Does anyone know the quickest way to travel from Tashkent (city) to Shymkent (airport)?
Here’s the route I took: Tashkent (city) -> Shymkent (train station) and back.
I booked a taxi from my house to the border checkpoint (Chernyayevka). All the drivers seemed very familiar with the route—it must be a popular one. The driver even gave me tips about what to do and where to go.
At the Uzbek customs (heading toward Kazakhstan), they asked about my Uzbek residence registration. Other than that, the place was pretty empty except for taxi drivers trying their hardest to snag customers. Once inside, I reached the waiting area and ordered a taxi to the train station. The internet connection was awful, so it took several tries to get it booked. Plus, finding the driver was a nightmare because of the bad signal.
On the return trip, there were more people, but it wasn’t overwhelming—nothing that caused delays or discomfort. At the Uzbek entry point, they checked my luggage and cash. Outside, taxi drivers swarmed like bees, literally blocking your way to pitch their services.
A few notes:
I crossed the border in December 2023. From my hotel in Tashkent (Beshariq district), I ordered a Yandex taxi to the border for 43,000 UZS. The ride took about 30 minutes.
From there, I crossed both checkpoints on foot at a relaxed pace—no issues, no questions. Stamp for exit, a five-minute walk, and a stamp for entry. There were no lines, and the whole process took about 20 minutes.
Once outside, the place was packed with taxi drivers and currency exchange folks. I thought about booking a Yandex taxi but ended up negotiating with a driver for 3,500 KZT to take me directly to my hotel in Shymkent. (They start at 6,000 KZT per person, but bargaining is key.)
There are also minibuses for 1,200 KZT, but they only go to the bus station, which wasn’t convenient for me.
Our taxi had three passengers. I had to wait about 15–20 minutes for the car to fill up. It was an old Audi, but we made it to Shymkent in about an hour.
In total, the trip cost me about 1,000 RUB from door to door.
Border conditions:
I traveled from Shymkent to Tashkent earlier this year.
At the “Kolos” bus station, I got a front seat in a shared taxi for 2,000 KZT. It was a terrible experience—took over 50 minutes to fill the car, even though there were already three of us waiting when I arrived. From what I saw, drivers park near the main street and try to flag down passengers. Unfortunately, I got stuck with a minivan, and the driver wouldn’t leave until we had five passengers, not just four. It took forever to find the last one.
The ride itself wasn’t bad. Took just over an hour, with a quick gas stop on the outskirts of the city.
On the Uzbek side, I was in a hurry and had no internet access, so I took a taxi from a driver who approached me. He initially asked for 100,000 UZS but agreed to 80,000. The trip took me across Ferghana Highway and nearly half the city straight to my destination.
So, if someone arrives by train in Shymkent and wants to get to Tashkent, do they need to go to the “Kolos” stop?
The internet is full of conflicting info—some say Kolos bus station, others say Bekzhan, or even Shymkent Plaza. Then there’s talk of buses running, and then not running.
@nobeus you can leave straight from the train station. A ride to the border costs 3,000–3,500 KZT, depending on your negotiation skills. From Kolos, it’s usually 2,000–2,500 KZT.
As for buses—they’re mostly for people with a lot of luggage.
Arriving early in the morning by train in Shymkent, we were immediately swarmed by a horde of taxi drivers at the station. They initially wanted 4,000–5,000 tenge per person to take us to the border but quickly dropped to 2,500 per person. Too tired to go to Kolos, we agreed.
Crossing the border, we were surprised to find that the Damases (small vans) didn’t want to head to the nearest metro station. They were all posing as taxi drivers instead. As it turns out, they’ve been replaced by the regular city bus No. 169, which operates from early morning until late evening. The ride costs 2,000 sum and takes you directly to the TV tower.
Hello! Does anyone have the latest schedule for Shymkent-Tashkent buses? How’s the ticket situation—can you usually buy them the day before?
You don’t need that bus. Even if it’s running, it’ll take you the entire day to get there. They start from the opposite end of the city from Chernyayevka, picking up passengers and waiting endlessly at the border. Why bother?latest schedule for Shymkent-Tashkent buses?
My trip from doorstep to doorstep—Tashkent to Shymkent—took less than three hours. The No. 169 city bus goes directly to the border gates. Both border crossings took about 20 minutes. From there, a taxi ride was just over an hour. I wasn’t even rushing—I waited for the taxi, exchanged money, and walked to a stop in Tashkent.
You can exchange money (sum to tenge or vice versa) at a decent rate on both sides of the border. There’s even a duty-free shop on the Uzbek side.
I haven’t seen intercity buses in ages—they might still exist, but…
For Shymkent-Tashkent transfers, it’s all about taxis.
Regarding taxis:
Boarding point: not at Kolos. Instead, head to the market—walk further along Respublika Avenue towards Gromova Street (on the outskirts of the city).
From the border (Chernyayevka) to Tashkent, you can take a bus (it’s slow—about an hour), a marshrutka (a short walk from the border), or a taxi.
For the Tashkent-Shymkent direction, expect to pay 3,000–3,500 tenge per seat. My maximum wait time for filling a taxi was about half an hour.
Currency exchange is best done at the border—plenty of exchange points with favorable rates.
Getting around the city? Yandex Taxi is an option. Order via the app or check prices and negotiate with local drivers.
Regular city bus (N169) in Tashkent costs 2,000 sum (1,700 with a card). It takes about 40 minutes to get to the 'Shahristan' metro station. The stop at Chernyayevka is no longer a kilometer away from the border—it’s now right at the checkpoint gates. Just a regular city bus for 2,000 sum.
Shared taxis to Kolos typically charge 2,000 tenge. They might ask for more, but they’ll quickly agree to 2,000.
Did a one-day trip from Shymkent to Tashkent.
Going there:
Returning:
The trip back also took just over two hours.
At the border, there are three “circles” of taxi drivers:
All three groups operate 24/7, so getting back to Shymkent at any time isn’t an issue.
Hi, everyone. Just to add:
If you turn from Respublika Avenue onto Aliya Moldagulova Street and walk a bit, you’ll find minibuses to Chernyayevka under a covered area on the right. They charge 1,200 tenge and leave when full.
Also, confirmed—intercity buses between Shymkent and Tashkent are not running at the moment.
That’s basically the Kolos station. Always been the go-to for trips south to the border. If you’re coming from Bekzhan station instead, you can catch minibuses to Chernyayevka there as well—more convenient if you’re coming from the airport without entering the city.Aliya Moldagulova Street
Also, I am heading to Tashkent next week. Does anyone know if the shared taxi stop near 'Universam' by Yunusobod Metro station still operates for trips to Chernyayevka?
Does anyone know if the shared taxi stop near 'Universam' by Yunusobod Metro station still operates for trips to Chernyayevka?
Yes, it’s still active. Plenty of Damases and cars. Buses to the border are also available.