Torugart pass crossing Q&A

[kadsia]

Hi all, I crossed the Torugart Pass from Bishkek to Kashgar by bus on Sunday, 6 October 2024. Since there are not that many info online, I thought I'd share my experience. Btw, I also traveled from Kashgar to Tashkurgan to Sost (Pakistan); you can read about my experience through the Khunjerab Pass here: viewtopic.php?p=61312#p61312.

Bus schedule
- From Bishkek to Kashgar: Wednesday and Sunday, leaving at 16:00. Arrive the next day (between 20-30 hours later)
- (From what I gathered online, from Kashgar it's Monday and Thursday; you can Whatsapp the bus company to confirm)

How to find information?
- Whatsapp of Avtovokzal: +996 550 344 696
- Telegram of Avtovokzal (check their Instagram page that has the link to Telegram): https://www.instagram.com/avtovokzal.kgz/
- They're quite responsive if you want to ask questions about date and price

Where to buy the ticket?
- Bus station in Bishkek: https://maps.app.goo.gl/FQKZZZZwJZyvgzA3A (or search on Google Map: Avtovokzal Ak Zhol)
- Supposedly you can buy online too (https://beket.kg/), but I couldn't find the schedule on the website

How much does it cost?
- USD 85 paid in KGS at current prevailing rate (I ended up paying KGS 7,185)
- Only cash payment in KGS
- FYI: There's money changer to the east of the station (a small shop) and ATM machines in Asia supermarket to the west of the bus station

Visa and permit
- I had Chinese tourist visa (I'm Indonesian citizen). The other European travelers in the bus got 15-day visa free (make sure you know that because the immigration officer still asked them where's the visa).
- No other permit is needed

My personal experience
- It took us 30 hours due to long immigration and checkpoints, immigration issue of some passengers, bad road on China's side, and driver's own business. We arrived by midnight in Kashgar. It could've been faster though.
- The bus was a sleeper bus. It was comfortable and clean. But it seems another company is operating the other day, and they may have different bus.
- Immigration check on China's side was okay. They didn't check my phone, laptop, or GoPro, but took great interest in my books and took photos of some pages (which are in Indonesian language, about thoughts on socialism by one of Indonesia's founding fathers). A Spanish traveler had her laptop checked. So I think they just randomly select what to check.
- Bring food because the stops are quite random and not designated to eat (more for toilet breaks). For example, on China's side, we didn't stop to eat at all even though we only got to Kashgar by midnight.

Overall, it was a pleasant journey, albeit too long. Hope this helps!

[mazeno]

There's money changer to the east of the station

there are three money changers at the station
one on the southern side near the city taxi lane/jibek zholu street
two on the northern side of the main building

[Cirdan1972]

We crossed the Torugart Pass on 16 May 2024, from Kashgar to Naryn by private taxis.
We asked several tour companies and only 3 companies had the right permits.
For the 2 of us, on the Chinese side we paid 2300 RMB and on Kyrgyzstan side US$170. If we had found more people making this journey we would have been able to share this cost to make it cheaper.
We really liked/chose the Torugart Pass because of how beautiful the scenery was and because the route was more convenient for our plan.

I am planning to do the Kashgar - Naryn trip in August 2025. As I am travelling with my wife and my son we would also go for the private taxis option. Do you remember which tour company you chose?

Thanks a lot and kind regards

[RParry94]

Hi,

I am looking to cross the Turugart Pass from Naryn to Kashgar as a UK national. I am struggling to find precise information regarding Chinese visas, can anyone tell me if this will need to be obtained in advance before I travel or am I eligible to enter China under the visa free transit.

Thank you

[tcol108]

I travelled China last April and May as a UK national. To enter China as an UK national you need a visa and that needs to be obtained before travel. The UK is currently not part of the 30 day visa free scheme.

[avv7272]

Hello, I have a couple of questions. I am a female traveling alone and planning to do Kashgar - Bishek bus in July/Aug this year.

