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How do I plan a trip across several Central Asian countries?

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Short answer

Plan and book each part of the trip separately: we found no ticket or pass that covers several countries. Two regular trains cross borders from Tashkent, to Almaty and to Dushanbe. Check the entry rules of every country you will enter or cross.

Book each part separately

We found no ticket or pass that covers a trip through several of the five countries. Plan your trip as separate parts, and book each one where it is sold: trains in Uzbekistan on eticket.railway.uz, trains in Kazakhstan on bilet.railways.kz.

Trains that cross borders

Tourist trains sometimes link several countries, sold as tour packages. In March 2026, for example, the “Jibek Joly” train ran Almaty – Turkestan – Samarkand – Dushanbe – Tashkent – Almaty (announcement by Kazakhstan’s railway).

Sources for this section (3)

Connections

  • Between two trains: At least 3 hours. If your trip includes a land border, leave more time.
  • Timetables show local times.
Sources for this section (1)

Visas and permits

The railway does not check that you have the right visas: that is up to you, and the border officers check. Each country has its own entry rules: read the visa page of every country you will enter, including any you only cross.

Sources for this section (1)

What we could not verify

  • Passenger trains to and from Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. None appear on Uzbekistan Railways' timetable; we have not checked the Kyrgyz and Turkmen railways.
  • The Tashkent–Almaty and Tashkent–Dushanbe timetables on the Kazakh and Tajik side. We used Uzbekistan Railways' timetable.

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