Shymkent is a natural jumping-off point into Uzbekistan. It’s much closer to the border than Almaty, and this guide covers the crossing itself, not just the transport that gets you there. It’s more involved than the domestic routes I’ve covered in all this content on Kazakhstan, because you’re dealing with a border and currency change. Here’s how to go from Shymkent to Tashkent, and how to go across the Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan border.
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In this guide I’ll cover whether you need a visa to go from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan, your transport options between Shymkent and the border (shared taxi vs marshrutka), what the border crossing itself is actually like right now, and how to get into Tashkent once you’re through. You have several options to travel this route. You can fly, but it’s stupidly expensive. You can take the train, you can take multiple taxis, marshrutkas or Yandexes. You really are spoiled for choice on this Central Asian border crossing!
Important: The Main Crossing Is Currently Closed for Renovation
Before I go into any detail: Zhibek Zholy, the main crossing on this route (also called Chernyaevka or Gisht Kuprik on the Uzbek side), has been closed since February 2025 for a major rebuild, and it’s due to reopen around September 2026, expanding its capacity from 30,000 to 70,000 people a day.
Until Zhibek Zholy reopens, everyone on this route, buses, shared taxis and self-drivers alike, is being routed through the smaller Kaplanbek crossing (Navoi on the Uzbek side) a few kilometers away instead. I’ve written this guide around that current reality. I’ve marked all current stations, crossings, and details on this map. I’ll update this post when the Zhibek Zholy border reopens. The process of getting to the border doesn’t really change; your journey time will be very, very similar.
Do You Need a Visa to Cross into Uzbekistan?
Citizens of the EU, USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and the GCC states can enter Uzbekistan visa-free for 30 days, along with citizens of over 90 countries in total. If your country isn’t on that list, Uzbekistan runs a straightforward e-visa system at e-visa.gov.uz, with processing usually taking 3 to 5 business days. Visa rules change, so confirm your own nationality’s current requirement before you travel rather than relying on this or any other guide.
How to Go from Shymkent to Tashkent
As I’ve mentioned, there are several ways to cross the border from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan; I’ll deal with one of the easiest first, the train, and then detail the other various overland methods and finally flying, as it’s the most expensive and least interesting option.
Taking the train from Shymkent to Tashkent
There’s one train a day that goes from Shymkent to Tashkent. It leaves Shymkent at 06:33 and arrives in Tashkent at 12:58. I’ve marked on the map exactly where the train stations are in both Shymkent and Tashkent. There is NO time zone difference between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, so no need to worry about losing or gaining time. You can book this train here.
You’ll need to factor in getting to the train station in Shymkent and your transport from Tashkent train station to your hotel in Uzbekistan. Tickets for the train are available in a standard seat (it’s a 6.5-hour journey, including the border crossing), second class sleeper, or first class sleeper, and it’s run by Uzbekistan trains.
As a comparison, we went door to door from the Express City Hotel in Shymkent to the Hotel Uzbekistan in 3 hours and 14 minutes.
All the border formalities are conducted on the train, so you don’t need to get off, but it is likely that your bags will be searched.
Marshrutkas, Taxis and Yandex from Shymkent to Tashkent
This overland route is the main way that people travel to Tashkent from Shymkent. And on both sides of the border you’ve got different transport options, so I’ll cover them in order.
- How to go from Shymkent to the border (Kaplanbek)
- Details on crossing the border itself
- Getting from the Uzbek side (Navoi) into Tashkent.
Going from Shymkent to the Kazakh-Uzbek Border
You have options here. You can take a taxi, take a Yandex, or take a marshrutka. Of course. The Yandex is the easiest option by far, so I’ll cover that first. There is no longer a direct bus that goes to the border and over to Tashkent.
Take Yandex City to City from Shymkent to the border, aka Kaplanbek Customs.
This is what we did, and it’s a seriously easy way to do it. We paid 1,250 KZT each for two seats in a shared Yandex City to City car. It took 1 hour and 50 minutes, including picking up our other passenger along the way. You can book the whole car if you want, and save on waiting for the other pickup and have a bit more comfort.
The MAJOR benefit of this is that you don’t need to get yourself to where the marshrutkas leave from, which is an additional time suck and cost.
