Caravanistan

Please read and post reports on the Karamyk - Daroot Korgan border crossing between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan below.

We summarize all info on the Tajikistan border crossings and Kyrgyzstan border crossings pages.

Not sure if my spelling is correct for this bordet crossing.
If I leave Sary Tash westward I hit the Tajikistan border after 150 Km approx.

Is this border open to tourists?

Thanks

Matt

If the GBAO is currently closed, I would assume they've opened up the Karamyk border to tourists, as this is what they did in 2012. People on the ground in Osh (guesthouses, tour agencies, CBT, etc.) will probably have a better idea than anyone on this forum at the moment, and I would try checking with them before heading up to Sary Tash.

But note that even when the Kyzyl Art border was closed for entry by tourists in 2012, you still had the odd person leaving Tajikistan by that border (mainly right after the region was closed, and right after they started re-issuing GBAO permits): meeting a cyclist or traveler who just left Tajikistan via Kyzyl Art won't tell you if the border is open.

hi all,
so it is availeble cross Karamyk, Jirigital - Daroot Korgan by bike now?
too complicated

thx:)

http://caravanistan.com/border-crossings/tajikistan all is explained there. In short, closed.

Hi all,

I just spoke to a lady from the Tajikistan embassy in Bishkek. She Told me that all borders from Kyrgyzstan to Tajikistan, including the Karamyk border, are now open to foreigners. I would like to double check this though so i was wondering if anyone has recent experience in this respect?

Thanks a lot!

Charlotte

I would definitely double-check that before you head out there. It could be that the Tajiks think it is multilateral, but the Kyrgyz see that differently. Same with the Chinese border - you can pass from the Tajiks, but the Chinese don't agree. Anyway, German AA still says it is closed, they tend to know what they are talking about.

i crossed karamik with no problem (both directions) twice in 2012 when gbao was closed (because of clashes in khorog). the pass was open for about 3 weeks. in the same period kgz guards stopped a couple heading to kgz on the no-mans-land for some days (intervention of the embassy was necessary).
why?
shit happens - you can cross tjk borderguards easily and then could be stopped by kgz guards. if you don't have double-entry tjk visa, you have a biiig problem... but i have to tell you one secret: understanding (and usage!) asian way of behavior and thinking helps a lot. so does russian language.
(i had a single tjk visa).

in opposite direction (heading to tjk) could be easier if you don't need kzg visa and if kgz guards let you pass.
and the great alai valley is worth to traverse all.
even twice.

Hi there, so did i get that right? If we do not need a Kyrgyz visum, can we cross Karamyk - Daroot Korgan from direction Tajikistan to Kyrgyzstan without problems?

The Kyrgyz embassy says German citizens (besides 43 other nationalities) do not need visa to enter KG for less than 60 days, see here:
http://www.botschaft-kirgisien.de/index ... 45&lang=en

My thought is even if Tajik guards would not let us pass to Kyrgyzstan or if the station should be closed for some mysterious reason: We could just cross the border without getting caught (maybe by night?) and that's it... Of course it is always best to ask local people when you're there; but for planning our trip such information would be really nice to have

No. Karamyk is closed. Karamyk is only open when the GBAO region and the Kyzyl-Art border is closed.

You don't need a visa for Kyrgyzstan, but that doesn't mean you can cross at this border.

Sneaking into the country will, at a minimum, cause problems when you leave (unless you also sneak across the next border, which will cause problems when you leave that country, etc.). It would be a difficult border to sneak across as the border points are 5-10 km apart and the road goes through a rocky valley with the Kyzyl-suu river at the bottom—rather dangerous to go through at night, with your pack.

This is what the valley and the road through no-man's land looks like: