3 ways to get from Almaty to Tashkent by land: crossing the Kazakhstan Uzbekistan border

What is the best way to travel from Almaty to Tashkent (Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan)? This guide will tell you how to get from Almaty to Tashkent by bus and by train. I also included information about crossing the Kazakhstan Uzbekistan border.

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are some of the beautiful countries to visit in Central Asia. The two countries neighbor each other so it’s very easy and straightforward to get from Kazakhstan’s top city Almaty to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.

Although the bus and train rides can take a long time (13 and 16 hours respectively), it’s a very relaxing journey. It’s a good idea to travel this way if you’re on a budget and/or if you have plenty of time to spare.

If you don’t have much time, you can look into taking a cheap flight between the two cities. If you buy your flight early enough you can get it for as low as 100 euros.

In this article, I will tell you about all the different ways you can get from Almaty to Tashkent, how much each means of transport will cost and how much time it will take.

Tip: See my Uzbekistan Travel Page and my Kazakhstan Travel Page for a complete overview of all my travel guides and blog posts about both countries!

Disclaimer: This posts might contain affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. Thank you for helping to support this website!

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Plan your trip to Uzbekistan

• 18 important things to prepare your trip to Uzbekistan
• 26 beautiful places to visit in Uzbekistan
• Uzbekistan Itineraries: 1 to 4 weeks in Uzbekistan
• How to travel around Uzbekistan by train
• What to pack for Uzbekistan
• Uzbekistan Safety Guide
• Uzbekistan Money Guide
• Tours & Experiences: Guided City Tours in Uzbekistan, Adventure Tours in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan Entry Requirements

Citizens of the European Union, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and many more countries can travel to Uzbekistan visa-free for a period of 30 days.

Citizens of 75 countries,including China, and India, can apply for an e-visa, allowing them up to 30 days in the country. 

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The Complete Uzbekistan Travel Guide: 20 things you should know before you go

How to get from Almaty to Tashkent by train

The most comfortable option to get from Almaty to Tashkent is probably by train, although it’s not the fastest way to get there.

There is a new train that runs three times a week from Almaty to Tashkent. The train leaves from the Almaty-2 railway station in Almaty.

Here is where the train station is located in Almaty:

Whenever we visited Almaty, we stayed at the budget-friendly European Backpackers Hostel. Unfortunately, this hostel no longer exists.

Another budget-friendly and cozy hostel I’d recommend is ART hostel.

You can reach this train station by hopping on the bus at Abai Ave near the hostel (a 25-minute ride) or by using Yandex Go to order a taxi.

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You can book your train tickets from Almaty to Tashkent online through the website ticketz.kz or directly at the train station. Third-party websites also sell tickets but they tend to charge a lot more.

The train from Almaty to Tashkent is very comfortable and it has three different class options. You can travel for the whole 16 hours in a reclining seat for about $10 USD.

If you want to be a bit more comfortable, you can book a bed in well-kept sleeper cabins that can accommodate up to four people. This will cost around $25 USD.

A third option is to book a bed in a luxury cabin. The luxury cabins cost around $100 USD and they have two beds. These cabins even come with their own showers!

If you are traveling with children under 5 years old, they don’t need a separate bed and can share one with you. You will need, however, to book a cheaper ticket for them at the train station.

The train has a nice restaurant but it can be quite crowded. You can bring your own snacks if you want to save money.

The air conditioner on the train is at night very cold so I would recommend bringing a few extra sweaters to stay warm.

As with the bus that goes from Almaty to Tashkent (see below), money exchangers will come on board and offer to exchange your Kazakh Tenges for Uzbek Som.

The rate they offer is not extremely good but better than what most banks offer in the city center of Tashkent. Make sure you know what the rate is before exchanging any money.

The border crossing could take a long time especially if the border is busy. It could take anywhere between one to three hours to get both your Kazakh exit and Uzbek entry stamps.

Reading Tip:

Uzbekistan itineraries: 1 to 4 weeks in Uzbekistan

How to get from Almaty to Tashkent by bus

To take a bus from Almaty to Tashkent, you’ll have to go to the Sayran bus station in Almaty. The bus station is located 7km west of the city center so you’ll first have to take a city bus or a taxi to get there (see map below).

There are three buses leaving every evening from Almaty to Tashkent. They depart from the Sayran bus station at 6, 7, and 8 pm.

I would recommend buying your ticket from the Sayran bus station a couple of days ahead as this is quite a busy line. I bought mine the same day I left and the tickets were almost all sold-out! Don’t forget to bring your passport!

To get from the ART Hostel to the bus station, you can take bus #19 on Abai Ave. This bus stops near Sayran bus station.

Depending on the traffic, the ride takes about 30 minutes and costs 150 KZT if you pay cash, or 80KZT if you have a bus card (ask for it in your hostel). Ask the bus driver to stop at Sayran bus station.

You can also take a taxi to the bus station. If you use the Yandex Go app, you’ll pay a fixed price (between 600 and 1000 KZT, depending on where you’re leaving from).

Once you arrive at the bus station, go inside the building and walk towards the left wall where many small ticket booths are aligned next to each other.