You can just type in “Kaplanbek Customs” as to where you want to be dropped off. The driver will take you as close as the roundabout near the border crossing. That’s where EVERYONE gets dropped. And it’s a good location. If you want to see this location on a Yandex map, then it’s here.
There’s lots of money exchangers right there, and every booth quotes roughly the same rate. There is also a toilet option, but they’re a little grim and paid for, so go before you leave Shymkent if you can, but it’s a good idea to go here too, in case you get held up on the way across the border.
Shared Taxi & Marshrutka from Kolos Shymkent to Tashkent Border Crossing
Outside of Yandex, shared taxis and marshrutkas to the border also depart from Shymkent’s bus and marshrutka stations.
The location they depart from is called “Kolos”. And they go from behind the Kolos bus stop area. I’ve marked it on the map as to where this is. (both Kolos and where they go from) You’ll pay anywhere from 1,500 KZT to 3,000 KZT depending on the driver, your negotiation, and the size of the vehicle. You’ll likely need to wait until the vehicle fills, so allocate time accordingly. The journey time to the border from Kolos is about 1 hour 45 minutes.
You may have read that you can get a marshrutka from Samal Bus station to the border. YOU CANNOT. They don’t go from there. It’s Kolos you need to go to. But seriously, it’s a lot less faff just to get a Yandex.
There is NO direct Bus from Shymkent to Tashkent
The direct bus service no longer runs; it’s been suspended for some years now. Don’t plan around it. A shared taxi covers the same ground for a similar price with far less hassle.
Crossing the Border: Zhibek Zholy vs the Current Kaplanbek Detour
Zhibek Zholy is the main, most direct crossing for this route, and the one you’ll use again once it reopens. Right now, though, everyone gets routed through Kaplanbek instead, known as Navoi on the Uzbek side, a smaller checkpoint about 30 to 60 minutes’ wait on a typical crossing, running 24 hours.
You can see on my map which is which. And that they’re not that very far apart at all.
The mechanics are the same regardless of which checkpoint you use. You’ll be dropped off or walk to the Kazakh side first for passport and luggage checks, with an X-ray for bags, then proceed to the Uzbek side for the same.
Our crossing time was VERY quick. We were through BOTH immigration points in less than 30 minutes.
Getting from the Navoi Border to Tashkent
If you’ve taken the train, then you can ignore this part, as your border transport continues to be the train. You have three options here; the first is to take a bus.
Bus from Navoi Border to Tashkent
It will be cheaper, and I’ve marked on the map where the bus goes from and where it ends up in Tashkent. You want the 120 bus, and this goes to Chorsu Market, from where you can get the metro to your hotel in Uzbekistan. It’s easiest to figure out public transport in Uzbekistan on Yandex Maps. Here’s the link for where the bus leaves from. The bus departs every 20-25 minutes. The bus takes contactless payment.
It’s about a 13-15 minute walk from immigration to get here.
If you’ve seen content about catching the 169 bus, then this is between the (currently closed) Zhibek Zholy border crossing and Tashkent. NOT Navoi/Kaplanbek.
Damas aka mini-mini van to Tashkent
You can grab a seat in a Damas for 10,000 UZS per seat. Now that you’ve seen what they look like (click on the link if you didn’t), then you’ll see and see them all over the place. They’ll take you to Chorsu Market. It’s on the map.
Taxi from Navoi Border Crossing to Tashkent
You can take a taxi from here to Tashkent (and you will have no shortage of offers); you may even be able to convince your taxi driver to accept Kazakh tenge (and of course you may not), if you didn’t change any money at the border. And the last (and in my opinion the best) option, you can take a Yandex.
Yandex from Navoi Border Crossing to Tashkent
For Yandex, you’ll need a local or global SIM. And it’s for times like this that our global SIM and eSIM (buy here), read more here, come into play. If you haven’t bought a local SIM card at the border, then this works well, although while the data signal at the border was great, the GPS signal wasn’t, so finding our Yandex proved challenging. So many white cheap cars…
Yandex is SO much easier, since you can just book a Yandex straight to your hotel rather than negotiating. Be sure to have your accommodation address ready; it’s always a good idea at any border crossing to know exactly where you are staying for at least the first night.
