Travelling from Bishkek to Almaty is very cheap and easy. In this guide I will explain how to do this.

The easiest way is to take the bus from Bishkek to Almaty. This will cost 600 som (around 6 euros) per person. The bus will leave 5 times per day, at: 08:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 18:00. We went to the bus station at 09:00, and could still buy tickets for the bus at 10:00. It should not be necessary to buy tickets in advance.

The bus will leave from this location: https://yandex.com/maps/org/100117775159

Important: You can only pay with cash! There is an ATM next to the ticket counter, but it has a higher fee than other ATMs, so it will be best to make sure you have enough cash for the bus ticket.

The bus will bring you to the border, where you will get out with all your luggage. The border control was very easy (in May 2026), and after leaving Kyrgyzstan, and entering Kazakhstan, you will have to walk to a new bus, which will bring you to Almaty. You will get instructions from your driver about this.

In Almaty you will arrive at the following location: https://yandex.com/maps/org/1086141817