It’s not like us to do something straightforward like just fly into a country, vacation, and fly back out again. We really like overland travel itself which means we tend to move around a fair bit. So when we decided to self-drive the Pamir Highway this spring, as usual we also built a few other things in on either side of the actual roadtrip.
In a nutshell: we started in Kazakhstan and traveled from there to Uzbekistan and on to Tajikistan. In Tajikistan we picked up a rental car and drove the Pamir Highway, ending in Kyrgyzstan. From there, we carried on back to Almaty and then I traveled solo, further north into eastern Kazakhstan.
This post outlines our route, including the border crossings and trains we used. In total this trip was 4 weeks long (so relatively short) but if you are looking to fit an eclectic mix of highlights – think nature, silk road history and that dash of weirdness only the former Soviet Union can provide – from different countries in the region into a month or less, read on for ideas:
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
Tajikistan
Kyrgyzstan
Kazakhstan (…again)
Kazakhstan
Remote places and empty spaces.
Currency: Tenge
Almaty
Almaty makes a great starting point for a Central Asia trip: it’s well-connected, it’s cheap and there is plenty of stuff to see and do in and around this green, sprawling city. If you’re just starting out it’s easy, and if you’re at the end of your trip and want to eat some good food, then you’ve got plenty of choices.
Almaty – things to see and do
- Zenkov Cathedral, a beautiful wooden Orthodox church – try to get a look at it at dusk, when it’s softly lit up.
- Take the cable car up to Kok-Tobe, a lookout over the city and the mountains beyond. There is an assortment of stuff up here like a zoo with chickens in it, carnival games, and a Beatles statue.
- Soak yourself at Arasan Baths, a massive bath house with a maze of baths, saunas and steamrooms, in separate sections for men and women. Entrance to the baths is cheaper on weekdays than on evenings and weekends. There are changerooms with lockers and hairdryers. You can hire slippers and a towel – the towel is only for wandering in the maze of corridors, and inside the actual baths clothing is forbidden. This is clearly indicated by drawings of underwear crossed out with big red Xs like no-smoking signs (there’s actually a smoking room though, as well as a bar).
- Ride the subway. A token costs almost nothing and it’s easy to navigate (it’s only one line…). Hop off at a couple of stations to look at the tiled murals and grand, vaulted ceilings.
That’s just in town – keep in mind that Almaty’s most famous attraction is the accessible and beautiful nature surrounding it. There are plenty of options for daytrips and hikes in the mountains that are right on the edge of the city. Ask at your accommodation – there are always trips on offer if you want help organising one.
The Basics
Food. No shortage of places to eat – always popular, we liked Gosti (Russian), Daredzhani (Georgian) and My Cafe (French), as well as the local chain we’ve seen in Kyrgyzstan, called Navat.
Beds. Staying in a central location is a good idea – this city goes on forever. First we stayed at InterHouse which is a bit far away – but not a huge deal thanks to the abundance of share-taxis, and the owner is really great. Later, I stayed at Cinema Hostel which is a handy location and a really cute hostel as well.
Transport. This is the main thing with transport in Almaty (and most Kazakh cities): get used to unofficial taxis. Stand at the side of the road and flag almost any passing car. If he pulls over, he’s a taxi. Keep in mind these aren’t official cabs and aren’t marked, so it will probably feel like hitching at first. Often you don’t even need to flag them down – they’ll honk at you if you are standing around or walking, and assume you want a ride. Tell him your destination (or the closest intersection, or a well-known landmark) and ask how much. Pay attention – they seem to charge per person, and a seat is generally around 500T/1.25 USD depending on how far you’re going. He might pick up other riders going the same way (hence, ‘share-taxi’).
Turkistan
Turkistan is home to Kazakhstan’s greatest monument, a mausoleum built by Timur himself in the late 1300s. It’s like a mini-preview of what’s to come in Uzbekistan (with less crowding). A few hundred years ago Turkistan was an important city; today it’s just a quiet town with a forgotten feel. You can get there easily by train from Almaty and it’s a handy stop if you’re heading to the Uzbek border.
Taking the train from Almaty to Turkistan
There are two major stations in Almaty, cleverly named Almaty-1 and Almaty-2. We bought our tickets online at: https://www.railways.kz/en/
It was super easy (this time. It’s never worked for me again since). The site requires you to register first and then book and pay. Bringing the e-ticket on your phone is all you need.
You have several options. The cheapest is taking the ‘slow train’ in ‘platzkart’ – carriages where all the berths are in the open, rather than inside of closed compartments. It’s perfectly comfortable and I’ve traveled alone in platzkart (for close to 30 hours in one go). A ticket from Almaty to Turkistan in platzkart on the slow train costs around 4000T/10 USD and the journey time is about 20 hours. There’s a samovar at the end of every carriage so you can get hot water for tea, and you should bring food.
