I am a Pakistani resident. I wanna know that is it possible I go to Makkah(Saudi) by road from Karachi(Pakistan)?
If yes I wanna know the following:
- Which Visa will I require to travel through diff countries?
- I have to go through Iran, Iraq and Kuwait; so how can I travel in these countries via Public
transport like Train, Busses etc?
- What will I have to do if I take a car with me?
- I have given a link for the map via road from Karachi, but I don't know how to travel on that way.
- Here is the Link
Travel Distance between Karachi, Pakistan & Makkah, Saudi Arabia - Find out how far it is from Karachi to Makkah
Guide me if any one knows.

How can I travel by Sea to Makkah?
And how much will it cost by Sea Travelling?

I don't want to travel via Aeroplane.

Mr Khan,

I have just come across your thread, Do you still want to go by road?

The route you selected is possible however will be more costly due to longer route, more visa's required for seperate countires etc. Also crossing into Iraq may be abit twitchy.

The route I would take is as follows Karachi >Mand/Pishin (Or Taftan but unsure if the border is open at Mand) > Into Iran> Bandar Abbas > Take ferry to Sharjah/Dubai> Then drive/public transport to Riyadh Saudi> Then to Makkah.

To take your car with you will need a Carnet De Passage, This document will allow you to enter the countires like Iran without paying customs. Search the forum there is plent of information on it. However I dont know if you can get a Carnet in Pakistan. Other then that you just need vehicle documents. As far as I am aware You cannot buy insurance at the Taftan border into Iran and no one asks you to either but you should be able to buy it from Zahedan. (Or purchase it in advance)

Like I said the Link you provided is possible but will cost more and there will be more paperwork involved as you will need to get a visa for Iraq,Iran, Kuwait and Saudi. IF I was doing this route I would do it as above and here is the link to the map.

You will need only Visa for Iran, Dubai/Sharjah and Saudi arabia. IT does involve a ferry run from Bandar Abbas though.

http://goo.gl/maps/i0xLx
http://goo.gl/maps/retoK


The public transport route will be the same majority by bus I am unsure about sea but I would imagine you would get a ferry from Karachi straight to Dubai then overland? or Ferry directly to Saudi but this may take many days onboard the ship.

Hi;

i am planning to travel to Pakistan by road from Dubai on my own car, any one can help me in getting the information regarding visa arrangements, possible best route and other formalities

as well as if some one can direct me to some companies which can help in this

Regards;
Usman Hassan

Dear Usman,

I can help you no problem but first tell me which country Is the vehicle registered in and what nationality you hold? Are you a Pakistani citizen? UAE Citizen? What passports are you looking to use etc? Then I can advise you accordingly.

The route most likely will be from Dubai to Bandar Abbas, Iran via ferry and then drive to the border town of Mir Java and cross into Taftan, You would then need to drive through Baluchistan depending on where you want to go in Pakistan it will differ from Quetta onwards etc.

Kind Regards

Hi;

Thanks for your response

i am Pakistani National living in UAE as resident visa as i am doing a job there. Have only one passport which is from Pakistan
vehicle is registered in Dubai and bank leased but i will deposit the rest of money for guarantee purpose, it is Hyundai Santa fe 4*4.

intention of this tour is adventure

i will go through Quetta to Multan city.

Regards;

Hello,

I forgot to ask if you will be coming back with the car or taking it forever?

If you are bringing the car back to Dubai then you will need a “Carnet de Passage” document. This is similar to a vehicle passport, what it does is allows you to enter Iran and Pakistan without paying the full custom fee. Here in the UK the auto club RAC do carnets de passage but I am unsure who would do it in Dubai, Maybe do a google search, I did a quick one an link is below. How it works is basically you leave a certain percentage of the money as deposit to say you will be bringing the car back to Dubai, The club issue you a document which has to be stamped every entry and exit you make in Iran and Pakistan. When you bring the car back to Dubai, You get back your deposit minus the Carnet de passage fee. Search google for more information or ask if you any questions about the Carnet. Here is a link I found which maybe for Dubai Automobile and Touring Club - UAE

Without this document you will not be able to enter Iran or Pakistan without securing a custom fee, currently its really high so you could be looking to pay tripple the amount your car is worth if your looking to take the car over forever.

You will need a Visa for Iran, Get a Visit visa which is 15 days or month this can be done at your local Iranian Embassy or agent via online, You can get transit visa’s but I am unsure how easy or hard that is to obtain where as a visit visa on pakistani passport for iran is pretty easy and straight forward. Also Transit visas only last 7days and entry and exit has be from two different ports.

I am unsure the rule of Dubai, check with the company that paid for your car loan but in the UK you would need written permission from them allowing you to take the car overseas if you have money outstanding on it. If you intend to finish the banks money then I dont think it will be a problem.

