Almaty to Tashkent: train, bus, flight and which border is open

The simplest way from Almaty to Tashkent without flying is the daily overnight train, which reaches Tashkent at midday. A flight is far quicker. The bus is the least predictable, for one specific reason: the crossing most guides describe has been closed since February 2025.

Train, bus or flight

If you have a day to spare, take the train: you sleep through the distance and arrive at 12:58 with the afternoon free. If you have a connection in Tashkent, fly. Choose the bus only after asking the operator which crossing it uses that week.

Train times come from Yandex Schedules on 6 November 2026, and the rail timetable changes on 13–14 December. Fares are not listed: check the booking system for your date.

The Almaty to Tashkent train

Train 001Х leaves Almaty-2 and arrives at Tashkent-Tsentralny at 12:58. In the other direction 001Ь leaves Tashkent at 14:41 and reaches Almaty-2 at 08:51 the next morning, about 18 h 10 min. The line has run daily since 14 December 2025, with over 400 seats a day according to Kazinform.

Finratings, in November 2025, listed seated, coupe and luxury classes on the Talgo stock of this route. That list is a year old, so check the classes for your date in the booking system.

Practical points:

1. Check the station on your ticket. Boarding at Almaty-1 has been suspended since 15 July 2026, and this train uses Almaty-2.
2. Book on bilet.railways.kz or at a desk, without commission. How sales and the waiting list work is in our train guide.
3. Keep your passport with you, not in your bag. The rail crossing into Uzbekistan named in Decree No. 697 is Sary-Agash, listed as a passenger and freight point.

The closed crossing: Zhibek Zholy and Gisht Kuprik

This is the fact that old guides miss. Zhibek Zholy on the Kazakh side and Gisht Kuprik, also known as Chernyaevka, on the Uzbek side closed for reconstruction on 5 February 2025. About 30,000 people a day used to cross there.

The reopening date keeps moving, which is why we do not promise one:

Traffic moved to other crossings. Kaplanbek on the Kazakh side and Navoi on the Uzbek side opened for walkers, cars and buses in early 2025, and Kaplanbek handled about 36,800 people a day by November 2025. Kazakhstan also lists B. Konysbayeva, Syrdarya and Tselinny as working posts for road traffic.

What this means for you: if an old article says take a taxi to the Chernyaevka post from Tashkent, verify it first. Ask for the crossing by name when you buy a bus ticket or hire a driver. The crossings on the Uzbek border that foreigners can use are listed on Kazakhstan border crossings.

Bus 407/1 from Sairan

Route 407/1 leaves Sairan station at 294 Tole Bi Street daily at 17:00 and 18:00, with sleeper seats. Buy on the station’s site and board with your document. We could not confirm the journey time or the crossing, so leave spare time at the far end. Our transport guide covers the station.

Flights

Air Astana, Uzbekistan Airways and Centrum Air were all listed on 6 November 2026, with flights of about 1 h 30 min to 1 h 55 min. Departure and arrival times show the same clock in both cities, so nothing shifts on arrival. The flights page explains how to reach Almaty airport by bus 92 or night bus 3.

Documents and visas

Uzbekistan runs its own visa regime. As an example, GOV.UK lists 30 days without a visa for British citizens for tourism or business. Check your passport with an Uzbek embassy or your own government.

Then check the Kazakh side on the visa checker. A single-entry Kazakh visa is used up once you leave. An e-Visa works only through international airports, so it will not let you use the train or the bus. Visa-free days continue to count over 180 days, so a short trip to Tashkent does not start the count again.

Visa-free travellers re-entering Kazakhstan also fall under the ETA rule. The Atameken road crossing in Turkistan region has checked it since 1 November 2026, and the other crossings, rail included, start on 1 March 2027. Until 1 July 2027 a missing ETA brings an explanation, not a refusal; from that date it is grounds for refusal. It is free and filed on qazeta.kz at least 72 hours before entry.

On the way back, consider breaking the journey at Shymkent or Turkistan, which sit on the same side of the country.