Lahore to Gilgit by road is roughly 850 to 950 km, depending on the route: the M-2 motorway to Islamabad, the Hazara Motorway to Thakot, then the Karakoram Highway through Besham and Chilas. Expect 18 to 21 hours of actual driving. Most people from Lahore should plan on two nights on the road, and a family car will burn roughly PKR 32,000 to 40,000 in fuel and tolls each way at September 2026 prices, before rooms and food.
This guide covers the route in outline, the three sensible ways to split it, a full cost breakdown, and whether driving beats the bus or a flight from Lahore.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Distance | Roughly 850 to 950 km, depending on route |
| Driving time | 18 to 21 hours, not counting long stops |
| Route | M-2 to Islamabad, M-1 to Burhan, Hazara Motorway to Thakot, then the KKH (N-35) |
| Summer alternative | Naran and the Babusar Pass, usually open from late May or June to November |
| Nights on the road | Two for most people; one for two experienced drivers in summer |
| Fuel and tolls, one way | Roughly PKR 32,000 to 40,000 for a family car (September 2026) |
| Petrol price | About PKR 389 a litre from 25 September 2026 |
The route from Lahore to Gilgit
The drive falls into four very different parts, and almost all of the uncertainty sits in the last two.
- Lahore to the M-1 on the M-2 motorway. About 375 km and four and a half to five and a half hours. You don't need to go into Islamabad or Rawalpindi unless you are stopping there.
- The M-1 to Burhan, then the Hazara Motorway to Thakot. The Hazara Motorway runs about 180 km past Haripur, Abbottabad and Mansehra and ends at Thakot, where the Indus comes in and the mountain road begins.
- Thakot to Chilas on the Karakoram Highway. Through Besham, Dasu and the Kohistan gorges. This is the slowest, narrowest and most slide-prone part of the whole journey.
- Chilas to Gilgit. About three hours, past Raikot Bridge, the Jaglot junction for Skardu and the meeting point of the three mountain ranges.
The motorway half is predictable. North of Thakot, a slow truck or a landslide can add hours, so we never plan Kohistan on a tight clock. Our guide to driving from Islamabad to Gilgit takes the mountain legs one at a time.
Where to break the journey
The one fixed rule is to drive Kohistan in daylight and fresh. Everything else depends on how many drivers you have, how early you can leave Lahore and whether anyone in the car is small or elderly.
| Plan | Night 1 | Night 2 | Arrive in Gilgit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three days, via Islamabad | Islamabad or Rawalpindi | Chilas | Late morning, day 3 |
| Three days, via Hazara | Abbottabad or Mansehra | Chilas | Late morning, day 3 |
| Two days | Besham | None | Evening, day 2 |
| Summer, via Babusar | Naran | None | Evening, day 2 |
Three days: the plan for most families
A night in Islamabad or Rawalpindi suits anyone with family there, or anyone leaving Lahore after work. The first day is only five hours. The catch is a very long second day: Islamabad to Chilas is ten to thirteen hours, so you need to be on the road by first light.
A night in Abbottabad or Mansehra evens things out. Day one is six to seven hours of motorway from Lahore, day two is Kohistan, and day three is a gentle three hours from Chilas into Gilgit, arriving in time for lunch. It is the plan we would pick for a first drive north with children or parents.
Two days: only with two drivers
Lahore to Besham is nine to ten hours, most of it on motorways. Besham to Gilgit is another eight to ten hours: Kohistan in the morning, Chilas around lunch, Gilgit by evening. It works in June and July, when the days are long, if two people share the wheel. In spring and autumn the second day tends to end in the dark.
Summer: Naran and the Babusar Pass
From about late May or June until the autumn snow, you can leave the Hazara Motorway at Mansehra, sleep in Naran, nine to eleven hours from Lahore, and cross the Babusar Pass to Chilas and Gilgit the next day. It skips the whole Besham to Chilas section and is the better drive when the weather is settled. Night travel over the pass has been banned in recent seasons, and the long descent to Chilas is hard on brakes, so treat the second day as a full daylight drive.
Take the KKH instead whenever the pass is closed, heavy rain is forecast for Kaghan or Diamer, or the car is heavily loaded. In July 2025 a flash flood on the Chilas side of Babusar killed several tourists and shut the road for about a week.
What does the drive cost?
