There is no direct Karachi to Hunza flight, because Hunza has no airport. The quickest way is to fly Karachi to Islamabad, connect to PIA's short flight to Gilgit, and drive two to two and a half hours to Karimabad. When everything runs, you can leave Karachi in the morning and be in Hunza by evening. The alternatives are to fly to Skardu and drive about seven hours, or to fly to Islamabad and spend two days on the road.
Which is best depends on how fixed your dates are, because the Gilgit flight only operates in good weather. This guide compares the three options on time, cost and risk.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport to Hunza | Gilgit, about 100 km and 2 to 2.5 hours from Karimabad |
| Karachi to Gilgit | No direct flight; PIA connects through Islamabad |
| Islamabad to Gilgit | About an hour on a small PIA turboprop, weather permitting |
| Skardu option | Fly to Skardu, then about 4 hours to Gilgit and 2 to 2.5 more to Karimabad |
| By road from Islamabad | 18 to 20 hours of driving, spread over two days |
| Our advice | Keep at least one spare day at the end of the trip |
Option 1: Karachi to Gilgit, connecting in Islamabad
This is the route most people mean when they search for a flight to Hunza. PIA is the only airline flying to Gilgit, from Islamabad, and since 2022 it has sold Karachi to Gilgit journeys with a connection in Islamabad.
How it works:
- Karachi to Islamabad, about two hours. Several airlines fly this route, so you have a choice of times and fares.
- Islamabad to Gilgit, about an hour on an ATR 42, a small turboprop. The flights usually leave in the morning.
- Gilgit airport to Karimabad by road, about 100 km. Hire a car with a driver, or arrange a pickup through your hotel. On the way you pass the Rakaposhi viewpoint at Ghulmet, a natural place for a tea stop.
The catch is the weather. Gilgit's runway sits in a narrow valley, and the flight needs good visibility to land. On a cloudy or stormy day the flight is cancelled, or turns back to Islamabad partway. Cancellations happen in every season but are most frequent in winter, when passengers are sometimes held up for several days.
Two ways to reduce the risk:
- Fly to Islamabad the evening before and take the Gilgit flight the next morning. A same-day connection works on a good day, but a delayed Karachi flight or a cancelled Gilgit one leaves you stuck without a plan.
- Book the whole journey on one PIA ticket where you can, so that a cancellation on one leg is dealt with by one airline.
On the way up, sit on the right-hand side of the plane. If the sky is clear, Nanga Parbat is on that side.
Option 2: Karachi to Skardu, then by road to Hunza
Skardu's airport is bigger than Gilgit's, takes jets, and has more flights. PIA has flown directly between Karachi and Skardu, and Skardu is also served from Islamabad and Lahore by PIA, Airblue and AirSial. Check what is running on your dates, because schedules to the northern airports change from season to season.
From Skardu you drive to Hunza:
- Skardu to Gilgit, 167 km on the rebuilt Skardu road along the Indus. Since the upgrade in 2021 this takes about four hours, sometimes more.
- Gilgit to Karimabad, another two to two and a half hours.
That makes a full day, about seven hours on the road after the flight lands. It is not the quickest way to Hunza, but it has real advantages:
- More flights, so a cancellation is easier to recover from.
- It avoids the lower Karakoram Highway. The Skardu road joins the KKH at Jaglot, north of the Kohistan gorges and the Tatta Pani slide area.
- It suits a combined trip. You can see Skardu first, drive across to Hunza, and fly home from Gilgit, or the reverse.
The Skardu road has its own weather problems. Floods cut it in July 2026, and it reopened on a temporary steel bridge, so check its status as well as the flight.
Option 3: Fly to Islamabad and drive
The most dependable option, though not the fastest, is to fly Karachi to Islamabad and go the rest of the way by road. From Islamabad to Karimabad is 18 to 20 hours of driving. Two days is normal, with a night in Besham or Chilas on the Karakoram Highway, or in Naran if the Babusar Pass is open in summer.