We booked the ‘fast train’ (Talgo), which reduced the journey from Almaty to Turkistan to 13 hours. We went second class meaning we had a 4 bunk compartment to share with two others and it cost 16000T/41 USD per person. Even first class, where you have a two-bunk compartment, is relatively cheap. Leaving around 5 pm means you’ll arrive around 6 am so it’s perfect for covering a long distance during your night’s sleep. On the fast trains there’s a restaurant and bar car, the toilets are kept pretty clean, and there is hot and cold drinking water available in every carriage. Bring yourself a mug and some tea and you’re set.
Turkistan – things to see and do
- Visit Turkistan’s main draw, the Yasaui Mausoleum that Timur built in the 1390s for a Sufi mystic who died here around 230 years previously to that, and is still revered today.
- Sauran. The ruins of what was once a prominent Silk Road city and the capital of the Mongol White Horde. We got there easily from Turkistan by hailing a taxi and saying ‘Krepost Sauran’. The driver agreed on 5000T/13 USD for the 40 minutes drive (so around 1.5 hrs return) with 30 minutes waiting for us at the site.
The Basics
Food. There are many restaurants in Turkistan, mostly cheap, and serving mostly shashlik – just follow your nose. We both ate huge amounts of the usual fare for around 4000T/10 USD in total.
Beds. We stayed at the Edem Hotel where we paid 8000T/20 USD for a comfy double including a pretty decent breakfast.
Transport. The town is small and walkable but the ubiquitous unofficial cab is everywhere and if you don’t look for one, they will look for you. Around town we’d generally pay 100-200T/0.25-.50 USD per person for short rides.
Uzbekistan
Silk road history and amazing architecture.
Currency: Som
How to cross the Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan border
You can get from Turkistan (Kazakhstan) all the way to Samarkand (Uzbekistan) in a day. It takes about 9 hours in three stages including the border crossing at Chernyaevka which goes straight to Tashkent (Uzbekistan). We broke the trip up staying in Shymkent overnight, and took the first bus out in the morning.
Tip: although you can get cash from ATMs in Uzbekistan it’s better to come prepared with at least a little Uzbek Som and/or USD, so that running around looking for a reliable ATM is not the very first thing you have to do. Withdraw/change money in Shymkent before leaving.
To cross the border:
- Turkistan to Shymkent. The fastest way from Turkistan to Shymkent is by minibus/shared taxi which leave from any of the town’s bus stations, when full. Get going in the morning when the vehicles fill up faster. This costs about 2000T/5 USD per person and takes 2 hours.
- Shymkent to Tashkent. There is a direct bus that goes to Tashkent (Uzbekistan) for 1500T/4 USD per person, and it takes around 3.5 hours including the border, where everybody has to get off with their luggage and walk through immigration and baggage checks. It only goes a few times per day at set times starting early in the morning – try to ask in advance. It leaves from Shymkent’s Stary Avtovokzal or ‘old bus station’ and ends at the public bus station in Tashkent.
Tip: If you want to explore Tashkent or stay in the city, there is a metro stop – Sobir Rakhimov – right across the street from the bus station. A ticket costs 1200 som/0.15 USD. Cab drivers around here will attempt to charge exorbitant prices; it’s a lot simpler to just ride the transit. - Tashkent to Samarkand. Share-taxis depart for Samarkand directly across the street from the bus station, just outside the metro stop. They are easy to find (drivers will shout ‘Samarkand’ at you); getting into a share rather than being forced into a private one is harder. As usual, they depart when full. It takes about 3.5 hours and costs 50 000 som/6 USD per person.
Samarkand
This is probably one of the most famous cities in the whole region. Although it can be very crowded with tourist groups, they are there for a reason, and I wouldn’t want to give it a miss. In our case on this trip, it made a very handy and nice stopping point for a few nights while we sorted out some more plans on our way to Tajikistan.
Samarkand – things to see and do
Pretty self-explanatory: you have a massive collection of well-known sites here starting with the Registan and going on to a succession of mausoleums and mosques, which I’m not going to list here. Suffice it to say, that’s what we did.
The Basics
Food. There’s a place in the old town marked on Maps.me as ‘Nice Shashlik and Beer’ and it really is, really nice. Also, there’s Old City Cafe, not far from the Registan and pretty good.
Beds. We liked the huge, rambling Rahmon hotel in the Old Town for 20 USD for a double. There’s a big open terrace upstairs for breakfast with views onto the Registan. The backstreets are a confusing maze….if you can’t find the hotel you’re looking for, there are plenty of others all around.
Transport. Cabs are everywhere, both official and unofficial. Just agree the price before you get in.
