A Nathia Gali trip for two, driving from Islamabad with two nights in a hotel, costs roughly PKR 18,000 to 25,000 on a budget, PKR 50,000 to 60,000 mid-range and PKR 105,000 or more at the top end (September 2026 prices), before lunch and dinner. Fuel for the round trip is only about PKR 8,000. The hotel is by far the biggest cost, and the nights you choose decide it more than anything else.
This guide breaks the weekend down into fuel and tolls, rooms, food and activities, gives sample budgets, and shows where the money can be saved. Prices change quickly in Pakistan, so treat every figure here as a rough guide for 2026, not a quote.
| At a glance (2026) | |
|---|---|
| Petrol | About PKR 390 a litre (late September 2026) |
| Fuel, Islamabad round trip | About PKR 7,500 to 8,000 for a 1,300 cc car |
| Fuel, Lahore round trip | About PKR 30,000 to 33,000 |
| M-2 toll, Lahore–Islamabad | PKR 1,430 each way for a car, from 5 July 2026 |
| Budget room | About PKR 5,000 to 8,000 a night |
| Mid-range hotel | About PKR 21,000 to 26,000 a night, plus tax |
| DoubleTree by Hilton | About PKR 49,000 to 56,000 a night, plus tax |
| Walks | Free, apart from small fees at some trailheads |
Fuel and tolls
From Islamabad
Nathia Gali is about 85 to 90 km from Islamabad by the Murree Expressway and the Galiyat road. With a little driving around Dunga Gali and Ayubia, a weekend comes to roughly 200 km.
A 1,300 cc car that does around 10 km to the litre on hill roads uses about 20 litres. With petrol at about PKR 390 a litre in late September 2026, that is roughly PKR 7,500 to 8,000. A larger car or an SUV can easily use half as much again. Petrol prices are revised often, so check the current rate on PSO's fuel price page before you work out your own figure.
The only toll on this route is at Phulgran on the Murree Expressway, which was PKR 200 for a car in 2025. The National Highway Authority revised tolls across the network in July 2026, so budget a few hundred rupees for the round trip.
From Lahore
From Lahore it is roughly 450 to 480 km each way, so allow about 1,000 km for the weekend. At 12 km to the litre, mostly on the motorway, that is around 80 litres, or PKR 30,000 to 33,000 at late-September prices. Add the M-2 toll of PKR 1,430 each way for a car, in force from 5 July 2026, and the Murree Expressway toll.
For a trip that long, two nights is the minimum that makes sense, and three is better. Our guide to the drive from Lahore to Nathia Gali covers the route and stops.
A car with a driver, or public transport
If you would rather not drive the hills yourself, a car with a driver from Islamabad or Rawalpindi is easy to arrange. Ask for a quote that includes fuel, tolls, and the driver's meals and room for the nights away, so there are no surprises at the end.
For one or two people, public transport by van is much cheaper, but it is slow, tiring with luggage and a poor fit for families.
Where you stay: the biggest cost
Room rates in Nathia Gali vary more than anything else in the budget. These are rough figures from 2026 listings and rate cards.
| Type of stay | Rough price per night (2026) |
|---|---|
| Cheapest guesthouse listings | From about PKR 2,000 |
| Clean, basic double room | About PKR 5,000 to 8,000 |
| Established mid-range hotel, such as Hotel Elites | About PKR 21,000 to 26,000, plus tax |
| DoubleTree by Hilton, member rates | About PKR 49,000 to 56,000, plus sales tax |
Three things change the bill:
- Which nights you choose. Rates are usually highest on Friday and Saturday nights, over Eid and the 14 August holiday, and after the first snowfall. The same room midweek can cost noticeably less.
- What is included. Check whether breakfast, tax and parking are in the rate, and how children are charged. Policies on extra mattresses and child rates differ from one hotel to the next.
- How you pay. Some hotels charge different tax rates for card and cash payments. Ask before you settle the bill.
For areas, named hotels and what to ask before booking, see our guide to hotels in Nathia Gali.
Food
We don't print a figure for meals, because menu prices in Nathia Gali vary widely from one place to the next and change every season. What we can say is where the money goes:
- Breakfast is included in many mid-range and larger hotel rates, which saves a meal a day. Check when you book.
- Lunch and dinner in the bazaar restaurants cost more than the same meal in Islamabad or Abbottabad; you are paying for the location and the short season. Hotel restaurants usually cost more again.
