Islamabad → Skardu
This is Pakistan's great road trip: motorway to alpine Kaghan by lunch, a 4,000-metre pass at tea, and the Indus gorge's raw geology until Skardu's poplars announce the valley. SafarGB runs it with a lead Prado, a support vehicle and no schedule anxiety.
Left-side seats northbound face Nanga Parbat. Morning flights have the best weather completion rate.
Two corridors: the Babusar route (May–October) is shorter and spectacular but crosses a 4,173 m pass that closes with the first snows; the Karakoram Highway via Besham runs all year but adds 2–3 hours. The final 170 km on the Jaglot–Skardu road is now fully carpeted — what took 7 hours a decade ago takes under 4.
Questions, answered
Is the Islamabad to Skardu road open right now?
The KKH corridor operates all year, weather events aside. Babusar opens roughly mid-May and closes with the first serious snow, typically late October — our concierge confirms same-day status before every departure.
Should I fly or drive?
Fly one way at minimum for the Nanga Parbat window; drive the other if you have a spare day — Babusar is a destination in itself. Weather cancels a minority of flights, so we always hold a road fallback for fixed-date trips.
Skip the logistics. Keep the scenery.
Private convoys on this corridor with photo-stop discipline, or the full journey folded into a SafarGB itinerary at Skardu.