If you’re backpacking in Central Asia, it’s quite likely that you’ll be visiting Bishkek and Almaty as part of your Central Asia itinerary.
This travel guide of Central Asia will provide a detailed, step-by-step explanation of how we travelled from Bishkek to Almaty by bus. It will cover the ticket prices, departure times, locations, what to anticipate at the Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan border crossing, and many helpful tips for your trip to Kazakhstan.
In contrast to some of the more challenging destinations and attractions you may encounter when visiting Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, the journey from Bishkek to Almaty by bus is likely one of the easiest legs of your Central Asia itinerary.
Why Travel From Bishkek To Almaty By Bus
There are a few options available when travelling from Bishkek to Almaty such as a Yandex taxi or a mashrutka to the Kyrgyzstan/Kazakhstan Border, which is called the Korday Border. Once you cross into Kazakhstan you take another mashrutka, shared taxi, or private taxi to Almaty.
However, we recommend getting the bus from Bishkek to Almaty because it is the easiest and most convenient way of travel.
- Mashrutka: the name of local busses/shared taxis in Eastern Europe and the former states of the Soviet Union.
Not only is the Bishkek to Almaty bus very affordable at a cost of only 600 Som (around 6 euro’s). But you will also avoid the hassle of haggling and the risk of being overcharged when seeking transportation on the Kazakh side for your next ride that will bring you to Almaty.
Taking a Yandex taxi from Bishkek to the Korday border costs around 500 Som, compared to a bus ticket from Bishkek to Almaty that goes the entire way, which is only 600 Som as mentioned above.
After crossing the Korday border into Kazakhstan, you’ll still have about three hours of travel ahead of you to Almaty, which should cost 5000 Tenge per person (approximately 10 Euros) on a mashrutka/shared taxi, assuming you are given the correct price.
- The currency in Kazakhstan is the Tenge (KZT). 1,000 Tenge is approximately equivalent to 2 Euros or 2 US Dollars.
By opting for mashrutka’s or shared taxis from Bishkek to Almaty, the cost of your journey can add up to around 15 Euros. So why would why pay all that extra money when you can travel directly from Bishkek to Almaty by bus for just 600 Som?
How Long Will The Bus From Bishkek To Almaty Take?
Although Bishkek is only 20 kilometers away from the Kyrgyzstan/Kazakhstan border, the journey will take approximately 30 to 60 minutes getting there depending on traffic and weather conditions.
Once you arrive at the Korday Border, you’ll need to go through the usual customs procedures of getting stamped out of Kyrgyzstan and stamped into Kazakhstan. The wait time can vary significantly, taking anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the number of people crossing at that time.
A very frustrating thing that you are guaranteed to see is people with no shame just simply making their way to the front of the queue and worming themselves into the front of the line. This is an incredible annoying thing to see, so be prepared to puff out those shoulders and stand your ground!
After you clear the border crossing, you’ll need to wait for all passengers to reboard the bus before it departs from the Korday Border to Almaty. This leg of the journey usually takes another 3 hours, taking the entire trip from Bishkek to Almaty 5 hours on a good day, up to 7 hours on a bad day.
Bishkek to Almaty By Bus – Step By Step.
Now that you understand that traveling by bus from Bishkek to Almaty is the easiest and most convenient choice, let’s take a step-by-step look at what to expect on the day of your journey.
Bishkek to Almaty Step 1 – Bishkek Western Bus Station:
Make your way to Bishkek Western Bus Station by taking a Yandex Taxi. We were around 8 kilometers from the bus station, and the fare was less than 2 Euros.
Once you arrive at the Bishkek Western Bus Station, ignore anyone trying to sell you tickets and proceed inside to the ticket booths. Present your passport, and the ticket will cost you 600 Som per person. Once you have your ticket, head outside to platform 11.
Your ticket will have an assigned seat number, but not everyone follows this rule. Once at platform 11 you can place your hand luggage on your seat, and your backpack underneath the bus. If your seat is taken, try and sit near your allocated seat just incase. Most of the time it is only backpackers and not locals that abide by the allocated seat rule.
Our bus was meant to depart at 10.00, but instead at that time, the bus driver came around to collect everyone’s tickets. He will write a number on your ticket, this is the number on the back of another bus which you board once on the Kazakhstan side of the border.
Bishkek to Almaty Step Step 2 – Korday Border:
Once you arrive at the Korday Border from Bishkek you’ll need to disembark the bus and take all your belongings with you. Make sure not to leave anything behind, as you’ll be boarding a new bus on the Kazakhstan side of the border.
Proceed to the Kyrgyzstan border office to get your exit stamp. As you enter the building, you will see how many booths are open, but you will also notice there are more queues than booths! Be prepared for long disorganized lines, with some individuals blatantly bypassing the queues to push their way to the front – Stand your ground!
