Islamabad to Besham is about 225 to 250 km by road, depending on where you start counting, and most drivers take four to five hours with a tea stop. The route is the M-1 to Hasan Abdal, the Hazara Motorway (M-15) to its end at Thakot, then the Karakoram Highway along the Indus for the last stretch. Besham is the first big town on the Indus beyond the motorway and the usual first night on the drive to Gilgit.
This guide walks through the drive in order, with what changes at each stage and how to time it. For hotels, food and fuel in the town itself, see our Besham stopover guide.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Distance | About 225 to 250 km (sources differ) |
| Drive time | About 4 to 5 hours with a stop; map apps say about 3.5 hours without one |
| Route | M-1 to Hasan Abdal, Hazara Motorway (M-15) to Thakot, KKH to Besham |
| Motorway length | M-15 is about 180 km, Hasan Abdal to Thakot |
| Besham altitude | About 613 m |
| Safety | UK advises against all travel on the KKH between Mansehra and Chilas |
Which route do you take from Islamabad?
There is one sensible route. From Islamabad you join the M-1 towards Peshawar, leave it at Hasan Abdal, and take the Hazara Motorway north. The old alternative through Taxila, Haripur and Abbottabad on the Karakoram Highway still exists but is slower, with town traffic at every stage.
The motorway is not uniform. It is six lanes up to Haripur, four lanes from Havelian to Mansehra, and two lanes from Mansehra to Thakot. It opened in stages: Burhan to Havelian in December 2017, Shah Maqsood to Mansehra in November 2019, and the Mansehra to Thakot extension in July 2020. It has several tunnels, including one of about 1.75 km at Abbottabad and one of about 2.75 km near Mansehra.
Our Hazara Motorway guide covers the motorway in more detail, and tolls change, so check at the plaza.
Leg by leg
Islamabad to Hasan Abdal
Straightforward, fast and usually busy near Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Check your fuel and tyres here, as there is no reason to be doing it later.
Hasan Abdal to Abbottabad and Mansehra
The motorway climbs gently into Hazara. Haripur and Havelian pass quickly, and Abbottabad and Mansehra can be reached without entering either town if you stay on the motorway. Most drivers stop once on this section for tea or a meal, at a service area or in one of the towns.
Mansehra to Thakot
This is where the road narrows to two lanes, and where traffic heading north on a Friday evening or at the start of Eid often slows. It is still a modern road and quicker than the old highway through Battagram.
Thakot to Besham
At Thakot the motorway ends and you meet the Indus. Sources put the stretch from Thakot to Besham at roughly 30 to 40 km, which is under an hour on a clear road. The valley closes in, there are more trucks, and you pass checkposts. Besham sits on the right bank of the river at about 613 m, and it is also the junction for the road west over Shangla towards Swat. Our guide to Besham to Swat covers that road.
How long does it really take?
Map apps give about three and a half hours, which assumes no stops and no traffic. A realistic day looks like this:
- Early start, midweek: about four hours including one short stop.
- Weekend, summer holidays or Eid: five to six hours, because traffic builds from Hasan Abdal onwards and the two-lane section north of Mansehra backs up.
- Winter: daylight is the limit. If you leave Islamabad after about 1 pm, you risk driving the last part in the dark.
A good rule is to aim to reach Besham with at least an hour of daylight left. The next stage in Kohistan is not a road to start in the evening. Our guide to driving from Islamabad to Gilgit explains how the rest of the trip fits together.
Is the drive to Besham safe?
The motorway section is a normal, busy highway, and Pakistani families drive it daily. The security picture changes at the Mansehra to Chilas stretch of the Karakoram Highway, which includes Thakot, Besham and Dasu. The UK government's travel advice (updated 22 September 2026) advises against all travel on that section.
There is a recent history behind it. On 26 March 2024 a suicide bomber attacked a bus carrying Chinese engineers near Besham, killing five of them and their driver. Police checkposts are frequent as a result.
What that means in practice:
- Pakistani travellers still use this road, but check local news and police advice on the morning you travel, carry your CNIC and expect to be stopped at checkposts.
- Foreign-passport holders should read their own government's advice first. Travelling against it can void travel insurance, and local rules for foreign nationals in Kohistan can change, so ask the police or your hotel.
- Avoid driving it at night. Our KKH road status page is a starting point for current conditions, and local police or your hotel will know more.
If you would rather not drive the Besham stretch at all, the Babusar route via Naran avoids it in summer, as explained in our comparison of Babusar and the KKH, and flying to Gilgit avoids it entirely.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Besham from Islamabad?
About 225 to 250 km by road, depending on the source and where you start measuring. Most of it is on the Hazara Motorway.
How long does it take to drive from Islamabad to Besham?
About four to five hours with a stop, a little over three and a half hours without. Allow more at weekends and during Eid.
Is there a motorway from Islamabad to Besham?
Almost all of it. The Hazara Motorway (M-15) runs from Hasan Abdal to Thakot, and from there it is about 30 to 40 km on the Karakoram Highway to Besham.
Is Besham on the way to Swat?
It is a junction town. A road leads west from Besham over Shangla Top to Mingora, though it is slower than the usual routes to Swat.
