PinPosts

Tag: fuel stops

  • Faisalabad to Naran and Shogran by Road: Route, Tolls, Rest Stops and Timing

    Drove it: May 2026 (own car, daytime) and 2021 (rented Hiace, to Chilas) · Last checked: October 2026

    Almost every route guide to northern Pakistan starts from Islamabad. If you live in Faisalabad or Lahore, you have to reach Islamabad first, and that is where many people lose time. I drove from Faisalabad to Naran and Shogran in May 2026, and in 2021 I drove all the way from Faisalabad to Chilas. This is the route, the tolls, the rest stops and the timing that worked for me.

    Tolls, prices and travel times change, so please check before you go. I say where a figure comes from my own trip and where it comes from a guide or a news report.

    The route at a glance

    1. Faisalabad to Islamabad, through the Islamabad toll.
    2. M-1 towards Hassan Abdal (you join the M-1 after the M-2), through the Hassan Abdal interchange toll.
    3. M-15 (Hazara Motorway) to the Mansehra interchange.
    4. Stay on the M-15 to New Balakot City.
    5. Local roads from there to Naran or Shogran.

    From Faisalabad to Naran or Shogran you need about 12 hours. From Islamabad to Shogran it takes about 6 hours.

    Distances from travel guides, not from my odometer: Islamabad to New Balakot is about 175 km, New Balakot to Naran is about 106 km, and Naran to Babusar Top is about 70 km.

    Tolls

    The tolls I paid were the Islamabad toll and the Hassan Abdal interchange toll. After the Mansehra interchange you are on local roads, with no more tolls.

    Toll rates change often. News reports said that from July 2026 a car pays about PKR 1,430 for the full Lahore to Islamabad M-2 and PKR 700 on the M-1. What you pay depends on where you join and leave. I could not find a current M-15 rate, so check the latest rates before you leave. Sources: Profit and ProPakistani.

    Where to stop

    If you are driving from Faisalabad or Lahore, make your first stop at the Bhera rest area. Skip Islamabad, and stop next at the Mansehra rest area.

    At Mansehra, skip the city. Keep going on the M-15 until you reach New Balakot City. From there you can take the city route, which avoids the traffic in Mansehra city. New Balakot is a newer shortcut, and in my experience few people know about it.

    Balakot city is a good place for a break. There are restaurants all the way where you can get a proper meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner, depending on your travel time.

    Fuel stops

    • Bhera rest area
    • Chakri
    • Islamabad
    • Mansehra interchange
    • Balakot city
    • Naran
    • Gilgit, along the Karakoram Highway, if you go further north

    In May 2026 petrol was about PKR 414 a litre. I spent about PKR 35,000 on fuel for the whole trip, from Faisalabad to every place we visited.

    When to leave

    If you are travelling with family, especially with kids, avoid driving at night. I went with my wife and drove in the daytime the whole way.

    If you are going with friends, leave around 1 AM and you will be at your destination by about 12 PM.

    Nothing went wrong on my 2026 trip. My Toyota Vitz, a small Japanese car, handled the whole route without trouble.

    Mobile signal on this route

    • Shogran: full 4G. The hotel Wi-Fi is on 24 hours, but keep your 4G ready in case the Wi-Fi is slow.
    • Siri and Paye: no cellular service.
    • Batakundi and beyond: no network until you reach Chilas or Jaglot.
    • Fairy Meadows: no cellular service. There is a paid wireless PCO that works for about 2 to 3 hours in the evening. Ask your hotel about it.
    • Hunza: on my trips in 2017 and 2021, only SCOM worked. Coverage changes, so check before you go.

    In 2021 we drove further: Faisalabad to Chilas in 23 hours

    In 2021 my group went from Faisalabad to Islamabad, then took the Hazara Motorway to Mansehra, then Mansehra to Naran, Naran over Babusar to Chilas, and from Chilas on to Fairy Meadows. We drove from Faisalabad to Chilas in about 23 hours of driving, in a rented Hiace. I do not recommend doing that in one go.

    Quick answers

    • How long from Faisalabad to Naran or Shogran? About 12 hours.
    • Which tolls? Islamabad and Hassan Abdal, then the M-15 to Mansehra. Check the current rates.
    • Where should I stop? The Bhera rest area first, then the Mansehra rest area, then Balakot.
    • When should I leave? In the daytime with family. Around 1 AM with friends.
    • Is a small car enough? Yes. My Toyota Vitz had no trouble.

    Related: My May 2026 trip to Shogran and Naran · What a northern Pakistan trip costs · Shogran travel guide

    These figures are approximate and based on my own drives in 2021 and May 2026. Tolls and conditions change, so please check before you travel and read my disclaimer. If you drove it recently and something is different, tell me on the contact page.