Beyond any single scenic drive, Pakistan has developed an extensive motorway and national highway network over the past three decades, understanding the system helps make sense of how different regions actually connect to each other.
The motorway (M) network: Pakistan's motorways are modern, controlled access highways comparable to European or North American standards. The M 2 (Lahore Islamabad), opened in 1997, was South Asia's first motorway and remains one of the most used routes in the country, passing through Kallar Kahar in the Salt Range. The M 1 continues from Islamabad to Peshawar, while other motorways (M 3, M 4, M 5) connect Punjab's secondary cities to the wider network.
The Grand Trunk Road (N 5): One of South Asia's oldest and most historically significant overland routes, the Grand Trunk Road predates the modern motorway system by centuries, historically connecting Kabul to Kolkata, much of Pakistan's N 5 national highway follows this ancient route, including the section near Wagah Border.
The Karakoram Highway (N 35): distinct from the plains motorway network, this is the road connecting Islamabad to Gilgit Baltistan and onward to China via Khunjerab Pass, following the Indus gorge for much of its length and representing one of the world's highest paved international roads.
The Makran Coastal Highway (N 10): Connecting Karachi to Gwadar along Balochistan's Arabian Sea coast, this route has seen significant recent investment and improvement, opening up the previously difficult to reach Makran coast to more practical road travel.
Why this matters for trip planning: Understanding which road category connects your destinations helps set realistic expectations, motorway travel between Lahore and Islamabad is fast and comfortable, while the KKH toward Gilgit Baltistan is a different, slower, more mountainous driving experience despite both being major national routes.
See our Pakistan Driving Guide for practical road trip advice, or our Karakoram Highway road trip guide for the specific northern route.
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