How to Cross the Border from China to Pakistan

In yet another of our overlanding adventures we travelled from Kyrgyzstan to India on public transport. The second border-crossing of the trip was from Kashgar (China) to Sost (Pakistan).

The border crossing between China and Pakistan is at Khunjerab Pass, on the Karakoram highway. At 4693 meters, it’s the world’s highest border crossing. It brings you into Pakistan near Sost, in Gilgit-Baltistan. If you ever wondered how to get from China to Pakistan, then read on.

Before You Go

You need a Pakistan visa to travel to Tashkurgan and cross the border. In 2019 Pakistan introduced an e-Visa system. Instead of applying in person at your home Embassy you do the whole process online and in theory you can apply from anywhere. There may still be some glitches. Officially you don’t need an LOI and supplying hotel bookings is enough but you may be asked for an LOI anyway (we both were). We got ours from Lost Horizons Treks and Tours, who organised them within a day. Once you’ve got the e-Visa, print a few copies and bring them.

It’s a good idea to bring some Pakistani rupees. I’d bring a decent amount of USD as ATMs are thin on the ground until Gilgit (and always unreliable) and you may need to change dollars/yuan as you go if you have trouble with your card (cards – bring a few). You can change money easily in the small shops in Sost and there are ATMs as well.

As the trip involves two long days of bus travel, bring food. You might experience some altitude sickness, but since you don’t really linger at the pass it probably won’t be an issue. Bring plenty of water since hydration really helps.

The border crossing is open weekdays from April to November but can close due to weather conditions and landslides (especially early/late in the season).

Important: Time Your Crossing

The border is shut on weekends. To cross on a Friday make sure you leave Kashgar for Tashkurgan on Thursday morning and then get up very early on Friday morning to get tickets on the bus from Tashkurgan to Sost. As far as I know, you can’t book in advance. Seats are limited and if you don’t get one you will have to stay in Tashkurgan until Monday morning, and then try again. Friday is apparently an extra-busy day because all the Pakistani businessmen and students in the area are eager to get home.

Whatever the day, arrive early for both your bus trips.

The Route

It’s a two day trip. Day 1: Kashgar to Tashkurgan (China). Day 2: Tashkurgan to Sost (Pakistan). You can stay the night in Sost or move on in the same day.

Kashgar to Tashkurgan

Driving Time: 7.5 hrs including a multitude of stops
Total Length of Day: 10 hrs

You might hear that you need a permit to go to Tashkurgan. This only applies if you are going to Tashkurgan and coming back. If you are going to Pakistan your visa will suffice. Tell/show anyone who asks about a permit that you have a visa. You might also hear (from various sources such as the guy at the Tourist Information in Kashgar) that there is no bus or that it’s very difficult for foreigners to get a bus or share-taxi to Tashkurgan and you should book your own private transport instead (800 RMB). Don’t listen: it’s not, don’t.

On weekdays public transport leaves Kashgar for Tashkurgan at/around 09.30. The options are:

• a regular big bus, 65 RMB per person
• a 16-seater minibus, 85 RMB per person
• 4-6 passenger share-taxis, 150 RMB per person

Go to the bus stand the day before and check the times as it probably varies. We went the day before just to make sure we could find the bus.

On the day you plan to leave get up early and catch a taxi to the bus stand. It’s a parking lot in front of a row of shops. We found it already correctly marked on Maps.me as ‘pickup for Tashkurgan’ (again, we checked it out the day before). We arrived at 08.00 on a Thursday and there were already 6 or 7 passengers waiting, and just one minibus. It filled up very quickly and departed at 09.00.

You’ll drive for approximately 3 minutes and then stop at the bus/police station to show your passport and buy your ticket from the police. You can probably wait there for the bus in the first place (it’s the West Bus Terminal) but in our case, then the bus would have been full when it got there. Tickets took nearly an hour, and then we finally left the city. It’s a journey of about 295 km, and with 3 checkpoints and innumerable stops it will take most of the day.

Although just a passenger himself, a jolly old man from Peshawar appeared to be in charge of everybody on our bus. This self-appointed ‘Bus Boss’ directed our activities the entire day, telling us what to do even when it was quite obvious (such as eat lunch at the restaurant).

