A Hunza trip cost from Islamabad in 2026 comes to roughly PKR 30,000 to 45,000 per person for five days travelling on a budget by road, and PKR 50,000 to 80,000 at mid-range level, assuming four people share a car and two share each room. A short three-day trip that flies to Gilgit costs more, because the flights alone are most of the budget. Transport is the biggest and most variable cost, and with petrol at around PKR 390 a litre in September 2026, it is the one to work out first.
This guide breaks the cost into its parts, shows how we arrive at those totals, and gives sample budgets for three, five and seven days. Every figure is a rough guide drawn from prices reported in 2025 and 2026, not a quote, and prices in the north change often, so use them to plan and check current rates before you book.
| At a glance (per person, 2026) | Budget | Mid-range |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days, flying to Gilgit | PKR 45,000 to 73,000, plus a car | PKR 56,000 to 93,000, plus a car |
| 5 days, by road | PKR 30,000 to 45,000 | PKR 50,000 to 80,000 |
| 7 days, by road | PKR 40,000 to 58,000 | PKR 65,000 to 110,000 |
These assume four people sharing a car and two sharing a room. Travelling as a couple in your own car roughly doubles the fuel share; travelling solo in a hotel room doubles the room cost.
What drives the cost?
Four things decide what a Hunza trip costs:
- How you get there. Bus, your own car, a hired car with a driver, or a flight to Gilgit. This is the biggest single item and the one with the widest range.
- Where you sleep. A simple guesthouse room and a good hotel with a view can differ by a factor of five, and prices climb in peak weeks.
- How many people share. Fuel, a car and driver, and a room cost the same whether two people share them or four.
- When you go. The blossom weeks, Eid, July and August and the late-October weekends are the most expensive. Winter is cheapest, though the choice is smaller.
Getting there and back
| Option | Rough cost (2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bus, Rawalpindi to Gilgit or Hunza | About PKR 5,500 one way on NATCO (August 2026) | Private operators charge similar amounts; overnight journey |
| Your own car | About PKR 60,000 to 70,000 of petrol per car for a 5-day trip | Our estimate; see below |
| Flight, Islamabad to Gilgit | About PKR 18,000 to 29,000 one way | PIA; weather-dependent; add a car from Gilgit |
| Car with driver from Islamabad | Ask for a quote | Rates move with fuel prices; see below |
Driving your own car
The fuel is the cost to work out. Petrol was about PKR 390 a litre in September 2026, according to PSO's published fuel prices. A five-day trip from Islamabad to Karimabad and back, with a day up to Khunjerab and some local driving, covers roughly 1,800 km. A sedan doing 10 to 12 km a litre on mountain roads uses 150 to 180 litres, which at that price is about PKR 60,000 to 70,000 for the car.
Split four ways, that is PKR 15,000 to 17,500 each. For a couple, it is double. Add motorway tolls and a margin for the extra fuel used climbing and idling in queues.
A car and driver
Hiring a car with an experienced mountain driver takes the long days off your hands. Rates depend on the vehicle, the season and whether fuel is included, and they move with the price of petrol. Get at least two quotes, and ask exactly what is included: fuel, tolls, the driver's food and room, and what happens to the price if a road closure adds a day.
Flying
PIA flies from Islamabad to Gilgit in about an hour. In 2026, one-way fares have commonly been between about PKR 18,000 and 29,000, depending on the date and how early you book. Flights are cancelled often for weather, so budget for a spare night and a fallback. From Gilgit you still need a car to reach Hunza, two to three hours away.
Hotels
| Level | Rough price per room per night (2025–26) |
|---|---|
| Simple guesthouse or budget hotel | PKR 2,500 to 5,000 |
| Mid-range hotel | PKR 8,000 to 15,000 |
| Top hotels and lakeside resorts | PKR 25,000 and up |
Rates rise in the peak weeks and fall in winter, and a room with a proper view of the valley costs more than one facing the car park. Aliabad is generally cheaper than Karimabad, and the resorts at Attabad Lake are among the most expensive places in the valley. Our guide to where to stay in Hunza compares the areas.
On a road trip, remember the nights on the way: two nights in Chilas for a five-day trip, which cost about the same as a simple room in Hunza.
Food
Eating in Hunza is not expensive by city standards. Local dishes such as chapshuro, mamtu and dowdo cost a few hundred rupees a plate in local cafés, and apricot juice and walnut cake are everywhere.
- Budget: about PKR 1,500 to 2,000 per person a day for lunch and dinner in local restaurants.
- Mid-range: about PKR 3,000 to 5,000 per person a day if you eat in hotel restaurants and the better cafés.
Many hotels include breakfast in the room rate; ask when you book.
Entry fees and activities
The smaller costs add up over a few days:
- Baltit and Altit forts: each charges an entry fee, with guided tours included. Fees have been revised several times and differ for Pakistani and foreign visitors, so check at the gate.
- Khunjerab National Park: a fee at the Dih checkpoint, paid in cash. It has also changed several times; bring more cash than you expect.
- Attabad Lake: boat trips and jet skis are priced by the boat and the length of the ride. Agree the price first.