On this trip we simply passed through Samarkand on our way to Dushanbe, as Oyv had never been there. But I spent a few weeks last year travelling in Uzbekistan myself. Check out these posts for my travel tales from Bukhara, Khiva, Nukus and Moynak:
Silk Road Tripping in Uzbekistan
Three Days at the Ends of the Earth, Also Known as Nukus
Tajikistan
Stunning nature and ever-changing landscapes.
Currency: Somoni
How to cross the Uzbekistan/Tajikistan border
You can get from Samarkand (Uzbekistan) all the way to Dushanbe (Tajikistan) in a day. It should take around 6-7 hours, in 2 or 3 stages including the border crossing at Penjikent. A pretty big caveat: in our case it took two full days, due to weather conditions. We were travelling in the early spring and landslides blocked the road from Penjikent to Dushanbe – twice. Crews work hard to clear the rubble away but it does take time. There was also a snowstorm on the way into the city over a high pass. Moral of the story: don’t be in a rush, especially in the springtime when the weather is unpredictable.
Tip: although you can get cash from ATMs in Tajikistan it’s better to come prepared with at least a little Tajik Somoni and/or USD, so that running around looking for a reliable ATM is not the very first thing you have to do. Withdraw/change money in Samarkand or at the border before leaving.
To cross the border:
- Samarkand to the border. First, cab to the bus stand making it clear you want a bus to the Penjikent border. At the bus stand there are plenty of minibusses going that way, they fill quickly, cost around 5000 som/0.60 USD each and take about an hour to the border.
- Border to Penjikent/Dushanbe. There are plenty of unofficial money changers hanging around the border if you still need Tajik somoni. The border is a collection of big, imposing, mostly empty buildings and the most intense staff around was a responsible-looking German Shepherd patrolling in no-man’s land. It’s quick and painless to process the border on both sides with a short walk in between. Make sure you have the printout of your Tajik eVisa with you. After the metal gate clangs shut behind you and you’re in Tajikstan, you’re at the mercy of tons of taxi drivers. You can get a ride to Penjikent for around 15 somoni/1.50 USD per person. They were also offering to take us straight through to Dushanbe for 120 somoni/13 USD each.
- Penjikent to Dushanbe. A share-taxi from the bus station in Penjikent to Dushanbe seemed to cost between 80-100 somoni/8.50-10.50 USD per person depending on whether the car is a 4 or 6 seater. In good weather, the trip should take around 3.5 hours.
Tip: ask for a seatbelt. Everyone will laugh uproariously at you…but they are there, wedged under the seats, and the driver will likely pull it out for you.
Dushanbe
Thanks to all the delays I mentioned in getting to Dushanbe, we didn’t have much time to see things like ‘The World’s Tallest Flagpole’ but we did get to organise a few things we needed before setting off on our Pamir roadtrip. We stayed the night at the very popular Greenhouse Hostel and left the next morning for the Pamir Highway.
I’ve written a story about the highlights of this incredible roadtrip:
An Epic Road Trip: Adventures on the Pamir Highway
And a complete itinerary for self-driving the Pamir Highway:
Self-Driving the Pamir Highway: Eight Days on the ‘Roof of the World’
Kyrgyzstan
Amazing natural beauty and well-developed tourist infrastructure.
Currency: Sum
The Pamir Highway ends in Osh, Kyrgyzstan. We dropped off our car there, and caught a flight on Manas Air to Bishkek. They are frequent, fast and very cheap (30 USD).
From Bishkek we returned to Kazakhstan.
- If you are spending a couple of days in Bishkek, you can take a daytrip to Ala Archa National Park. It’s about 40 km from the city in the Tian Shan mountains. There are good trails and it makes for beautiful hiking (in season). Hostels usually offer an expensive transfer service where a cab will take you there and wait to bring you back – don’t bother. Just take an Uber or a Yandex taxi to the trail head. You’ll have to pay entrance at the main gate for the car to drive into the park but the trail head is 10 kms away so you don’t have a lot of choice. Do your hike, and when you’re finished, just start walking back from the trail head towards the main gate. In summer you will have no problem hitching a ride the rest of the way and back to the city.
I spent a few weeks last year travelling in Kyrgyzstan on my own. Check out these posts for my travel tales from all around Kyrgyzstan:
A Nomadic Feeling in Kyrgyzstan
And That’s Travel in Kyrgyzstan
How to cross the Kyrgystan/Kazakhstan border
You can get from Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) to Almaty (Kazakhstan) in less than a day. It takes around 5 hours, including the border crossing at Korday and you can catch direct transport straight through.
From the Western bus station, ask around/see the ticket window and take a marshrutka for 400 sum/6 USD per person straight to Almaty. It takes about an hour to the border, and after you’ve all walked through passport control and customs, the driver will pick you up again on the other side for another 2.5-3 hrs driving to Almaty. You’ll be dropped off outside the station Almaty-1.