1. Did you need any kind of permit for this journey? (I have a UK and New Zealand passport if it matters).
2. Did you buy the bus tickets on the day of the trip or before? I read that the bus only leaves once a week on Mondays from Kashgar, so I am guessing the tickets would sell out easily?
3. Were there multiple toilet stops??
4. Anything I should be aware of as a solo traveler who doesn't speak mandarin or russian?

Thank you!

[Gerard Castellà]

Hi, we took the same bus as mentioned before in this thread, from Kashgar to Bishkek on 22/07/2024. We are normally traveling by bicycle and could take them with us in the bus without paying extra. The ticket fare is €75 or 595 yuan per person. It was an old sleeper bus, which should have warned us, since we only arrived in Bishkek at 5 am. Do bring enough food with you because the bus only made one foodstop, in our case at 11pm when everyone was already asleep.
We had to stop and show our passports 5 times (one time extra for us because we're foreigners). At the junction we had to put all our luggage through scanners (not the bicycles, so our knife was safe in the framebag).
The road following the junction going up the pass, was one big construction site since they're building a railway connection with kyrgystan, which made it quite a bumpy road.
We only got the exit stamp at the Chinese border and not at the junction as we read elsewhere, which made us regret not trying to cycle the pass.
At the border there were signs that you would need a permit to cross. But we actually obtained these in our preparation. You can get them here: https://maps.apple.com/?address=Interse ... rminal&t=m
It's the same permit as needed for the Karakorum highway to cross the border from China to Pakistan. We did not need it traveling by bus, but if someone wants to try by bicycle, it seems worth it to have.
We especially found the Kyrgyz side very beautiful.
Good luck!

Hi,

I plan to cycle from Islamabad to Kashgar, and onto Bishkek next summer 2025. Thank you for the information provided. My plan is to cycle Torugart Pass as much as I can until the border, as you suggest. A few questions, though:

1) Do you think it is possible to cycle down along the Kyrgyz side or a bus/taxi is still mandatory?

2) Which is the needed permit you mention to cycle from China to Pakistan? I'll be arriving from the Pakistani side (EU Passport - Spain).

3) Were you asked the border permit for Naryn region at the border when entering KG? I have doubts whether I should have it when entering KG or I can obtain afterwards in Naryn.

4) Were you given the chance to choose between a single or double-entry visa on arrival at the Kyrgyz border? I plan to enter KG, then Kazakhstan, and then onto Bishkek eventually. So I don't know whether I should apply for a double-entry visa online (even if I hold a EU passport, so eligible for a free-visa regime) or I should ask for it at the border.

Thanks for your help!

Cheers,
Gerard

[Jubi]

Hello, I have a couple of questions. I am a female traveling alone and planning to do Kashgar - Bishek bus in July/Aug this year.

1. Did you need any kind of permit for this journey? (I have a UK and New Zealand passport if it matters).
2. Did you buy the bus tickets on the day of the trip or before? I read that the bus only leaves once a week on Mondays from Kashgar, so I am guessing the tickets would sell out easily?
3. Were there multiple toilet stops??
4. Anything I should be aware of as a solo traveler who doesn't speak mandarin or russian?

Thank you!

Did the crossing nearly 3 weeks ago so I can give updated information
1. No permit needed as long you can enter visa free into Kyrgyzstan - the driver and his assistant will already take your passport in Kashgar to proceed through the several checkpoints and police controls
2. It's mandatory to buy the ticket at least 1 day in advance as they prepare the paper work for the border crossing.
Bus left Monday and Thursday that week but looks like the schedule is changing randomly, also depending on demand. 35 out of 36 sleeper beds were sold. Very comfortable for me.
3. The bus just stopped twice along the road for 5 minutes.
Good clean toilets at the customs check and Chinese immigration office. And in Kyrgyzstan it was a nightmare....
4. The driver and his assistant(s) will have an eye on you. All was easy.
Please be prepared: The travel and especially the checks where you have to wait in or next to the bus are very time consuming - my longest bus ride/ journey ever. It took us 25 hours and 55 minutes from the bus station in Kashgar to reach Bishkek with only two 5 minutes toilet breaks on the way but many hours at the different immigration, customs and normal checkpoints.

