Karachi to Skardu by road is a drive of roughly 2,100 km, and it is not a trip to do in two long days. Realistically it needs four days minimum with three overnight stops, and most families and groups are better off giving it five. The route runs up the motorway network to Islamabad, then follows the same Karakoram Highway road that every Islamabad–Skardu drive uses for the final two days.
This guide covers the route, where to break the journey, roughly how long it takes, and what fuel and nights on the road add up to. For the northern half of the trip in detail, our Islamabad to Skardu by road guide covers the Karakoram Highway leg stop by stop.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Total distance | Roughly 2,100 km |
| Karachi to Islamabad | About 1,480 km |
| Islamabad to Skardu | About 700 km |
| Minimum days | 4, with 3 overnight stops |
| Comfortable pace | 5 days |
| Main route | M9, N5, M5, M4, M2 to Islamabad, then the KKH and the Jaglot–Skardu road |
| Usual overnight stops | Sukkur or Hyderabad, Multan, Islamabad, Chilas |
The route from Karachi to Islamabad
The first stretch is mostly motorway, though not entirely. From Karachi you take the M9 to Hyderabad, a fast six-lane motorway. From Hyderabad to Sukkur, there is currently no motorway: the Hyderabad–Sukkur M6 motorway has not yet been built, with construction due to start in late 2026, so this stretch runs on the older N5 National Highway, a slower road shared with heavy truck traffic. From Sukkur, the M5 motorway carries you to Multan, the M4 continues to Pindi Bhattian, and the M2 finishes the run into Islamabad.
That gives roughly 1,480 km from Karachi to Islamabad, which takes about 18 to 22 hours of actual driving once you allow for fuel, food and toll stops, and considerably more on the N5 section if there is traffic or roadworks. Nobody should try to do this leg in one day.
The route from Islamabad to Skardu
From Islamabad the drive follows the Karakoram Highway north through Abbottabad and Mansehra to Thakot, then up the Indus through Kohistan via Besham, Dasu and Chilas, before turning east at Jaglot onto the Skardu road for the last 167 km up the Indus gorge. This half of the trip is about 700 km and takes 16 to 20 hours of driving, usually split over two days with a night in Chilas. Our Islamabad to Skardu road guide goes through this section in full, including the Babusar Pass alternative in summer and the current security advice for the KKH between Mansehra and Chilas.
Where to stop overnight
Spreading roughly 2,100 km and 34 to 42 hours of driving over four or five days means three to four nights on the road. A workable plan looks like this:
| Night | From | To | Rough distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karachi | Sukkur or Hyderabad | 480 to 490 km |
| 2 | Sukkur/Hyderabad | Multan | About 400 to 490 km |
| 3 | Multan | Islamabad | About 570 km |
| 4 | Islamabad | Chilas | About 460 km |
| — | Chilas | Skardu | About 260 km |
Sukkur or Hyderabad are the natural first-night stops, both full-service cities with a wide choice of hotels, fuel and food, five to six hours out of Karachi.
Multan is a comfortable overnight roughly in the middle of the whole trip, with plenty of hotels and easy access to the motorway the next morning.
Islamabad is worth a proper night's rest rather than a quick pass-through, since the two hardest days of driving, up through Kohistan, come immediately after it. If you have any shopping or gear to buy before the mountains, do it here.
Chilas is the standard last stop before Skardu, covered in more detail in our Islamabad to Skardu guide; it is hot in summer, so ask about cooling and power backup when you book.
Drivers confident enough to do longer days can compress this to three nights, usually by combining the Sukkur/Hyderabad and Multan stops into one longer day, but that means ten or more hours behind the wheel on that leg, which is a lot to ask on a long trip.
What fuel and nights cost
Fuel is the main variable cost, and it moves with the pump price, which the regulator revises every two weeks; petrol stood at about PKR 389 a litre on 25 September 2026. Over roughly 2,100 km each way, or about 4,200 km for the round trip, a family sedan doing 10 to 13 km per litre needs somewhere from about 320 to 420 litres for the whole round trip, so multiply that by the current pump price for a rough fuel budget, and add motorway tolls on the M9, M5, M4 and M2, which are modest compared with the fuel bill.
On top of fuel, budget for three to four hotel nights each way, food on the road, and a spare day somewhere in the schedule for a landslide, a flat tyre or simply a late start. Our Skardu trip cost guide covers hotel and food costs once you are in Skardu itself.
Is it worth driving all the way from Karachi?
For most travellers from Karachi, no. Flying to Islamabad and either continuing by air to Skardu or picking up a hired car there saves the better part of a week each way, and the Karachi–Islamabad motorway leg adds fatigue without much scenery until you are well past Multan. Where driving the whole way makes sense is a family or group with their own vehicle, plenty of time, and a wish to see the country along the way, ideally as one leg of a longer trip rather than a there-and-back holiday.
If your time is limited, fly to Islamabad and drive or fly the shorter Islamabad–Skardu leg instead, or let us handle the ground transport: our Skardu and Deosai trip picks up from Islamabad with an experienced mountain driver and holds a spare day for weather.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Skardu from Karachi by road?
Roughly 2,100 km: about 1,480 km from Karachi to Islamabad, then about 700 km on from Islamabad to Skardu.
How many days does it take to drive from Karachi to Skardu?
Four days is the practical minimum, with three overnight stops, and five days is a more comfortable pace for a family. Don't plan on less.
Is there a motorway all the way from Karachi to Islamabad?
Not quite. The M9, M5, M4 and M2 cover most of the route, but the Hyderabad–Sukkur stretch currently runs on the older N5 highway, since the M6 motorway for that section had not yet been built as of September 2026.
Where should you stop overnight between Karachi and Skardu?
A typical plan is Sukkur or Hyderabad on night one, Multan on night two, Islamabad on night three, and Chilas on night four, reaching Skardu on day five.
Is it cheaper to drive or fly from Karachi to Skardu?
Driving saves the airfare but costs several days of fuel, tolls and hotels each way, plus the time itself. For most people flying to Islamabad and continuing from there works out both cheaper in time and comparable in cost once every night on the road is counted.
Is the Karakoram Highway route safe for overseas visitors?
Pakistani travellers use it all year, but as of September 2026 the UK government advises against all travel on the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas, through Besham and Dasu. In summer the road over the Babusar Pass avoids that stretch. If you hold a foreign passport, check your own government's advice before you go, because travelling against it can void your insurance. Everyone should check local news and road conditions before setting out.