This suits groups who want a car and driver for the whole trip anyway, and anyone whose dates can't move. Roads close too, particularly in July and August, but a blocked road usually reopens within a day, while a run of cloudy days can ground the Gilgit flight for longer. Our Lahore to Hunza road guide covers the route north of Islamabad stage by stage, and our guide to checking Karakoram Highway road status explains how to find out whether it is open.
Buses also run from Rawalpindi to Gilgit and Hunza, but after a two-hour flight, a bus journey of close to a day is a hard way to start a holiday.
How the options compare on time
| Option | Typical time from Karachi to Karimabad | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| Fly to Gilgit via Islamabad | Same day if all goes well; a day and a half with a night in Islamabad | Gilgit flight cancelled by weather |
| Fly to Skardu, then drive | A long day: the flight plus about 7 hours on the road | Skardu flight or road disrupted |
| Fly to Islamabad, then drive | Two and a half to three days | Landslides on the KKH |
On the way home the same logic applies in reverse. Don't book a Karachi flight for the same day as a Gilgit departure unless you can afford to lose the ticket.
What each option costs
We don't print fares here, because domestic fares move with the season, the day of the week and how early you book, and a figure that was right in spring can be wrong by summer. Compare the full cost of each option instead:
- Via Gilgit: two flights each way (Karachi to Islamabad, Islamabad to Gilgit), usually a night in Islamabad, and a car from Gilgit to Hunza. The Gilgit planes are small, so seats sell out early in June, July, August and around Eid, and last-minute fares can be high.
- Via Skardu: one flight each way if the direct service is running, plus a car and driver for a full day to Hunza. It can come out cheaper than two flights, especially for a family.
- Via Islamabad and road: one flight each way, plus a car and driver for two days each way, a night in a hotel on the road in each direction, and meals. For a group of four or more sharing a car, this is often the cheapest.
Check the baggage allowance for the Gilgit leg separately. It can differ from your Karachi flight, and the aircraft are small.
If you are joining our Gilgit, Hunza and Khunjerab tour, the trip starts and ends in Gilgit. The price, from PKR 90,000 per person, covers ground transport, hotels and park fees but not flights, so you book the flights yourself.
Which option should you choose?
- Short trip, flexible about the day you arrive: fly to Gilgit. It saves the most time when it works.
- Fixed dates you can't lose, such as a limited holiday or a return flight abroad: fly to Skardu, or fly to Islamabad and drive, and keep a spare day either way.
- Families with young children or older parents: fly as far as you can. Two long days on the KKH are harder on them than a cancelled flight is.
- Winter trips: assume the Gilgit flight may not operate. Plan the road option as your fallback before you leave Karachi.
- Combining Skardu and Hunza: fly into one and out of the other.
Whichever you choose, the spare day matters more than the route. Put it at the end of the trip, so that bad weather costs you a day in Hunza rather than a missed flight home. Our short Hunza itinerary is built around a fly-in arrival and shows how to fit the main sights into three days.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a direct flight from Karachi to Hunza?
No. Hunza has no airport. The nearest is Gilgit, and there is no direct Karachi to Gilgit flight; PIA connects through Islamabad.
How long does it take to fly from Karachi to Gilgit?
About two hours to Islamabad and about an hour from Islamabad to Gilgit, plus the connection. With a night in Islamabad, which we recommend, allow a day and a half door to door.
How far is Gilgit airport from Hunza?
About 100 km to Karimabad, which takes two to two and a half hours by car on the Karakoram Highway.
Why are Gilgit flights cancelled so often?
The airport sits in a narrow mountain valley and needs clear weather and good visibility for landing. Low cloud or storms along the route are enough to cancel or turn back the flight, most often in winter.
Can I fly from Karachi to Skardu directly?
PIA lists Karachi among its Skardu routes, but northern schedules change from season to season. Check the current timetable; if there is no direct flight on your dates, connect through Islamabad or Lahore.
Is it better to fly to Gilgit or Skardu for Hunza?
Gilgit is much closer, two to two and a half hours by road instead of about seven. Skardu has more flights and bigger aircraft, so it is the safer choice when your dates are fixed or you also want to see Skardu.