- The Hussaini bridge: a small fee to walk across.
For planning, allow PKR 3,000 to 6,000 per person for fees and activities on a five-day trip, more if you want jet skis or a long boat ride.
Sample budgets for 3, 5 and 7 days
Per person, four sharing a car and two sharing a room, in 2026 prices.
3 days: fly in, fly out
Flying is the only sensible way to see Hunza in three days, with two nights in Karimabad. You will need a car and driver from Gilgit airport for the three days; rates vary with the vehicle and season, so get a quote and split it between the group. Shared vans cost far less but make a three-day trip very tight.
| Item | Budget | Mid-range |
|---|---|---|
| Return flights | PKR 36,000 to 58,000 | PKR 36,000 to 58,000 |
| Car and driver from Gilgit, shared | Get a quote | Get a quote |
| 2 nights' hotel | PKR 2,500 to 5,000 | PKR 8,000 to 15,000 |
| Food | PKR 4,500 to 6,000 | PKR 9,000 to 15,000 |
| Fees and activities | PKR 2,000 to 4,000 | PKR 3,000 to 5,000 |
| Total, before the car | About PKR 45,000 to 73,000 | About PKR 56,000 to 93,000 |
5 days: by road
Two nights in Chilas and two in Karimabad, with a day to Khunjerab, as in our five-day Hunza itinerary.
| Item | Budget | Mid-range |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel share, own car | PKR 15,000 to 17,500 | PKR 15,000 to 17,500 |
| 4 nights' hotel | PKR 5,000 to 10,000 | PKR 16,000 to 30,000 |
| Food | PKR 7,500 to 10,000 | PKR 15,000 to 25,000 |
| Fees and activities | PKR 3,000 to 6,000 | PKR 4,000 to 6,000 |
| Total | About PKR 30,000 to 45,000 | About PKR 50,000 to 80,000 |
By bus instead of car, the transport falls to around PKR 11,000 return on NATCO, but you lose a day to the overnight journeys and will need to share a car in Hunza for Khunjerab.
7 days: by road
Two nights in Chilas and four in Hunza, with time for Gulmit, Passu and a walk.
| Item | Budget | Mid-range |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel share, own car | PKR 17,000 to 20,500 | PKR 17,000 to 20,500 |
| 6 nights' hotel | PKR 7,500 to 15,000 | PKR 24,000 to 45,000 |
| Food | PKR 10,500 to 14,000 | PKR 21,000 to 35,000 |
| Fees and activities | PKR 4,000 to 8,000 | PKR 5,000 to 8,000 |
| Total | About PKR 40,000 to 58,000 | About PKR 65,000 to 110,000 |
If you hire a car and driver rather than drive yourselves, replace the fuel line with your share of the quote, which on a seven-day trip will usually be the largest single cost.
How to keep the cost down
- Travel in a group of four. It cuts the fuel and room cost per person almost in half compared with a couple.
- Avoid the peak weeks. May, the first half of June and September give you everything open at lower hotel rates than July, August or the blossom weeks.
- Stay in Aliabad or a guesthouse and walk or take shared vans for short hops.
- Eat local. Hunza's own food in local cafés costs a fraction of hotel restaurant meals.
- Drive rather than fly if there are three or four of you and you have a week.
Is a tour better value?
For a group of four with their own car and a week to spare, driving yourselves is the cheapest way to see Hunza. For a couple, a solo traveller or anyone without a car, the sums change quickly, because a car and driver cost the same for two people as for four.
Our nine-day Gilgit, Hunza and Khunjerab tour is priced from PKR 90,000 per person. That covers all ground transport with an experienced mountain driver, twin-share accommodation, a guide from the valley, the Khunjerab National Park fees and daily breakfast. Flights to Gilgit, lunches and dinners, and travel insurance are extra. For a sense of what the nine days cover, see our Gilgit and Hunza page and the plan your trip page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Hunza trip cost per person?
In 2026, roughly PKR 30,000 to 45,000 for five days on a budget by road, and PKR 50,000 to 80,000 at mid-range level, with four sharing a car and two sharing a room. Flying and travelling as a couple both push the cost up.
Can I do a Hunza trip in PKR 40,000?
Yes, for about five days by bus or in a shared car, staying in guesthouses and eating in local cafés. It is harder in peak season and in a group of two.
Is it cheaper to fly or drive to Hunza?
Driving is cheaper for three or four people sharing a car, even with 2026 fuel prices. For one or two people, flying to Gilgit costs more but saves about four days on the road, which on a short trip is often worth it.
How much is a hotel in Hunza per night?
In 2025 and 2026, simple rooms have cost roughly PKR 2,500 to 5,000 a night and mid-range hotels roughly PKR 8,000 to 15,000, with the top hotels above PKR 25,000. Prices rise in peak season.
How much cash should I carry to Hunza?
Enough for park fees, small hotels, food and fuel in Gojal, where cards are often not accepted. There are ATMs in Aliabad, but withdraw what you need there before heading up to Passu, Sost and Khunjerab.
