Peshawar to Naran: Route Through Mansehra and Balakot

Peshawar to Naran is about 280 km by road, and the usual route is the M-1 motorway east to Burhan, the M-15 Hazara Motorway to Mansehra, then the road through Balakot and Kaghan to Naran. Most guides put the drive at around six hours in good traffic, though allow seven or more if you stop, or if the last stretch is busy. The last third, from Mansehra up the valley, is the slow part.

This guide covers the route step by step, how to split the drive, and the security advice for the first part of it, which you should read before you leave. For wider planning, see our travel guide.

What is the route from Peshawar to Naran?

1. M-1, Peshawar to Burhan. The motorway runs east past Charsadda and Swabi interchanges to the Burhan interchange near Hasan Abdal. Plan on about two hours.
2. M-15, Burhan to Mansehra. The Hazara Motorway runs past Haripur and Abbottabad to Mansehra, about an hour and a half to two hours. It is a modern road with tunnels at Abbottabad and Mansehra.
3. Mansehra to Naran. Leave the motorway at Mansehra and take the N-15 through Balakot, Kiwai and Kaghan. Roughly three to three and a half hours, depending on traffic and road works.

Do not stay on the M-15 past Mansehra. It continues to Thakot, and the road beyond it is the Karakoram Highway towards Besham and Chilas, which is a different route and one the UK government advises against travelling.

The Naran turn-off is separate and does not use that road. Our Islamabad to Naran guide covers the same final stretch in more detail, and our Naran road open or closed guide explains how to check the road on the day.

Is the route safe from Peshawar?

Check current advice before you go, because the first part of this journey runs through areas where security advice is strict.

The UK government's Pakistan travel advice, updated 22 September 2026, advises against all travel to Peshawar and Charsadda, and against all but essential travel to Nowshera, Swabi and Mardan. The M-1 passes through this part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Recent attacks in the province in 2026 include Kohat Police Lines on 18 September, which killed 23, and Bannu in May. Naran itself and the Balakot road are not on the UK list, and Pakistani visitors travel there in large numbers.

What that means in practice:

• Pakistani travellers from Peshawar make this trip, but should check local news and police advice before setting out, travel by day and avoid stopping at unfamiliar places in the first part.
• Foreign-passport holders should read their own government's advice before booking. It may advise against travel through this area and that can void travel insurance.
• Everyone should check road news for landslides above Balakot.

How to split the drive

A single day works, but it is a long one. Left at dawn, you would reach Naran mid-afternoon, before dark, which matters because the last section is best driven in daylight.

Options:

• One day, early start. Leave Peshawar around 6 am, and aim to be past Balakot by early afternoon.
• Stay at Mansehra, Balakot or Kaghan the first night, and go up in the morning. It splits the mountain driving from the motorway and is safer if traffic or rain slows you.

Fill the tank in Mansehra or Balakot before the climb. Our Naran hotels guide has areas to stay.

When should you travel from Peshawar to Naran?

Season matters more than day of the week. Naran and the road above Kaghan close for winter and reopen in spring; in 2026 that was April, and Babusar reopened in late May. For monsoon, holidays and closures, see our best time to visit Naran and Naran road open or closed. Eid weeks are very crowded on the Balakot road.

Frequently asked questions