Your Pakistan. Your Journey.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
Published fares for this route, by vehicle. Your exact pick-up and drop-off set the fixed all-in fare, which you see before you pay. Check that passengers and luggage fit the vehicle; a change to the route, time, stops or vehicle after booking needs an agreed revised fare before travel.
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 is folded into the fixed price you’re shown before you pay.
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.
Enter your exact pickup address and Pakistan-local time to see the fare and book. You pay at secure checkout, and your card is only charged once the vehicle and driver 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. Use these reference options to compare a current offer for your own journey.
| 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 | — | The accepted fare covers the agreed journey and stated inclusions. Once assigned, review the driver photograph and vehicle registration, confirm the meeting instructions, and do not board a different vehicle. Check passenger and luggage fit against the approved vehicle details. |
Comparison reference date: September 1, 2026. These figures are not a current offer. Check the operator’s current fare, timetable, booking requirements and inclusions before travel.
Which vehicle actually fits
These model examples do not confirm the capacity or availability of a particular vehicle. Give the passenger count and the number and size of bags, and check the approved vehicle variation before confirmation.
- 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 For a mountain itinerary, confirm the actual vehicle variation, drivetrain and current route suitability before booking.
- Toyota Land Cruiser 4 to 5 passengers with full luggage Confirm the actual vehicle variation, passenger and luggage fit, and current route suitability before booking.
- 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 For a group journey, confirm the actual vehicle capacity and whether the accepted fare includes tolls.
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 Review the fare or quote Where offered, online fares and written quotes show the journey and vehicle class they cover. Check tolls, waiting time and extras before you confirm.
- 03 Check your confirmed details Keep your booking reference or written quote. Confirm the vehicle, driver where applicable, and pickup or collection instructions before travel.
- 04 You travel Follow the confirmed meeting or collection instructions. Check the vehicle and, where a driver is provided, their identity before starting.
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 is folded into the fixed price you’re shown before you pay.
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, the moment you pay, for the journey as described, with the Rs 400 motorway toll folded into the price.
Tell us the journey and we will price it
Send the route, date, passenger count and luggage details. We will show an available live price or prepare a quote with the vehicle class and terms it assumes. Check the final offer before confirming; if the journey is unavailable, we will tell you.