Karachi to Quetta by Road: N-25 Route Guide

The road from Karachi to Quetta runs the full length of the N-25, also called the RCD Highway, for roughly 690 km through Hub, Bela, Khuzdar and Kalat before climbing into Quetta. In normal daytime driving it takes 10 to 12 hours, but a night travel ban on this highway means the journey has to be planned around daylight hours, not simply around how fast you can drive it.

This guide covers the distance and the main stops, what the road is actually like, the current night travel restrictions, and the coach services that run the route.

The distance and the route

Quetta is about 690 km from Karachi by road, and the N-25 is the only realistic route: it runs from Karachi through Hub, Bela, Khuzdar, Kalat and Mastung before reaching Quetta, and continues on to Chaman at the Afghan border. The full highway, Karachi to Chaman, is 813 km long.

For most of its length the N-25 is a single carriageway rather than a divided highway, which limits how fast it can safely be driven, especially where it narrows and climbs through the hills between Khuzdar and Kalat. The government approved a major upgrade to motorway standard in 2025, with reconstruction beginning in December that year; until that work is finished, expect ordinary single-lane conditions for most of the journey, with roadworks in places.

The stops along the way

Hub, just over the Sindh–Balochistan border, is the first major stop, an industrial town with fuel and food options close to Karachi.

Bela, further into Balochistan, is a smaller town and a common rest stop for buses and private drivers on the first stretch of the journey.

Khuzdar, about 302 km from Quetta, is the largest town on the route after Karachi's outskirts, with hotels, restaurants and fuel, and a natural point to break the journey if you're not making it in one day.

Kalat, around 141 km from Quetta, sits where the road narrows and climbs into hillier terrain; the stretch between Khuzdar and Kalat is the most physically demanding section of the drive.

Mastung, the last town before Quetta, is a short final stage into the city.

The night travel ban

Since March 2025 the Balochistan government has banned travel on several of the province's main highways, including the N-25, between 6pm and 6am, in response to a rise in attacks on passengers and vehicles on these roads. Public transport in particular is barred from moving on the Karachi–Quetta highway at night, and buses and coaches are required to carry working trackers and CCTV.

This changes how the trip has to be planned. A 690 km, 10-to-12-hour journey does not comfortably fit inside a single daylight window if you leave Karachi in the morning, so in practice:

• Coaches typically leave in the early morning so as much of the journey as possible happens in daylight, with an overnight halt if the schedule requires it.
• Private drivers should plan an overnight stop, most sensibly at Khuzdar, rather than push on after dark.
• Check the current status of the ban before you travel. Restrictions like this have been extended, adjusted and reapplied over the past two years as the security situation changes, so confirm with a bus operator or local contact close to your travel date rather than assuming last year's rules still apply.

Checkposts and what to expect

Security checkpoints are a routine part of this route, particularly once you're well into Balochistan. Expect your vehicle to be stopped, and be ready to show CNIC or passport and, for foreign nationals, the paperwork covered in our guide to is Quetta safe to visit. Checkposts add time to the journey, and delays vary depending on the security situation on the day, so build some slack into your schedule rather than planning to the hour.

Coach and bus options

Daewoo Express and several regional operators, including Sada Bahar, run daily coach services between Karachi and Quetta on the N-25, with a range of classes from standard to sleeper coaches on some routes. Coaches are the most common way Pakistani travellers without their own car make this journey, and they are generally more comfortable and predictable than shared vans.

Book ahead where you can, particularly around Eid and other holidays when demand rises sharply, and confirm the departure time and any overnight stop built into the schedule given the current night travel restrictions.

Driving it yourself

If you're driving your own car, a few points matter more on this route than most:

• Start early, ideally before sunrise, to make the most of the daylight window given the night travel ban.
• Fuel up in Karachi or Hub and again in Khuzdar; don't assume fuel is readily available at every stop in between.
• Plan an overnight stop rather than trying to complete the drive in a single day, especially if you're setting out later than early morning.
• Keep to main stops for food and rest, and avoid pulling off onto minor side roads.

Is this route worth driving, or should you fly?

For travellers with time and a reasonable vehicle, driving the N-25 shows you a side of Balochistan you don't see from a plane, but it is a long, demanding trip through a province under a serious security advisory, made longer by the current night travel restrictions. If your goal is simply to reach Quetta, flying from Karachi is far faster and avoids the road altogether; check current routes and schedules directly with the airlines, since flight availability on this sector changes.

If the road trip itself, rather than just arriving in Quetta, is part of the appeal, plan for two days rather than one, book an overnight stop at Khuzdar, and check the security situation and current night travel rules close to your departure date.

Frequently asked questions