These are the costs for one family car, one way, at September 2026 prices. Fuel prices are revised every two weeks and tolls rise most years, so redo the sums before you go.
| Item | Rough cost, one way |
|---|---|
| Petrol: about 75 to 95 litres at PKR 389 | PKR 29,000 to 37,000 |
| M-2 toll, Lahore to Islamabad | PKR 1,430 (from 5 July 2026) |
| M-1 stretch to Burhan | A few hundred rupees, charged by distance |
| Hazara Motorway | About PKR 400 |
| National highway toll plazas | PKR 100 each |
| Fuel and tolls together | Roughly PKR 32,000 to 40,000 |
Then add the nights on the road: one or two rooms for each night, in each direction. Besham, Chilas, Mansehra and Naran all have everything from simple roadside hotels to comfortable ones, and rates rise sharply in Naran on summer weekends and over Eid. Check current prices on a booking site rather than relying on last year's figures.
For a return trip, double the fuel and tolls, and add fuel for driving around once you are there: Gilgit to Karimabad and back is about 200 km on its own.
A few money points specific to this drive:
- Get an M-Tag and top it up before you leave Lahore. The motorways run on it, and the rules for untagged cars have been changing.
- Carry cash north of Mansehra. Fuel stations and roadside hotels in Kohistan and Diamer often don't take cards.
- Fill up at every town. Besham, Dasu and Chilas are the dependable fuel stops.
Before you leave Lahore
- Service the car. Brakes, tyres including the spare, coolant and battery.
- Check the road the night before and each morning. On 25 September 2026 a landslide after heavy rain blocked the KKH at Besham, and in March 2025 it was blocked at Lotar in Upper Kohistan five times in ten days. Our guide to Karakoram Highway road status lists where to look.
- Ask about the Dasu closures. Work on the Dasu dam and the realigned highway there has brought timed openings on the old road.
- Download offline maps, and keep your CNIC, licence and registration papers to hand for the checkposts.
Is the drive safe?
Pakistani families make this drive every day in summer. The everyday risks are landslides, fatigue and driving after dark, and the plans above are built around avoiding all three.
There is a security side too. In December 2023 gunmen attacked a passenger bus on the KKH near Chilas, killing ten people, and the UK government currently advises against all travel on the KKH between Mansehra and Chilas; the Babusar route avoids that stretch. Overseas visitors should read their own government's travel advice for Pakistan and check their insurance. Everyone should check local news before setting off and follow instructions at checkposts.
Drive, take the bus or fly?
Drive if you have at least ten days, want your own car in Gilgit and Hunza, and have two people to share the wheel. For a group of four, the car is also the cheaper option once you add up flights.
Take the coach if you are alone or a couple on a budget. The overnight coach from Rawalpindi costs a fraction of the fuel; our guide to the Rawalpindi to Gilgit bus compares the operators.
Fly if your time is short. There is no direct Lahore to Gilgit flight; PIA connects through Islamabad, and its short hop to Gilgit runs only in good weather. You can also drive to Islamabad, leave the car there and fly the rest.
If nobody in your group wants to do the mountain driving, our Gilgit, Hunza and Khunjerab tour starts in Gilgit, so you can reach it however suits you and hand the KKH to an experienced driver from there. For Hunza as the end point, see our Lahore to Hunza road guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours is Lahore to Gilgit by road?
About 18 to 21 hours of driving: four and a half to five and a half on the M-2, and the rest on the Hazara Motorway and the Karakoram Highway. Most people spread it over two or three days.
Where should I stop between Lahore and Gilgit?
Abbottabad or Mansehra on the first night and Chilas on the second is the easiest plan. With two drivers in summer, a single night in Besham works, and when the Babusar Pass is open, Naran is the natural stop.
How much petrol does Lahore to Gilgit take?
A typical family car uses roughly 75 to 95 litres one way. At about PKR 389 a litre in late September 2026, that is PKR 29,000 to 37,000, before tolls of around PKR 2,500.
Can I drive from Lahore to Gilgit in one day?
We don't recommend it. It means close to 20 hours at the wheel and driving Kohistan either very early or after dark, when rockfall and unlit trucks are most dangerous.
Can a normal car go from Lahore to Gilgit?
Yes. The route is paved all the way and sedans make the trip every summer. Have the brakes and tyres checked first, and use a low gear on long descents.