…And back to Kazakhstan
Semey
Semey, formerly called Semipalatinsk, a small city best known for its proximity to the nearby Polygon – the Soviet Union’s main nuclear weapons-testing site for 40 years. Today, it’s a (totally safe) likeable, walkable, decidedly untouristy city.
Taking the train from Almaty to Semey
Oyv went home; I took the train from Almaty-2 to Semey:
The fast train (Talgo) in second class costs 11000T/28 USD for a bunk in a 4 bed compartment with a journey time of about 17 hours. I had problems on the website and couldn’t book online, so I went to the station a day in advance to buy the ticket in person. The easiest way to get to Almaty-2 station is to ride the metro to the last stop (Raiymbek-batyr) and then map it and walk just a few blocks from there. At the station, take a number, wait, and pay in cash. Write the date you want to go and ‘Семей’ down, to make sure you’re getting the right ticket in the event of language issues.
Although the town was renamed to Semey years ago – in regards to searching train tickets the old Soviet name, Semipalatinsk is still in use.
The train station is Semey is just a quick ride from the edge of town. There are plenty of cabs congregating out front, even early in the morning.
Semey – things to see and do
- Check out the parks with assorted war history items like an Afghan war memorial, a Fallen Soldier, a tank on a plinth and an eternal flame burning for the Great Patriotic War.
- See the ‘Stronger than Death’ memorial to victims of the testing.
- The Anatomical Museum at the medical school housing a collection of deformed fetuses. Bring a copy of your passport and be ready to talk to a few security guards about it.
- A park (behind Hotel Semey) containing some forlorn Communist statues, and not least, the tallest Lenin in Kazakhstan.
- Fyodor Dostoevsky’s home in exile is now a museum.
- The Polygon test site is nearby and I really wanted to visit it – but the prices for a solo-traveller are sky high. I’d go back (with friends) for that one.
The Basics
Food. Try the restaurant Pepperoni for pasta, cake, salads, coffee.
Beds. I stayed at Europa Hotel which has a restaurant on the premises that’s ok too.
Transport. It’s easy to find taxis; or just walk.
Astana
Just before I arrived, the capital had been renamed Nur-Sultan in honour of Kazakhstan’s outgoing president. Whatever it’s official name, this city has also been called the ‘Dubai of the Steppe’. I haven’t been to Dubai, and visiting Astana/Nur-Sultan did nothing to increase my non-existent desire to go there. But, many of its buildings are flights of architectural fancy and interesting to look at, at least, so you can easily spend a day or two walking around.
Taking the train from Semey to Astana
I took the fast train (Talgo) in second class which cost 8000T/21 USD for my bunk in a 4 bed compartment with a journey time of about 17 hours. I had problems on the website and couldn’t book online, so I bought the ticket in person in advance, at Almaty-2 station when I was buying my ticket to Semey. Write the date you want to go and ‘ACTAHA’ down, to make sure you’re getting the right ticket in the event of language issues. Travel time is about 14.5 hours on the fast train. The slow train takes closer to 26.
Astana – things to see and do
- The Exposition is worth a visit – best floor (for me) is 7 with the astronauts stuff.
- There is a banya (bathhouse) directly across from Keuran City Mall.
- Take a daytrip to ALZhIR, a camp established during Stalin’s time for the wives and children of men who were already imprisoned somewhere else in the Kazakh Gulag. The city bus number 180 goes to the Stary Avtovokzal (old bus station) from where you can take a marshrutka for 400T/1 USD towards Malinovka. When buying the ticket and boarding the marshrutka just repeat Alzhir and Malinovka…the driver will drop you at the side of the road about 45 minutes out of Astana. From there you can see the monument. There’s also a museum which costs 300T/0.75 USD but there’s not much English. To go back, exit from the monument and walk left, for about 15 minutes into the village of sorts until you eventually find apartments and some shops. You can get a cab from behind the supermarket for around 1600T/4 USD back to Astana.
The Basics
Food. There’s a Galmart (big supermarket) at the Keuran City Mall right next to where I stayed, and that’s where I ate.
Beds. Stayed at Kapsula Hostel right behind Keuran City Mall. Mostly everything is behind/next to/nearby a mall here. It’s handy though for food, money and transport. And coffee.
Transport. Flag a car, any car. Or ride the city bus.
I was in Kazakhstan last year too, in Aktau, far away on the western side of the country. I went there to get a spot on a cargo ferry crossing the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan. You can read about that gong show here (no really, it was a lot of fun):
Plan B: Taking a Cargo Ferry Across the Caspian Sea
And, for more about Kazakhstan in general (or if you’re still thinking about a possible trip) check out Why Kazakhstan? Why Not.
