A northern areas trip by air means flying Islamabad to either Skardu or Gilgit, a journey of a little over an hour, instead of the two-day drive up the Karakoram Highway. It is the single biggest time-saver available for a short trip north, and it is also the least reliable part of the plan, since both routes depend on clear weather through the mountains and are cancelled often enough that no fly-in trip should be booked without a backup.
This guide sets out how the two routes differ, what a realistic fly-in itinerary looks like, and what to do when the flight you were counting on does not go.
| At a glance | Skardu | Gilgit |
|---|---|---|
| Flight time | About 1 hour 10 minutes | About 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Airlines | PIA, Airblue and AirSial | PIA only |
| Aircraft | Jets (Airbus A31X/A32X) | ATR turboprop |
| One-way fares (2026) | Roughly PKR 15,000–30,000, more in peak season | Roughly PKR 25,000 upward |
| Weekly frequency | Multiple daily flights | Limited, a handful of flights a week |
| Road backup | About 2 days via the KKH | About 2 days via the KKH |
Why fly
The road north from Islamabad to either Skardu or Gilgit takes the better part of two days, usually broken with an overnight stop at Besham or Chilas. Flying turns that into a little over an hour, which matters most for anyone with a genuinely short trip: a long weekend, a work leave of five or six days, or a group that would rather spend the extra time in the valley than in the car.
The trade-off is reliability. Both routes fly through mountain terrain that needs clear visibility, and flights are cancelled or delayed often enough, particularly outside the summer months, that flying should always come with a plan for what happens if it doesn't. Our overview of flights to Gilgit and Skardu covers how the two routes compare in more detail.
Choosing Skardu or Gilgit
Skardu is the more reliable of the two to book: it is served by three airlines flying jets, with multiple flights most days and, since AirSial joined the route, more capacity than a few years ago. It puts you within reach of Deosai, the Shangrila and Kachura lakes and Shigar within a short drive of the airport.
Gilgit is served only by PIA, on smaller ATR turboprops, with a more limited weekly schedule. It puts you closer to Hunza, about two hours by road from Gilgit, but with fewer seats and fewer options if your flight is cancelled, since PIA does not always have another Gilgit flight the same day. Our route guides to Islamabad to Skardu and Islamabad to Gilgit go into fares, seating and schedules for each.
A 5-day fly-in itinerary to Skardu
- Day 1: Fly Islamabad to Skardu. An early flight leaves the whole day free; settle in and walk along the Indus in the afternoon.
- Day 2: Shangrila and Katpana. The Kachura lakes in the morning, the cold desert at Katpana in the last hour of light.
- Day 3: Deosai. A full day on the plateau if it is open, roughly June to September, or Shigar valley and its restored fort outside that window.
- Day 4: Khaplu or a second look at the valley. A half or full day up the Shyok to Khaplu Palace, or a slower day back in Skardu.
- Day 5: Fly back to Islamabad, ideally on an early flight with a buffer before any onward travel.
Our Skardu and Deosai tour runs a longer version of this same trip over seven days, with a spare day built in specifically for the flight.
A fly-in itinerary to Gilgit and Hunza
Flying to Gilgit works the same way, with the road onward to Hunza added at each end:
- Day 1: Fly to Gilgit, then about two hours by road to Karimabad.
- Days 2–4: Hunza: Baltit and Altit forts, Attabad Lake, Passu and Khunjerab Pass if time allows.
- Day 5: Back to Gilgit and fly out, with time in hand in case the return flight slips.
What to do when the flight is cancelled
This is the part every fly-in plan needs, not an afterthought.
- Build in a spare day on both ends of the trip. A cancelled flight usually means the next day's flight, not the same day, and in a bad stretch of weather it can mean two or three days.
- Know the road option before you need it. Both Skardu and Gilgit are reachable by road via the Karakoram Highway in around two days from Islamabad. It is not a quick fix, but it is a real option if flights are grounded for several days running and your dates cannot move. Our Karakoram Highway road trip guide covers that route section by section.
- Book morning flights where possible. Morning departures see fewer weather-related cancellations than later ones, since valley weather in the north tends to close in as the day goes on.
- Keep your return flexible if you can. A trip with no slack at either end is the one most likely to be disrupted by a single cancellation.
- Check the status the evening before, not just on the day. Airlines and airport authorities usually post cancellations as soon as the forecast is clear enough to call it.
Is flying worth it?
For a short trip, yes, and it is often the only way to make five or six days work at all once the two-day road journey is accounted for. For a longer trip of ten days or more, the time saved by flying matters less, and some travellers prefer to drive one way and fly the other, seeing the Karakoram Highway without spending two full days on it twice.
What flying is not is a guarantee. Anyone booking a fly-in trip should treat the flight as the least certain part of the plan and build the itinerary, and the return travel afterwards, around that.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the flight from Islamabad to Skardu or Gilgit?
About an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes for either route, compared with roughly two days by road.
Which is more reliable: the Skardu or Gilgit flight?
Skardu, generally, since three airlines fly the route with multiple daily departures, giving more options if one flight is cancelled. Gilgit is served only by PIA with a more limited schedule.
What happens if my flight to the northern areas is cancelled?
You wait for the next available flight, which can be the same day, the next day, or longer in sustained bad weather, or you take the road option, about two days by the Karakoram Highway from Islamabad.
Is it cheaper to fly or drive to Skardu or Gilgit?
Flying costs more per person than fuel and tolls for a shared car, but it saves roughly two days of travel each way, which for many travellers is worth more than the fare difference.
Should I book a fly-in trip with no spare days?
No. Weather-related cancellations are common enough on both routes that a fly-in itinerary with zero slack risks losing part of the trip, or missing an onward flight, if either leg is delayed.
