What this journey costs
Rs 12,000 to Rs 50,500
- Toyota Yaris or Corolla
- Rs 12,000
- Honda BR-V
- Rs 14,000
- Toyota Hiace Grand Cabin
- Rs 28,000
- Toyota Land Cruiser
- Rs 50,500
Indicative only. The figure we quote for your journey is the one that counts, and once quoted it does not change. What moves a price: the exact addresses at each end, the vehicle the party and luggage actually need, whether the car waits or returns empty, and the motorway toll where one applies.
This is the one journey on the northern corridor that has genuinely been transformed by road building, and the one where we can quote a toll with a date on it. From Islamabad International the route runs on the M-1 to Exit 10, where the M-15 Hazara Motorway branches off and carries you almost the whole way.
The Hazara Motorway is 180 km end to end, from the Burhan interchange near Hasan Abdal through Haripur, Havelian, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Shinkiari and Battagram to Thakot. The section serving Abbottabad opened on 5 January 2020. Before it existed, this was a long day on the old Karakoram Highway.
What it costs and what it passes through
The toll is Rs 400 for a car on the E-35 Hassanabdal to Havelian to Mansehra section, effective 10 July 2026, issued by the National Highway Authority’s Finance Wing. An articulated truck pays Rs 1,750 on the same road. That is a published, dated rate and it appears on your quote as a line item.
The motorway carries five tunnels: two at Abbottabad and one each at Battal, Karmong and Mansehra. The Shimla Hill tunnel runs 1.75 km and the Lassan Nawab tunnel 2.75 km. If you have driven this route before 2020 you will not recognise it.
On distance the sources disagree and we will not pretend otherwise. Wikipedia places Abbottabad about 120 km north of the Islamabad–Rawalpindi area; a routing site gives about 99 km from the airport specifically, with roughly one hour twenty minutes of driving. The airport sits southwest of Islamabad, so an airport-origin figure and a city-origin figure are not the same journey.
The bit the motorway does not solve
Abbottabad city is not directly on the motorway. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has proposed building an interchange via a tunnel at Sherwan to connect the city, Mansehra and Nathia Gali properly; at present the approach concludes at Peshawar Morr, and that last stretch is where the traffic sits. Budget for it rather than assuming the motorway delivers you to the door.
Abbottabad itself is at about 1,256 metres, which is why people come. Nathia Gali is around 38 km away, Thandiani about 30 km east, and the Pakistan Military Academy at Kakul roughly 8 km northeast. Havelian, about 16 km south, is the nearest railhead.
Travel advice, because people ask
Abbottabad and Mansehra are not named in the UK Foreign Office’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa restrictions, and neither is Haripur or the Hazara division generally. Checked against gov.uk on 1 September 2026. That matters, because the same province contains Peshawar and Swat, which carry advice against all travel, and Mardan, Nowshera, Malakand, Shangla and Swabi, which carry advice against all but essential travel. Hazara is the part of KP that the advisory does not reach, and the Hazara Motorway does not pass through any of the restricted districts.
We would rather set that out precisely than let you assume the whole province is one thing. If your journey continues north of Mansehra towards Besham, Chilas or Gilgit, that is a different road with different risks, and we will describe those separately.
Winter and the hill roads
The motorway to Abbottabad is an all-weather road. The roads above it are not: Nathia Gali, Thandiani and the Galiyat generally take snow, and the vehicle that is right for the motorway is not always right for the hill. If your destination is above Abbottabad in winter, say so and we will match the car to the road rather than to the price.
Tell us the journey and we will price it. A submitted request is not a booking until availability, price and terms are confirmed.
The journey in figures
- Distance
- A routing site gives about 99 km from the airport. Wikipedia places Abbottabad about 120 km north of the Islamabad-Rawalpindi area
- Road
- M-1 to Exit 10, then the M-15 Hazara Motorway
- Motorway toll
- Rs 400 for a car on the E-35 Hassanabdal to Havelian to Mansehra section
- Tunnels
- Five on the Hazara Motorway. Shimla Hill runs 1.75 km and Lassan Nawab 2.75 km
- Elevation
- About 1,256 m, which is why people come
- UK travel advice
- Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur and the Hazara division are NOT named in the FCDO restrictions, checked 1 September 2026
National Highway Authority rate, effective 10 July 2026. An articulated truck pays Rs 1,750 on the same road.
Every way of making this journey
We are one row in this table, and not the cheapest one. Here is what the alternatives actually cost and what each of them asks of you.
| Option | Typical cost | Time | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train | — | — | Havelian, about 16 km south of Abbottabad, is the nearest railhead. A connection rather than a transfer. |
| The old Karakoram Highway | — | — | The pre-2020 route. Slower, and there is no reason to take it now the motorway is open. |
| Onward to the Galiyat | — | — | Nathia Gali about 38 km, Thandiani about 30 km east. Hill roads that take snow; the vehicle choice changes. |
| iDrive.pk, car with a driver | Rs 12,000 to Rs 50,500 | — | A fixed price once quoted, a vetted driver whose photo and vehicle registration you see before the journey, and a car sized to your party and luggage. Booked before you travel, so it does not depend on having a local SIM when you land. |
Costs for other operators checked on September 1, 2026 and published from their own booking systems, official notices or named third-party sources. Fuel in Pakistan moved from Rs 264.61 a litre in September 2025 to Rs 343.10 by August 2026, so fares here move quickly. Treat these as a guide and confirm with the operator.
