Hyderabad to Mohenjo-daro: Route and Travel Time

Hyderabad to Mohenjo-daro is roughly 275 to 300 kilometres by road, and the drive takes about four hours without long stops. The usual route follows the Indus Highway (N-55) north through Sehwan and Dadu, turns off at Mehar, Nasirabad or Larkana, and finishes on the 28 km N-155 from Larkana to the site. Most visitors make a full day of it or, better, stay a night in Larkana.

The M-6 Hyderabad to Sukkur motorway that would shorten this is not open. This guide covers the road, what you can stop at on the way, the train, and how to deal with the heat.

The road: Indus Highway to Larkana

From Hyderabad cross the Indus at Kotri and join the N-55, the Indus Highway, heading north through Jamshoro. Mohenjo-daro can be reached from branches off the N-55 at Mehar, Nasirabad and Larkana. The last stretch, the N-155 from Larkana to Moenjo Daro, is 28 km and is maintained by the National Highway Authority.

Hyderabad to Sehwan is about 146 km. Our Hyderabad to Sehwan Sharif guide describes the Jamshoro to Sehwan stretch, which has long been the poorest part of the highway; in 2025 the Sindh government said about 24 km of the dual carriageway project there was still unfinished. Beyond Sehwan you pass Dadu and Mehar before Larkana.

Route planners give 273 km by road and 3 hours 51 minutes; another calculator says 301.6 km. The difference comes from which roads and which point at the site is measured, so plan for about four hours of driving and add stops.

What about the M-6 motorway?

The M-6 is planned to link Hyderabad and Sukkur over 306 km, but it does not pass Larkana or Mohenjo-daro in any case, and it has not opened. According to a Nation report of 22 September 2026, the NHA told a parliamentary committee that work was due to begin in November 2026. For now, plan on the Indus Highway.

Stops on the way

• Sehwan Sharif, about 146 km from Hyderabad: the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar and the old fort. See Sehwan Sharif.
• Manchar Lake, about 18 km from Sehwan, on the west side of the Indus, if you have time; it has suffered from salinity and pollution, so go for the setting.
• Amri, a pre-Harappan site of mounds dated from about 3600 to 3300 BC, over 100 km north of Hyderabad on the Hyderabad-Dadu road. See Amri archaeological site.
• Dadu, where the Khudabad Jamia Mosque and other stops are covered in places to visit in Dadu.

Do not try them all in a day. Pick one stop on the way up and keep the afternoon for the ruins.

By train

Route planners say there is no direct train from Hyderabad to Mohenjo-daro, and show journeys needing changes at Kotri Junction and elsewhere, around seven to eight hours. A travel guide lists Dokri, about 11 km from the site, as the nearest station, and Larkana has its own station in the city centre. Timetables change, so check Pakistan Railways before you plan around them. Most visitors from Hyderabad drive.

Should you go in a day or stay overnight?

A day trip means about four hours each way plus the visit. In summer that puts you at an unshaded site at midday, so overnighting in Larkana is the more comfortable plan. Our Karachi to Mohenjo-daro guide and Mohenjo-daro and Sukkur itinerary show how to build a two-day trip.

A sample two-day plan from Hyderabad

1. Day one, morning. Leave Hyderabad by 7. Cross the Kotri bridge, take the N-55 and stop at Sehwan for the shrine and fort, about two hours in.
2. Day one, afternoon. Continue through Dadu and Mehar to Larkana, a city of about 550,000 people with a railway station in the centre and intercity buses to Hyderabad and Karachi. Stay the night here; the city has more choice than the site.
3. Day two, early. Drive the 28 km to Mohenjo-daro and be inside when it opens, before the heat. One guide lists a basic archaeology department rest house at the site, but check availability and prices first.
4. Day two, afternoon. Return towards Hyderabad. It is about four hours, so aim to leave the site by lunchtime if you want to finish in daylight.

If you only have one day, skip Sehwan and drive straight through, then visit it another time.

What you will see at the site

Mohenjo-daro became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980, the first in South Asia. The main sights are the Great Bath, the assembly hall and the so-called College of Priests, and a Buddhist stupa added in the first to fourth centuries CE on top of the older city. There is a museum on site, though the best-known finds are in the National Museum of Pakistan in Karachi.

The brick structures are fragile. Pakistani archaeologists have warned of damage from groundwater salinity and poor restoration, so keep to the marked paths and do not climb on walls.

Heat and when to go

Upper Sindh is extremely hot in summer; the highest temperature recorded at Mohenjo-daro is reported as 53.5 C on 26 May 2010. Go between about November and February if you can, start early, carry water and wear a hat. See the best time to visit Mohenjo-daro.

Tickets and the site

Opening hours and prices vary by source and season; our ticket price and timings guide has the details, and the Mohenjo-daro guide and site museum cover what to see.

Is the route safe?

Pakistani families drive to Mohenjo-daro regularly. The UK government advises against all but essential travel to Sindh north of Nawabshah, which includes Larkana, so foreign-passport holders should read the current advice, which can affect travel insurance. Check local news and police advice before leaving, avoid driving the highway after dark and keep to the main roads. Our travel guide has more general road advice.

Frequently asked questions