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HomeRoad TripsAsiaEast AsiaChinaEpic Karakoram Highway
Karakoram

Epic Karakoram Highway

Kashgar - Taxkorgan - Khunjerab Pass - Gilgit - Jalkhad - Mansehra - Islamabad

Expect on your itinerary

Landscape Landscape
Road conditions Road conditions
Benefit-stress ratio Benefit-stress ratio
Culture Culture
Historical sites Historical sites
Security Security
Wildlife Wildlife
Urban life Urban life
Epic Karakoram Highway ACTIVATE MAP Stages6 km1,176 h/stage3.0

Best months to drive

I II III IV V VI
VII VIII IX X XI XII

Road Trip Costs

How much does it cost to go on a Epic Karakoram Highway in China?

Economy
Low budget options by car rental, accommodation and catering. In- and Out-bound travel expenses are not included.
rent & more 900EUR drive & more 138EUR sleep & more 231EUR eat & more 216EUR Total (est. for 2 prs.) 585EUR Total (est. for 2 prs.) incl. rented car 1,485EUR
Standard
Mid budget options by car rental, accommodation and catering. In- and Out-bound travel expenses are not included.
rent & more 2,700EUR drive & more 175EUR sleep & more 396EUR eat & more 288EUR Total (est. for 2 prs.) 859EUR Total (est. for 2 prs.) incl. rented car 3,559EUR
Premium
High budget options by car rental, accommodation and catering. In- and Out-bound travel expenses are not included.
rent & more 3,780EUR drive & more 225EUR sleep & more 858EUR eat & more 432EUR Total (est. for 2 prs.) 1,515EUR Total (est. for 2 prs.) incl. rented car 5,295EUR
Camper
On the road in RV, overnight at camp grounds with self-catering. In- and Out-bound travel expenses are not included.
rent & more 1,350EUR drive & more 263EUR sleep & more 165EUR eat & more 216EUR Total (est. for 2 prs.) 644EUR Total (est. for 2 prs.) incl. rented car 1,994EUR
Car rental Book hotel Flights

Epic Karakoram Highway Road Trip Itinerary

Epic Karakoram Highway is a superb way to explore this beautiful part of China. Our excursion will be suitable for target_traveller]. Kashgar, Khunjerab Pass, and Gilgit are places that you will be passing while behind the wheel. In spite of the fact that the recommended number of days for this trip is 6, you can also complete it in 4. There is also an option to extend your excursion, especially if you are delighted with the picturesqueness of the region. The average time that you will spend on the road daily is 3.0 hours, and drivers have more or less 1,176km to cover. Sit comfortably in the driver’s seat and let’s hit the road!
number of days 6 number of days
route length 1,176 km route length
budget moderate budget
good for explorer good for
traffic direction on the right traffic direction
accident level high accident level
Nature fans will be surely interested in the splendid nature that can be admired on Epic Karakoram Highway. Tourists who seek a stress-free experience will be pleased with our road trip. If tourists are searching for comfortable places to sleep, the hotels on the way do not offer top-notch comfort, yet they still are value for money. Despite the fact that the road trip is characterised by a lower security level in comparison to other road trips, staying careful while on the road will increase the security of you and your passengers. Thanks to a small number of amenities, the whole road trip is quite budget-friendly. In China, there is a high number of accidents and you move on the right. The months between May and October are consider for travelling in the region.

START Kashgar

Distance 1,176 km Driving time 18.0 h Pace: fast 352.8 kWh Airports KHG
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1 Kashgar - Taxkorgan

Distance 287 km Driving time 4.3 h Pace: fast 86.1 kWh View map Itinerary
dining venues scenic road junction of road trips
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2 Taxkorgan - Khunjerab Pass

Distance 128 km Driving time 2.0 h Pace: fast 38.3 kWh View map Itinerary
scenic road !en!generator.stage-attribute.SeasonalClosure! sections of steep road border crossing
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3 Khunjerab Pass - Gilgit

Distance 272 km Driving time 4.6 h Pace: modest 70.7 kWh View map Itinerary
dining venues scenic road !en!generator.stage-attribute.SeasonalClosure! sections of steep road
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4 Gilgit - Jalkhad

