What this journey costs
Rs 86,500 to Rs 113,000
- Toyota Fortuner, four-wheel-drive diesel
- Rs 86,500
- Toyota Land Cruiser
- Rs 113,000
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.
There are two ways to reach Skardu and they fail in opposite directions. The flight takes forty-five to fifty-five minutes and is cancelled often. The road takes twelve to sixteen hours in good conditions and always runs. Most people who end up hiring a car with a driver for Skardu do so because the aircraft did not go.
The route from Islamabad or Rawalpindi is 635 to 650 km: the E-35, also designated M-15, Hazara Motorway, then the N-35 Karakoram Highway as far as Jaglot, then east on the S-1 Skardu Road for the final 167 km. Sources disagree about the total time, giving anything from twelve to twenty hours. The honest answer is twelve to sixteen in good conditions, longer in bad, and most drivers split it over two days.
The Skardu Road is not what it was
The Gilgit to Skardu section used to be the worst part of the journey and took around ten hours. It was widened from 3.6 to 7.3 metres at a cost of about Rs 31 billion and inaugurated on 16 December 2021, and the same run is now roughly four hours. That single project is why a road trip to Skardu is a reasonable proposition rather than an ordeal.
It is worth knowing the caveat that came with it: the project omitted certain safety features, and landslide closures on the S-1 remain possible. Faster is not the same as guaranteed, and an itinerary into Baltistan should carry a spare day whichever way you arrive.
What the travel advice says about this road
One section of the route carries a formal advisory and it belongs on this page rather than in the small print. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises against all travel on the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas, naming Battagram, Besham City, Dasu and Sazin. That is precisely the stretch this drive uses between the Hazara Motorway and Chilas. Checked against gov.uk on 3 September 2026.
Gilgit-Baltistan itself is not restricted. Skardu does not appear on the FCDO list of places it advises against travelling to, and neither does Baltistan. The advice concerns one length of highway, not the destination. That distinction gets lost when people read a headline and cancel a trip they could reasonably have taken.
In summer there is a way round it. Leaving the KKH at Mansehra for the N-15 through Balakot and Naran, over the Babusar Pass and back onto the KKH at Chilas, avoids the named section altogether. Babusar sits above 13,000 feet, opened on 25 May for the 2026 season and closes again each winter. Outside that window there is no route to Skardu that avoids the stretch the FCDO names.
What this means in practice depends on your passport. It is not a legal bar, and for Pakistani nationals and residents this is an ordinary domestic road driven every day. If you hold a foreign passport the consequence that actually bites is insurance: most UK travel policies are void against FCDO advice. That is worth settling with your insurer before you book rather than after. We will tell you which road your dates allow, and if we would not run the journey we will say so rather than take the booking.
Why the flight fails
Skardu is a visual-flight-rules airport. There is no instrument landing system, the terrain makes a precision approach impractical, and aircraft fly a narrow valley and a bend to line up with the runway at an elevation of around 7,316 feet. The pilot has to see the runway, so cloud, fog or wind cancels the flight even when Islamabad is perfectly clear.
The seasonal pattern reported by operators is consistent: fewest cancellations in summer, June to August; generally reliable in autumn, September and October; common in spring, March to May; and frequent in winter. There is no credible published cancellation rate and we will not invent one. PIA typically runs two to three services a day in peak season, with Airblue also on the route, and the standard advice from every operator who works the region is to build a buffer day.
The road is the plan that does not get cancelled
If your dates are fixed, book the road as the primary option rather than the fallback. If you fly, hold a road contingency, and tell us when your flight is scheduled so a car can be ready if it does not depart.
Which vehicle, and for how long
Baltistan is 4×4 country. A Toyota Fortuner in 2.8 litre diesel four-wheel-drive form is the standard choice, and a Land Cruiser is the one to take if the itinerary includes Deosai, Shigar, Khaplu or the higher valleys, or if the party wants comfort over two long days. Fuel is a real line item at Rs 343.10 a litre, the rate since the OGRA notification effective 26 August 2026, and a large 4×4 on mountain roads returns roughly five to ten kilometres per litre.
Skardu bookings are almost always multi-day. The usual arrangement is a driver who stays with the vehicle for the whole trip, which matters on roads where local knowledge is the safety margin, and which is exactly what the FCDO recommends for mountainous regions in Pakistan. Tell us the itinerary, not just the arrival, and we will quote the days, the driver’s accommodation and the return together.