You will take ferry with the car to Bandar Abbas Iran from Dubai, Do have one company who can do this, if you need the name i will try dig it out, its about 12 hours sailing, upon reaching the other end you will (assuming you have a carnet de passage) visit the custom officials show them your passport, your vehicle documents, You should be able to buy insurance from the border but if you can arrange it before hand then that may be better for you, The custom official will examine the document and stamp one page of the Carnet, (Sometimes you have to go through few different officers at the port) they will then release your vehicle, drive directly to Bam Iran, You can buy a Garmin sat nav to help you with after market Iran Maps, from Bam Iran you need to travel to Mir Javeh which is the border town to Taftan, Pakistan. At the Iran exit border you will again get different page stamped on your Carnet De passage to confirm the vehicle has left Iran, If you don't then the Iranians can claim customs from the body that issues the Carnet and you also wont get your deposit back.

You would then enter Pakistan and again give them your vehicle documents and carnet for them to stamp a entry. At this point some people get police escort from here all the way to Quetta because of kidnappings and the attacks by the Taliban but if your street wise and you can blend in then you wont need the Police Escort. (Its your choice on how you feel, but with the escort the journey would be much slower as they stop every check point and the police crew changes, but at least you feel reassured you wont be ambushed, this mainly applys to westernes as mostly all the kidnappings have been of non Pakistani people) Without the police you can get to Quetta in about two days if you drive only in light hours, one day if you drive at night too but its not recommended as its all desert area and fear of bandits, If you do it in two days then you have to stop in the middle at the small town of Dhalbandin, they do have a good hotel there. Once you reach Quetta you would then decide to go the longer route which is recommend as Lolarai is dangerous area because of the western couple who got kidnapped a few years back were kidnapped from this area or drive through Lolrai into Dera Ghazi an then Multan City. All depends how much you blend in and what you experience of Pakistan is. ( I.e. Your street wise or not)

If you don't get a Carnet de passage then at the Iran border and Pakistan border you have to pay the custom fee before you can leave with your vehicle otherwise they don't let you in, The custom is tripple the value of the vehicle for Iran an Pakistan so the best option or cheapest is Carnet De passage, this will mean you have to bring your car back to dubai.

You will also need to plan Hotel stops, fuel cost and how often you would need to refuel, spare tyres, iran currency, fuel can to carry some spare fuel etc. There loads more things but il keep it simple for now.

I hope the above helps, I can go into more detail but this should give you a rough idea of what to expect etc.

Thanks for the detailed message. plz tell me the details of ferry company so that i can get some idea of cost. will it be especially for me or public one as in first case it might cost me a lot.

This company is pretty good and decent rates. Its not just for you, its for public, they run regular services to Iran from Dubai. Its public ferry where you sit in the seating area and your vehicle is stored in one of the lower decks. Runs every 3 or 4 days If I remember correctly. It may have changed it timetable as I last checked last year but speak to them for cost etc.

Oasis Freight Agency
Sharaf Bulding No.4,2th Floor , Al Meena Road , Opposite Customs House , Next to Sea View Hotel Bur Dubai
P.O.Box : 5562 Dubai U.

TEL:0097143525000

I hope that helps, I don't know if the rates are same but it wasn't expensive when I last checked.

Hi,
I want to go Makkah from rawalpindi by road so plz guide me and tell me shortest way of going.

Thanks brother. I want to ask some more questions.
1.The man who goes from karachi, Pakistan reaches to Makkah during Hajj reaches in three months but how can i reach in 5 days.
2. I have bike.Can i on to bike?
3.Can you tell me the estimated cost of all expences becuause if there are too much expenses why should i not travel by air.
4.What type of visa will i require for entering in different countries.
5.The man who goes from karachi does not had any vechile.Can i go without vechile.what will be the best for me either vechile or by public transport.
6. when i will be passing through other countries how can i contact to home because my Pakistani sim will not work in other country.

Hi,

Its not as easy as just selecting the shortest route. I will explain a little and you will see what I mean. This needs allot of planning.

Firstly its much more expensive to go by car then air, so you will need to have some savings for this, You have to factor in fuel, hotels, food and mobile phone plan. If your ok with these things then the process is as follows. The mobile to get in touch with family or incase you need it in a emergency. International plans are expsensive and paying for a local sim maybe a better option.

You will need a Carnet which is document which will allow you to enter countries without paying custom at the border. Im not sure if any motoring company issues a carnet in Pakistan and you may find it difficult to obtain from other countries using a Pakistani registered vehicle. The best thing is to find out if there is a agency in Pakistan that issues the Carnet document or if any international company would do it for you. Search google. Without this document you would need far to much money to make the trip worthwhile as custom fees are extorniate.

The carnet document itself costs and you also have to leave a deposit to get one. Its basically document that ensures other countries you wont sell or leave the car in their country without paying the relevant custom. There is tons of information about this on the web just Google "Carnet Document".

You will need a visa for Iran, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia. All this will cost money.

Depending what vehicle you intend to use you will also need to carry a couple of spare tyres/wheels and some emergency fuel.

