Lahore to Banjosa Lake by Road

Lahore to Banjosa Lake is about 510 km, running up the M-2 motorway to Islamabad, then east via Kahuta and the Azad Pattan bridge to Rawalakot, and on for the last 18 km to the lake. Driven straight through it is eight to nine hours behind the wheel, before any real stops, which is too long for a single day with children or older passengers. Most people who make this drive break it with a night in Islamabad, Rawalpindi or Rawalakot.

This guide sets out the route stage by stage, what it costs in fuel and tolls, and how to plan the day so you are not still driving hill roads after dark.

The route in three stages

1. Lahore to Islamabad, about 375 km

The M-2 motorway covers this leg in around four to four and a half hours in normal traffic, at the 120 km/h motorway limit. It is the fastest and most predictable part of the whole drive: six lanes, fuel stations and rest areas at regular intervals, and no mountain driving. Fill up before you leave and again at one of the motorway service areas.

2. Islamabad to Rawalakot, about 110 to 120 km

This is where the trip changes character. Leave the motorway system at Islamabad or Rawalpindi and take the Kahuta road east, through Kahuta itself and down to the Jhelum at the Azad Pattan bridge, then climb through Goain Nala to Rawalakot. Allow three and a half to four and a half hours: about an hour to Kahuta, another hour down to the bridge, and an hour to an hour and a half for the climb up to Rawalakot at around 1,600 metres.

This stretch is a mountain road, narrower than the motorway and with a long climb at the end, and it is the one prone to delay. The Kahuta–Azad Pattan section has closed for hours at a time after heavy monsoon rain, most recently in July 2025 when a landslide at Thanda Pani stranded passengers for the day. Expect a police check at the bridge, where security has been tighter since 2026; keep a CNIC to hand.

3. Rawalakot to Banjosa Lake, about 18 km

The final leg is short: a paved road through Khai Gala to the lake, 30 to 45 minutes in normal conditions. Our Banjosa Lake guide covers the lake itself, and our Islamabad to Rawalakot route guide goes through this middle stage of the drive, including the alternative road via Murree and Kohala, in more detail.

Should you drive it in one day?

For most groups, no. Eight to nine hours of driving, split between a fast motorway and a slow mountain road, with the last stretch narrow and unlit after dark, is a long day even before you stop for meals, fuel and the border-style check at Azad Pattan. Leaving Lahore before dawn is the only way to reach Banjosa in daylight, and it leaves nobody fresh for the lake once you arrive.

If you are set on doing it in a day, leave Lahore by 4 or 5 in the morning, keep stops short, and treat reaching Rawalakot before dusk as the deadline that matters, not the lake itself.

Breaking the journey

Overnight in Islamabad or Rawalpindi. This splits the trip into two manageable days: a straightforward four and a half hours on the motorway on day one, then the mountain road and the lake on day two, arriving with the afternoon still ahead of you. It also means you are not driving Goain Nala tired from a long morning on the motorway.

Overnight in Rawalakot. For a slightly longer first day, push on past Islamabad and stop in Rawalakot itself, leaving only the short run out to Banjosa for the next morning. Our guide to hotels in Rawalakot covers where to stay in town, and our guide to Banjosa Lake hotels and resorts covers staying at the lake itself instead.

Either way, aim to reach Rawalakot or the lake well before sunset. Both the Azad Pattan climb and the last road to Banjosa are unlit.

Fuel and tolls

A return trip from Lahore covers around 1,020 km. At roughly 12 km to the litre on the motorway and closer to 8 to 10 km to the litre on the hill roads, a mid-size car uses somewhere in the region of 90 to 110 litres for the round trip. With petrol at about PKR 389 a litre in late September 2026, that puts fuel at roughly PKR 35,000 to 43,000, though this moves with the fuel price and your car's real consumption.

The M-2 toll for a car is PKR 1,430 each way, in force from July 2026. There is no further toll once you leave the motorway, though budget a little extra if you also drive the Murree Expressway on the way back. Our guide to the cost of a Rawalakot trip sets out the rest of a weekend budget once you are there.

Check the situation before you travel

Since June 2026 Rawalakot has been at the centre of sustained protests in Azad Kashmir, and by September 2026 the unrest had not been resolved. Internet services remain suspended in Rawalakot and Sudhnoti district, an undeclared curfew has been reported at times, and public transport and normal business have been disrupted for months. Read current news and call ahead before you set out, and do not drive up while roads are blocked or restrictions are in force. Because phone and internet coverage in Rawalakot has been unreliable, agree a plan with your hotel by phone in advance rather than relying on being able to reach them once you arrive.

Is the drive worth it from Lahore?

As a long weekend, yes, once the situation in Rawalakot has settled: the motorway leg is easy, and the pine forest and cool nights around Banjosa are a real change from Lahore. As a single-day round trip it is not worth it. Two nights, one to break the journey and one at Rawalakot or the lake, turns a gruelling drive into a comfortable trip and leaves you a proper morning and afternoon at the water.

If you would rather not plan the route yourself, tell us your dates and we can help fit Banjosa into a wider Azad Kashmir trip once travel conditions are normal.

Frequently asked questions