[JONO5K1]

Prospective Xinjiang-Kyrgyzstan Backpackers/Hitchhikers! (Location & info. links at end).

This is specifically for those wanting to journey from Kashgar to Torugart, Kyrgyzstan (though a lot of information here will overlap with other routes too).

This is a long read (maybe 10 minutes), though all the information you might piece together from hours of internet trawling is validated or proven incorrect here by my personal experience. I have tried to add everything of value.

I'll try to be as concise as possible (though likely not).

Firstly, if you want to take the easy option, there is a bus departing from the international bus terminal opposite Kashgar train station. The price is 598.00 Yuan (£57/€66/$73). There is one price as the bus goes to Bishkek, though it will stop at the border or Naryn or any other major city en route if you ask. The price is non negotiable. The Kashgar departure time is around 08:30 (The bus crossed into Kyrgyzstan at the same time as me, at around 17:30 China time, so you'll not get there any faster). I do not know if the bus departs every day, but remember... the fact that the internet currently says otherwise holds zero value.

I left Kashgar March 30th 2025 for the Torugart border and hitchhiked across it on March 31st 2025.

The China border opens/closes: 10:00-20:00
Kyrgyzstan border/closes opens: 08:00/?
China is +2 hours (i.e. 08:00 in Kyrgyzstan is 10:00 in China).

Don't listen to anything anyone tells you concerning the border unless they work at the border! Every truck driver I spoke to (people that drive across the border almost daily) were completely wrong (I won three drinks through bets on this matter), the English speaking police detectives in Kashgar were completely wrong, and the internet... of course, is almost entirely wrong in all respects too. Even the hotel staff at the border town were... you guessed it... completely wrong.

You do not need a permit!

As of late 2024 numerous policies concerning cross-border travel have changed in China, as many of you are no doubt aware.

The shared taxi terminal (Kashi Terminal) is visible on China's 'Amaps' mobile app. (the app. is in English), and consists of shared taxis including regular cars and larger capacity sprinter vehicles (bigger than a car but smaller than a van). The price is 38.00 Yuan irrespective of whether you're going to the Torugart border (Tuergate 1st Port) or Wuqia Town (final stop to connect for Irkeshtam border, and an additional 30 minutes further).

The Kashi Terminal from where you shall depart in Kashgar resembles Chinese standards in no way whatsoever. It is quintessentially Central Asian and operated solely by Uyrghur people, and unfortunately the experience here was terrible. I had to call the police and the police accompanied me twice (the latter time with English speaking detectives) to reprimand the staff and drivers. This terminal is tiny and overtly corrupt. The drivers and staff were in cahoots at scamming foreigners (I am not exaggerating, it was that bad) and having been there several hours the state forced the drivers to take me and infact offered me a state paid-for private transfer at the expense of one of the drivers (though I declined and was content to pay the 38.00 in a shared vehicle).

I shan't go into detail (yet) as it would be lengthy, but in essence, I arrived at Kashi terminal at 05:30am as an internet blog suggested getting there for 6:00am. This information was total bs. as the building with security and staff doesn't even open until 08:30ish and the first car (of which there were none until opening, won't depart until 09:00-09:30 (they do not fill up quickly).

*Important* It is therefore difficult to reach Kyrgyzstan via Torugart the same day (but possible)!

The journey (assuming you get the very first vehicle) is 90 minutes (to Tuergate Port for Torugart), which gives you 9 hours until the border closure.

Now this sounds like plenty of time, however, it is not... (though by no means be put off by this, as the scenery, people and overall experience was excellent!).

Ok. Let me slurp some tea and we'll continue...

