Karachi to Gilgit Flight: Connections, Fares and Backup Plans

There is no direct Karachi to Gilgit flight. You fly Karachi to Islamabad, about two hours on any of several airlines, then take PIA's small turboprop to Gilgit, about another hour and a quarter, and only when the weather allows. Put together from 2026 booking-site fares, the two legs come to roughly PKR 40,000 to 57,000 one way. A same-day connection is possible on paper, but a night in Islamabad is the safer plan.

This guide explains how the connection works, whether to buy one ticket or two, when a same-day journey is realistic, what it costs, and what to do if the Gilgit flight doesn't go.

Is there a direct flight from Karachi to Gilgit?

No. Gilgit's runway is short and sits in a narrow valley, so only turboprops use it, and the only airline flying there is PIA, from Islamabad. Since 2022 PIA has sold Karachi to Gilgit journeys with a connection in Islamabad, and that is what you are buying when a booking site shows a "Karachi to Gilgit" fare.

The Karachi to Islamabad leg is where you have choice. In 2026 it is flown by PIA, Airblue, AirSial, Fly Jinnah and, since July, South Air, a new regional airline. SereneAir, which also used to fly it, has had its operations suspended since October 2025. South Air has announced Gilgit services from Islamabad and Lahore, but as of September 2026 they had not started. Until they do, PIA is the only way into Gilgit by air.

One ticket or two?

One PIA ticket from Karachi to Gilgit is the simpler choice. If the Karachi flight is late and you miss the Gilgit connection, or the Gilgit leg is cancelled, it is one airline's problem to rebook. The drawback is that PIA's Karachi to Islamabad fare is not always the cheapest.

Two separate tickets, for example Airblue or Fly Jinnah to Islamabad and PIA on to Gilgit, can save money. But the two airlines owe each other nothing. If your first flight is late and you miss the second, you have lost the Gilgit ticket or must pay to change it. Only book this way with a long gap between the flights, ideally a night.

Whichever you choose, check the baggage allowance for the Gilgit leg on its own. Hand baggage on PIA's ATR is limited to 7 kg, and the checked allowance depends on the fare, so a bag that was fine from Karachi can cost extra from Islamabad. If both flights are on one ticket, ask at check-in in Karachi whether your bag is checked through to Gilgit.

Can you fly Karachi to Gilgit in one day?

Sometimes, but it leaves no margin. PIA's Gilgit flights leave Islamabad between early morning and around midday, depending on the season's timetable. To connect on the same day you need one of the first departures from Karachi, landing in Islamabad in the morning, a later Gilgit flight, and both running to time.

That is where it tends to go wrong:

• A delay in Karachi of an hour or two is enough to miss the connection.
• Whether the Gilgit flight goes is often decided on the day. If the weather in the north is poor, the later flights are the more exposed, because cloud tends to build as the day warms.
• If it is cancelled, you are in Islamabad with no plan and every other passenger from that flight looking for the next seat.

We plan it the other way round. Fly to Islamabad in the afternoon or evening, stay the night, and take the first Gilgit flight of the morning, which has the best chance of clear skies. The airport is a long drive from the city centre, so choose a hotel on the airport side of town and leave early. It costs a hotel night, but it turns a fragile same-day connection into a normal one.

On the way home, never book the Karachi flight for the same day as a Gilgit departure unless you can afford to lose the ticket.

What does the flight cost?

These are one-way fares seen on booking sites in 2026, for economy, booked a few weeks ahead. Fares are dynamic and rose across the board this year after PIA added fuel surcharges on domestic routes in the spring.

Add a night in Islamabad each way if you follow our advice, and a car from Gilgit airport to wherever you are staying. Book the Gilgit leg first, as early as you can, for June to August, Eid and the October autumn weeks. The aircraft carry a few dozen passengers, and cheap seats go quickly. Check the current fare on PIA's website or a booking site rather than relying on these figures.

When is the Gilgit flight most likely to be cancelled?

From December to April, cancellations for a day or more at a time are common, and a run of cloudy days can ground the flight for longer. Summer is more reliable but not guaranteed, because monsoon cloud still closes the route some days in July and August. September and October, which are dry and settled in the north, are usually the most dependable. Our guide to the Islamabad to Gilgit flight covers the schedule, where to sit for Nanga Parbat, and how PIA handles cancellations.

The fallback if Gilgit is cancelled

Decide your backup before you leave Karachi, so that a cancellation in Islamabad is an inconvenience rather than a crisis.

1. Wait for the next flight. Fine with a spare day in hand. In peak summer the next flights may already be full, so a rebooking can mean waiting a day or two.
2. Go by road from Islamabad. It is 14 to 18 hours on the Karakoram Highway, or less over the Babusar Pass in summer, and is usually split over two days, in a hired car with a driver or your own. Our guide to driving from Islamabad to Gilgit covers both routes.
3. Take the coach. NATCO and private operators run overnight coaches from Pir Wadhai in Rawalpindi to Gilgit. It is the cheapest fallback and a long night; see our guide to the Rawalpindi to Gilgit bus.
4. Fly to Skardu instead. Skardu takes jets, has more flights, and is about four hours from Gilgit by road. PIA has also flown Karachi to Skardu non-stop a few days a week; our Karachi to Skardu flight guide covers it.

Who should fly, and who should think again?

Flying from Karachi makes sense if your holiday is short, you are travelling with small children or older parents, or you are going in autumn, when the weather is at its most settled. Two hours to Islamabad and an hour to Gilgit replaces what would otherwise be two days on the road from Islamabad alone.

Think again if your dates can't move at all, for a wedding, say, or a flight abroad on the way home. Then fly to Islamabad and go north by road, or fly to Skardu, and keep the spare day either way. If Hunza is where you are really going, our guide to flying from Karachi to Hunza compares the Gilgit and Skardu routes for that trip.

Our Gilgit, Hunza and Khunjerab tour starts and ends in Gilgit and keeps a day in hand for weather. Flights are not included, so you book them yourself, and the advice above applies.

Frequently asked questions