- Karahi is often sold by weight, so a "full" karahi for a family can come to much more than you expect. Ask for the price per kilo before you order.
- Tea, corn, fruit and snacks from stalls on the walks add up across a weekend, especially with children.
To keep food costs down, eat a good breakfast at the hotel, carry water and snacks from the city for the walks, and eat one main meal a day in the bazaar rather than two.
Activities: mostly cheap or free
The good news is that the best things in Nathia Gali cost very little:
- The Pipeline Track, Mushkpuri and Miranjani are free to walk, apart from small fees collected at some trailhead gates. Carry some cash.
- St Matthew's Church and the bazaar cost nothing but the walk.
- Horse rides, if you are offered one, are a negotiation. Agree the price and the length of the ride before anyone gets on.
- The Ayubia chairlift is closed, so it costs nothing at present; our page on the Ayubia chairlift explains its status.
- Parking: ask your hotel whether it has spaces and whether they are included in the rate.
A walking weekend in Nathia Gali is one of the cheapest breaks in the north once the room is paid for.
Sample weekend budgets for two
Two nights, driving your own 1,300 cc car from Islamabad, at 2026 prices. Lunch and dinner are extra.
| Budget | Mid-range | Top end | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel, about 200 km | PKR 7,500 to 8,000 | PKR 7,500 to 8,000 | PKR 7,500 to 8,000 |
| Murree Expressway toll, both ways | A few hundred rupees | A few hundred rupees | A few hundred rupees |
| Two nights' stay | PKR 10,000 to 16,000 | PKR 42,000 to 52,000, plus tax | PKR 98,000 to 112,000, plus tax |
| Breakfast | Usually extra | Included at many hotels | Check the rate |
| Rough total before other meals | PKR 18,000 to 25,000 | PKR 50,000 to 60,000, plus tax | PKR 105,000 to 120,000, plus tax |
From Lahore, add about PKR 25,000 for the extra fuel, plus PKR 2,860 in M-2 tolls, and consider a third night.
For a family of four, the fuel stays the same, so the cost per head falls. The difference is the room: look for a family room or an apartment rather than two doubles, and check the child rates.
How to spend less
- Go Sunday to Thursday. It is the single biggest saving, and the town is calmer too.
- Book a rate with breakfast included, and get the price and what it covers in writing, even on WhatsApp.
- Share a family apartment or a rented house if you are a group of four or more.
- Fill up in Islamabad and carry water and snacks from the city.
- Make the walks the centre of the trip. They are the best part of Nathia Gali and cost almost nothing.
- Consider Dunga Gali, 3 km away, where some rooms are simpler and cheaper; our Dunga Gali guide covers the stays there.
Is Nathia Gali good value?
For a short break from Islamabad or Peshawar, yes. The drive is cheap, the walks are free, and a midweek room at a modest hotel keeps a two-night trip well within a normal weekend budget.
It is poor value on the wrong dates. On an Eid or first-snow weekend you may pay far more for a worse room, then spend hours of your weekend in traffic. If your dates are fixed to a holiday, book early; if they are not, move them.
If you would like us to price a longer trip that takes in the Galiyat on the way north, send us your dates.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Nathia Gali trip cost?
For two people driving from Islamabad with two nights' stay, roughly PKR 18,000 to 25,000 on a budget, PKR 50,000 to 60,000 mid-range and PKR 105,000 or more at the top end in 2026, before lunch and dinner.
How much petrol is needed from Islamabad to Nathia Gali?
About 20 litres for a 1,300 cc car for a weekend of around 200 km, which was roughly PKR 7,500 to 8,000 at late-September 2026 prices.
How much is a hotel in Nathia Gali per night?
In 2026, from about PKR 2,000 for the cheapest guesthouse listings and PKR 5,000 to 8,000 for a basic double, to about PKR 21,000 to 26,000 plus tax at an established mid-range hotel such as Hotel Elites, and around PKR 49,000 to 56,000 at the DoubleTree by Hilton.
Is there an entry fee for Nathia Gali?
There is no fee to enter the town. You may pay small fees at some trailhead gates, and there is a toll on the Murree Expressway on the way up.
Are Nathia Gali hotels more expensive at weekends?
Usually, yes. Friday and Saturday nights, Eid, 14 August and the weekend after the first snowfall are the dearest; the same room midweek often costs less.
What is the cheapest way to visit Nathia Gali?
Go midweek by public transport or in a shared car, stay in a basic guesthouse, and spend your time on the free walks such as the Pipeline Track.
