Islamabad to Gilgit Flight: Fares, Schedule and Tips

The Islamabad to Gilgit flight is operated only by PIA, on small ATR turboprops, and is scheduled at a little over an hour. One-way fares seen on booking sites in 2026 have mostly been between about PKR 24,000 and 32,000, with cheaper seats in the winter months. The catch is the weather: the flight needs clear skies through the mountains, cancellations are common, and the way to plan around them is to book the morning flight and keep a spare day.

This guide covers who flies, what it costs, how the schedule works, why flights are cancelled and what to do when yours is, plus a few things that make the hour in the air better.

Which airlines fly from Islamabad to Gilgit?

Only PIA. Gilgit's runway is about 1,650 metres long and sits in a narrow valley at about 1,460 metres, and only turboprops use it; none of the private airlines, which fly jets, serves Gilgit. PIA flies the route with the ATR 42, a small twin-engined turboprop.

That has two practical effects. There are few seats on any one day, so summer flights sell out early. And when a flight is cancelled, there is no other airline to switch to.

Skardu is different. Its airport takes jets, and private airlines fly there as well as PIA. If you are visiting both Skardu and Gilgit, it can make sense to fly into one and out of the other, and drive between them.

PIA has also run Lahore to Gilgit flights at some points. From Karachi you will usually connect in Islamabad; our guide to flying from Karachi to Hunza compares that with flying to Skardu.

How much does the flight cost?

PIA's fares are dynamic, so the price rises as a flight fills. As a rough guide from booking sites in 2026:

• Most of the year: about PKR 24,000 to 27,000 one way when booked a few weeks ahead.
• July and August: the dearest months, with one-way fares above PKR 30,000.
• February and other quiet winter weeks: as low as around PKR 15,000, but this is when cancellations are most likely.

A return ticket costs roughly twice the one-way fare. These are fares seen online, not quotes, and prices change often. Check the current price on PIA's website or a booking site before you plan around them.

For summer, Eid, 14 August and the October autumn-colour weeks, book as early as you can. With only a few small aircraft a day, the cheaper fares go first and the flights can sell out entirely.

Flight schedule and why to book the morning flight

PIA's timetable changes with the season. At times it has run three return flights a day between Islamabad and Gilgit; in spring 2025, for example, PK-601, PK-603 and PK-605 were scheduled north, with the even-numbered flights coming back. At quieter times there are fewer flights, and on some days none. Always check the current timetable when you book.

If you have the choice, book the first flight of the morning, for two reasons:

1. Mountain weather tends to build as the day warms. Mornings are more often clear and still, and cloud and wind are more likely in the afternoon.
2. You still have options if it is cancelled. A cancelled morning flight leaves time to try for a seat on a later one, or to start the drive north the same day while there is still daylight.

Why are Gilgit flights cancelled so often?

The flight follows valleys through high mountains, and PIA operates it only when visibility along the route and at Gilgit is good. Low cloud, rain, snow or haze at either end can stop it, even when the sky over Islamabad is perfectly clear.

Winter and spring are the worst. From December to April it is common for flights to be cancelled for a day or more at a stretch; in April 2025, for instance, bad weather in the north grounded flights to Gilgit from both Islamabad and Lahore. Summer is more reliable but not guaranteed, because cloud can close the route in any month.

Weather is not the only reason. Flights have also been cancelled for technical and operational reasons, and in spring 2025 flights to Gilgit and Skardu were suspended at short notice during the tension with India.

Cancellations are often announced on the day itself, sometimes after passengers have checked in, so keep the rest of that day's plans loose.

What to do if your flight is cancelled

First, ask at the PIA counter what you are being offered. Normally that means a seat on a later flight or a refund. In summer the next flights may already be full, so a rebooking can mean waiting a day or two.

Then decide quickly whether to wait or to drive. The road to Gilgit takes 14 to 18 hours on the Karakoram Highway, less over the Babusar Pass in summer, and is usually split over two days. Our guide to driving from Islamabad to Gilgit covers both routes and where to stop.

What helps most is planning for a cancellation before it happens:

• Keep a spare day at the start of the trip for flying up and at the end for flying back. Our own northern itineraries hold one for exactly this reason.
• Don't book the Gilgit flight for the day before an international departure. Leave at least one clear day, more in winter.
• Keep hotel bookings in the north flexible for the first night, in case you arrive a day late.
• Check the flight status with PIA (its helpline is 111-786-786) the evening before and again in the morning.

Tips for the flight itself

Sit on the right on the way north. On a clear day the flight passes Nanga Parbat, which lies to the east of the route, so the right-hand windows give the best chance of seeing it. On the way back to Islamabad, sit on the left.

Travel light. PIA's hand baggage limit is 7 kg, and the checked allowance depends on the fare you bought, so check your ticket rather than assuming. Small aircraft have little room in the cabin for large bags.

Carry your CNIC. Foreign nationals need their passport with a valid visa.

Expect some bumps. A turboprop flying through mountain valleys can be bumpy. It is routine, but worth mentioning to nervous flyers and children.

Get to the airport early. Islamabad's airport is a long way from the city centre, and traffic on the way can be slow.

Arriving at Gilgit airport

Gilgit's airport is small and sits about 2 km east of the city, so you are in town within minutes. Ask your hotel to arrange a pickup, or take a taxi into town.

Most visitors spend a night or two in Gilgit before heading north. Our guide to places to visit in Gilgit covers the Kargah Buddha, Danyor and the bazaars, and the Gilgit and Hunza page covers the valleys beyond.

Fly or drive: which suits you?

Fly if your time is short, if you are travelling with older parents or small children who would struggle with two long days on the road, or if you are going between October and May, when the Babusar route is closed and the days are short. Flying also means you arrive rested rather than wrung out.

Drive if you want your own car in Hunza, if you are a family or group sharing the cost of one vehicle, or if you cannot risk a cancellation, for example with a wedding or a fixed booking at the other end. The road is slow, but it does not depend on the sky being clear.

A good compromise for many families is to fly one way and drive the other: fly up to save time at the start, then drive back down at your own pace, or the reverse. If you would rather hand over the logistics entirely, our Gilgit, Hunza and Khunjerab tour starts and ends in Gilgit and keeps a day in hand for weather.

Frequently asked questions