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Islamabad to Peshawar is 155 km on the M-1 motorway, and the drive takes about two hours from the motorway junction outside Islamabad to the edge of Peshawar, plus city traffic at each end. The toll for a car is PKR 700 for the full length (2026). Daewoo and other coach companies run the same road from Rawalpindi many times a day, and a few long-distance trains run from Rawalpindi to Peshawar, more slowly.
This guide covers how to get on to the M-1, what the drive is like, the old GT Road through Attock, where the coaches leave from, the train, and whether Peshawar works as a day trip. It ends with closures and safety, which decide more trips on this road than traffic does.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 155 km on the M-1, end to end |
| Driving time | About 2 hours, plus city traffic at each end |
| Car toll (2026) | PKR 700 for the full M-1 |
| M-Tag | Required on all motorways since 15 June 2026 |
| Daewoo terminals | Jhangi Syedan, Rawalpindi; GT Road, Peshawar |
| Other coaches and vans | Pir Wadhai general bus stand, Rawalpindi |
| Trains | From Rawalpindi: Khyber Mail, Awam Express, Rehman Baba Express |
| Day trip possible? | Yes, with an early start |
Getting on to the M-1
The M-1 begins where the M-2 from Lahore ends, at the motorway junction on the western side of the twin cities. From most of Islamabad, the way there is west along the Srinagar Highway, past Golra Mor and 26 Number, to the motorway entry. From Rawalpindi, follow the signs for the motorway or Peshawar and join the same road.
Give yourself 20 to 40 minutes to reach the motorway from central Islamabad, and more from Rawalpindi at rush hour. Leaving before 8 in the morning avoids most of it.
The drive on the M-1
The M-1 opened in 2007 and is six lanes throughout: 67 km in Punjab and 88 km in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is an easy road, straight and well surfaced, with the Motorway Police patrolling and a car speed limit of 120 km/h. There are ten service areas, five in each direction, so you don't need to fill up in Islamabad.
Heading west, the junctions that matter to most travellers are:
- Hakla, for the M-14 to Dera Ismail Khan.
- Burhan, for the Hazara Motorway to Abbottabad and the Galiyat.
- Chach. Soon after it, the motorway crosses the Indus into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
- Swabi, for Swabi town.
- The Swat Motorway (M-16), near Nowshera, for Chakdara and Swat.
- Risalpur and Charsadda, then the Peshawar Northern Bypass.
- The Peshawar Ring Road, where the M-1 ends.
From the end of the motorway, follow signs for the city for the old city and Saddar, or the Ring Road round to Hayatabad. Peshawar's traffic is heavy, so allow another 20 to 40 minutes to reach a hotel.
Toll and M-Tag
The car toll for the full M-1 rose to PKR 700 in July 2026, from PKR 550. You pay the same again on the way back. An M-Tag has been required on all motorways since 15 June 2026, so make sure yours is valid and topped up through the app before you set off.
The GT Road through Attock
The old Grand Trunk Road, the N-5, runs parallel to the motorway through Taxila, Hasan Abdal, Attock, Jahangira and Nowshera. It crosses the Indus at Attock Khurd, below the walls of Attock Fort, which is a working military fort and not open to visitors.
The GT Road is slower, with towns, markets and lorries the whole way, and it takes at least an hour longer than the motorway. Take it only if you want to stop on the way, at Taxila for its museum and Buddhist sites, or at Hasan Abdal. Our guide to places to visit in Taxila covers what to see there.
By coach and van
Daewoo Express runs from its Rawalpindi terminal at Jhangi Syedan, near EME College on the western side of the twin cities, and has an Islamabad shuttle point behind Sitara Market in G-7. In Peshawar it arrives at its terminal opposite the General Bus Stand on GT Road. Book seats on its app or website, particularly at weekends and before Eid.
Pir Wadhai, Rawalpindi's general bus stand, is the other starting point. Several intercity companies, including Faisal Movers and Skyways, have terminals or booking offices there, and cheaper vans and coasters leave for Peshawar through the day. The vans are quicker to board but cramped.
