Hingol National Park 2-Day Itinerary from Karachi

A two-day Hingol National Park itinerary from Karachi works best as a single run west along the Makran Coastal Highway: the Chandragup mud volcano first, Kund Malir beach for the afternoon and the night, then the Balochistan Sphinx and the Princess of Hope on the second morning before the long drive home. The sights are spread over roughly 100 km of highway, so the order matters more than the list.

This plan assumes you are driving from Karachi, that you will travel only in daylight, and that you want to see the formations without rushing. It sticks to the sequence and the timing. For the full background on the park, see our Hingol National Park guide.

Before you plan the days

Distances along this road are quoted differently by different sources, because people measure from different points in Karachi and from the Zero Point junction where the coastal highway begins. Treat the figures here as a guide and watch your own odometer.

Three constraints shape the plan:

• Daylight. Balochistan highways are not for night driving. Aim to be off the road by sunset. Our post on the Balochistan night travel restrictions explains the reasons.
• Heat. From April the day is hot, and midday at the mud volcano or the rock formations has no shade. October to March is the sensible window, and our Kund Malir timing guide goes through the months.
• No services. Fuel, food and signal become scarce after Hub. Fill the tank in Karachi or Hub, carry water for everyone and some extra, and bring snacks.

Day 1: Karachi to Chandragup and Kund Malir

1. Leave Karachi by 5:30 to 6:30 am. Early starts beat the Hub traffic and leave the afternoon free. Fill up at Hub, the last reliable fuel stop.
2. Hub to the Makran Coastal Highway. Follow the N-10 west through Lasbela. You will pass levies and police checkposts, so keep your CNIC accessible.
3. Chandragup mud volcano, about 200 km from Karachi. The cluster is about a kilometre off the highway, and one source gives the walk as 2 to 3 km round trip, taking one to two hours. The cone of the main mud volcano is roughly 58 metres high, and pilgrims climb it during the annual Hinglaj Yatra. Go in the cooler part of the morning, wear sturdy shoes and be careful on the slope after rain. Locals who live nearby can point you to the right track.
4. Continue to Kund Malir, about 240 km from Karachi. That is about 40 to 45 km beyond Chandragup, and you should reach it by early afternoon. Our Kund Malir beach guide covers the facilities, which are basic.
5. Spend the afternoon and evening on the beach. Swim only where the local fishermen say it is safe, and stay out of the water in rough weather. See our note on whether Kund Malir is safe.
6. Sleep. There is no accommodation inside the national park, so the options are to camp with your own gear or to stay at a basic guesthouse in Ormara, further west. Check our Kund Malir camping guide and our Hingol permission and rules post first, as the rules on camping have not been consistent from year to year.

If you would rather not sleep out, the alternative is to turn this into a long day trip and return to Karachi the same evening after Kund Malir. That is tiring, and it cuts out the second day entirely.

Day 2: Sphinx, Princess of Hope and the drive home

1. Early start, before the sun is high. The light on the clay formations is best in the morning, and you have a long drive back.
2. Drive west towards Buzi Pass. The Balochistan Sphinx is roughly 280 km from Karachi by some counts, a short distance past Kund Malir, in the Buzi Pass range. The Princess of Hope is in the same stretch of hills. Sources differ on exact distances, so look for the two formations beside the highway rather than trusting one kilometre figure. Our Balochistan Sphinx guide describes the safe places to stop and how to look at them.
3. Take your photographs from the roadside. Both formations are eroded hills of clay and sandstone, and the ground around them is crumbly. Don't climb them.
4. Turn back by about 9 or 10 am. The drive home to Karachi is around 300 km, so five to six hours with stops. Plan to cross the Hub River by mid or late afternoon, well before dark.
5. Fuel and food on the return. Top up the tank at Hub, and eat at a roadside place in Uthal or Hub, not on the coastal stretch.

What about the Hinglaj Mata temple?

The Hinglaj Mata Mandir sits in a gorge on the Hingol River, reached by a side road from the highway; one source puts it about 328 km from Karachi, which makes it the furthest sight on this list. It is a major Hindu pilgrimage site, and the annual yatra happens in April; in 2026 it ran from 17 to 20 April, with reports of around 300,000 attendees. Outside the festival the temple is a quiet place and visitors of all faiths are generally welcome if they are respectful. Remove your shoes where asked, dress modestly and ask before photographing worshippers. We do not recommend adding it to a 2-day plan unless you leave Karachi very early, because the detour takes time you will need for the drive home.

During the April yatra, expect heavy traffic, extra checkpoints and busy roads, so move this itinerary to another month.

Is this itinerary safe?

The route runs through Balochistan, where the UK government advises against all travel. In 2019 passengers were taken off a bus and killed on the Makran Coastal Highway, and conditions in the province can change quickly. The Karachi to Kund Malir run is still one of the most travelled in the province, and Pakistani families make it every season. Many of the safety measures are about common sense: drive in daylight only, tell someone your plan, check local news and ask police at Hub about the situation on the day. Our Makran Coastal Highway safety guide covers the details.

Overseas visitors should check their own government's advice, since travelling against it can void insurance.

Stretching it to three days

If you can spare a third day, you have two sensible options:

• A slower middle day at Kund Malir and Hingol, with a morning walk at the mud volcano and the Sphinx on day two, then the return on day three.
• Continue west to Ormara and use our 3-day Makran Coastal Highway itinerary, which overnights at Kund Malir and Ormara on the way to Gwadar.

Who this itinerary suits

It suits people who are comfortable with long drives, hot sun, basic facilities and an early start. It works for groups of friends, couples and families with teenagers. It is hard going for small children and for anyone who needs reliable facilities, shade or medical care within reach. For a day with a gentler pace, our Kund Malir day trip guide is simpler.

Frequently asked questions