Hello,
I will be in Kazakstan and I will be driving to India by motorcycle, I have a Irish passport.


As far as I know the way to drive to India would be:
Kazakstan-Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India.

Has anybody done this route ?
Do you have information about visas, or is there a better way to get from Kazakhstan to India?

Thanks


89 Africa Twin RD03

Afghanistan?

Think you need to do a bit of research. Not a destination to casually visit.

Getting in overland from Tajikistan is dangerous as you must pass Kunduz (and Faizabad if you come in from the Wakhan). Coming in from Uzbekistan should still be fairly safe.

Your main problem will be getting to Pakistan. As far as I know, the Afghans will not let you cross to the Pakistani border at Torkham. You might well be able to talk you way through or slip through without being noticed (highly unlikely on a big bike), but what would you do if you were turned back? Kabul is not a good place to get visas.

Your most likely option is crossing a corner of China from Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan.

EO

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.

If I drove from Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan via China how would I enter Pakistan and also get a Stamp? Also I would not have a China visa..

I am looking at another possibility now,
Driving from Russia down to Azerbaijan and then into Iran and onto Pakistan and finally India ? Sound better or not ? This way will mean driving out of the way by about 3,4000km but should be safer and simpler???


89 Africa Twin RD03

You would enter Pakistan at the border crossing. An immigration officer in Sost would put a stamp in your passport.

If you don't have a Chinese visa, you won't get into China. So you would need to get one.

Same as you would need to get a visa for Pakistan, India, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran etc etc

Going through Russia / Azerbaijan / Iran / Pakistan is certainly doable, but I doubt it would save you money, certainly wouldn't save you time, and it would not be safer than going through China to Pakistan.

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.

Thanks for the reply.

Can you recommend the best route ?
What is the common route that motorcyclist would take?

I know I will be in Yekaterinburg for sure and then the goal is to get to India/Thailand

I can't see any easy way to get there without having problems with dangerous country's and visas issues .




89 Africa Twin RD03

There is no easy option.

The best route, as I said, is to go through China. You'll pay a bit for the guide / tour (pretty cheap if you find a group to join), but it's the way most people go.

For information, Pakistani visas are only available in your home country.

Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran are great countries to visit, but each needs a visa too.

If you can't face getting visas, you'll need to fly.

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.

I know I will need visas, that's not a problem, the Pakistan visa will be a bit harder but that's ok.

Last time I looked into driving into China by motorcycle people were saying it was next to impossible? Has this changed ?

If so then could I drive from Kazakhstan direct to India ? Or something similar?

Apart from a Chinese visa and guide is there any other documents you need to enter China on motorcycle?





89 Africa Twin RD03

China is the only country we've been talking about that I haven't taken a vehicle into, but it's a common trip these days. You need to contact an agent several months in advance. Have a search on the site and you will find more information, possibly a group to join.

The groups usually transit China from Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan in 3-5 days. From Kazakhstan would cost more, and you would have less chance of finding a group to split costs with.

For China you will not need any documents beyond a visa, but you will need a carnet de passage for Pakistan and India.

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.

I have a carnet already.
Thank you very much! You have been very helpful



89 Africa Twin RD03

Let me try my best to guide you.

1)Through kashgar (xianjan,china) by crossing Erkeshtam to kashgar You will have options to either go down to Pakistan controlled kashmir (azad kashmir) take Karakorum highway and reach waha border. No bored crossing with pak-India through kashmir. For reaching Kashgar and driving from there you might need to spend for Chinese tour guide (I think its mandatory). The Karakorum highway is not opened always. There are times during the year it gets closed.

2)Through kashgar (xianjan,china) you could drive to Zhangmu border crossing (2500+ km) and reach Katmandu (Nepal, no border crossing from India from china). But again you will have to spend for 3 types of Chinese permits. Tibet entry permit, Alien entry permit, Military permit. Along with that you will have to have a tour guide and new number plate registered for your motorbike.

3)Going to Iran through turkey and reaching iran-pak border then proceeding to Quetta (baluch province). But considering the baluch uprising there might be issues for your permit. You might be escorted with a Pakistan security forces.

4)Coming down to uzbek border from Almaty and then proceed to mazar-i-sherif (Afghanistan). There are 3 cargo flights that operates from agfan

Safi Airways
Kam Air
ariana afgan air

You need to make a enquiry of air shipping your motocycle from there to India. Yes its possible with regular cargo formalities (volumetric weight calculations).

For passenger flight SpiceJet is an option from kabul. But from mazar-i-sharif to kabul I think passenger flight is 95 USD. From Kabul to Delhi its 8000 INR. Mazar-i-sharif is safe as of now. And do not try to make any driving from mazar to kabul since its not safe through roads.

I have seen several web sites that makes a advertisements as freight forewords from kabul to waha border through land trade (land cargo). But not sure about it since I could not get any price quotation from them even I mailed several times.

So If I were you I would select the option 4 above (air transport with motorcycle from mazar) because it sounds cheap for me compared to going through china.

Welcome to India..

Satyasharayan, are you from India ?

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Yes Kayjay.. But I am from a south part of India an I am in no way related with tour agents. I just shared my understanding.

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U know the route very well. Am from Gujarat.

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I have driven thro from Vadodara to UK last year.

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I am a solo female looking to ride to India this year. I would like to visit the stans on the way and am ok with planning my route from London to the Stans. I do not have any off road experience (am planning some training before I leave). I have read some of the threads about crossing from/to India but they seem to be fairly out of date in terms of safety and political issues. Can anyone advise the best/safest/easiest route currently being used?

Thanks