Karachi to Booni Distance, Routes & Travel Duration

 

Travel Options from Karachi to Booni

1. By Road

Traveling from Karachi to Booni is a scenic journey that takes you deep into the mountainous region of Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This journey offers glimpses of Pakistan’s diverse landscapes, from the coastal plains of Sindh to the rugged mountains of the Hindu Kush.

• Distance: Approximately 1,250 kilometers (777 miles).
• Route: The most common route by road is to take the N-5 (National Highway) or N-55 (Indus Highway) from Karachi. You’ll pass through cities like Hyderabad, Sukkur, and Multan, before heading north towards Peshawar. From Peshawar, take the N-45 to reach Dir, then Lowari Pass to enter Chitral. Booni is located around 75 kilometers (47 miles) north of Chitral town.
• Travel Duration: The total travel time by road is approximately 26 to 30 hours, depending on road conditions and the number of stops you make along the way.
• Road Condition: The roads are relatively well-maintained up to Peshawar, but after that, especially when you cross the Lowari Pass or the Lowari Tunnel, the journey becomes more challenging with narrower roads and higher altitudes.

Public Transport: If you’re traveling by public transport, you can take a bus or coach from Karachi to Peshawar. From Peshawar, local jeeps or buses can take you to Chitral, and then you can hire a jeep for the journey from Chitral to Booni.

• Travel Duration: Traveling by public transport can take around 36 to 40 hours, depending on the time spent at various stops and road conditions.
• Comfort Level: Public buses are affordable but not the most comfortable for such a long trip. For the Chitral-to-Booni leg, local jeeps are generally the best option for navigating the rough terrain.

2. By Train

Train travel is only available for the Karachi-to-Peshawar portion of the journey, after which you’ll need to travel by road to reach Booni.

• Distance: The distance from Karachi to Peshawar by train is approximately 1,350 kilometers (839 miles). After reaching Peshawar, the remaining journey to Booni covers around 400 kilometers (249 miles) by road.
• Route: Take a train from Karachi to Peshawar, passing through key cities like Hyderabad, Sukkur, and Rawalpindi. Once you reach Peshawar, you’ll need to travel by road along the N-45 highway towards Dir, Chitral, and eventually Booni.
• Travel Duration: The train journey from Karachi to Peshawar takes around 18 to 20 hours. The road journey from Peshawar to Booni will take an additional 12 to 14 hours, making the total trip time about 30 to 34 hours.
• Comfort Level: While trains offer various classes, including air-conditioned sleepers, the road portion after Peshawar is challenging, especially when crossing mountain roads into Chitral and Booni.

3. By Air

Flying is the fastest way to cover most of the distance between Karachi and Booni. However, there are no direct flights to Booni, so the trip requires a combination of flights and road travel.

• Flight Route: You can take a direct flight from Karachi to Peshawar or Islamabad. From Peshawar or Islamabad, you can either fly to Chitral (if flights are available) or travel by road.
• Travel Duration (including road): The flight from Karachi to Peshawar or Islamabad takes around 1.5 to 2 hours. If you’re able to catch a flight to Chitral, it will take another 1.5 hours. From Chitral, Booni is about a 2-hour drive away. If you travel by road from Peshawar to Booni, the journey takes about 12 to 14 hours after the flight.
• Total Travel Duration: If you fly to Peshawar or Islamabad and manage to get a flight to Chitral, the total travel time can be around 7 to 10 hours. If you take the road from Peshawar, the total travel time would be around 14 to 16 hours.
• Advantages: Flying is a convenient option to reduce travel time and avoid long road journeys. However, flights to Chitral are limited and weather-dependent, so road travel from Peshawar might still be required.

Conclusion

The journey from Karachi to Booni offers various options, each with its own trade-offs. Traveling by road gives you the flexibility to enjoy the scenic landscapes along the way but involves a long drive through mountainous regions that can be both slow and challenging. Public buses and jeeps provide affordable, though time-consuming, travel options.

Train travel to Peshawar is a comfortable option for the first leg of the journey, but the road trip afterward is still significant and involves navigating some difficult terrain. Flying to Peshawar or Islamabad and then catching a flight to Chitral (if available) is the fastest way to reach Booni, though you’ll still need to rely on road transport for the final stretch.

For adventurers seeking to explore the beautiful valleys of Chitral and the surrounding Hindu Kush range, Booni offers breathtaking views, making the long journey well worth the effort.