Ask for ‘Avtobus Tashkent’. People will show you the ticket booth where you can purchase your ticket. Tickets from Almaty to Tashkent cost around 5000 Tenge (around $12 USD).

Once you have your ticket you can go through to the first door next to the ticket booth and walk towards your right behind the bus station.

Look for the platform with a sign that says Tashkent or ”Ташкент” in Russian.

These buses are relatively comfortable. They have reclining seats, air conditioning, and enough space to stretch your legs in front of you if you’re not very tall.

The journey from Almaty to Tashkent by bus takes on average about 14 hours. This includes the time spent crossing the border.

The driver will take a half-an-hour break around midnight at a roadside restaurant where you can go to the toilet (50KZT) and buy some snacks or a warm meal.

I would suggest bringing a sweater because the bus gets a bit cold during the night.

Exchanging money on the way to the Kazakhstan Uzbekistan border

Along the way, the bus driver will make a few stops and let some money-changers climb aboard. They usually offer a much better rate than you would get at banks or money-exchange offices in Tashkent.

A quick tip: Look up what the exchange rate is with the App XE currency before you exchange money on the bus and always double-check the amount you receive.

Although most of these money-changers are usually honest people just trying to make a living, you’ll stand out as a foreigner and could easily be scammed.

Arriving at the Zhibek-Zholu border by bus near Tashkent

Once the bus arrives at the Zhibek-Zholu border, everyone needs to get out of the bus, pass their bags through security and get their passport stamped.

Once the passports are stamped, everyone gets back on the bus and then the whole process starts again at the Uzbek border.

Crossing the border can take from 2 hours to 4 hours, depending on how busy it is when you arrive.

Once you’re on the other side of the border, it will take a bit less than an hour to arrive in Tashkent. You can either take a taxi or a metro to get to your hostel (see below).

Reading Tip:

Uzbekistan Travel Guide: 18 useful things you need to know before you go

Driving from Almaty to Tashkent with your own car

If you have your own car, driving from Almaty to Tashkent is definitely an exciting journey.

One of the things to consider when driving in Kazakhstan is that gas stations tend to be very far apart from each other (see Is it safe to drive in Kazakhstan?).

The road between Almaty and Tashkent is now completely paved so you won’t have to deal with the old gravel roads I used when I crossed the country by car.

One important driving rule to follow in Kazakhstan is that your car lights need to be switched on at all times.

The trip between the two cities will take about 10 hours. The distance between Almaty and Tashkent is roughly 800 km and you can reach the Uzbek capital by following highway A2 towards the west.

You can enter Uzbekistan at the Zhibek-Zholu border but an alternative route is to enter at the Kaplanbek or Serke-Turkistan borders. These border-crossings are also not too far from Tashkent but they are usually much less busy.

For all the rules and practical information concerning driving in Uzbekistan, read this article.

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Crossing the Kazakhstan – Uzbekistan border at Zhibek-Zholy

Crossing the border into Uzbekistan used to be a long and slow process. Bags, laptops and even cellphones were checked thoroughly. This is now a thing of the past and crossing the Kazakhstan Uzbekistan border has never been easier.

The border at Zhibek-Zholu is relatively busy due to its proximity to Tashkent but it’s open 24 hours a day. You can exchange money on both sides of the border before you continue toward Tashkent.

6. Arriving in Tashkent – How to get around and where to stay?

Once you arrive in Tashkent, you’ll probably need to reach your hotel or hostel in the city center.

If you are arriving at the bus station, taxi drivers will try to get you to pay more but 25,000 Uzbek Som is the price you’d get if you order a taxi through a phone app.

I recommend installing Yandex Go on your phone so you can easily go from the bus station to the city center without being overcharged.

Another option is to take the metro directly to your hostel from the bus station. The metro station that is next to the bus station is called metro Olmazor.

You can take the metro to almost any part of the city for only 14000 Som so this is definitely the cheapest option.

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If you are arriving via the Northern railway station, the taxi to the city center should cost around 2 USD (16,000 Som).  

Best hostel in Tashkent

Light Hostel is conveniently located in Tashkent. It’s about 40-minutes walking from the train station and a 20-minute walk from Oybek metro station, from where you can easily travel to Tashkent’s city center. See the rates and availability for “Light Hostel”

Best mid-range hotel in Tashkent

Hotel Suzuk-Ota is a highly-rated hotel in the center of Tashkent. It offers clean and nice rooms, a shared lounge and a garden and is located in a park next to the Suzuk Ota Mosque, at walking distance from a mall and many restaurants. The closest metro stations are Chorsu and Bunyodkor. Click to check out rates and availability for “Hotel Suzuk-Ota”

Best high-end hotel in Tashkent

The Ichan Qal’a Hotel doesn’t only offer beautifully decorated rooms but also an indoor fitness center and swimming pool.  See rates and availability for “Ichan Qal’a Hotel”

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That’s it! I hope this post was useful and I wish you a pleasant journey from Almaty to Tashkent! In case you’d have more questions or updates, feel free to share in the comments below!

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