What this journey costs
Rs 13,000 to Rs 34,000
- Toyota Yaris or Corolla
- Rs 13,000
- Honda BR-V
- Rs 14,000
- Toyota Hiace Grand Cabin
- Rs 34,000
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.
Murree is 64 km from Islamabad and about an hour and a half away, right up until it is not. The Murree Expressway, the four-lane E-75 that opened on 30 August 2011, made the hill station a straightforward afternoon trip for most of the year. The N-75 is the older route, 90 km from Islamabad through Murree to Kohala, and it is still the road you end up on when the expressway is restricted.
For roughly nine months of the year this is one of the easiest journeys in the country. For the other three it is the single Pakistani road on which planning matters most, and no honest page about it can lead with the ninety-minute figure alone.
The winter position, stated plainly
The official snow season runs from 15 December to 25 February. For the 2025-26 season the authorities published a set of rules that tell you a great deal about what to expect: no parking on the approach roads, on Mall Road or in the markets, with illegally parked vehicles sealed; entry via the motorway and the GT Road capped and temporarily shut altogether once Murree reaches capacity; unrestricted entry retained for holders of local identity cards; metal snow chains advised; twenty snow-clearing vehicles on three shifts; and nineteen facilitation centres open from 15 December. There was also an explicit official warning against running gas heaters inside vehicles, because of the suffocation risk.
That last instruction is not theoretical. In January 2022 twenty-two people died in cars stranded in snow above Murree and the town was declared calamity-hit. More recently, the Murree Expressway was closed outright to traffic after heavy snowfall on 1 January 2026. A journey that takes an hour and a half in October can take three to five hours in January, or not be possible at all.
What we will and will not do in snow
If the road is capped or closed, or if the vehicle you have booked is not appropriate for the conditions on the day, we will say so and we will not send it. We would rather lose the booking than put a driver and a family into a queue on a mountain road in the dark. Between mid-December and late February, ask us about conditions before you commit to a plan that depends on arriving.
The vehicle matters more here than anywhere else
On the M-2 almost anything with four wheels will do. On the Murree road it will not. A 658 cc Suzuki Alto is a perfectly good city car and it is the wrong car for this gradient with four adults and luggage in it. The sensible floor for Murree is a full-size sedan such as a Corolla; for winter running, or for a family with bags, a higher vehicle with proper ground clearance is the better answer. If you are asking us to price this journey in January, expect us to quote a vehicle class rather than the cheapest one available.
Hill journeys need a vehicle suitable for the actual route and load. Compare the accepted fare and inclusions for your journey rather than a headline starting price.
Where people actually go
Most requests are not simply “Murree”. They are Mall Road for the afternoon, or Patriata for the chairlift, or Bhurban for a hotel, or a continuation to Nathia Gali and the Galiyat, and each of those changes the road time by a meaningful amount. Nathia Gali in particular is a further run beyond Murree on mountain road, not a short hop. Give us the actual destination and whether the car waits or returns, because a car that waits four hours at Patriata and a car that drops and leaves are two different journeys.
For price context, inDrive’s City to City page recommends about Rs 1,800 for Islamabad to Murree. Check the current offer, driver and vehicle details, and whether a return is included. Compare the complete itinerary and vehicle suitability rather than the starting figure alone.
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
- 64 km
- Drive time
- About 1 hour 30 minutes in clear conditions
- Road
- Islamabad Expressway, then the E-75 Murree Expressway
- In winter
- Three to five hours, or closed outright
Murree runs an official snow season from 15 December to 25 February. Entry over the motorway and GT Road is capped and shut once the town reaches capacity, parking on Mall Road and the approach roads is prohibited, and snow chains are advised. The Murree Expressway was closed outright after heavy snowfall on 1 January 2026.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus, Daewoo or Faisal Movers | Rs 500 - 720 | About 2 h | Third-party fare lists, not operator sites. Drops at the terminal, not your hotel. |
| inDrive City to City | Rs 1,800 | About 1 h 30 m | One way. Snow-season capacity closures apply to every vehicle equally. |
| iDrive.pk, car with a driver | Rs 13,000 to Rs 34,000 | — | 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: August 31, 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 to Murree?
About an hour and a half for 64 km in normal conditions, on the Islamabad Expressway and then the E-75 Murree Expressway. In snow it can be three to five hours or more, and the road is sometimes closed altogether.
When is the snow season?
Officially 15 December to 25 February. Restrictions published for the 2025-26 season included parking bans on the approach roads and Mall Road, and entry being capped or temporarily shut once the town reaches capacity.
Can Murree be closed to visitors?
Yes. Access via the motorway and the GT Road is capped and can be shut temporarily once Murree is full, with unrestricted entry kept for local identity card holders. The Murree Expressway itself was closed to traffic after heavy snowfall on 1 January 2026.
Do I need snow chains?
The published advisory for the 2025-26 season recommended metal snow chains. If you are travelling in the snow season, raise it with us when you request the journey so the vehicle is equipped rather than assumed to be.
Is a small car enough for Murree?
No. A 658 cc city car is underpowered for the gradient with a full load, and we do not offer it for this route. A full-size sedan is the sensible floor, and in winter or with a family and luggage a higher vehicle with proper ground clearance is better.
Can the driver wait while we spend the day there?
Yes. Tell us roughly how long, because a waiting car and a car that drops and leaves are priced differently and planned differently.
Can we go on to Nathia Gali or the Galiyat?
Yes, but treat it as a separate leg rather than a short extension. It is a further mountain run beyond Murree and it changes both the timing and the vehicle choice.
Can we stop at Patriata or Bhurban?
Yes. Add the stops to the request so the route and the waiting time are priced in from the start.
Is the older N-75 an alternative?
It is the road you end up on when the expressway is restricted. It runs 90 km from Islamabad through Murree to Kohala and it is slower, so it is a fallback rather than a preference.
What happens if the weather turns while we are there?
The driver stays in contact and we will tell you honestly if the descent should be brought forward. On this road that judgement is the service.
Is it safe to run a heater in the car if we are stuck?
Not a gas heater. The official advisory for Murree warns against using gas heaters inside vehicles because of the suffocation risk. This is a direct response to people having died in stranded cars here.
Will the price change if the journey takes longer than expected?
The accepted fare covers the agreed journey and the inclusions stated in your booking or written quote. Changes to the route, time, stops or vehicle require an agreed revised fare before travel.
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.
