How to Take the Night Bus from Bishkek to Tashkent - Tickets, Border Crossings & Family Tips
- May 5
- 6 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Bishkek to Tashkent Night Bus at a Glance
🚌 Duration: 10–15 hours
💰 Cost: $25USD
📍 Departure: Western Bus Station, Bishkek
🎟 Purchase Tickets: In person only
🌍 Countries crossed: Kyrgyzstan → Kazakhstan → Uzbekistan
👨👩👧👧 Family friendly: Yes.
🚕 Best tip: Take a taxi from the border into Tashkent rather than waiting for the bus
Catching the Night Bus from Bishkek to Tashkent
Taking the night bus from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to Tashkent, Uzbekistan takes about 12 hours. The midnight boarder crossings can be slightly chaotic but that's all part of the journey! The process is simple enough—just not exactly predictable.
Below is everything we learnt - how to buy tickets, what to pack, what to expect at the Kazakhstan - Uzbekistan crossings, and whether you should catch a taxi into Tashkent or wait for the bus.
This overnight bus was just one small part of our Central Asia adventure. If you'd like to see the full route, check out our 5 week Central Asia itinerary, where I share exactly how we travelled through Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan as a family.
How to Buy Bus Tickets in Bishkek
You can’t buy these tickets online, so you’ll need to head to the ticket office at the Western Bus station in Bishkek. They sell tickets up to 48 hours in advance, and the popular times do sell out. We purchased our ticket the night before departure. We tried for the 7pm bus, but it was already full, so we ended up on the 9pm departure.
What to expect on the Night Bus
The bus was comfortable and not full when we first boarded, but as the night went on, more people joined at random (literally in the middle of nowhere) stops, and soon all seats were taken. The bus will stop for a few quick snack and toilet breaks along the way. But bring your own water and snacks just in case.
Border Crossings: A Zigzag Through Kazakhstan
The route from Bishkek to Tashkent cuts briefly through Kazakhstan, which means multiple border crossings. You’ll get off the bus, go through immigration with all your luggage, hop back on, and then do it again when you exit Kazakhstan. The borders out here zigzag like a forgotten puzzle, and everything happens in the dark, half-asleep, with crowds of people moving in every direction.
Travel Tip: Before you even leave Bishkek, do yourself a huge favour: take a photo of your bus’s number plate.
When you’re standing at the border surrounded by identical buses, this is the only way to find yours again.
Because of the Kazakhstan transit, make sure you’ve checked visa requirements for both Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
You can buy snacks on the Kazakhstan side, so it’s handy if you have a little Kazakh tenge left in your wallet. Along the way locals will be exchanging cash, so you can always swap money on the journey. Also, it’s a good time to get rid of all your Kyrgyzstan Som as no bank or currency exchange place accepts it in Uzbekistan (We ended up carrying our Som all the way to Dubai - and the exchange rate was terrible).
Taxi or Bus After Immigration - Which to Choose?
When you reach the final border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan at around 4am (I think!) everyone gets off the bus again and walks through immigration with their luggage. Once you’re stamped into Uzbekistan, you’ll find yourself outside the border gates with a big decision to make:
Do you wait for the bus, or do you take a local taxi into Tashkent?
Taxi drivers will be waiting right outside, offering rides into Tashkent. The city is only about 20 km from the border, so by taxi it’s quick and easy. It’ll cost roughly $5USD in a taxi. Totally worth it!!!
If you continue by bus, however, the wait can be loooong. Immigration for pedestrians is straightforward, but buses can take up to five hours to clear border procedures. The whole scene is hectic - trucks honking, crowds, money exchangers, families, people carrying way too many bags—and honestly, it’s fascinating to watch.
We chose to wait for our bus… well, we didn't choose to, we had to - our girls had left their colouring books on the bus. Four hours passed while we sat there on the curbside, watching the border chaos unfold.