The Kashi terminal scam starts with the price. The ticket lady who spends her time doing her nails and makeup is supposed to charge 38.00 Yuan for the ticket. This is official. She doesn't. Instead the drivers would rather you pay them in cash. Not one said 38.00; they all said either 50.00, or the less scammy ones, 40.00. This isn't so much the issue. I was the very first person there, as stated, for hours. They all refused to take me in the vehicles as some big brute of a scammer was bullying all the other drivers with his scammy cronies and threatening them not to take me... for "apparently" as a foreigner "I had to take a private car all to myself for 200 Yuan". The bullying succeeded alongside the weakness, complacency and corruption of the few staff. No driver would talk to me or take me. They even made up this seemingly believable story that no other passengers would want to travel with me as they would have to wait at the checkpoints for my passport to be processed...but guess what...

THERE ARE NO CHECKPOINTS FROM KASHGAR TO TUERGATE PORT!!! NONE!!!! (the road junction for the Torugart border road).

So this was a lie of course, and this experience lasted hours until, after multiple police visits, they were forced to take me....

But guess what... these drivers are such awful human beings, that once on the road, the driver (having been instructed multiple times by the Uyghur police detective to take me to the Torugart junction, which doesn't delay him as it's literally on the road).... drove straight past the junction and continued on to the Wuqia town checkpoint (for Irkeshtam). And the new road and security infrastructure is so highly developed you're unable to turn around until that point. Because of this, ironically, the passengers really did have to wait, as upon understanding what had happened and having called the police in Kashgar, it took nearly 90 minutes to remedy the issue with the checkpoint police, which... long-story-short, led to me walking back on the road to Torugart along the quiet former highway which snakes alongside the new, until a baker picked me up after almost 4 hours of walking and drove me to the town.

Yes. You can walk on the roads in China and at the borders, and you can hitchhike. It's all totally fine as of March 2025. There is only one place you cannot walk at all (non-negotiable) and I'll get to that.

Having reached the town I went to the customs checkpoint (which is for trucks only) for information and discovered by this point I couldn't make the international border due to time constraints (though you could still walk and potentially camp at so many places along the road, as there are plenty of scenic rural spots, and many villages and hamlets to give yourself an earlier start the following day). I therefore went to every hotel thereafter. There are 4. The most expensive is on Google and they quoted me 150.00 Yuan after originally it was 200.00 Yuan because I saw the price literally printed behind the desk... (they tried to scam me). The second hotel also tried to scam me (Sunshine hotel, also on Google) quoting me 300 Yuan!!! (Insane), when the prices were once again, printed behind the desk and started at 99.00 Yuan...

Eventually I ended up at the best place to stay.
Unfortunately it is not on any of the maps, but I know the exact location and you can't miss it (posted at end), and it is in the best possible location. It is a hostel/hotel. It was incredibly clean. Spotlessly clean in fact, and the staff were professional and very friendly. The accommodation options are all used by truckers. A shared dorm was 40.00 Yuan, though they gave me a twin room with one other stranger (a Kyrgz driver who said walking was illegal and hitchhiking impossible, and who resultantly lost 3 drinks upon my success).

I checked in at around 17:30 and there were only a few beds left. It was fully booked within hours. At 23:30, three drunk Chinese police showed up (still very friendly) and were trying to get me to take the bus the next morning. It was confirmed that walking is totally ok, but they were politely insistent that the bus was better. I politely declined and after the usual selfies, that was that. At 07:00am the next morning I left the hostel and started walking.

*The previous evening I exchanged the last of my Yuan in a shop for Kyrgyz som. The rate I received was better than the official rate, but that store only had 2,100 som left, so if you've more Yuan, just ask in all the shops as they for sure have a mix of currencies (There is a shopping street with plenty of shops)*

The road forks as you can see on your map. To the right is the Tuergate Port Customs. You do not need to go here and it is closed until 10:00am anyway (this is not a passport point, the only passport stamp you'll get is at the China-Kyrgyz Border and the first official checkpoint is 23km away and I will explain this key point now). The road is an open road, there are no police or guards or anything. It's just a regular road and you just continue straight. At 07:30 after walking a bit, all the police convoys with the staff for the later checkpoints and actual border, drove past me en route to their jobs (like I said, and I'll reiterate, walking is totally fine and nobody cares).