Distance 177 km Driving time 2.8 h Pace: fast 53.0 kWh View map Itinerary
dining venues scenic road sections of steep road junction of road trips
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5 Jalkhad - Mansehra

Distance 164 km Driving time 2.4 h Pace: fast 49.1 kWh View map Itinerary
dining venues
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6 Mansehra - Islamabad

Distance 149 km Driving time 1.9 h Pace: fast 44.7 kWh View map Itinerary
dining venues junction of road trips accommodation options
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  Islamabad

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Epic Karakoram Highway Road Trip Summary

We have no doubt that our journey will become a great inspiration for your future holidays.
The itinerary we’ve suggested can be used as a foundation that you can recreate in its entirety or only partially and that can be enriched with diverse highlights of your choice.
If you are planning on travelling by car in China, there are a number of vital road rules to follow and a bunch of elements to bear in mind to make your journey smooth and safe. These tips will surely become useful for holidayers who are interested in vehicle rental or hiring a camper.
In China, there are a number of traffic rules to be remembered while travelling. Alcohol is best to be avoided at any cost while moving in a car around China. Travellers should remember that the legal alcohol limit for drivers is very low and is only 0.2‰. You can drive at the maximum speed of 60km/h when driving around the the city streets. In undeveloped areas, holidayers can travel at the maximum allowed speed of 80km/h. Avoid exceeding the speed limit of 120km/h while on highways. In order to stay safe, it is best to drive with your headlights on at daytime and equip your vehicle with a first aid kit and fire extinguisher.
One of the decisive factors when scheduling an itinerary is costs. The budget option that you go for determines the amount of money that you have to spend during the whole tour. A wide range of budget possibilities is showed below.
We estimate that the budget option when it comes to fuel to cover the planned 1,176km across China may cost approximately 138 EUR. Within the economy offer, accommodation will cost roughly 231 EUR. If this option is your target, you will spend around 216 EUR on food and restaurants. Travellers will have to pay about 900 EUR if they are interested in the cheapest rental car option as well. Thus, the estimated cost of the whole trip will amount to 585 EUR if you are interested in the option without car rental and 1,485 EUR if you will rent a vehicle.
Tourists who are looking for greater comfort and the standard option will pay around 175 EUR for the fuel needed to cover the trip. Cost amounting to 396 EUR can be expected by all holidayers who are considering standard accommodation. The slightly increased standard in comparison to the budget option entails expenditures amounting to more or less 288 EUR. Travellers who want to cover the trip in a standard rental car should expect a cost of around 2,700 EUR. Drivers who would like to rent a car will pay roughly 3,559 EUR for the whole road trip, whereas those who are not interested in car hire will spend about 859 EUR.
The highest level of comfort of the premium option will come up to the expectations of the most demanding holidayers. Drivers who would like to rent a car will pay roughly 5,295 EUR for the whole trip, whereas those who are not interested in car rental will spend about 1,515 EUR. Travellers who would like to cover the tour in a premium hire car should expect a cost of about 3,780 EUR. When it comes to the top standard option of the itinerary, the gasoline cost will be up to more or less 225 EUR. Travellers who opt for top services in all aspects of their road trip should expect to pay approximately 858 EUR for accommodation and more or less 432 EUR for food and restaurants.
Our trip can be easily adjusted to the expectations of all camper enthusiasts. If you choose this transport option, you should expect the costs of around 1,350 EUR. You will spend about 263 EUR on gasoline allowing to cover all stages of the road trip. Holidaymakers who are interested in camper hire should expect to pay about 165 EUR for overnight stays and around 216 EUR for expenses connected with food.
The Road Trip Costs section shows all the above details in a straightforward manner.
The part of China presented in our Epic Karakoram Highway is superb to be explored between May and October. There are numerous beautiful road trips and scenic drives that we offer on our website if you like Epic Karakoram Highway. We hope that the wide spectrum of ideas will definitely meet the expectations of the most demanding holidayers.

Facts for safer driving in China

drink drive limit drink drive limit 0.2
max speed urban max speed urban 60 km/h
max speed rural max speed rural 80 km/h
max speed highway max speed highway 120 km/h
headlights at daytime headlights at daytime on
fire extinguisher fire extinguisher yes
tolls tolls yes
seat belts seat belts yes

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