In the end, it was us and one other couple still waiting— everyone else had given up and taken a taxi. (yes, I'd offered to buy new books, but of course they just wanted the ones they’d left behind - so we waited)
If you have kids, luggage or better things to do that sit at a boarder crossing for many, many hours then I’d say take the taxi.
Bus Times & How to Buy Tickets
There are three daily buses from Bishkek to Tashkent:
3:30pm, 7pm, and 9pm.
To buy your ticket, make your way to the Western Bus Station in Bishkek. Staff there have limited English but are very friendly and helpful.
Apple Hostel is a great place to stay - its minutes walk from the bus station and there's a great, social communal area you can chill in and play cards etc, while waiting for the bus - it was one of our girls favorite places.
What to Pack for the Bishkek–Tashkent Night Bus
This journey is long, a little unpredictable, and full of stop-start moments at borders, so having the right things in your daypack makes the whole experience much smoother. Here’s what we found the most helpful:
1.Keep All Your Important Documents Together
You’ll be getting off the bus multiple times for border checks, so keep everything in one easy-to-grab pouch:
Passports
Printed or digital visas if needed (for Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan)
Bus tickets
2. A Small Daypack You Can Grab Quickly
Every time you leave the bus, you’ll need to take all your belongings with you. Keep your essentials in a small bag so you’re not rummaging in the dark.
3. Snacks & Water
You’ll get a few stops, and you can buy food in Kazakhstan, but the selection is random and the lines can be long at night. Pack:
Water
Fruit, nuts, biscuits
Some kid-friendly snacks if you’re travelling with little ones
4. A Bit of Kazakh Tenge
Handy for snack stops on the Kazakhstan side. Cards aren’t always accepted, and you won’t always get change.
5. Warm Layers
The bus can swing between too warm and too chilly. A light jumper or even a sarong makes all the difference, especially if you’re stepping outside at 2am in the wind.
6. Toilet Essentials
The bus does make stops, but facilities can be… really gross. Pack:
Tissues
Wet wipes
Hand sanitiser
7. Things for Kids
Books, colouring in pencils and snacks!
… and trust me, keep everything together when you get off.
8. A Travel Pillow, Eye mask or Scarf/Sarong
It’s an overnight journey, so anything that helps you get a little sleep is worth carrying.
9. Photo of the Bus Number Plate
Not something you “pack,” but absolutely essential. Take the photo before you leave Bishkek so you don’t lose your bus in the midnight border chaos.
If you’re planning a bigger Central Asia adventure, don’t miss our complete Central Asia packing list here.
Travel Insurance for Central Asia
Technically not something you pack, but definitely something we wouldn’t do a long journey like this without — especially when crossing multiple borders in the middle of the night with kids.
For adventurous trips through Central Asia, we usually check quotes with World Nomads, which offers flexible travel insurance for travellers exploring destinations around the world.
We receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.
FAQs
How long is the bus from Bishkek to Tashkent?
About 10–15 hours, depending on bus delays, immigration and if you take a taxi into Tashkent.
Is it safe to travel through Central Asia with kids?
We were genuinely surprised by how safe and welcoming Central Asia felt travelling as a family. You can read more about our experience travelling Central Asia with kid here
Do I need a Kazakhstan visa?
Possibly. Because the bus travels through Kazakhstan, check visa rules for your nationality for both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Currently Australians don’t need a visa if visiting the country for less than 30 days.
Is the taxi from the border to Tashkent cheap?
It’s usually very affordable and much faster than waiting for the bus to clear immigration. Agree on a price in advance.
The night bus between Bishkek and Tashkent is a proper overland adventure — part transport, part border puzzle, part family memory. With a little planning (passports handy, snacks packed, bus plate photographed), it can be smooth.
Hope this helps!
If you want to read more about our travels through Uzbekistan, from Tashkent we made our way to the ancient city of Khiva. And then onto the impossibility beautiful Samarkand via Bukhara.
Or click here to see how we ended up in Tajikistan!
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