Alpha Car Rentals

Northern Areas Tour Car Rental with a Professional Driver

Rent one car and one professional driver for your whole northern areas tour, from the first pickup to the last drop-off. Begin in Islamabad or Lahore, or have the car and driver sent to your door in Karachi or any other city. Trips run from a long weekend in Naran to a week in Hunza or ten days that take in Skardu.

Northern roads and passes as of 4 October 2026

Last checked

Babusar Top
Open since 25 May 2026; the first snow of the season fell on 5 September and traffic kept moving. Crossings are planned in daylight.
Kaghan road to Naran
Reopened in April 2026; every Naran and Kaghan road was listed open on the KP road card of 27 September 2026.
Karakoram Highway
Open all year as the main road north, with slower dam-construction diversions between Besham and Chilas.
Jaglot-Skardu road
The rebuilt 167 km road from the KKH near Jaglot follows the Indus gorge; a Skardu tour company listed it open on 3 October 2026.
Deosai
Open since 10 June 2026 and expected to close around the last week of October. The unpaved road needs a proper 4x4; visitors go up by jeep from Skardu and pay the park fee in cash.
Khunjerab Pass
Open for trade and travel all year since December 2024.

Rent a car in Islamabad for the northern areas

Your driver meets the flight at Islamabad International Airport or collects you from your address in any sector. Three roads fan out from Islamabad. The Hazara Motorway (M-15) runs through Haripur and Abbottabad to Mansehra, the turning for Balakot and Naran. Beyond Mansehra it meets the Karakoram Highway at Thakot, the road to Besham, Chilas, Gilgit and Hunza, with the Skardu turning at Jaglot. The M-1 leads west to the Swat Motorway for Mingora, Malam Jabba and Kalam, and the Murree Expressway climbs to Murree and the Galyat.

Rent a car from Lahore to the northern areas

From Lahore the trip starts with 375 km of the M-2 to Islamabad, usually four to five hours. Some families sleep in the capital on the first night; others leave at first light and push on to Abbottabad or Mansehra. The M-2 adds a day at each end, so Gilgit and Hunza are generally a seven- to ten-day trip from Lahore. Your driver collects you from home or Allama Iqbal International Airport and brings you back to your door. On the way home, the Khewra Salt Mine is about 30 km off the M-2 at the Lilla interchange. Ask us about its visiting days.

Northern areas tour from Karachi and other cities

From Karachi there are two ways to do the north. Fly to Islamabad and meet your car and driver at arrivals. Or go all the way by road from your door: roughly 1,400 km and 16 to 20 hours to Islamabad, two long days each way. The same choice applies in Multan, Faisalabad, Hyderabad or Sukkur, and we will quote both. From Peshawar, the Swat and Hazara motorways both leave the M-1 before Islamabad, so there is no detour through the capital.

Which car for the northern roads: Prado, Land Cruiser, Grand Cabin or Coaster

For the high passes, the Jaglot-Skardu road and the last climb to Kalam, we suggest a Toyota Prado (six passengers) or a Land Cruiser (seven). Groups can ask about a Toyota Grand Cabin or Toyota Coaster 4C, with the passenger layout and luggage confirmed.

When to go: the pass and season calendar

Babusar Top is usually open from late May to November. For Naran and Babusar, June and September, either side of the July and August crowds, are often named the best months. July and August bring the monsoon: rain can hold up the roads to Gilgit-Baltistan, though they are usually cleared within a day or two. Keep a spare day on longer trips; if a stretch needs time, your driver re-plans the order of days with you.

How many days each northern trip takes

Times are one-way from Islamabad and vary with traffic and weather. Murree is about 64 km, under an hour and a half in light traffic, for a day trip or a night or two. Naran is 280 to 285 km, six to eight hours with stops. Two or three days cover the valley, and three leave room for Babusar Top. Kalam is 320 to 330 km, six to eight hours, and Swat trips run from three days to a week. Hunza is about 630 km over Babusar (13 to 15 hours, summer only) or about 700 km on the Karakoram Highway through Besham (15 to 18 hours). The drive is split with a night in Naran or Besham, so allow at least five days. Skardu is about 630 to 720 km, with published times of 12 to 24 hours, usually broken at Chilas. Allow five to eight days; nearer eight leaves time for Shigar and Khaplu.

