Gilgit to Astore: Distance and Road

Gilgit to Astore by road is about 120 km, and it usually takes somewhere between three and a half and five hours, depending on the state of the road and how many stops you make. The route runs south along the Karakoram Highway through Jaglot and Bunji to Thalichi, then turns off the highway and climbs the Astore gorge to Astore town.

This guide sets out the route stop by stop, how long each leg really takes, and what to expect on the road.

The route in one line

Gilgit, south on the Karakoram Highway through Jaglot and Bunji, on to Thalichi, then off the highway and up the Astore road, across the Indus and along the gorge to Astore town at about 2,550 metres.

For the first stretch this is the same road used to reach Chilas, Fairy Meadows and Skardu by road; what makes the Astore trip distinct is the turn at Thalichi.

Stop by stop

Gilgit to Jaglot, about 45 km

The KKH heads south-east out of Gilgit along the Indus. Jaglot sits where the Sai Nullah meets the main valley, and is really a junction rather than a destination: the road that continues east leads towards Skardu, while the KKH south carries on towards Chilas and, eventually, the Astore turn-off.

Jaglot to Bunji, about 5 km

Bunji is a small town at the meeting of the Indus and Astore rivers, about 50 km from Gilgit by the highway. It was a strategic staging point on the old Dogra-era road between Srinagar and Gilgit, and the Indus is crossed near here by the Bunji Bridge. There is little reason to stop long, but it is a useful landmark for how far along the route you are.

Bunji to Thalichi

The highway continues south, tracking the Indus through increasingly dramatic country, with Nanga Parbat coming into view on a clear day as you approach Thalichi. Thalichi itself, at about 1,510 metres, is where most travellers heading to Nanga Parbat, whether for Fairy Meadows or Astore, leave the KKH. It sits a short distance past the Raikot Bridge.

Thalichi to Astore town, about 2 hours

This is the part of the journey that changes character completely. The Astore road crosses the Indus by the bridge at Thalichi and climbs into a narrow, dry gorge, with rock and scree above and the river below for much of the way. The tarmac is broken by landslides in places, and the road is narrow, so this leg takes longer per kilometre than the highway stretch that came before it. Eventually the gorge opens out, fields and villages appear, and you reach Astore town.

How long does it really take?

Total driving time from Gilgit to Astore is usually quoted at somewhere between three and a half and five hours, and the spread reflects real variation rather than sloppy sources: it depends on how much of the KKH has recent damage, how much traffic is on it, and how carefully you drive the gorge road beyond Thalichi. Treat four hours as a sensible average for a car with a short stop or two, and build in more if you are travelling after heavy rain, when landslides are more likely.

This is a full journey, not a quick hop. Leave Gilgit with a full tank, food and water, and don't plan to arrive in Astore after dark: the gorge road is not one to drive at night.

What the road is like

The Karakoram Highway section from Gilgit to Thalichi is a well-used, mostly good road, though it shares the KKH's usual hazards: trucks, landslide-prone stretches, and sections still under repair in places. The Astore road beyond Thalichi is a different kind of driving: narrower, with a rougher surface in parts and drops down to the river, and it is often affected by landslides. In 2025 and 2026 sections of the Astore road were closed for hours or days at a time by avalanches, landslides and river erosion.

A normal car in good condition can manage the whole route in summer, and Pakistani families do it regularly. What matters is a driver used to mountain roads, tyres and brakes checked before you set off, and a realistic view of how long the last stretch takes.

Alternatives to driving

• Fly to Gilgit, then drive. This guide assumes you are already in Gilgit; flying in from Islamabad cuts out the long road from the south and leaves only this shorter drive to Astore.
• Via Skardu and Deosai. In summer, a jeep can cross the Deosai plateau from Skardu to the Astore side, a different and longer route that bypasses Gilgit entirely. Our Skardu to Deosai guide covers that crossing.
• By bus. Coaches and NATCO services connect Gilgit and Astore, a cheaper but slower option than driving yourself.

If you are starting from Islamabad rather than Gilgit, our guide to driving from Islamabad to Astore covers the longer route in full, including where to stop overnight.

Is this the best way to reach Astore?

If you are already in Gilgit, yes, it is the shortest and most direct road to Astore, and a car can do it in a single day with time to spare on arrival. It suits anyone who has flown into Gilgit, or who is combining Astore with Hunza or a wider Gilgit-Baltistan trip.

It suits you less if Astore is your only destination in the north. In that case, weigh whether flying to Gilgit and driving on, or driving the whole way from Islamabad via the KKH, fits your time and budget better. For help planning either version, send us your dates on our trip planning page, and our list of places to visit in Astore valley shows what to do once you arrive.

Frequently asked questions