Field guides / Balochistan / Khojak Pass
Field guide · Heritage
Khojak Pass
One of Pakistan's lowest major mountain passes, carrying the road and the 1891 Khojak Tunnel, one of South Asia's longest colonial-era rail tunnels, between Quetta and the border town of Chaman.
The Khojak Pass, at roughly 2,290 m, is among the lowest of Pakistan's major mountain passes, carrying the road between Quetta and the border town of Chaman. Its real claim to fame lies underground: the Khojak Tunnel, completed in 1891 as part of the Sibi-Quetta-Chaman railway, runs nearly 2.5 miles through the mountain and remains one of the longest colonial-era rail tunnels in South Asia.
Why go
- ✦Khojak Tunnel, completed 1891, nearly 2.5 miles long
- ✦One of Pakistan's lowest major mountain passes
- ✦Historic Sibi-Quetta-Chaman railway alignment
- ✦Sweeping desert-mountain views toward Chaman
An Engineering Landmark
The Khojak Tunnel, finished in 1891, was built to extend the Sibi-Quetta railway on toward Chaman and, in the strategic thinking of the day, toward Kandahar. European engineers oversaw its construction, and at nearly 2.5 miles it ranks among the longest tunnels built anywhere in the subcontinent during the colonial era.
The Road Over the Pass
The modern road climbs alongside the historic rail alignment, giving views over the tunnel portals and the dry, folded ridges leading toward Chaman on the Afghan border.
Pairing with Quetta
Khojak Pass works best as a half-day add-on to a Quetta stay. Combine it with the Bolan Pass on the opposite side of the city for a fuller sense of the two historic gateways that shaped Balochistan's railway age.
Planning tip
When to go, Spring and autumn for the most comfortable temperatures; the pass can be cold and windy in winter.
Getting there, About 110 km, roughly 2.5 hours, from Quetta via Qilla Abdullah toward Chaman.
Allow, A half-day trip from Quetta, easily paired with a viewpoint stop near the Chaman border.
What to do
Nearby
Nothing else genuinely close by (within 30 km) is published yet.