A Northern Areas trip for a family of four, driving their own car to Hunza for a week, costs roughly PKR 120,000 to 160,000 in total in 2026 at simple hotels, and PKR 200,000 to 295,000 at mid-range ones. A family of six pays roughly PKR 175,000 to 265,000 in their own seven-seater, and PKR 310,000 to 430,000 with a hired Hiace and driver. The room bill and the vehicle make up most of it, and both depend on how many of you there are.
This guide prices a family trip piece by piece: how to arrange rooms, which vehicle suits four, five or six people, the costs that come with children, and the weeks when everything costs more. All figures are rough 2026 prices for the whole family, from Islamabad, and they change often.
| At a glance, whole family, 7 days in Hunza (2026) | Rough total |
|---|---|
| Family of 4, own car, simple hotels | PKR 120,000 to 160,000 |
| Family of 4, own car, mid-range hotels | PKR 200,000 to 295,000 |
| Family of 6, own seven-seater, two rooms | PKR 175,000 to 265,000 |
| Family of 6, hired Hiace with driver, two rooms | PKR 310,000 to 430,000 |
| Return flights to Gilgit, family of 5 | About PKR 240,000 to 320,000, before anything else |
Where a family's money goes
For a couple, transport is usually the biggest cost. For a family it is the rooms and the food, because they multiply with every person, while the car's fuel does not. A family of five pays for more meals, more beds and more tickets than a couple, but the same fuel bill.
That makes two decisions more important than any others: whether you drive yourselves or hire a driver, and how you arrange the rooms. The rest of this guide takes them in turn.
Rooms: one family room or two?
A family of four can usually fit in one room with an extra mattress, and a family of five or six needs either a family room or two rooms. In the north, room rates in 2025–2026 ran roughly as follows, per room per night:
- Simple hotels and guesthouses: about PKR 2,500 to 5,000 in Hunza, PKR 4,000 to 7,000 in Naran.
- Mid-range hotels: about PKR 8,000 to 15,000.
- Top hotels: PKR 25,000 and up.
A few things change the family sum:
- Extra mattresses are usually charged per night. Ask the price when you book, not at check-out.
- Family rooms and suites often cost less than two separate rooms, but not always. Price both.
- Breakfast may be included for the room or charged per person. With four children, that is a real difference.
- Children's ages. Ask at what age a child is charged as an adult for the bed and for breakfast.
- Heating. Spring and autumn evenings in the valleys are cold, and a cold room is hard on young children. Ask whether the room has a heater that works.
For a family of four sharing one room at a simple hotel for six nights, rooms come to about PKR 21,000 to 36,000 with a mattress. At mid-range, closer to PKR 60,000 to 108,000.
Which vehicle for four, five or six?
Four people: any sound family car will do on the paved roads to Hunza, Skardu and Naran in summer. A week from Islamabad to Hunza with a day to Khunjerab is about 1,800 km, which at PKR 389.28 a litre (the petrol price from 25 September 2026) comes to about PKR 58,000 for a car doing 12 km a litre. Add about PKR 2,000 in tolls from Islamabad.
Five or six people: a sedan is no longer enough on long days. The choices are:
| Vehicle, with driver | Passengers | Rough day rate (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Honda BR-V or Changan Karvaan | Up to 6, little luggage | About PKR 8,000 to 10,000 |
| Toyota Prado | Up to 6, third row small | About PKR 12,000 to 25,000 |
| Toyota Hiace Grand Cabin | Up to 12, with luggage | About PKR 14,000 to 18,000 |
On top of the day rate, a hired vehicle means fuel for the trip, a driver's allowance for his food and room (commonly about PKR 2,000 a night in 2026), and tolls. A Hiace running at about 8 km a litre on mountain roads uses around PKR 88,000 of petrol on the week above. Hired for seven days, a Grand Cabin comes to roughly PKR 200,000 to 230,000 all in.
For a family of six with suitcases and grandparents, the Hiace is often the better choice than a Prado: more room, easier to get in and out of, and a similar day rate. Our guide to hiring a car with driver for the Northern Areas covers what to agree before you book, and our Prado rent guide explains when the bigger 4x4 is worth it.
Flying a family is expensive. Children from two to eleven need their own seat and ticket, so a family of five with three children over two pays five fares. At PKR 48,000 to 64,000 return per seat to Gilgit in 2026, that is PKR 240,000 to 320,000 before you have hired a car on arrival.
What children add to the cost
Children add costs that are easy to leave out of the plan. Budget for:
- Tickets. Forts, boats and horse rides charge per head. Some have lower children's prices and some don't, so carry more cash than you expect.
- Food and snacks. Children eat less at meals and far more between them. Buy what they rely on in Islamabad or Gilgit, because shops further up the valleys stock the basics but not necessarily the brand your child will eat.
- An extra mattress or bed, every night.
- Car seats. If your children use one, bring your own, including in a hired car.
- Medicines. Children's paracetamol, oral rehydration salts and anything for car sickness, bought before you leave.
- A slower pace. Children tire on long road days, so budget for an extra night on the road rather than a twelve-hour drive.
