Route guide · updated for 2026
Murree → Skardu
Pakistan's old summer capital sends its overflow to the new one: when Murree's ceiling of 2,300 m stops impressing, Skardu's 8,000 m skyline is the honest upgrade.
Distance
570 km
Drive time
12–13 h
Via
Down to Islamabad → Hazara Motorway → Babusar or KKH
The road, honestly
Murree's altitude is a false start — you descend to Islamabad before the real climb north begins. Treat it as the ISB route plus ninety minutes of hill descent, and leave the Mall's traffic before eight.
Stops worth the minutes
IslamabadNaran or BeshamBabusar TopJaglot
FAQ
Questions, answered
Is Skardu better than Murree for summer?
Different leagues: Murree is a weekend hill station; Skardu is high-altitude expedition country with deserts, fort residences and K2's approach. Once travellers make the jump they rarely reverse it.
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