Once you have all this sorted you need to decide on the route to take, The shortest route may not always be the best route.

The shortest route will take you through Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan and then onto Quetta. Currently travelling through this region is not the safest due to terrorism and highway kidnappings and robbery etc. But if you have Pakistani registered vehicle and your a Pakistani national then you may just blend in and be okay but its all about how comfortable you are.

I would personally go to Lahore, Multan, Sukkur and then up to Quetta via Sibi. This is a longer router but much safer. You can also get Police escort should you feel the need but that may cost you. I know for some westerners its been done free and for others they had to pay.

The shortest of the two is via Peshawar and whatever route you take initially you will then have go from Quetta to Taftan. This is long route and again is subject to terrorism and you may need to spilt this in over two days stopping a city of Dhalbandin and travelling only during day time.

Taftan is the border town to Iran. From here you will enter into Iran and you will need your Carnet ( unless you can afford custom) and Iranian tourist or transit visa. The Iran side border is called Meer Jawe. Once you have crossed into Iran you would then travel to Iran city of Zahedan, you may need to stop the night depending on what time you cross the border and how long it takes. Zahedan is only about a hour away from Meer Jawe. From Zahedan you will have to travel to Bam, possibly stop the night there again depending on your timings and whether your happy to travel at night as well. From Bam you need to go the port city of Bandar Abbas. Here you will catch ferry with your car (details are already on this thread) once you have cross into Dubai which takes about 9 hours via ferry, they will inspect your vehicle documents and visa. You will then need to drive from Dubai to the Saudi city of Riyadh, you would cross via Abu Dhabi and enter the border at Al Bat'ha. Here they will again check your Carnet and Saudi Visa. Once you reach Riyadh, you may need to stop over the night depending what time you get there, the next day just drive from Riyadh to Mecca.

You will need to plan journey times, rest stops, how often to fuel up, where to stay the night, what to eat and how much to budget it. I would estimate it will take you about 5 days. This is rough estimation without any planning by me. could be longer or shorter. The fuel will cost quite abit but its quite cheaper in iran, Dubai and Saudi compared to Pakistan as they are oil rich countries. Also you may want to spend more time in these stops and in iran an Dubai is a awesome place to see and eat etc.
I hope that helps.


If you have the money and time I say you should do it! Its a once in life time experience.

Is Taftan the only border crossing allowed for tourists. I would like to cross at Pishin so that I can ride the Makran.
Regards,
Mark

Hi Mark,

I am abit confused with your question, Pishin is a small town near to Quetta no where near the border to Iran??? The closest border to it is to Afghanistan? Did you write this in error?

The Makaran highway is the sea costal route which runs from Karachi to Gawdar port, Its a fantastic route and currently one of the best roads in Pakistan in terms of quality, if your a biker you would love them because of the twist and turns along the desert. Gawder is a upcoming trade port, its will be one of the biggest hubs in asia once its completed.

The answer to your question is Taftan Is currently the only border open for tourists crossing into Iran. There is border crossing at Gawder which will directly connect you to Makran Costal highway however currently they don't allow Tourists to cross. My information is out dated about a year so you may need to double check but am 99% sure that the border remains closed to Tourists as I have not seen anything in the press or heard of it being open. As of last year Taftan was the only crossing for tourists into Iran which was also closed in May this year due to Elections in Pakistan.

Thanks Blessing for your prompt reply, and your wealth of knowledge of Pakistan certainly is a blessing. The border I was thinking of is down in the south west of Pakistan near a small Iranian town called Pishin, not the Pishin up near Quetta. But as you say, it looks like I will have to cross at Taftan. In 2010 I travelled through Pakistan and I felt guilty about having a police escort from Sukkur to Taftan. This was imposed on me against my wishes, but I appreciated it just the same. On my return trip I was hoping I could slip along the Makran without the need for an escort.
Also I take this opportunity to say that I found the Pakistani people to be a most helpful and hospitable people on my trip from Australia to Europe in 2010 and look forward to meeting them again on my return trip.
Regards,
Mark

Hi Mark,

No problems and your welcome. It was my fault I automatically assumed the Pakistani town Pishin and not the Iranian town of Pishin. You will be pleased to know that the Pakistani government is currently working to open this border as border crossing on the Request of Iran. How long the process will take is unknown but one hopes it will be fairly quick. There will be further 3 other points to cross from Iran to Pakistan. I think two will be trade borders and two will be tourist and trade ( Taftan being one and Pishin being the other). As its early stages its hard to tell. A news article below is a good read if you like.

Mark don't feel guilty about the escort. Pakistan has many problems but one thing its grateful for is tourism. Escorts can be a pain the back side but its the governments way of saying we are doing something. Unsure if your a biker or 4wheeler but if you pay a small fee (arranged upfront) they police may agree to allow a undercover armed go with you, the benefit of that is that they share your bike as pillion or take a seat in your car. This atleast doesn't slow you down.