Fares change with fuel prices and differ by class of coach, so check the fare when you book. In Peshawar, the BRT runs along GT Road from the eastern edge of the city to Saddar, University Town and Hayatabad, which makes it easy to reach a hotel.
By train from Rawalpindi
Trains to Peshawar leave from Rawalpindi station rather than Islamabad. Three long-distance trains from Karachi stop there on their way to Peshawar City and Peshawar Cantonment: the Khyber Mail, the Awam Express and the Rehman Baba Express.
The train is noticeably slower than the two-hour drive, and because these trains have already come a long way, the time they reach Rawalpindi depends on how late they are running. It is a pleasant way to go if you like trains and have no fixed plan at the other end. Check times and book on Pakistan Railways' Rabta app or website. Peshawar Cantonment station is in Saddar, beside the BRT's Railway Station stop.
Can you visit Peshawar as a day trip from Islamabad?
Yes, and many people do. A day trip works like this:
- Leave Islamabad by 7 or 7:30 am and you are in Peshawar by about 10.
- Spend the day in the old city and the museum, with chapli kebab for lunch. Our one-day Peshawar itinerary sets out the order.
- Leave Peshawar by 5 pm to be back in Islamabad for dinner.
The catch is the evening. Peshawar's food streets, Namak Mandi above all, are at their best after dark, and a day trip means leaving just as they fill up. If food is part of the reason you are going, stay one night. Our guide to Peshawar's famous food explains what you would be missing.
Closures and safety
Two things can stop this journey at short notice.
Protests. The M-1 is the main road between Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and when a political march heads for the capital it is one of the first roads to close. In late September 2026, ahead of a planned march on Islamabad, the authorities blocked the M-1 near Islamabad with containers and also closed the GT Road at Attock, the Hazara Motorway and the M-14. If a march or sit-in is in the news, check with the Motorway Police on 130 before leaving, and be ready to postpone.
Security. The motorway is busy and patrolled, and most journeys on it are uneventful. The concern is where it ends. Police in and around Peshawar have been attacked repeatedly in 2025 and 2026, and the UK lists both Peshawar (all travel) and Nowshera (all but essential travel), which the M-1 crosses, in its advice. Our guide to whether Peshawar is safe sets out the incidents and the areas visitors use. In short: drive in daylight, keep your CNIC to hand for checkpoints, and if you travel on a foreign passport, check what your government and your insurer say before you book.
Which way should you go?
- Drive if you are a family or group, want to be flexible about when you leave, or are carrying on to Swat, Chitral or Takht-i-Bahi.
- Take Daewoo if you are on your own or as a couple and only need to reach Peshawar. It is comfortable and saves you driving across Peshawar.
- Take a van from Pir Wadhai only if you need the cheapest option and don't mind a squeeze.
- Take the train for the ride itself, not to save time.
If you would like Peshawar added to a longer trip, with a driver and a night in the city, tell us your dates.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Islamabad to Peshawar by road?
About two hours on the M-1 from the motorway junction outside Islamabad to the edge of Peshawar. With city traffic at both ends, allow two and a half to three hours door to door.
What is the toll from Islamabad to Peshawar?
For a car, PKR 700 for the full M-1 in 2026, after the July 2026 increase. An M-Tag is required on the motorway.
Where do buses to Peshawar leave from in Islamabad?
Daewoo leaves from its Rawalpindi terminal at Jhangi Syedan, with a shuttle point in G-7, Islamabad. Other companies and vans leave from the Pir Wadhai general bus stand in Rawalpindi.
Is there a train from Islamabad to Peshawar?
Yes, from Rawalpindi station. The Khyber Mail, Awam Express and Rehman Baba Express stop at Rawalpindi on their way to Peshawar. They are slower than the road, so check times on the Rabta app.
Can I visit Peshawar and return to Islamabad the same day?
Yes. Leave by 7:30 am and you have most of the day in the old city and the museum, back in Islamabad by evening. Stay a night if you want to eat in Namak Mandi.
Is the Islamabad–Peshawar motorway open?
Normally, yes, all year. It is closed at short notice during political protests, as it was in late September 2026, so check the news or call the Motorway Police on 130 before you leave.