Khorgos border crossing Q&A (Almaty - Urumqi)

[lena1991]

A report on travelling from Almaty to Yinining/Ili/Inni/Gulja and further into China

On July 27nd we, two german nationals and one durch national, started our journey to Chin a from Almaty:

1) Bus from Almaty Sairan Bus station to Yinining/Ili/Inni/Gulja. All four names describe the same place.

Busses on the 27nd left on 0700, 0800, 0900 and 1000. We bought tickets online which confused the people at the station a bit but borded our bus after all, be prepared to use the name Gulja in Almaty if you want to go to Yinining/Ili/Inni/Gulja. We left at 0700 Almaty time and stayed at STOP Youth Hostel in Yinining/Ili/Gulja, very nice hostel.

All accommodation in China we booked via trip.com.

Border procedures took 2h with 1:15h at the Kazakh side. You leave the bus with your luggage and get picked up after crossing. Then dropped off at the Chinese border post. Same procedure. Bus picks you up on the other side. Fairly easy. We reached Yinining/Ili/Inni/Gulja 1800 BEIJING time, so overall the trip from Almaty to Yinining/Ili/Inni/Gulja took us 8 hours. We could have caught the sleeper train to Urumqi but decided to stay in Yinining/Ili/Inni/Gulja.

On the next morning we continued with the fast train 5:30h to Urumqi, stayed there a night and then went with the fast train (1h) to Turpan where we stay at New Dap Hostel, very nice.

Train tickets booked with trip.com or China Train Booking App. We then further continued via train ti Xi´an.

Our way back: Sleeper train from Urumqi to Yinining/Ili/Inni/Gulja: We arrived at 0730. Bus station in the city (called Passenger Termina) opens at 0830. Busses to Almaty left on day of our travel (friday) at 0930 and 1000. Travel time roughly 10h as the bus stops in Khorgos and for lunch. Border crossing again super easy and quick.

Thank you for this recent update! Very interesting I will do the same in about 3 weeks time.
Can you tell me on which website you booked the bus ticket from Almaty to Yining?
And also, do you think it's safe to plan a flight on the same evening from Yining (23h)?

Thank you very much!

[MichelG]

Hello

I'm planning to cross the border here on October 1st and i have booked a sleeper train from Huoerguosi to Urumqi
On the Saian website there no tickets available to Zharkent on the 1st.
But i would like to know how much a taxi would be,Yandex or another one to Zharkent?

[MichelG]

Hello

I'm planning to cross the border here on October 1st and i have booked a sleeper train from Huoerguosi to Urumqi
On the Saian website there no tickets available to Zharkent on the 1st.
But i would like to know how much a taxi would be,Yandex or another one to Zharkent?

I will have to qoute myself it seems that the border between Kazachstan and China is closed for a few days.
Does anyone have some further information on this?

[Jealgu]

First week of October is Golden week in China, i.e. there is a big holiday one week long. That is the best reason I can think of. Keep in mind that, if you manage to get into China, it will be super busy with transport and tourist attractions.

[Sem]

A report on travelling from Almaty to Yinining/Ili/Inni/Gulja and further into China

On July 27nd we, two german nationals and one durch national, started our journey to Chin a from Almaty:

1) Bus from Almaty Sairan Bus station to Yinining/Ili/Inni/Gulja. All four names describe the same place.

Busses on the 27nd left on 0700, 0800, 0900 and 1000. We bought tickets online which confused the people at the station a bit but borded our bus after all, be prepared to use the name Gulja in Almaty if you want to go to Yinining/Ili/Inni/Gulja. We left at 0700 Almaty time and stayed at STOP Youth Hostel in Yinining/Ili/Gulja, very nice hostel.

All accommodation in China we booked via trip.com.

Border procedures took 2h with 1:15h at the Kazakh side. You leave the bus with your luggage and get picked up after crossing. Then dropped off at the Chinese border post. Same procedure. Bus picks you up on the other side. Fairly easy. We reached Yinining/Ili/Inni/Gulja 1800 BEIJING time, so overall the trip from Almaty to Yinining/Ili/Inni/Gulja took us 8 hours. We could have caught the sleeper train to Urumqi but decided to stay in Yinining/Ili/Inni/Gulja.

