Irkeshtam border crossing

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Irkeshtam border crossing
<map lat='39.68' lng='73.895845' zoom='11' view='0' float='right' />
Information
Countries: Flag of Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan | Flag of China China
Type: Mountain pass (3005m)
Motorway: E 60


The Irkeshtam pass is a border crossing between Kyrgyzstan and China. It is located near the small village of Irkeshtam in Kyrgyzstan and forms the end of European Route 60 (E60). The border to China is the second important border crossing from Kyrgyzstan to China. The pass is approached from the city of Osh via Sary Tash on the Kyrgyz side and, on the Chinese side, from Kashgar via Ulugqat in the Xinjiang province.

Irkeshtam Village

Road conditions on the Kyrgyz side are pretty good as long it's not snowing. On the Chinese side, however, parts of the road are very bad, but road construction is ongoing as of November 2011. It is not allowed for Kyrgyz cars to cross the border, so you have to change to a Chinese vehicle at the border. The border crossing is open only during the day and it is closed on weekends and holidays. Crossing the border can take anything between 1 and 3 hours, so you better be early.

Hitchhiking out

Into Kyrgyzstan E 60 =

If you start in Kashgar, take the earliest (around 6am local time) shared taxi to Wuqia. The taxis depart outside Kashgar's international bus station and charge around 25Y per person. After 2 hours you will be half ways to the border, just hitchhike on the main road straight - try your luck with the huge white-container trucks, and make sure your head towards Irkeshtam and not Torugrat!


Into China

From Sary-Tash, just walk to the road leading to Irkeshtam and hitch. Most trucks will pick up hitchhikers, but most of them will also demand money. The usual fare seems to be 300 som or US5–10.

The border seems to close at 2 pm kyrgyz time. If you arrive too late and it's too cold for camping, you can stay with the locals in Irkeshtam for 100 Som.