I walked for 19km, during which time I was offered food inside somebody's home (though politely declined due to time constraints, as this was my 29th day on a 30 day visa), and around 40 vehicles past me in approximately 4 hours of walking and occasionally trying to hitch a ride (most vehicles, notably the white SUVs are construction vehicles and no construction vehicles will stop. The other vehicles are electric vehicles being driven to Kyrgyzstan for sale and they will also not stop. Moreover as I learned from talking to many truckers at the hostel the previous night, they all said that as much as they want to help, they're not permitted to stop). Eventually a simple chap with a pink fairy themed child's rucksack stopped on a moto that may have been on its very last life and drove me the last 4-5km to the checkpoint and village of: 'Bayinku Luticun'/'Baykurut'

And this is where you need to get to. After this, you WILL Reach Kyrgyzstan in relative ease! Sadly a moronic guard who shouldn't have a gun started shouting at the kind man who gave me a lift, but let him go after 5 minutes thankfully, and I was thereafter addressed by his superior who was very friendly (honestly, I met met three dozen police in Xinjiang and all were friendly and virtually all were professional) and once again, he said walking is fine but that if I wanted he will get me a vehicle, which I was very happy to accept. This process lasted 15 minutes and 5 minutes later I was in a truck. He did say that most trucks would be free as is my experience, especially with all the Kyrgyz truck drivers, but this Chinese truck requested 50.00 Yuan (£5/€6/$7), which given my time predicament, I contently accepted, and off we went.

The scenery was majestic, and I was driven to the border where walking is prohibited between a barbed single track no man's land to Kyrgyzstan.

I had to wait here for 3 hours

The queues and processing time were horrendous. My truck was carrying electric cars and was very slow (slowest on the road in fact), so I arrived at approximately 14:15. Because no man's land is a single lane, trucks from each side are given alternate priorities for set periods of time. Walking is not allowed and having seen the lane caked in snow, barbed on each side with very slim space in places, I understand their rule. Side note...it seemed that all the police are imported from the far East of China, for nearly everyone I spoke to lived near the North Korean border. I don't want to sound rude either, but almost 100% of the outside staff were very high on the spectrum, but still friendly of course. I spoke to them in a chilly outhouse with a barely functional heater via Google translate for 2 hours. Then I was taken to the passport office which was the most disgusting place I've seen in China, ever. The toilets had never been cleaned and the place was worse than the Afghan border facilities (apparently because they're demolishing it shortly). Here I waited an hour, until I received my stamp and awaited a police jeep that would drive me to the border outpost for a final identity check. I was driven through no man's land in a military jeep whilst the driver offered me cigs, after which I had my ID checked at what resembled a dilapidated lighthouse and then crossed the border line (a completely open border with no Kyrgyz guards strangely).

The actual Kyrgyz Border is a 5km walk, though there were plenty of trucks queuing, and having walked for 15 minutes a driver picked me up.

*Important* after this further 5km (which is sort of a holding road for trucks that have been customs approved) you'll reach the actual border post which is gated and secured by the military. The gate closed (I was told for 2-3 hours), but thankfully as the soldier departed my driver called over to him with "tourist, tourist" and the gate was reopened just for me (so note, if you find yourself in the queue, better to go to the gate as they can remain closed for many hours).

The Kyrgyz side is absolutely and unexpectedly clean and professional. They even have a restaurant, warm waiting areas, a coffee machine and ironically and comically the cleanest border toilets I've ever seen! Crazy The staff were super high on life and were extremely courteous and those I interacted with spoke English fluently. From this border there are no trees, just grassland and high altitude peaks for a few hours until you pass the Tash-Rabat junction (I was once again in the slowest truck on the road who I hitched a lift with having walked for 30 minutes into the windswept landscape following my passport clearance which took 10 minutes). There are two further truck checkpoints you'll have to wait at as truckers are required to present their customs papers. This does not concern you, but you'll still have to wait of course which could take time.