On the next morning we continued with the fast train 5:30h to Urumqi, stayed there a night and then went with the fast train (1h) to Turpan where we stay at New Dap Hostel, very nice.

Train tickets booked with trip.com or China Train Booking App. We then further continued via train ti Xi´an.

Our way back: Sleeper train from Urumqi to Yinining/Ili/Inni/Gulja: We arrived at 0730. Bus station in the city (called Passenger Termina) opens at 0830. Busses to Almaty left on day of our travel (friday) at 0930 and 1000. Travel time roughly 10h as the bus stops in Khorgos and for lunch. Border crossing again super easy and quick.

Thank you for this recent update! Very interesting I will do the same in about 3 weeks time.
Can you tell me on which website you booked the bus ticket from Almaty to Yining?
And also, do you think it's safe to plan a flight on the same evening from Yining (23h)?

Thank you very much!

Hey!

Have you already crossed the border? Could you share your experience? I am planning on crossing this border in a couple of weeks as well! Would be greatly appreciated

[fuzzyfurs]

Hi everyone, I'm looking to visit the Special Economic Zone and cross the border to enter China after.

I understand that it is not permitted to cross on foot, as such, does it follow that I'll enter the SEZ first and then take a bus back to Zharkent and get on another bus that goes towards the border control? Not sure how to do this, finding some mixed info.

Will there also be any issues with luggage? Read that only one luggage per passenger is allowed on the buses from Almaty to SEZ.

Thanks in advance! Will report back with info once I cross in a few days' time.

[Stoertebekker]

We (2) wanted to cross into China taking a bus (since trains still don't run). Option 1 was to go to Urumqi, option 2 to go to Yiling/Ghulja and take a train from there. We went for the latter option.

We bought a bus ticket Almaty – Yiling at Sairan Avtovokzal (https://ma-sairan.kz/). Bus line #403, booked online (page only in Russian, otherwise smooth booking and payment). First I didn't find the bus, since I was looking for Yiling (Инин), but the bus sign was for Ghulja (Кульджа, actually a little different since Kazakh letters).

We were the only non-Kazakh/Chinese folks. Bus used the Qaljat/Dulata crossing. While both border guards had no experience with German passports, we could cross. The Kazakh guys had several officers to check and approve our crossing. At the Chinese side there was an English speaking officer who welcomed us. Checks of our passports took a while, but no problems. We were told we were the first Germans to cross there.

So, when crossing by bus, this border crossing works for non-Kazakh/Chinese folks.

Itinerary: 6.30 bus to Yiling. Arrival in Yiling at ca. 21.00 (delay, while the bus took long to get through customs). 22.20 train Yiling - Urumuqi (07.15); train Urumqi - Beijing (14.10 - 20.22+1)

Bus 12.820 KZT/pp
Train Yiling - Urumqi 230 CNY/pp soft sleeper

(www.alwayseast.de)

[Lagerfeld]

While both border guards had no experience with German passports, we could cross ...

What do you mean with that "no experience" and "we could cross" ?

[MichelG]

While both border guards had no experience with German passports, we could cross ...

What do you mean with that "no experience" and "we could cross" ?

They also had no experience with a Dutch passport, because this crossing is not used by western travellers very much.
An officer sitting by the xray machine was really suprised with seeing my dutch passport.
And with "we could cross" probably they meant that at the Chinese side they ask for visa visa visa.. while for Dutch and probably also Germans it's possible to stay 2 weeks visa free.
I crossed at Horgos and English at Chinese side was limited.

[Lagerfeld]

Thank's, Michel. May be my English isn't good enough that I didn't understand this very well.

Is it by the way possible to enter China with my own car?

2 years ago I was in Horgos, but with an organized travel bus - is was an excursion to this very big shopping centre.
The KZ border gave me exit + entree stamp but from the Chinese side I get nothing; very bad for me, I am collecting worldwide stampa.