Once you have your your exit stamp from Kyrgyzstan, you must place your bags through an X-ray machine before making your way to the Kazakhstan border control office.
The Kazakhstan Border control seemed a lot more organised and you will be told what queue to join. Hand over your passport, get stamped in, place your bags through an x-ray machine again, and welcome to Kazakhstan!
Bishkek to Almaty Step Step 3 – Find Your Bus To Almaty:
You are now in Kazakhstan and will have to find your way to your connecting bus from Bishkek to Almaty that will be waiting for you in a small nearby carpark.
Proceed to the exit channels and make your way outside. Upon exiting the Kazakhstan border control you will have two options of roads to take, continue straight or take a left. You need to go straight on, however there will be barriers in place that will force you to go left.
Simply follow the barriers for about 30 meters until you can cross the road, and then head straight toward the road leading out from the Kazakhstan border control.
After about 60 meters, you’ll see a small parking area on your right. Look for the number on the back of the bus that matches the number your driver wrote on your ticket earlier.
There will be a staff member with a manifest of all the names of passengers who departed on the Bishkek to Almaty bus. Hand over your passport to have your name checked off and then load your baggage onto the new bus. Try to sit in the seat corresponding to your assigned number, although it’s highly possible that someone else may already be occupying that seat.
To our surprise, there were no ATMs available at the border, but there were people walking around asking if we wanted to exchange money. If you need to use the restroom, be aware that there is a fee, so it’s a good idea to have a little bit of old Kyrgyzstan currency on hand—using the toilet costs 20 Kyrgyzstan som.
In case you didn’t bring any water or snacks, there are a few shops nearby where you can purchase these items, as the journey from the Korday Border to Almaty will take approximately 3 hours.
Bishkek to Almaty Step 4 – Korday Border to Almaty:
Once everyone is on the bus, it will depart from the Korday Border heading to the Sayran Bus Station in Almaty. We highly recommend bringing a drink with you, as despite the presence of “AC,” it will get quite hot on the bus.
This journey is relatively uneventful, with endless plains and not much other scenery to take in along the way. Just a lot of beeping from the bus driver.
Approximately an hour and a half after departing from Korday, there will be a scheduled toilet break for 15 minutes with a few food options available.
Bishkek to Almaty Step 5 – Sayran Bus Station:
Around 3 hours or so later, and it is welcome to Almaty! You have made it. All you have to do now is make your way to your accommodation.
When you arrive in Sayran Bus Station and get off the bus, you’ll find “taxi drivers” waiting for you. We use quotations around “taxi drivers” because they are not officially licensed taxi operators.
Out of curiosity, we asked one of them how much the fare to our accommodation would be, but he didn’t recognize the name of our place or the street name. This could be a sign to consider your next transportation options carefully!
But for every problem, there is a solution! If you go inside the Sayran Bus Station and turn left, you will find a small shop that sells Kazakhstan SIM cards with 10 GB for 5000 Tenge. Once you have your Kazakhstan SIM card you can now order a Yandex taxi to your accommodation.
Be aware of the following: When we entered the address into Google Maps, it provided a very different location compared to Yandex Taxi. We also encountered this issues in Tajikistan a few times. To avoid any confusion and misdirection, it’s a good idea to contact your accommodation directly to confirm the correct location before you arrive in Almaty.
In case there are no SIM cards available at Sayran Bus Station, you can find a small shop directly across the road that offers SIM cards for the same price. Just use the pedestrian crossing, and once you reach the other side, you’ll spot the shop next to a large mural on the apartment building.
Make sure to read until the end of this travel article for last tips and summary of getting the bus from Bishkek to Almaty
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Summary of taking the bus from Bishkek to Almaty
And that is it my friend! our travel guide on how to get from Bishkek to Almaty by bus, sounds easy enough right. Below we have a summary of all the important notes you will need to know.
- Only buy your ticket inside one of the ticket booths at Bishkek Western Bus Station.
- The price for a ticket from Bishkek to Almaty by bus is 600 Som per person, with your luggage included.
- The bus departs daily from Bishkek Western Bus Station at 08:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, and 18:00.
- All busses from Bishkek to Almaty depart from Platform 11.
- Be prepared for those annoying people without shame who skip past queues at the Korday Border.
- There are no ATM’s at the Korday Border, but you will find money exchangers.
- You will need change to use the toilet. Kyrgyzstan Som is accepted.
- You can buy a Kazakhstan SIM Card with 10 GB at Sayran Bus Station in Almaty for 5000 Tenge.
- Make sure to verify the location of your accommodation in Almaty, as sometimes Google MAPs and Yandex have different locations.
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