If you’d like a hint of what to expect, here’s how our day went:

09.51 – the Bus Boss wanted to see our visas and personally assured the driver we were legit.
09.52 – tickets purchased, we all got back on the bus.
09.53 – the Bus Boss insisted we change seats with his friend. Much shorter than either of us, the friend needed more leg room. Respecting elders is paramount in Pakistan so we changed seats.
09.56 – we drove out of Kashgar.
10.05 – got out at the first checkpoint for baggage xrays, passport, visa checks. The Bus Boss took it upon himself to announce our nationalities to the guards.
10.18 – back on the bus, we departed the checkpoint.
10.25 – stopped for petrol at heavily guarded gas station. Passengers have to wait in the road.
10.35 – the Bus Boss climbed on first, then heartily welcomed us back onto the bus. Off we went.
11.12 – stopped for lunch at a restaurant. The Bus Boss ordered us to eat.
11.39 – the waitress gave us some watermelon. She obviously felt sorry for us.
11.40 – suddenly everyone rushed back onto the bus, so we did too.
12.04 – stopped in the middle of nowhere for the driver to greet some friends in the road.
12.08 – the driver’s friends got on the bus.
12.20 – stopped, the driver got out and disappeared into a shed. The Bus Boss had no explanation.
12.27 – driver got back in and off we went.
13.10 – stopped at a checkpoint with really unfriendly guards. Passports, visas, bag checks.
13.30 – back on the bus, left the checkpoint.
14.06 – stopped at Bulunkul Lake. The Bus Boss encouraged us to take photos of it.
14.16 – hit the road again.
16.46 – got out for the last checkpoint, same as the other two.
16.56 – the Bus Boss herded us aboard the bus for the final stretch.
17.20 – arrived in Tashkurgan and disembarked at the bus station.

The Bus Boss told us in no uncertain terms to be at the station by 09.00 in the morning to get tickets for the bus to Sost. We asked around about buying the tickets in advance (since we were already at the station) but were told no.

It’s a short walk from the bus station in Tashkurgan to K2 hostel which thankfully has a bar, and there are plenty of restaurants in town.

Tashkurgan to the Border and Sost

Driving Time: 5 hrs including stops
Total Length of Day: about 12 hrs

The ticket office at the bus station in Tashkurgan opens at 09.00. Turn up well in advance of that to buy your ticket. As far as we were told, you can’t buy tickets in advance, only the day of. Bring your passport and visa.

The Bus Boss had instructed us to come to the station at 09.00 the next morning but we went two hours early, as a Pakistani guy we met at the hostel had warned us there’d be a queue. In fact, he told us he’d go over with us at 07.00 to get his own ticket too, but when we got up, he’d apparently decided even that was not early enough and left without us. The queue at the station had started forming by 05.00 and it was pretty long (and there was our friend from the hostel, already in it). More people kept coming and when the office finally opened two hours later all hell broke loose – each of the guys in line was holding space for friends. This is not the time to be shy: stand your ground and push ahead, or risk spending another day (or on a Friday, the entire weekend) in Tashkurgan. The Bus Boss arrived at 9 am as the doors opened and strolled past us to the top of the queue, smiling broadly.

A ticket to Sost is around 225 RMB per person. We had our tickets by 9.45. Then you take your luggage and get a cab the short distance to Chinese Customs and Immigration. The customs office opens around 10.30. Fill out your departure card and get your passport stamped.

Go outside and wait for the buses to arrive around 12.15. Your ticket will show the plate number of the bus you’re on. Assuming you aren’t planning to import large bales of fabric and mountains of heavy cardboard boxes to Pakistan, you’ll be able to quickly stash your backpack underneath and queue up at the door. Seats are assigned but nobody seems to pay attention to that. I was the only female passenger, and was let to board first.

Khunjerab Pass is 120 km away. It takes 3 hours to reach the final Chinese border post where you get off the bus for a quick passport check, and then back on to drive the last few kms to the big gate on the border. From there the bus continues another 75 kms to Pakistan Customs and Immigration in Sost. On the way you’ll stop to pay a National Park fee. It’s signposted, 10 USD, and you can pay in rupees or dollars (or yuan).

In Sost the bus stops at the Immigration offices. Unload your bags and go in. Fill out the healthcheck form at the counter to your right and then go to the opposite counter for immigration. After you’ve got your stamp you might be asked to drop by Customs next door for a bag check; or not.

You’re going to hear this a lot but I’ll say it anyway: Welcome to Pakistan!

Read More

For more about travelling in Pakistan and things to see and do while you’re at it, check out my posts from Pakistan.

I also wrote a story about our experience crossing the border:

A Tale of Two Borders: China to Pakistan via Xinjiang