Night Bus or Day Bus to the North: Which to Take

For the long-haul bus north from Rawalpindi and Islamabad to Gilgit, Hunza or Skardu, the honest answer is that there is very little choice. Scheduled coaches on the Karakoram Highway mostly leave in the afternoon or evening and run through the night, so a "day bus" barely exists. If you want to see the road, the realistic options are a daytime flight, a hired vehicle, or breaking the journey.

This post compares the two ways of travelling, what each costs you, and how to decide. The exact route, fares and timings by operator are in our guide to the Rawalpindi to Gilgit bus.

What do the night buses look like?

Bookme lists NATCO and Mashabrum Tours coaches leaving Rawalpindi at 5 pm and NATCO Youtong at 7 pm, with fares of about Rs 3,760 to 4,530 to Gilgit in 2026. Faisal Movers is listed at 8 pm. Other guides quote a journey of 16 to 20 hours to Gilgit. Bookme's own page shows "about 6 hours 38 minutes", which cannot be right for this road, so ignore it and plan for a very long journey.

Timings and prices change, so check them with the operator before you book. A booking page also does not tell you when the coach actually reaches the Kohistan stretch.

What you miss at night

The road between Besham and Chilas, the Indus gorge below Nanga Parbat and the first view of the Rakaposhi range are among the best parts of the trip. On an evening departure, you pass most of the Indus gorge in the dark, and arrive in Gilgit in the early morning tired. Our guide to the NATCO bus to Gilgit describes what the ride is like.

Practical downsides of the night run:

• Sleep is broken. Reclining seats and hairpins do not make for a full night.
• Landslide delays can add hours, and you cannot judge the road in the dark.
• Arrival at dawn means a hotel that may not have your room ready.

The upsides are real too: you save a hotel night, and a bus is by far the cheapest way to reach Gilgit.

Is the night bus safe?

The road itself is heavily used and the buses are driven by experienced crews, but the Kohistan and Diamer stretch has a history. On 2 December 2023 gunmen attacked a passenger bus in Chilas, killing 10 people and injuring 25 (Wikipedia). The convoy system for public transport between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, running since 2012, had been stopped ten days earlier.

The UK government advises against all travel on the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas, including Besham and Dasu, and that includes these buses. Pakistani travellers still use the route daily, but check local news and current advice before you book. If your passport is foreign, your government's advice may say not to go and can void travel insurance. Some guides also say that overnight passage through Chilas is restricted for foreigners, which is one more reason to check the current position with the operator.

Better alternatives to a night bus

1. Fly. Islamabad to Gilgit or Skardu is a short flight when the weather is clear, and it avoids the Mansehra to Chilas stretch entirely. Flights are weather-dependent, so keep spare days. See our guide to flying or driving to the north.
2. Drive in daylight via Babusar in summer. The Babusar (N15) route avoids the KKH stretch the UK advises against. It is a mountain road with narrow sections, and it is only open in the season.
3. Hire a vehicle and driver. This gives you control over the day, and you can start early. Our guide to hiring a Coaster or Hiace helps with the choice.

Which should you take?

• Budget, no time to spare, comfortable with the route: the night bus is the usual choice.
• First visit, families with young children, anyone who wants the scenery: avoid it. Fly, or hire a vehicle by day.
• Elderly travellers or anyone who sleeps badly: the night bus is hard going.

If you would like the whole route planned around daylight and the current road position, our trip planning page is the place to start.

Frequently asked questions