Route guide · updated for 2026
Naran → Skardu
Half of Skardu's road travellers are really doing Naran-plus: Kaghan's meadows one day, Baltistan's moonscape the next, Babusar as the hinge between green and granite. It remains the finest single driving day in the country.
Distance
285 km
Drive time
7–8 h (Babusar season)
Via
Babusar Top → Chilas → Jaglot → Skardu Road
The road, honestly
The classic link between Pakistan's two summer capitals, open only while Babusar is (≈mid-May to late October). Start by 06:00: the pass is calmest and the Skardu road's gorge light is best before late afternoon.
Stops worth the minutes
Lulusar LakeBabusar Top (4,173 m)ChilasThree-ranges point, Jaglot
FAQ
Questions, answered
Is Babusar Top open from Naran?
Seasonally — roughly mid-May to late October, with short weather closures possible any month. It's a morning pass: cross before noon for calm winds and clear tarmac.
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