Islamabad to Naran

Of all the northern trips you can run from the capital, Islamabad to Naran is the most forgiving. Naran town is fully drivable, the lower road is a proper motorway, and you can be standing beside an alpine lake the day after you decide to go. It is the trip we suggest most often to families and first-timers. That said, the headline sights — the lake, the pass — still need a 4x4 and a bit of weather luck, so here is how a Naran trip really comes together.

The drive up the Kaghan Valley

Islamabad to Naran is roughly 270 km and takes 6-8 hours. The first half is the easy part: the Hazara Motorway (E-35) runs smoothly past Abbottabad and Mansehra up to Balakot. From Balakot the character changes completely — you leave the motorway and start climbing the Kaghan Valley alongside the Kunhar River through Kaghan village and up to Naran. This upper stretch is scenic but slow, with rough patches, narrow sections and, on summer weekends, real traffic near Naran. Do not judge the time by the distance; the last 70-odd km can take as long as the first 200.

Lake Saif-ul-Malook

Lake Saif-ul-Malook is the reason most people come, and it deserves the reputation — a glacial lake ringed by peaks, with Malika Parbat reflected in it on a still morning. It sits about 8-9 km above Naran, and the honest truth about getting there is that the track is rough. A local 4x4 jeep takes roughly an hour each way over rocky, often muddy ground; an ordinary car will not make it. Go early. By late morning the jeep queue builds and the lakeshore fills with day visitors. We include the jeep transfer and time it for the quieter hours where we can.

Babusar Top & beyond

Above Naran the road climbs to Babusar Top at 4,173 m, the high pass that links the Kaghan Valley to the Karakoram Highway and Gilgit-Baltistan. On a clear summer day it is one of the most rewarding drives in the country, with views back over the whole valley. The key word is summer: Babusar is only open roughly late June to September and closes the moment early snow arrives, sometimes with little notice. On the way up you pass Lulusar Lake, the largest natural lake in the Kaghan Valley and the source of the Kunhar River. We treat Babusar as a weather-dependent day and always have a backup plan ready if the pass is shut.

Siri Paye, Shogran & Lalazar

Naran works well as a base for shorter excursions that do not depend on Babusar being open:

• Siri Paye & Shogran: a green high meadow reached by jeep from Kiwai/Shogran, lower down the valley — often combined with the drive in or out.
• Lalazar: a meadow plateau above Battakundi, a rough jeep track but a quieter alternative to the lake crowds.
• Lulusar Lake: easily folded into the Babusar day since it sits on the same road.

Where to stay in Naran

Unlike a place such as Fairy Meadows, Naran town has a full range of real hotels — from basic guesthouses to comfortable mid-range and a few higher-end properties — plus restaurants, shops and mobile signal. That is a big part of why it suits families and nervous first-time mountain travellers. In peak July-August the better hotels book out, so we reserve ahead. Battakundi and Shogran are quieter alternatives a short drive from Naran if you want to avoid the bazaar bustle.

Cost breakdown (2026)

Indicative per-person ranges for a group trip from Islamabad. Final pricing depends on group size, season and hotel standard; every quote comes with a clear inclusions list.

Islamabad-Naran road transport (return): PKR 9,000-16,000.
Saif-ul-Malook jeep transfer (return, shared): PKR 1,500-3,000.
Babusar Top / Lulusar jeep day (optional): PKR 3,000-6,000.
Naran hotel (per night, mid-range): PKR 6,000-15,000 per room.
Complete 4-day Islamabad-Naran package from: around PKR 28,000-40,000.

Best time to go

The valley opens roughly May to September. May and early June can still have snow around Saif-ul-Malook and Babusar is likely shut. July and August are the lushest and busiest — book hotels early. September is excellent: green, cooler and quieter, though Babusar can close on the first cold snap. The Babusar road is the variable to watch; the rest of the Naran trip runs reliably across the season.

Sample itinerary

• Day 1: Drive Islamabad to Naran via the Hazara Motorway and Balakot, evening in Naran.
• Day 2: Early 4x4 jeep to Lake Saif-ul-Malook, afternoon around Naran or Lalazar.
• Day 3: Full day to Babusar Top and Lulusar Lake (weather permitting), back to Naran.
• Day 4: Siri Paye / Shogran en route, drive back to Islamabad.

Islamabad to Naran is the gentlest way to get properly into the mountains from the capital — a real alpine valley you can reach in a single drivable day, with the lake and the pass as its rewards. For a fully arranged trip see our Naran Kaghan packages or send us your dates and group size and we will tailor it, Babusar included when the road allows.