Multan to Fort Munro: Route, Distance and Time

Fort Munro is about 185 km from Multan by road. Sources put the drive at 3 to 4 hours in good conditions, and 4 to 5 hours is a more realistic plan once you add traffic through Dera Ghazi Khan, the climb and a tea stop. The route follows the N-70 to Dera Ghazi Khan (DG Khan), then turns up into the Sulaiman range on a mountain road.

This guide is for people starting from Multan: the route, a realistic timetable, what the last 85 km is like, and the warnings worth knowing. For other starting cities see our guide to reaching Fort Munro and Lahore to Fort Munro.

What is the route from Multan to Fort Munro?

Start on the N-70, the national highway that runs from Multan south-west towards Balochistan. It crosses two rivers on the way to Muzaffargarh and then continues to Dera Ghazi Khan. The N-70 is 440 km long in all, 186 km of it in Punjab, and the Punjab section ends at the Girdu Pass on the provincial boundary.

Fort Munro is in Dera Ghazi Khan district, close to that boundary. You reach it from DG Khan, about 85 km away, and the road climbs through Sakhi Sarwar into the Koh-e-Sulaiman hills. The usual sequence is:

1. Multan to Muzaffargarh, crossing the Chenab and then the Indus on the N-70.
2. Muzaffargarh to DG Khan. A flat highway through farmland, with traffic at the town edges.
3. DG Khan to Sakhi Sarwar and the foothills. The road begins to rise and the farmland gives way to dry hills.
4. The climb to Fort Munro. The Sakhi Sarwar–Rakhni road is about 61.5 km long, with some 28 hairpin bends and a high point of about 1,617 m, according to a roads website. Fort Munro sits on this mountain road, and the final stretch is the slow part of the day.

You do not need a motorway. If you use a phone map, check it shows you on the N-70 and not on a shortcut through villages, which can add time and confusion.

How long does it really take?

The two cities are near enough for a day trip, but leave early. A reasonable timetable:

• Multan to DG Khan: the flat part of the trip, on the N-70, with slowdowns at the river crossings and town edges.
• DG Khan to Fort Munro: about 85 km, but the hairpins mean you cannot average much speed, so this is the slow half.

That adds up to about four to five hours, longer on a Friday evening or at the end of a holiday when the road to the hills is busy with families from the plains. Our Fort Munro trip cost guide covers what a day or overnight stay might cost once you are there.

What is the mountain road like?

The road is paved. Sources and local news agree that it is steep, narrow in places, and has several hairpin bends, so take it as a proper hill road rather than a fast highway.

• Accidents happen here. Dawn reported a van carrying tourists falling into a roadside ditch on the Fort Munro pass on 8 July 2024, killing two and injuring 14. Officials blamed speeding and reckless driving. Other reports describe brake failures on the descent near Sakhi Sarwar.
• Check your brakes and tyres before leaving Multan, and use a low gear on the way down rather than riding the brake.
• Avoid driving the hairpins in the dark or in fog. A travel site for the area advises against night driving in fog and says to take extra care in monsoon rain and on foggy winter mornings.
• Landslides and snow can block the road. A 2023 Pakistan Today report described travellers stuck when a landslide blocked the road.
• Mobile signal is limited in places, so tell someone your plan.
• Fill up in DG Khan. Do not count on fuel on the climb.

Is it safe? Security and who to ask

Fort Munro is in Punjab, but it lies on the border with Balochistan, and the road continues west into Balochistan via Rakhni and Loralai. The UK government advises against all travel to Balochistan, so there is a real reason to stay on the Punjab side and not drive on beyond Fort Munro towards Loralai. Pakistani families do travel to Fort Munro in summer. For the latest, check local news and ask in DG Khan about the road and the police presence before you set out.

Local news has also reported a tourist being shot dead after an argument at Anari Hill in Fort Munro (Express Tribune), a reminder to keep disputes calm and not to carry weapons into crowds. If you are a foreign-passport holder, check your own government's advice, because travelling against it can void your travel insurance.

When to go from Multan

Multan is among the hottest cities in Pakistan in summer, and that is why people drive up: the hills are cooler. Fort Munro is most visited from May to September, though the weather changes quickly at that height, so bring a layer. Our Fort Munro weather guide goes through the months. In winter, nights are cold, so check the road and forecast before you set off.

Day trip or overnight?

Multan to Fort Munro and back is possible in a day, but it is a long one: roughly eight to ten hours of driving if you do it in one go. An overnight stay gives you the evening and morning on the hill, with less rushing on the bends. Our guides to things to do in Fort Munro and camping in Fort Munro cover what to do up there, and the wider travel guide has tips on road trips in Pakistan.

If you only have a few hours, a different day trip from Multan, such as a visit to the city's shrines and bazaars, may be a better use of the day.

Frequently asked questions