Which vehicle actually fits
Seat counts are the manufacturer figures. The passenger and luggage numbers beside them are what the vehicle carries in practice, with the cases people really travel with. If your party is near the limit, tell us the number of bags rather than the number of people, because that is what decides it.
- Suzuki WagonR 3 passengers, 2 cases Short city transfers on a budget. The tall boot helps more than the engine does.
- Toyota Yaris or Corolla 3 to 4 passengers, 2 to 3 large cases The workhorse. City work, airport transfers and the motorway run between Lahore and Islamabad.
- Honda BR-V 5 passengers with luggage, or 7 with almost none Family airport transfers on paved routes. The third row eats the boot, so it suits children or short hops rather than seven adults with cases. Not a mountain vehicle.
- Toyota Fortuner 5 passengers with full luggage, 7 travelling light Rough road and mountain work: Skardu, Hunza, Naran, Babusar. Ask for the diesel four-wheel-drive, because the petrol version is two-wheel-drive.
- Toyota Land Cruiser 4 to 5 passengers with full luggage Protocol and expedition work, and a genuine choice for Skardu and Deosai. It returns 5 to 10 km a litre, which at Rs 343 a litre is the honest reason it costs what it costs.
- Toyota Hiace Grand Cabin 13 passengers plus the driver The group and family vehicle. Gulf arrivals into Sialkot and Peshawar with heavy luggage, tour groups, weddings, long intercity runs.
- Toyota Coaster 25 to 29 passengers with hold luggage Large groups, corporate shuttles and pilgrimage travel. Worth knowing that the motorway toll alone is Rs 3,350 each way against Rs 1,430 for a car.
How booking works
- 01 Tell us the journey Where from, where to, when, how many of you and how much luggage. Precise addresses matter more than you would think, because a Rawalpindi address and an Islamabad address twenty minutes apart are very different journeys.
- 02 We quote a fixed price One figure for the whole journey, with the vehicle class it assumes. If a motorway toll or a waiting period is part of it, you see that too.
- 03 You see the driver and the car Before the journey you get the driver photograph and the vehicle registration, so you know exactly who and what you are looking for.
- 04 You travel At an airport your driver waits inside arrivals with a name sign. Check the photograph and the registration plate against what we sent you before you get in.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Islamabad airport to Abbottabad?
A routing site gives roughly one hour twenty minutes for about 99 km from the airport. Wikipedia separately places Abbottabad around 120 km north of the Islamabad–Rawalpindi area. The airport is southwest of the city, so airport and city figures are not the same journey.
What route does it take?
The M-1 from the airport to Exit 10, then the M-15 Hazara Motorway. The Hazara Motorway runs 180 km from the Burhan interchange near Hasan Abdal to Thakot, and the Abbottabad section opened on 5 January 2020.
What is the toll?
Rs 400 for a car on the E-35 Hassanabdal to Havelian to Mansehra section, effective 10 July 2026 under the National Highway Authority. An articulated truck pays Rs 1,750. It appears on your quote as a stated line item.
Does the motorway go into Abbottabad city?
No. Abbottabad city is not directly on the motorway and the approach concludes at Peshawar Morr. A tunnel interchange at Sherwan has been proposed to connect the city properly. Allow for that last stretch in your timings.
Is there a UK travel advisory for Abbottabad?
No. Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur and the Hazara division are not named in the FCDO’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa restrictions, checked 1 September 2026. Peshawar and Swat in the same province carry advice against all travel, and Mardan, Nowshera, Malakand, Shangla and Swabi against all but essential travel. The Hazara Motorway does not pass through any restricted district.
Can you take us on to Nathia Gali or the Galiyat?
Yes. Nathia Gali is around 38 km from Abbottabad and Thandiani about 30 km east. These are hill roads rather than motorway, they take snow in winter, and the vehicle choice changes.
Can you continue to Naran, Besham or Gilgit?
Yes, but treat those as separate legs. North of Mansehra you are on the Karakoram Highway, where landslides rather than traffic are the standing risk, and the itinerary needs slack.
Is there a train?
Havelian, about 16 km south of Abbottabad, is the nearest railhead. It is a connection rather than a way of covering the transfer itself.
How many tunnels are on the route?
Five on the Hazara Motorway: two at Abbottabad and one each at Battal, Karmong and Mansehra. The Shimla Hill tunnel is 1.75 km and the Lassan Nawab tunnel 2.75 km.
Can you meet an early morning arrival?
Yes. Send the flight number and scheduled arrival time and the driver will be inside arrivals with your name.
What vehicle suits a family with luggage?
Tell us the number of cases. The motorway takes anything; the hill roads above Abbottabad do not, so if your destination is in the Galiyat we will recommend accordingly.
Is the price fixed?
Yes, once quoted and accepted, for the journey as described, with the Rs 400 motorway toll shown as a line item.
Tell us the journey and we will price it
Send the route, the date, the number of travelling and how many cases you have. You will get one price for the whole journey and the vehicle class it assumes. If we cannot cover it properly we will say so rather than take the booking.