Route guide · updated for 2026
Mansehra → Skardu
Every Skardu road journey passes Mansehra's chowk eventually; starting from it just means you get the mountains an hour after breakfast.
Distance
470 km
Drive time
9.5–11 h
Via
Balakot → Naran → Babusar (seasonal) or Besham KKH
The road, honestly
Mansehra is the true fork in the northern road: left for Besham's all-year KKH, right for Kaghan and the Babusar shortcut. In season, right is shorter, higher and unarguably prettier.
Stops worth the minutes
BalakotNaranBabusar TopChilas
FAQ
Questions, answered
Which route from Mansehra is better?
Babusar (via Naran) when open — shorter and spectacular. Besham's KKH when the pass is shut or weather is uncertain; it's the all-season insurance corridor.
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.
More ways to Skardu: from Islamabad · from Rawalpindi · from Lahore · from Karachi · from Multan · from Faisalabad · Skardu guide