Peshawar Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Land

Bus

Air-con buses have their own orderly stand, opposite the general bus stand, on the southern side of GT Rd about 2km east of the Old City. Several bus companies here launch comfortable coaches to Lahore (Rs 310), Karachi (from Rs 750), Quetta (Rs 650) and Dera Ismail Khan (Rs 160). Note that the Quetta bus travels via Waziristan in the Tribal Areas so foreigners may be forbidden from catching this.

Daewoo (2651591; GT Rd) runs the most comfortable easterly services from its efficient terminal, opposite the general bus stand: Rawalpindi (Rs 200, 2½ hours, 12 daily), Lahore (Rs 570, 6½ hours, 13 daily), Multan (Rs 680, seven hours, two daily), and Mingora (Rs 240, four hours, four daily).

The chaotic general bus stand on the north side of GT Rd has colourful, uncomfortable, slow old buses to Rawalpindi (Rs 65), as well as minibuses and Coasters heading in all directions. Leaving when full, plentiful minibuses head for Rawalpindi (Rs 140, 2½ hours), Mardan (Rs 40, one hour) and Mingora (Rs 75), Timargarha (Rs 130, four hours), Dir (Rs 180, six hours) and Chitral (Rs 400, 12 hours).

Chitral options from the Old City include Chitral Union (2210503; Spogmay Hotel, Bajorie Rd), which has an 8pm departure for Rs 400. Chitral Mayoon (2215545; Sultan Hotel, Qissa Khawani) buses depart at 6.30pm and 8.30pm for the same fare. This is an exhausting 12- to 14-hour trip that could be broken at Timargarha or Dir (the latter has better sleeping options).

Minibuses to Darra Adam Khel (Rs 25), Kohat (Rs 35), Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan go from Sadabaha bus stand, awkwardly located south of the Old City.

Train

The train to Rawalpindi is as cheap as a minibus, and one way of avoiding the hair-raising GT Rd. There are several trains departing each day, the most convenient are detailed in the Major Trains from Peshawar table, below. To get a foreign student/tourist concession, take your passport to the Commercial Department at Cantonment train station.

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Air

PIA (9212371; The Mall, Arbab Rd, Saddar; 8am-8pm) has flights daily to the cities of Islamabad (Rs 5950), Lahore (Rs 6950) and Karachi (Rs 7920). There are weekly flights to Multan (Rs 6950).

There are one or two morning flights a day to Chitral (Rs 3750), but departures are highly weather sensitive. Planes must fly through the mountains to clear the Lowari Pass so demand perfect visibility. It’s a short but truly spectacular flight, in a 50-seater Fokker Friendship, and is highly recommended. The service is usually fine in summer but cancellations are frequent in winter. Go to the Northern Areas ticketing office (9212371; 9am-1pm, 2-5pm) in the PIA building in the morning. Your name will be added to the passenger manifest, with tickets issued (and paid for) the afternoon before departure.

Peshawar has good international connections, via the Gulf States. PIA and Air Blue flythree times a week to Dubai, with twice-weekly Aero Asia and Shaheen Air International connections. Budget airline Air Arabia flies twice a week to Sharjah, while Gulf Air, Emirates and Qatar Airways are good for connections.

Airline offices

Aero Asia (5277289; Javaid Plaza, Saddar Rd)

Air Arabia (5250090; Dean’s Trade Centre, Islamia Rd, Saddar)

Air Blue (5261602; Dean’s Trade Centre, Islamia Rd, Saddar)

Emirates (5260777; Islamia Rd)

Gulf Air (5213171; Arbab Rd)

Qatar Airways (5275240; Saddar Rd)

Shaheen Air International (5278456; Cantonment Plaza)

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