Khorgos border crossing Q&A (Almaty - Urumqi)

[LiangPingPiJiu]

@nielba:
yes, it's about BakuBound said, just showing your passports all the time and wrtiting down your (chinese) telephone number. Don't know what they do if you say you don't have a chinese number, probably letting you wait for 10 minutes, considering what to do and then let you go.
It's annoying and letting at least me feeling uncomfortable, but compared with the border crossing it's nossing.

I also think this bus from Almaty to Urumqi is still the best option - but still, it's the same border crossing.
I did this trip twice due to climate reasons, since I'm often going to south-china. But I guess this time was the last time - at least for the next few years, decades,... Who knows.. Especially the checking of my digital equipment is for me an absolute no-go.

[nielba]

yeah I totally see, I was just thinking about my ebook reader with 1000+ books and how to know which one might put me in a bad position, a lottery I guess.. other than that normal tourist photos on my camera and phone, not pleasant but..

maybe more about the questions.. "normal" stuff like where you going or where you staying..?! better to stick with a general Beijing/Shanghai and then fly out or what..?!

[imdumas]

Hi everyone,

We just crossed the border between China and Kazachstan at Khorgos - and Nur Zholy.

We took the overnight train from the Urumqi high speed train station to Khorgos (Huo'erguosi). It is a normal train and it will take about 9 hours and cost 170 yuan. You will arrive early morning in Khorgos (huoerguosi) . Khorgos is a little far from the train station, but there are taxis once you arrive. We paid 30 yuan, but you could probably pay less if you bargain. If you tell the driver you go to kazachstan he drops you at the bus station. [...]

Hello everyone!

I just arrived to Almaty, from Urumqi. I decided to take the same way than campingoncloudnine. I find it cheap and convenient. Remember, the border is now 5KM south from the old Khorgos border, the new name is Nur Zholy (pronounced as 'nur yoly'). Coordinates of the Chinese side passenger entrance: 44.159605, 80.41499

However I did something different. These guys arrived to Huo er guo si' and went to the city bus station. They took a bus which drove them to the Chinese border, and then crossed to Zharkent.

In my case, I went to the border directly with a taxi: 35 yuan. After exiting China, there is a Kazakh bus that goes STRAIGHT to Almaty (you must buy the ticket on the spot because the bus starts in the no man's land, this bus never touchs Chinese territory)
It is then possible to skip Zharkent!! Price of the bus: 100yuan (I feel I could have bargained)

In my case the bus departed at 12:15pm. But the chinese police told me that the bus leaves when full... By the way, if you ask politely, they look at your mobile in front of you (pictures, apps etc).

IMPORTANT: it is true that the border opens at 10:30am in the morning (Beijing Time). It doesn't make sense to arrive early at Huo er guo si'. The police let me enter at 10:40am and I was the first at the queue... So take the latest train guys...

EXTRA!! if your train arrives early (08am or so). You have enough time to visit Almaliq's Tuglugh Timur mausoleum (coordinates 44.240361, 80.535942) . It's a good idea for not getting bored in front of this desertic border... I asked the price to the taxi drivers: Almaliq + going to the Border costs 100yuan (from train station). Bargaining is possible.

[StephParis]

Also Kashgar was not too much hassle, as long as you are not Uyghur. Too bad the place is ruined, with or without police state. Tashkorgan was awesome, but at some forums it is being said one cannot travel there independently by public transport anymore. It seemed that if you sticked to the 'approved' tourist spots it was okay, only some hassle around train stations.

Not sure to understand : have you been freely (= by public transport and without special permit) from Kashgar to Tashkorgan ? My plan is to cross Qolma pass to enter Tajikistan but I can't really figure out how "easy" is it to make it from Kasghar, including a one-day stop in Tashkorgan.

[Jealgu]

Yes, I went freely last year. But from what I gathered that is a thing of the pass. Permits, guides, tourgroups is the available flavour now.

I have heard the suggestion, but no story of someone actually doing it, that with a paki visa you are allowed, perhaps meaning that you can get a permit, to go by public bus. Not sure if this works for Tajikistan as you can also go via Kyrgyslzstan.