Lahore travelers have a genuine choice of routes to Skardu, and the right one depends mostly on how much time you have.
Option 1: Fly via Islamabad
Drive or fly Lahore to Islamabad (roughly 4–5 hours by road, or a short domestic flight), then connect onward with a Skardu flight. This is the fastest option overall, though it depends on two separate flight legs lining up, and Skardu flights are weather-dependent.
Option 2: Full overland road trip
Drive the whole way — Lahore to Islamabad on the motorway, then the Karakoram Highway north through Naran/Babusar Pass or via Chilas to Skardu. This is a genuinely scenic option but requires real time: budget around 10 days total for a comfortable Lahore-to-Skardu-and-back road trip.
Option 3: Hybrid
Drive Lahore to Islamabad, then fly onward to Skardu (or vice versa on the return). This is what most of our Lahore-based travelers actually choose — it balances time and cost better than either extreme.
Our recommendation
If you have a week or less, fly at least one leg. If you have 10+ days and want the full Karakoram Highway experience, our 10-Day Skardu Tour from Lahore by Road covers the complete overland route with all the classic KKH stops built in.