Route guide · updated for 2026
Mardan → Skardu
The Yousafzai plain empties toward Baltistan each Eid week — our Mardan charters carry more dry fruit south on return than luggage north.
Distance
640 km
Drive time
12.5–14 h
Via
M-1 → Hazara Motorway → Besham or Naran → Jaglot
The road, honestly
Mardan reaches the Hazara Motorway inside ninety minutes via the M-1, then chooses Besham (all-year) or Kaghan (seasonal). KP travellers' local knowledge of Besham's rhythms makes the KKH corridor the default.
Stops worth the minutes
Swabi interchangeBesham or NaranChilasJaglot
FAQ
Questions, answered
What's the fastest Mardan to Skardu routing?
Drive to Islamabad (2.5 h) for the morning PIA sector, or take the full road via Besham in 12.5–14 hours. In Babusar season the Naran fork saves an hour and adds the pass.
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