There are numerous scenic road trips Pakistan is blessed with! We basically have everything a tourist can want from a country.
We have mountains, beaches, deserts, and rivers. Above all, we have pretty good roads to access them all. That all combines to make road trips one of the best ways of entertainment that you can have in this country. The problem is, where do I go? That’s the question I’ll be answering in this post.
What makes me that much of an expert on the topic? Well, I completed my 4-year degree in 6 years, because I used to go on a lot of TRIPS.
1. Karachi to Gwadar
- Distance = 634 kilometers.
- Road – Coastal Highway, mostly plains
If we start at the very South of the country, the people of Karachi have two options when it comes to road trips. They can either go from Karachi to Khunjerab Pass (which we will be discussing shortly) or they can drive their cars to Gwadar.
The 634km travel from Karachi will take you on the long stretches of the Makran Coastal Highway.
This spectacular highway is the perfect place for an intimate road trip with friends, family, or your significant other.
Driving during the day, you can witness some of the best scenes any highway in Pakistan has to offer. The way the road is carved into the mountains will mesmerize you. The good part is, it won’t end soon, you can enjoy quite a bit of driving on this highway.
In my opinion, though, it is best that you set on this journey a couple of hours before sunset.
By doing that, you can see the sun set behind the mountains and then the stars shining over the highway. The night sky here offers some breathtaking views because there are no big cities near the highway and hence little to no light pollution.
2. Karachi to Khunjerab Pass
- Distance = 2138 kilometers
- Roads Plains and Mountains
If you are in Karachi you can start there but this road trip is valid for anyone living anywhere in Pakistan. Starting in Karachi can give you the chance to see all of Pakistan, almost.
This journey will take you through interior Sindh where you can see the cities like Nawabshah, Sukkur, and Ghotki, leading into Punjab.
In Punjab you can experience everything from the desolate Cholistan Desert to the fertile lands of Central and Upper Punjab before entering KPK.
Continue going north as far as north takes you and you’ll find yourself at Khunjerab Pass, the border between Pakistan and China.
If you want to see everything this route has to offer, you better start after taking a two-week leave.
Islamabad – Murree – Nathia Gali – Islamabad
- Distance = 250 kilometers
- Roads – Hilly
If you are not in for a long trip and want a weekend escape or an all-nighter trip, you better be in Islamabad. Of all the great things this city has to offer, the best thing is that you can go on an awesome road trip without having to drive much. The best one-night or weekend getaway for the people of the twin cities is this:
Get on Murree Expressway, drive straight to Gloria Jeans Lower Toppa, have a cup of coffee, drive to Nathia Gali, stay there for a night or just have a cup of tea, drive to Abbottabad, get on Hazara Expressway, and get back home.
4. Lahore to Multan
Distance = 340 kilometers
Road – Plains
Gone are the days when going from Lahore to Multan used to be a daunting undertaking. With the construction of the Lahore-AbdulHakeem-Multan Motorway, the drive is now one of the most relaxing ones in the country.
If you are in Lahore or Multan and want to drive for the sake of driving, this is one of the best routes for that. You will not see any mountains on the road. This stretch of the motorway is surrounded by plains and lush-green farmlands of the fertile Central and Southern Punjab province.
5. Multan to Fort Munro
Distance = 181 kilometers
Road – Extremely Hilly
For the ones who think hilly terrain and cold season are not a part of the South, Fort Munro is the perfect answer. At just 181 kilometers from Multan, this place has seasons synchronous with Murree. The road, however, is treacherous and extreme caution is advised for drivers.
Hope this has been an entertaining and informative read! So when are you taking these road trips in Pakistan?