We splashed out and stayed at the wonderfully kitsch, Soviet-era Hotel Uzbekistan, a wonderfully retro landmark building right in the center of Tashkent. It’s worth it for the novelty alone even if the rooms themselves are particularly dated.
Yandex fares from the border into central Tashkent cost in the region of 64,000 UZS, so have some local currency ready before you set off. You can make it cheaper by using the carpool option, but this only usually offers a saving if you’re a solo traveler. It takes about 45 minutes to travel from the Navoi border crossing to the Hotel Uzbekistan.
Flying from Shymkent to Tashkent
There is NO direct flight from Shymkent to Tashkent, so a flight is going to take you a minimum of 13 hours, and they’re usually self-connecting, so that means you’ll need to collect your bags and check in again. It’s just not worth it. Don’t believe me? See the flight schedules and tickets here (and yes, they’re expensive)
Exchanging Money at the Kazakh/Uzbek Border at Kaplanbek
Money-changers work both sides of the crossing. Not knowing at the time what the situation was on the Uzbek side of the border, we changed our remaining Kazakh tenge (my guide to Kazakh tenge and payments is here), on the Kazakh side of the border at Kaplanbek.
The rates were fair, if not the very best available, so this is more about convenience than getting the top rate. It turned out that (of course) there were currency exchanges on the Uzbek side of the border too.
Getting Connected: SIM Cards in Uzbekistan
You can buy an Uzbek Beeline SIM card right at the border, which is the easiest option if you want to sort connectivity the moment you cross. (Aside from using a global SIM, of course). Ucell is the other major operator and also widely available in Tashkent itself, sometimes at better prices than the vendors right at the crossing. If you’d rather not deal with a physical SIM at all, a global eSIM like SurfRoam set up before you travel means you’ve got data the second you’re across, no queuing at a kiosk required.
Map of locations for going from Shymkent to Tashkent.
Here’s the map with the locations you need for going from Shymkent to Tashkent. You can also click on this link to take you to the live map.
FAQs on Crossing the Border from Shymkent to Tashkent
Here are the bits and pieces that I didn’t fit in above.
How long does it take to go from Shymkent to Tashkent?
It depends on the transport that you use. We went door to door, from the Express City Hotel in Shymkent to the Hotel Uzbekistan in Tashkent in 3 hours and 14 minutes. We took a Yandex from the hotel to the border, walked across the border, and took another Yandex to the hotel in Tashkent. If you take the train, you’re looking at 6.5 hours on the train alone, not including transport to and from train stations to hotels. If you take marshrutkas in Shymkent, then additional time is needed for all the waiting around (read my guide to transport in Kazakhstan to understand why), and if you take the bus on the Uzbek side of the border to Tashkent, then you’ll need to wait for that as well.
Is there a train that goes from Shymkent to Tashkent?
Yes. There’s one train a day that goes to Tashkent from Shymkent. It leaves at 06:33, and you can book tickets here.
Can I get a marshrutka from Shymkent to the Uzbek border?
Yes. You can take a marshrutka to the border with Uzbekistan from Shymkent. I’ve marked on the map where you can pick one up.
How much is a marshrutka from Shymkent to the Kaplanbek Border?
You’ll pay anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 KZT per seat in a marshrutka from Kolos in Shymkent to the Kaplanbek border crossing.
Yandex to Uzbek Border. Where do I book the Yandex to go to for the Uzbek Border?
You want to put in Kaplanbek Customs as your destination. Your driver will drop you as close as he can (which is the monument roundabout by the currency exchanges. If you want to see this on a Yandex Map its here.
Is there a bus from Shymkent to Tashkent?
No. There is no longer a direct bus that goes from Shymkent to Tashkent.
Where in Shymkent do Marshrutkas go to the Tashkent Border?
If you want to take a marshrutka to the border crossing for Tashkent, you need to go near the Kolos station. I’ve marked on the map where this is. Marshrutkas from Samal bus station do NOT go to the Uzbek border.
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Final Words on Going from Shymkent to Tashkent
Once you’ve figured out how to go from Shymkent to the border, this is an easy border crossing, and when we crossed, much of the time we spent figuring out was trying to work out exactly where the crossing was; much had been written about Zhibek Zholy, but little to nothing about Kaplanbek. And the info on where to catch a marshrutka was difficult to say the least.
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