Kyrgistan -> China - Overland

[travellermex]

Hello everyone,

I would like to travel from Kyrgistan to China overland. Apparently the easiest border crossing is the Irkeshtam Pass.
According to a tour guide company based in China I need a special permit and prearrange transport from the border to Kashgar. The tour company would charge for two people EUR 550 (Special permits + transport)

Can someone give us some information about the special permit? Is this really necessary?

Is there a cheaper way to cross the border?

Thank you in advance.

[bwv812]

Unless things have changed recently, you do not need a special permit for the Irkeshtam border (you do need one for the Torugart border). You can take a share taxi to the border, then take a share taxi from the border to Kashgar. I believe there is also supposed to be a bus running between Osh and Kashgar a couple of times per week, but I think most travelers take share taxis.

[steven]

bwv is right, the Chinese company was talking about Torugart: http://caravanistan.com/border-crossing ... gart-pass/

All info about crossing Irkeshtam can be found here: http://caravanistan.com/border-crossing ... htam-pass/

That is not very expensive. Enjoy the trip, it's a very beautiful part of the world.

[bwv812]

Well, it seems more than one person has been told that they need special permits and pre-arranged transport for Irkeshtam (which, amazingly, the person telling them this can provide!), so I suspect this is more in the vein of deliberate misinformation than an innocent mistake by the tour agency.

[travellermex]

Thanks for the info bwv812 and steven.

@Steven: I already had read the info from your website. I was not sure if this was up to date.

So as long as I have a Chinese visa, I should not have a problem crossing the Irkeshtam pass? I plan to arrange transport to the Chinese border in Osh and then take the bus from the border to Kashgar.

[bwv812]

When you arrive in Osh you will likely meet people who have traveled in the reverse direction, from China. If things have changed—which I very much doubt—they'll let you know. And if you do need to book transport and permits, you could probably do it in Osh for about the same price you're being quoted.

[Aleco]

How is the situation around there in August?

Coz I have a plan to do that also, but I'll be in June in Iran, than Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, tajikistan and kyrgyzstan and from there, I would like to cross in china, to reach Tibet, as well.

Any suggestion than? Is it so dangerous and hard to do that? Best border to cross from Kyrg to China?

[steven]

Best border to cross is Irkeshtam, as stated before. It's not hard to do that. Don't know about Tibet.

[carabruan]

The boarder crossing at Irkestam is fast and easy. We crossed that boarder with the bicycles in July 2016.
We were told, there is no way to go to Tibet from Kashgar. Sometimes not even mainland chinese are allowed to cross the "boarder" into Tibet. The best place is to obtain a special permit is Chengdu. What we heard, it is only possible to go to Lhasa by airplane. We did not check it out seriously, it is just what other travellers told us.

[roro]

Hi fellow travellers,

I'm planning to make the same border's crossingvto visit Xinjiang, but with my own car.
I've already made contacts with some agencies, it's expensive, I know, but we want do it (we are 2 cars).
My questions are: Some experiences about that kind of trip?
If yes what agency have you choosed.

Thanks in advance.

RR.