How to get from Tashkent to Bishkek by bus – Travel from Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan

Wondering how to get from Tashkent to Bishkek by bus? Read on to find out where to buy your bus ticket, where the Tashkent-Bishkek bus leaves from, and how long the journey to Bishkek from Tashkent will take.

The countries in Central Asia are all very different from each other and have unique features. Uzbekistan is known for its stunning Islamic architecture that you’ll find in Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva while Kyrgyzstan is famous for its pristine mountain hikes and alpine lakes.

Both of these countries were part of the ancient trade road known as the Silk Road. They are so different and yet complementary that it’s almost impossible to visit one without wanting to see the other.

Traveling in Central Asia used to be complicated as it was hard to get a tourist visa for the different stan-countries and the lack of proper public transport connecting the main cities of the countries. This has all changed now!

There is now a bus line connecting Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital city. Traveling between the two cities by bus takes about 14 hours and this bus runs at night.

Reading Tip:

Top Things to do in Tashkent – Tashkent City Guide

In this article, I’ll tell you where to buy your bus ticket, where the bus leaves from, and details about the two border crossings that you’ll have to go through.

Tip: See my Uzbekistan Travel Page and my Kyrgyzstan 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 Bishkek

Where to stay

• Best budget pick: Koisha
• Best mid-range choice: Navat Hotel
• Top high-end hotel: Orion Hotel Bishkek

Top experiences in and near Bishkek

• Highlights of Bishkek City Tour
• Bishkek Food Tasting Tour
• Day trip to Ala Archa National Park
• Top hikes and day trips from Bishkek

Plan your trip to Kyrgyzstan

• 20 things you need to know before traveling to Kyrgyzstan
• The 14 best hikes & treks in Kyrgyzstan
• The 9 best horse riding destinations in Kyrgyzstan
• Kyrgyzstan Packing List
• Kyrgyzstan Money Guide
• Kyrgyzstan Travel Insurance

Entry requirements for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

During this journey, you’ll cross the Uzbekistan – Kazakhstan land border at Zhibek-Zholu and the Kazakhstan – Kyrgyzstan land border at Talas, a few hours from Bishkek.

Kazakhstan visa requirements

Here is the list of the countries eligible to visit Kazakhstan without a visa. If your country is on the list, you’ll get a free visa (in the form of a stamp and a registration card) on arrival at the land border.

Citizens from non-visa-exempt countries need to apply for an e-Visa – even though you’re only transiting through Kazakhstan – or a transit visa.

Kyrgyzstan visa Requirements

Most nationalities can enter Kyrgyzstan on a free tourist visa and remain there for 30 days within a time frame of 60 days. Here’s the list of nationalities that can enter Kyrgyzstan visa-free. All other nationalities have to apply for an e-Visa.

All other nationalities have to apply for an e-Visa.

Reading Tip:

Kyrgyzstan Travel Guide: 20 things you should know before you go

Where can you buy a bus ticket to go from Tashkent to Bishkek?

Long-distance buses connecting Tashkent to Bishkek leave from the bus station near the Olmazor metro station in Tashkent. Here is where you’ll find bus station Tashkent Avtovogzal.

It’s better to buy bus tickets directly at the bus station at least one day before your departure. Bus prices tend to change quite regularly depending on the day of the week and the month of the year. A ticket now costs 250.000 som per person (around USD$23).

• Update 2024: It’s nowadays possible to buy your bus ticket online!
• If you have any more updates concerning current prices, let me know in the comments below!

To reach this bus station, you can take the metro from the city center for 1400 som or reach it by taxi.

Taxi drivers in Tashkent tend to overcharge foreigners. For Uzbekistan, it’s better to download Yandex Go on your phone. Yandex Go works as a cab-hailing app meaning you won’t have to negotiate directly with the driver and you can avoid being ripped off.

If you take the metro you’ll have to get out of the Olmazor station on the side that has this post:

After you get out of the metro station, continue walking in the direction of this sign:

What is the Tashkent – Bishkek Bus schedule? 

The buses going from Tashkent to Bishkek only run at night.

They leave twice from the bus station at 6 and 7 in the evening and they arrive in Bishkek the next day at nine and 10 o’clock in the morning (local time in Kyrgyzstan – Bishkek is one hour ahead of Tashkent).

You can nowadays check the bus schedule online. Click in the section “Where to” on “International Routes” and choose the date you’d like to travel to Bishkek. The search results will show you which buses are available and at what time time they depart from Tashkent.

The bus does a few stops during the night at small roadside restaurants where you can eat and go to the bathroom.

The bus will also do a few stops for money exchangers to come on board and offer to exchange your Uzbek som for Kyrgyz som.

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

Reading Tip:

The 25 most beautiful places to visit in Kyrgyzstan

Things you need to bring on the bus

The air conditioning on the bus tends to become a bit cold during the night so I would suggest bringing a warm sweater (or a fleece blanket) with you.

It’s also important to keep your passport with you on the bus instead of leaving it in the luggage compartment underneath the vehicle.

If you want to buy food along the way, make sure that you have local currency with you. The road restaurants where this bus stopped were mainly in Kazakhstan so you’ll need to have some Kazakh Tenges.

It might be easier to just bring your own snacks.

How long does it take to travel from Tashkent to Bishkek and where are the border crossings?

On the journey from Tashkent to Bishkek, you’ll cross two land borders.

First, you’ll be crossing the Uzbek-Kazakh border at Zhibek-Zholu, about one hour outside of 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.

After all the passports are stamped and visas are checked, everyone gets back on the bus and then the whole process starts again at the Kazakh border.

You’ll need to check beforehand which visa you need for Kazakhstan. If you’re eligible for a free tourist visa on arrival, you don’t have to worry about anything (see Entry Requirements for Kazakhstan at the beginning of this guide).

Crossing this border at night with the bus usually takes around an hour.

The second border crossing is between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan at the Taraz-Talas border.

The bus will arrive there in the early morning and it’s usually not busy at all at that time of the day so this border crossing should also take around an hour.

Arriving in Bishkek

The bus will arrive in Bishkek at the New Bus Station. To find your way around Bishkek, use the following apps:

Yandex Go: This is the best taxi service app to use in Bishkek.

Bus.kg: A great app to figure out the different marshrutka routes. Enter your starting point and destination and the app will tell you which marshrutka you need to take. Taking a marshrutka within the city costs 10 som.

Maps.me or 2GIS: Both apps function like Google Maps but are more accurate in this part of the world. They also tell you which bus or marshrutka you have to take to get to your destination.

Reading Tip:

13 Top Things to do in Bishkek – Bishkek Travel Guide

Where should you stay in Bishkek?

If you’re planning on staying a few days in Bishkek to explore the city, then I’d suggest you stay at a hostel or guesthouse that is located near the city center.

Best hostels in Bishkek:

• Compass Hostel
• Koisha

Best hotels in Bishkek:

• Navat Hotel
• Bugu Hotel
• Orion Hotel Bishkek

Reading Tip:

The 28 Top Things to do in Kyrgyzstan

I hope this post was very useful to you and I wish you a great and safe journey from Tashkent to Bishkek! Let me know in the comments if you have any more questions and/or how your journey went!

Are you looking for a customized guided tour in Kyrgyzstan or elsewhere in Central Asia? Or would you like help with planning your itinerary and organizing your trip with confidence?

👉 Explore my Central Asia tours and itinerary planning services!

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