Which car for which northern road: our usual suggestion, confirmed for your route and month

Motorway days between Lahore, Islamabad and PeshawarToyota Corolla GLi / XLi, Corolla Altis Grande or Honda Civic4 passengers + driverComfort for four on long motorway days; for hill roads, confirmed for your route and month
Kaghan road to Naran, in its open seasonConfirmed for your dates; a Toyota Prado if Babusar Top is on the plan4 or 6 passengers + driverWhether a sedan suits depends on route and month; a 4x4 for the climb to the 4,173 m pass
Karakoram Highway to Gilgit and HunzaConfirmed for your route and month; a Toyota Prado for more luggage and ground clearance4 or 6 passengers + driverThe sealed all-weather road north
Babusar Top and the Khunjerab PassToyota Prado or Toyota Land Cruiser6 or 7 passengers + driverHigh passes where snow can lie at the roadside well into summer
Jaglot-Skardu road, Shigar and KhapluToyota Prado or Toyota Land Cruiser6 or 7 passengers + driverA long mountain road beside the Indus
Swat to Kalam, above BahrainToyota Prado or Toyota Land Cruiser6 or 7 passengers + driverThe last stretch narrows and is under repair most seasons
Any main route, eight or more peopleToyota Grand Cabin or Toyota CoasterGrand Cabin: 14 seats; Coaster 4C: 22 seats; confirm layoutsOne vehicle for the whole group and its bags; ask about passes
Lake Saiful Muluk, the Fairy Meadows track, DeosaiA local jeepVaries by jeepJeep or 4x4 tracks

Sample itineraries

From Islamabad

Seven days in summer, while Babusar is open: up through Naran, over the pass to Hunza and back down the Karakoram Highway. A sample plan; your driver adjusts it to the road and the weather.

  1. Day 1: Islamabad to Naran

    Pickup at the airport or your door, then the Hazara Motorway to Mansehra and the Kaghan road through Balakot. Six to eight hours with stops; night in Naran.

  2. Day 2: Lake Saiful Muluk by local jeep

    Jeeps for the lake leave from Naran town, and the afternoon is free in the valley or the bazaar. Night in Naran.

  3. Day 3: Over Babusar Top to Hunza

    An early start over the pass, down to Chilas and north on the Karakoram Highway past Gilgit to Karimabad. A long day, which is why we suggest a Prado or Land Cruiser for this loop; night in Hunza.

  4. Day 4: Karimabad, Baltit and Altit

    The Baltit and Altit forts and the Karimabad bazaar, a short driving day after the pass. Night in Hunza.

  5. Day 5: Attabad Lake, Passu and Khunjerab

    North past Attabad Lake to the Passu Cones, and on to the Khunjerab Pass if the weather and the road allow. Night in Hunza or Passu.

  6. Day 6: Hunza to Besham

    Back down the Karakoram Highway through Gilgit, Chilas and Kohistan, the longest day of the trip. Night in Besham.

  7. Day 7: Besham to Islamabad

    Thakot and the Hazara Motorway, then drop-off at your door or the airport.

From Lahore

Nine days: the same loop, with the M-2 at each end.

  1. Day 1: Lahore to Islamabad

    Pickup at home or Allama Iqbal International Airport, then four to five hours on the M-2. Evening at the Faisal Mosque if time allows; night in Islamabad.

  2. Days 2 to 8: Naran, Babusar Top and Hunza

    The seven-day Islamabad loop, with the last night back in Islamabad.

  3. Day 9: Islamabad to Lahore

    Back down the M-2 to your door in Lahore.

Cars for the trip

See the full fleet

Questions people ask

Can I rent a car in Islamabad for the northern areas and keep it for the whole tour?

Yes, for the whole trip. Between the long drives, the car and driver are also yours for local outings around Hunza, Naran or Skardu.

Can a sedan such as a Corolla or Civic go to Hunza?

It depends on the route and the month more than on the car. Send us the road, the month and how many passengers and bags. We tell you whether a Corolla or Civic suits or the trip needs a Prado.

How do we reach Lake Saiful Muluk and Fairy Meadows?

By local jeep. Jeeps for Lake Saiful Muluk leave from Naran town. For Fairy Meadows, local drivers take the 15 km gravel road from Raikot Bridge to Tato. From there it is a walk of three to four hours.

Is the driver's food and accommodation included?

Yes. Your quote includes the driver's meals and his room in the town where you stop each night. There is nothing to settle with him along the way.

How is the price of a northern tour worked out?

From the route, the number of days and the car, as one quote for the whole trip. Fuel and parking are listed in it, along with how any local jeep days are handled. Motorway tolls are extra.

How do we pay, and what if plans change?

By cash, bank transfer, or card or online payment, and a company can be billed on a monthly invoice. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before pickup.

What happens if the car breaks down on the Karakoram Highway?

We send another car. On a remote stretch of the KKH, in Kohistan or above Gilgit, it takes longer to arrive.

Do foreign visitors need permission to tour the northern areas?

Mostly no: a no-objection certificate is needed only near the borders and the Line of Control. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also asks foreign visitors to register online before Swat, Upper Dir or Chitral. Police may assign an escort in Swat or on the way to Fairy Meadows, and checkpoints may keep a passport copy, so bring 10 to 15.

Can we visit the Khunjerab Pass in winter?

Yes, on days the weather allows. In deep winter the snow at 4,693 metres decides whether the drive up from Hunza is possible, so we keep another valley outing ready.

Book your car

Send your dates, group size, starting city and the places on your list to WhatsApp +92 311 2847167. We reply with the car we would choose for those roads, an outline of the days and a quote.

Book nowWhatsApp +92 311 2847167

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