For price context, inDrive’s City to City pages recommend about Rs 10,720 from Islamabad and about Rs 10,680 from Rawalpindi, quoting fifteen hours and twenty hours respectively for origins five kilometres apart. That inconsistency is worth noticing: those figures are negotiation starting points for a one-way trip with an unvetted driver, not tariffs.
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
- 635 to 650 km from Islamabad or Rawalpindi
- Drive time
- 12 to 16 hours in good conditions, longer in bad. Most drivers split it over two days
- Road
- E-35 / M-15 Hazara Motorway, then the N-35 Karakoram Highway to Jaglot, then the S-1 Skardu Road
- Gilgit to Skardu
- About 4 hours since the road was widened in December 2021, down from around 10
Skardu airport is a visual-flight-rules airfield at about 7,300 feet with no instrument landing system, so a pilot has to see the runway. Cancellations are frequent in winter, common in spring, and fewest between June and August. The road is the option that does not get cancelled, which is why a flight cancellation is the single most common reason people book a car.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fly, PIA or Airblue | Reported Rs 12,000 - 40,000 | 45 to 55 min | Two to three flights a day in peak season, fewer in winter. Fare range is from a single third-party source and is very wide. Build a buffer day. |
| Bus, NATCO or Silk Route | Rs 5,000 - 10,000 | 18 to 20 h | From Pir Wadhai in Rawalpindi. |
| inDrive City to City | Rs 10,680 - 10,720 | 15 to 20 h | One way, negotiated, unvetted driver. inDrive quotes 15 hours from Islamabad and 20 from Rawalpindi for what is a 5 km difference in origin. |
| iDrive.pk, car with a driver | Rs 86,500 to Rs 113,000 | — | 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 August 31, 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
Is there a travel advisory on the road to Skardu?
Yes, on one section. The FCDO advises against all travel on the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas via Battagram, Besham City, Dasu and Sazin, checked on 3 September 2026. Gilgit-Baltistan and Skardu themselves are not on the FCDO list at all. In summer the Naran and Babusar route avoids the named section; outside that window there is no road to Skardu that does. Most UK travel insurance is void against FCDO advice, so check your policy.
How long is the drive from Islamabad to Skardu?
About 635 to 650 km. Twelve to sixteen hours in good conditions, longer in bad, and most drivers split it over two days.
What is the route?
The E-35, also designated M-15, Hazara Motorway, then the N-35 Karakoram Highway to Jaglot, then east on the S-1 Skardu Road for the final 167 km.
How long is Gilgit to Skardu now?
About four hours. The S-1 was widened from 3.6 to 7.3 metres and inaugurated on 16 December 2021, cutting a journey that previously took around ten hours.
Is the Skardu Road reliable?
It is much better than it was, but the widening project omitted certain safety features and landslide closures remain possible. Carry a spare day in any Baltistan itinerary.
Why are Skardu flights cancelled so often?
Skardu operates under visual flight rules with no instrument landing system. The approach runs through a narrow valley at around 7,316 feet and the pilot must see the runway, so cloud, fog or wind cancels the flight even when the weather in Islamabad is clear.
When are cancellations least likely?
Operators report fewest in summer, June to August, and generally reliable conditions in autumn. Spring cancellations are common and winter ones frequent. There is no published cancellation rate and we will not quote a percentage.
Can you collect us if our flight is cancelled?
That is one of the most common reasons people book this journey. Tell us your scheduled flight when you request the quote so a road plan can be held rather than arranged from scratch at the airport.
What vehicle do you use?
A Toyota Fortuner 2.8 diesel four-wheel-drive for most trips, and a Land Cruiser where the itinerary includes Deosai, Shigar, Khaplu or the higher valleys. The 2.7 petrol Fortuner is two-wheel-drive and is not the same vehicle for this work.
Does the driver stay with us?
Yes. Skardu trips are quoted as multi-day hire with the same driver throughout. UK government advice for Pakistan specifically recommends experienced local drivers in mountainous regions.
Can we go on to Deosai, Shigar, Khaplu or Shangrila?
Yes. These are the usual onward runs and they are best planned as day trips from a Skardu base. Deosai in particular is seasonal and needs the right vehicle.
Is it cheaper to fly and hire a car in Skardu?
Sometimes, and for short trips it can be the better plan. The trade-off is the cancellation risk. If your dates are fixed, the road is the option that always works.
Is the quote fixed for a multi-day trip?
Yes, once quoted and accepted, covering the itinerary as described including the driver’s accommodation and duty arrangements. Any change to the itinerary is requoted first.
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.