We arrived at the Tash-Rabat junction at 20:15. It was cold, dark and I opted out as there is a truck stop a few km further on. Though new, this place had a water problem that day, so the new bathrooms were without water unfortunately. I had to use a bucket instead and the outhouse, but the room had underfloor heating and there was a restaurant. This is a great place to stop for its location as I hitched within minutes back to the Tash-Rabat junction the next morning. The room had 3 beds and was 1,000 (no breakfast included) and it's obviously cheaper if there are more of you. I was woken up by neighbouring sexual deviances throughout the night though... it is a trucker stop. Plus, the owner kept opening my door as there was no lock which was weird.

Following a full day at Tash-Rabat (totally worth visiting, and entry fee: 150 som), a 14km comfortable walk each way, I hitched back to that truck stop and within minutes hitched a truck to Naryn.

You can breathe now. Links below.

Kashgar Railway station location. Bishkek bus and terminal opposite this exact location:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/13N1ZFjeeXTPH9iX7?g_st=ac

Kashi Terminal (Maps): https://surl.amap.com/1H0OFVrg8Vh

Kashi Terminal (Gmaps): https://maps.app.goo.gl/7XAhxG53fwkamjDQ9?g_st=ac

Kashi Terminal Shared Taxi final destination, Wuqia Town (make sure to stop en route at Torugart junction if that is where you're going):
https://maps.app.goo.gl/174AefSmJhuYGNGu7?g_st=ac

From 40.00 Yuan Hotel/Hostel:
Big Soviet looking building on the left hand side of Tuoyun Road in direction of border about halfway up in a gated compound. On Gmaps a Bank of China is listed approximately opposite. It says in large writing 'Gostinitsa'.

First Torugart road checkpoint/village (23km) from start: 'Bayinku Luticun'/'Baykurut' (where the police will get you a truck).

China exit stamp (where you'll have to be driven through no mans land from):
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8s9TKAStfonW2LqY8?g_st=ac

Kyrgyz arrival stamp (5km walk or ride from the end of no man's land)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/uN6CzghtN9RGYHHU8?g_st=ac

Kara Bulak Hotel (truck stop if you arrive late for Tash-Rabat). When I walked to Tash Rabat on April 1st 2025 they were literally building the first Yurt camp. The first is still a 90 minute fast walk from the road with a 17kg backpack for a tall person (plenty of places to camp if you have your own tent though). Thereafter there are two more camps at Tash Rabat itself.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2SL6GKffyNSzjRMaA?g_st=ac

For eSim, the cheapest it Redteago. It is currently $5.50 approx for 10GB. Nord VPN didn't work so I used Proton free VPN (Choose the Netherlands or Japan), which worked sometimes and Windscribe free version (choose Ghost mode), though the latter only comes with 18GB free, which I used in 1 day when uploading. Another free VPN is Tunnel Bear though I didn't try it in China. I'm not associated with these companies, they're just my personal recommendations.

Hope this tangent helps

[arynan]

I am planning to travel from Bishkek to Kashgar in July and have some questions.

1- My passport allows me to travel to China visa free for a maximum of 30 days, in accordance with the latest regulations. Can I enter China thru the Kyrgyz border at Torugart pass as visa free eligible passport holder? Is there a legitimate chance of being denied entry? What can I expect at border control and later in Xinjiang?
This would be my first ever visit to China and I plan to visit Xinjiang for natural and archaelogical sightseeing before traveling further east and then fly to Beijing. On a sidenote: will first entry into the country thru Xinjiang cause problems further down the line? (For instance, if I wanna travel to Mongolia and then come back thru the land border at Erlian to spend more time in China, will I run into trouble at border control if they see I have Xinjiang entry stamp from 2-3 weeks prior?)

2- Is the Bishkek-Kashgar (Torugart) bus route still active during summer months? Does anyone have experience with this route for timetables, stops and border crossing procedure? Is it a reliable crossing? Any info is appreciated.