lost to a landslide or a cancelled flight?
Some places need a jeep whatever you arrive in. The jeep track from Raikot Bridge to Tato, for Fairy Meadows, is run by local drivers at a set price: about Rs 16,000 to 17,000 per jeep for the return trip in 2025, shared among the people in it. Hiring a jeep for a full day across Deosai from Skardu is a large single expense, and the Naltar lakes also need a jeep from the village. Get these quoted before you commit to the plan.
Hotels: what a night costs in 2026
The figures below are room rates per night, not per person, taken from Booking.com listings for late September 2026, which is shoulder season. Expect more in July, August and over Eid, and check whether taxes are included.
- Guesthouses and budget hotels: about Rs 3,000 to 5,000 a night in Hunza and Skardu, for a simple clean room. Skardu has some cheaper options.
- Mid-range hotels: about Rs 10,000 to 18,000 a night, for a comfortable room with hot water and a restaurant.
- Top hotels: about Rs 28,000 to 35,000 a night for the best-known hotels in Hunza, such as the Serena and the Pearl Continental at Attabad Lake. The Gilgit Serena was listed at about Rs 26,000 to 32,000.
Skardu is dearer than Hunza at most levels: in the same September 2026 listings, the average three-star room was about Rs 8,500 a night in Skardu against Rs 5,300 in Hunza, and the average five-star room about Rs 49,000 against Rs 32,000. Our comparison of Hunza and Skardu covers the other differences.
Food
Food is the cheapest part of a trip north if you eat where local people eat. In 2025, a simple meal at a local restaurant in Gilgit cost around Rs 400 to 500, and a mid-range meal for two about Rs 3,000. Prices have risen since, so treat those as a floor.
Hotel restaurants and the cafés along the tourist strips in Karimabad and Skardu charge considerably more. Breakfast is often included in the room rate at mid-range and top hotels, so check before you book. Carry snacks and water for the long drive days, when the food stops are few.
Entry fees and small costs
Entry fees are small next to transport and hotels, but they add up for a family. Expect to pay:
- the Khunjerab National Park fee at the Dih checkpoint on the way to the Khunjerab Pass
- the Deosai National Park fee on the way onto the plateau
- tickets for Baltit and Altit forts in Karimabad
- boat rides on Attabad Lake
The published amounts vary between sources and have changed several times, so we don't print them here. Carry enough cash to cover them, because card machines are rare outside the big hotels and ATMs, even in Gilgit and Skardu, are not always dependable.
Three sample budgets for a week
These are rough worked examples for the seven-day road trip to Hunza and Khunjerab, per person, built from the figures above. They leave out shopping and anything bought in Islamabad before you go.
| Per person, 7 days | Budget | Mid-range | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | 4 friends, own sedan | 4 people, own SUV | Couple, flying and hiring a car |
| Getting there | Rs 12,500 to 15,000 fuel share | About Rs 21,000 fuel share | Return flight, Rs 51,000 to 88,000 at short notice |
| Rooms, 6 nights shared | Rs 9,000 to 15,000 | Rs 30,000 to 54,000 | Rs 84,000 to 105,000 |
| Food | Rs 10,000 to 15,000 | Rs 18,000 to 25,000 | Rs 30,000 and up |
| Car and jeeps on arrival | Own car; no jeep needed | Own car; no jeep needed | Quote needed |
| Fees and extras | A few thousand | A few thousand | A few thousand |
| Rough total | Rs 35,000 to 50,000 | Rs 70,000 to 105,000 | Rs 170,000 and up, plus car |
The comfort column uses the September 2026 Skardu fares above as a rough guide for either airport, and flying changes the shape of the week; see our seven-day itinerary for how the road version runs.
Is a tour better value?
For a group of four friends happy to drive and sleep simply, doing it yourself is the cheapest way to see Gilgit-Baltistan, and by a wide margin.
The sums change for a couple, a family that doesn't want to drive, or anyone flying in. Then you are paying for a car and driver on your own, often for days when the car is waiting, and the risk of a lost day falls on you. Our nine-day Gilgit, Hunza and Khunjerab tour starts from Rs 90,000 per person and includes all ground transport with a mountain driver, twin-share rooms throughout, a guide from the valley, Khunjerab park fees and breakfast, with flights, lunches and dinners extra. The seven-day Skardu and Deosai tour is also from Rs 90,000 per person, including the transport across Deosai, park fees and all meals on the plateau.
Compare those with your own quotes before deciding. If they come out close, the tour is the easier trip; if you have a full car and a confident driver, the road trip will save you money.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a trip to Gilgit-Baltistan cost per person?
For a week by road in 2026, roughly Rs 35,000 to 50,000 per person for a budget trip with friends sharing a car, and Rs 70,000 to 105,000 at mid-range hotels. Flying and top hotels can pass Rs 170,000 per person.
Is it cheaper to fly or drive to Gilgit-Baltistan?
For a group of three or more, driving is clearly cheaper, since the fuel is shared. For one or two people the gap narrows and flying saves four days on the road, but you will still need a car on arrival.
How much is a Skardu flight from Islamabad?
Fares change constantly. On 25 September 2026, next-day returns from Islamabad to Skardu were showing at about Rs 51,000 to 88,000 depending on the airline; booking weeks ahead is usually cheaper.
How much does the Fairy Meadows jeep cost?
About Rs 16,000 to 17,000 per jeep for the return trip from Raikot Bridge to Tato in 2025, split among the passengers. The price is set by the local jeep operators.
Which is cheaper, Hunza or Skardu?
Hunza, usually. Skardu's hotels cost more on average, and Deosai adds a day of jeep hire.
Do I need cash in Gilgit-Baltistan?
Yes. Cards are taken in few places beyond the bigger hotels, jeeps and entry fees are paid in cash, and ATMs are not always dependable. Draw what you need before you leave Islamabad.
