Islamabad to Skardu: flight vs road, real times and costs

Fly if you can, and keep a road plan in your back pocket. The flight takes about an hour and costs roughly PKR 25,000 to 45,000 one way; the drive takes 14 to 18 hours over two days, costs less, and runs when the weather grounds the planes.

I was born in Skardu and I have made this journey more times than I can count. Guests ask me the same question every week: should we fly or drive? The answer depends on the month, your budget and how much time you have. Here is what I tell them.

The flight: one hour, if the mountains allow it

Three airlines fly Islamabad to Skardu non-stop: PIA, AirSial and Airblue. Scheduled flight time is about 1 hour 5 minutes, and most departures leave Islamabad between 7:20 and 8:45 in the morning, because the valley weather is calmest early in the day (Skyscanner, Bookme).

Frequency is around 12 to 13 flights a week in total across the three carriers, so in practice there are one to three departures most days (Skyscanner). In peak summer the airlines add capacity; in deep winter they trim it. Always check the live schedule for your dates rather than trusting a blog, including this one.

Fares. A recent live search showed return fares from about PKR 51,000 on Airblue to PKR 62,000 on AirSial and PKR 80,000 to 88,000 on PIA, booked a day or two before travel (Bookme). Booked a few weeks out, one-way fares of USD 72 to 93 are typical, and October is usually the cheapest month (Skyscanner). Rough rule: budget PKR 25,000 to 45,000 per person each way, more at Eid and in July and August.

Why flights get cancelled. Skardu airport sits in a bowl at about 2,230 m with high ridges on every side, and operations run under Visual Flight Rules, which means pilots need to see the terrain. Cloud over the Indus gorge, haze, or snow on the runway and the flight does not go (IIPS, Dec 2021). A new runway and terminal were built to make the airport all-weather and international-capable, but the mountains have not moved. In my experience cancellations cluster from December to March and in unsettled spells during the monsoon, from mid-July to late August. In May, June, September and October most flights operate.

What to do when it is cancelled. The airline rebooks you on the next available seat, which in peak season can be two or three days away. This is the real cost of flying: not the fare, but the day or two you might lose. If your schedule is tight, we keep a vehicle on standby in Islamabad and switch you to the road the same morning. Guests on our 13-day Gilgit-Baltistan Autumn Tour have that fallback built in.

The view. On a clear day, sit on the left side flying north. You pass Nanga Parbat, 8,126 m, then follow the Indus into Skardu. It is one of the most beautiful commercial flights anywhere.

The road: two routes, 14 to 18 hours

The drive from Islamabad to Skardu covers roughly 640 km. In a private car allow 14 to 16 hours of driving; buses take up to 18 (NorthRide). Nobody sensible does it in one go. You break the journey either at Naran or Chilas, or at Besham, depending on the route.

Route 1: via Naran and Babusar Top (summer only)

Islamabad to Mansehra, then up the Kaghan Valley through Balakot and Naran, over Babusar Top at 4,173 m (13,700 ft) and down to Chilas on the Karakoram Highway. From Chilas you turn east along the Indus for the final five to six hours to Skardu. This is the scenic route: Lulusar Lake, the meadows above Naran, the summit of the pass with Nanga Parbat on the horizon, then the brown gorge of the Indus. Summer traffic over the pass is heavy at weekends, so leave Naran at first light.

Babusar is only open in summer. The National Highway Authority normally clears it in late May or June, and it closes with the first heavy snow, which can come as early as mid-October (Dawn, May 2025; PakWheels, Oct 2023). Treat the season as roughly June to mid-October, and check the day before you travel, because a cold snap can shut it overnight. [confirm locally: current Babusar status with the Diamer district administration or your driver on the morning of travel]

Route 2: via Besham and the Karakoram Highway (all year)

Islamabad to Abbottabad and Mansehra, then north on the KKH along the Indus through Besham, Dasu and Chilas, and east to Skardu. It is open all year and avoids the pass, but it is longer. The Dasu to Chilas section is slow where the Dasu and Diamer-Bhasha dam works and roadworks interrupt the highway, and there are police checkpoints that add time. In winter this is your only road. Overnight at Besham, or push on to Chilas if you started very early.

The Skardu road itself

Whichever route you take, the last stretch from the Alam Bridge junction near Jaglot to Skardu is around 170 km along the Indus: a good road now, a spectacular gorge, and still three to four hours with nowhere comfortable to eat. Carry water and snacks from Chilas.

What the road costs

Private car with driver. For a comfortable saloon or a 4x4 with an experienced mountain driver, expect to pay in the range of PKR 45,000 to 80,000 for the one-way journey including fuel and the driver's overnight, depending on vehicle class and season. [confirm locally: current rates with Third Pole Adventures; fuel prices move month to month]

NATCO bus. The Gilgit-Baltistan government bus company runs Rawalpindi to Skardu for about PKR 4,200 in Luxury AC class, a journey of roughly 18 hours, with departures from the Pirwadhai terminal and tickets on Bookme or at the counter (SastaTicketPrice, 2026). A CNIC or passport is required for every passenger. It is cheap and the drivers know the road, but it is a long night, and the schedule is rigid. Book ahead between May and September.

Flight vs road at a glance

| | Flight | Road via Babusar | Road via Besham | |---|---|---|---| | Time | ~1 h 5 min in the air; half a day door to door | 14–16 h driving, over 2 days | 15–18 h driving, over 2 days | | Cost per person | PKR 25,000–45,000 one way | PKR 4,200 by NATCO bus; private car from about PKR 45,000 per vehicle | As Babusar | | Season | All year, weather permitting | Roughly June to mid-October | All year | | Reliability | Cancellations in winter and monsoon | Good in season; weekend traffic | Good; roadworks and checkpoints | | Scenery | Nanga Parbat and the Indus from above | Kaghan, Lulusar, Babusar Top | Indus gorge, Nanga Parbat from Raikot bridge | | Best for | Short trips, families, anyone tight on time | First-time visitors with a spare day each way | Winter, budget travellers |

My recommendation by situation

You have 7 days or fewer. Fly both ways, and build a one-day buffer at the Islamabad end of the trip, not the Skardu end. If the flight out of Skardu is cancelled, you still make your international connection.

You have 10 to 13 days. Fly in, drive out, or the reverse. You get the view from the air and the Kaghan Valley or the Indus gorge from the ground, and if one leg goes wrong you have the other. This is how we run most of our Skardu trips and it is how our 13-day Ultimate Pakistan Tour links Islamabad, Hunza, Skardu and Lahore without wasting a day.

You are coming for a trek. Fly. You will want your legs fresh and you will already be spending weeks on the glacier. Our 20-day Snow Lake / Biafo-Hispar La trek starts in Skardu for exactly this reason, with a road fallback if the weather closes in.

You are visiting between December and March. Fly, accept that cancellations are common, and keep the Besham road as plan B. Babusar will be shut.

You get car sick or have small children. Fly. The Babusar switchbacks and the Indus gorge are long.

Small things that make the journey easier

Book the earliest flight of the day; the weather is most stable before ten. On the road, fill up in Mansehra or Chilas and carry cash, because ATMs are unreliable north of Besham. Foreigners should carry passport copies for the KKH checkpoints. And whichever way you come, give yourself the first afternoon in Skardu to do nothing.

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Plan your Skardu trip with us

Download our free Pakistan Trip Planner 2027, which has the flight-or-road decision for every northern destination, month by month, plus packing lists and a realistic budget: get the free guide.

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Ashaad Karim is a local guide with Third Pole Adventures, based in Skardu.