Irkeshtam Pass Border Crossing: Kashgar China to Sary Tash Kyrgyzstan

Getting from Kashgar to Ulugqat (Wuqia Zhen 乌恰镇)

Traveling from Kashgar to Sary Tash via the Irkeshtam Pass is one of those rights of passage for my adventurous travelers in Central Asia. Despite the unforgiving landscape and overbearing police in China’s Xinjiang, the trip from Kashgar to the Kyrgyz border is quite simple.

By far, the easiest way to reach the border town is by arranging a car directly from your hostel. The Kashgar Pamir Hostel and the Kashgar Old Town Hostel are both owned by the same person. Therefore, it is quite easy to muster up a carload of travelers to take a taxi to the border town of Ulugqat (Wuqia Zhen 乌恰镇). You will have to pay a bit more, however, but never more than roughly 100 RMB a person (16 USD).

The second, and cheaper, option to get to Ulugqat from Kashgar is going to the International Bus Station (国际汽车站). After arriving at the terminal you will have to buy a ticket from the counter for a 5-person shared taxi. The price is about 33 RMB (5 USD). The only downside is that you will have to wait until the car is full to leave to Ulugqat.

If you are really looking to save some yuan, hitchhiking is also another popular and surprisingly easy way to get to Ulugqat.

While in Central Asia you are probably gearing up to travel the Pamir Highway. Read more on traveling the famous M41 here!

Leaving Western China

The Chinese border officially opens Monday to Friday from 10:00 and closes at 7:45. The border officials also take a lunch break from 1:00-3:30. So it is best to get to Ulugqat as early as possible. For those arriving by shared taxi, you will have to either walk 2km from the Ulugqat bus station to the first checkpoint or pay an extra 15 RMB to the gates.

At 10 am a Chinese border guard will arrive to check the traveler’s passports before moving them along into the processing center. There have been reports of tourists being detained at the border and having their phones searched. For other travelers, this stage of the Irkeshtam Pass will be incredibly easy.

After receiving your exit stamp you will have to ride yet another taxi taking you from the processing center to the actual border 130km away. To travel through this long stretch of no man’s land, you will have to hire yet another taxi for about 100 RMB (16USD) a person.

Need more information on Xinjiang, China? Read about staying safe in Urumqi here!

No Mans Land

Other than the Irkeshtam Pass the only option to cross from China to Kyrgyzstan is the Torugart Pass. Besides being closed to independent travel, the border crossing can not match the Irkeshtam Pass in terms of beauty.

The 130km stretch of land leading up to the actual border between China and Kyrgyzstan is nothing short of breathtaking. As your cab driver goes flying down these winding mountain roads the landscape drastically changes. The tall rock shifts from colors of red and orange to grey. This experience alone makes all the trouble traveling the Irkeshtam Pass worth it.

After 1.5 hours of watching the showcase of natural beauty outside the window, you will finally reach the final Chinese checkpoint. Depending on how fast your driver gets to the border, you may be able to make it across before the Chinese guards break for lunch from 1:00 to 3:30.

While in Osh be sure not to miss the traditional nomadic sport of Kok-Boru!

Arriving at the Kyrgyz Border

After getting through the final hurdle of Chinese immigration, you will have to walk a final stretch between the official borders between China and Kyrgyzstan. Expect to find loads of trucks snaking down the mountain road, all waiting to enter China. Some travelers may have the option to take a bus from one side of the border to the next for 100 Som (2 USD). The bus service is not always available, however, so be prepared to walk the 2 km to the Kyrgyz Immigration post.

The Kyrgyz border is open from 9 am – 11 am and from 2 pm – 6 pm. Compared with their Chinese neighbors, expect to go through immigration in no time at all. Even if you manage to catch the Kyrgyz immigration officers during their lunch break, they may be willing to wave you through.

Traveling in Kyrgyzstan during the summer? Be sure to stay in town for Kyrgyz Independence Day in Bishkek!

Crossing into Kyrgyzstan

The most difficult part of any journey is suddenly arriving in a new country with no money and no options for onward travel. Therefore, the local taxi drivers have started a racket to cheat tourists crossing the border for all that they are worth.

From the Kyrgyz border to Osh expect to pay anywhere from 1,000 Som (15 USD) to 1,500 Som (21 USD). If you are not wanting to take the 5-6 hour cab ride to Osh, Sary Tash is a much closer option from the border. Hopefully, you will be able to bargain for a lower price, but some travelers are still expected to pay the whopping amount of 1,000 Som.

As daunting a journey as it may seem, the trip from Kashgar to Osh is actually extremely simple. Depending on your luck, you may be able to breeze past immigration and find yourself dining in Osh for dinner time. The diverse landscape from deserts to snow-capped mountains alone makes this one of the most unforgettable journeys of a lifetime.