Altitude is worth a thought too. Khunjerab Pass is 4,693 metres, and the day trip climbs more than 2,000 metres in a few hours. With very young children, a day at Passu and Attabad instead costs less and is easier on everyone; our Khunjerab Pass guide explains what the altitude does.
When prices go up: the peak weeks
Families with children at school have the least choice over dates, and rates are highest when schools are closed:
- The summer holidays. In 2026, Punjab's schools were closed from 22 May to 23 August. These are the busiest weeks of the year in the north.
- Eid. Both Eids fill the hotels, and Eid ul Adha currently falls in May, at the start of the season. Jeep fares at places like Fairy Meadows and Kumrat also tend to rise in the busiest weeks.
- 14 August and long weekends, when Naran, Hunza and Skardu fill up quickly.
To give a sense of the difference, one Neelum Valley hotel's published 2026 rates put its standard room at PKR 11,000 a night, rising to PKR 13,000 from June to August and falling to PKR 9,000 from September to April.
How to soften it:
- Book early for June, July and August, and get the rate confirmed in writing.
- Travel early in the holidays. The first half of June is usually quieter than July and August, and the main roads and Khunjerab are normally open.
- Avoid the Eid days themselves, if you can, and the drive up on the first day of the holiday.
- Ask for a family rate or a discount for a longer stay, especially at mid-range hotels.
Two sample family budgets
Seven days from Islamabad to Hunza and back, with two nights on the road and four in Hunza, a day to Khunjerab, and 2026 prices.
Family of four: two adults and two children
| Whole family | Simple hotels | Mid-range hotels |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel and tolls, own car | About PKR 60,000 | About PKR 60,000 |
| Rooms, 6 nights, one room plus a mattress | PKR 21,000 to 36,000 | PKR 60,000 to 108,000 |
| Food, 7 days | PKR 31,500 to 49,000 | PKR 70,000 to 105,000 |
| Tickets, boats and small costs | PKR 8,000 to 15,000 | PKR 12,000 to 20,000 |
| Rough total | PKR 120,000 to 160,000 | PKR 200,000 to 295,000 |
Family of six: two rooms, simple to mid-range hotels
| Whole family | Own seven-seater | Hired Hiace Grand Cabin with driver |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle, fuel, tolls, driver | About PKR 66,000 | About PKR 200,000 to 230,000 |
| Two rooms, 6 nights, PKR 4,000 to 8,000 each | PKR 48,000 to 96,000 | PKR 48,000 to 96,000 |
| Food, 7 days | PKR 49,000 to 84,000 | PKR 49,000 to 84,000 |
| Tickets, boats and small costs | PKR 12,000 to 20,000 | PKR 12,000 to 20,000 |
| Rough total | PKR 175,000 to 265,000 | PKR 310,000 to 430,000 |
From Lahore, add the extra fuel for about 750 km and the M-2 toll, which was PKR 1,430 each way for a car from July 2026 and more for a van. Keep a spare day in the budget for a landslide on the Karakoram Highway; with a family, that is another room and a day's meals.
Is a family tour better value?
If one of you is an experienced mountain driver and your car is in good order, driving yourselves is clearly the cheapest way to take a family north. Even at mid-range hotels, a week for a family of four costs less than four places on our nine-day tour.
A tour makes more sense when nobody wants to drive the Karakoram Highway, when there are grandparents who need an easy pace, or when you would otherwise hire a driver anyway. Our nine-day Gilgit, Hunza and Khunjerab tour is priced from PKR 90,000 per person with twin-share rooms, including all ground transport with an experienced mountain driver, a guide from the valley, Khunjerab park fees and breakfast. Flights, lunches and dinners are extra. For four people at that rate, it is from PKR 360,000 before flights; set that against the hired-Hiace column above and your own quotes before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Northern Areas trip cost for a family of four?
For a week in Hunza by road in 2026, roughly PKR 120,000 to 160,000 in total at simple hotels and PKR 200,000 to 295,000 at mid-range ones, driving your own car. Hiring a car and driver adds significantly more.
Which car is best for a family trip to the Northern Areas?
For four people, any family car in good order is fine on the paved main roads in summer. For six with luggage, a Hiace Grand Cabin with driver is usually more comfortable than a Prado for a similar day rate.
Do children pay full fare on flights to Gilgit and Skardu?
Children from two to eleven need their own seat and ticket; only infants under two can sit on a parent's lap. Check each child's fare when you book, because for a family the flights can cost more than the rest of the trip.
When is the cheapest time for a family trip north?
Outside the school holidays and Eid: September and October if your children's school dates allow, or the first half of June within the holidays. July, August and the Eid weeks are the most expensive.
Is Hunza suitable for small children?
Yes, at valley level. Karimabad, Attabad and Passu are easy with children. Keep the visit to Khunjerab Pass short, or skip it with very young children, because of the altitude.
How much does a hotel family room cost in Hunza?
It varies widely. Simple rooms cost roughly PKR 2,500 to 5,000 a night in 2025–2026 and mid-range rooms PKR 8,000 to 15,000; family rooms and extra mattresses cost more, so ask for the full price for your family when you book.
