Almaty to Khorgos Trip by Private Minibus
People go to the Khorgos International Center for Boundary Cooperation (ICBC) to shop as a group — and come back loaded with bags. A 13-seat Toyota Hiace picks you up at your door, waits in the parking lot and carries home everything you bought — no taxis, no buses and no haggling over luggage.
from 100,000 ₸ for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus, one way
Not a scheduled bus or a taxi: the whole minibus for up to 13 people — just your group · a driver with 20+ years of experience
The same terms for every destination — price per vehicle, not per seat
Pickup at your door in Almaty
You choose the address and time: home, office, hotel or airport. No bus station and no meeting the group “at the bus stop”.
The whole minibus — just your group
The 13-seat Toyota Hiace takes no other passengers. One person or 13 — the price is the same; we don’t sell individual seats or tickets. More than 13 people — we’ll find a partner minibus for your date; on short routes two runs in a row also work.
Driver, fuel and road included
Our regular driver with 20+ years of experience, fuel, toll sections and pickup in Almaty are all in the quoted price; you don’t pay extra per passenger. National park entrance fees, ski passes and a local off-road vehicle, if your route needs them, are not included.
One way
The price is for the one-way drive. A return trip, waiting time on site or a trip of several days are priced separately — tell us your plan and we’ll suggest an option.
Luggage: 13 traveling light, up to 9 with suitcases
Bags and gear go in a separate compartment. If everyone has a large suitcase or a stroller, we take up to 9 people; with skis and snowboards, 9–10. Tell us what you’re bringing when you book.
Payment: cash, Kaspi or invoice
Trips in the city and nearby are paid after the trip. Long intercity trips and trips of several days need a partial prepayment to hold the date, the rest before departure. Companies get an invoice, a contract and closing documents.
You can book a minibus from Almaty to Khorgos for the whole day: a 13-seat Toyota Hiace with a driver, from 100,000 ₸ per vehicle one way, not per passenger. A full-day trip — there, waiting in the parking lot and the drive back with your shopping — is priced separately: tell us the date and the number of people. We gather your group at one convenient point in Almaty and in the evening bring you back to the same point, bags and all.
The Khorgos International Center for Boundary Cooperation sits right on the Kazakhstan–China border, 330 km from Almaty. Formally it is a duty-free trade zone: you enter with your documents, walk between the pavilions and return to your side. People rarely go alone — they go as a group, with family, neighbors or colleagues, and the main question is always the same: how to get the shopping home.
The drive takes about four and a half hours via Shelek and Zharkent. Your purchases ride back in the luggage compartment, and if needed we free up some of the seats for bags too — no flagging down a ride with bulky bundles or sharing a cabin with strangers. If the trip is not a single day but includes an overnight stay or a stop in Zharkent, it is the same minibus hire with a driver, just for more days, and we tell you the price in advance.
The road via Shelek and Zharkent
The route follows the eastern highway through Shelek and Zharkent — the same road the minibus to Charyn Canyon takes, except that it turns off earlier. In total it is about 330 km, roughly four and a half hours not counting stops. The road is smooth, with cafés and gas stations along the way, so the trip fits comfortably into one day: an early-morning start, a few hours at the center and back in the evening.
In Zharkent, if you have time, stop at the wooden mosque from the late 19th century — it was built without nails and looks more like a Chinese pagoda than a typical mosque. It is fifteen minutes off the highway and a good break before the last stretch to the border.
How a trip to the ICBC works
We drive you to the checkpoint and wait in the parking lot — vehicles do not enter the center, and everyone goes in on foot with their documents. You decide how long to spend inside: going around the pavilions usually takes three to five hours. The driver stays reachable by phone, so fitting your pace is not a problem.
Check the duty-free allowances and the list of permitted goods before the trip — the rules change from time to time, and that is the responsibility of customs, not the carrier. We are responsible for something else: getting the whole group there on time and making sure everything you buy fits in the vehicle.
Who this suits best
Families and groups of neighbors who go shopping together: the price is split among everyone, and you do not have to spread your purchases across other people’s cars. Small business owners who buy goods in batches and need to know the minibus will wait and take everything in one trip. And those traveling on — passengers cross the border themselves, and we either wait or head back, as agreed in advance.
If you are planning an overnight stay in Zharkent or a stop somewhere else on the way, tell us when we price the trip: as on our other intercity routes, we build the schedule around your plan.
Khorgos: how the trip works
We wait in the parking lot
The driver stays at the checkpoint while you walk the pavilions. When you come out, the minibus is right there, with room for your bags.
Luggage space for shopping
You don’t ride home buried under bags: there is a separate compartment and 13 seats, some of which can be freed up for cargo.
Leave before dawn
We start early to get into the center when it opens and return to Almaty the same day.
Price for the whole minibus
One bill for the group. Split it among everyone and it costs less than going separately.
Khorgos: trip price
from 100,000 ₸ — for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus, one way
The driver, fuel, toll roads and pickup in Almaty are included. Not included: national park entrance fees, ski passes, a local off-road vehicle, paid parking and pickup outside the city. We quote the total before departure; it only goes up if you decide to extend the waiting time.
All intercity trips from Almaty →Customer reviews on 2GIS
“Efficient and fast — a clean bus with a driver arrived on time.”
“Excellent — they provided a minibus with a driver very quickly.”
Real photos — not a manufacturer’s catalog
All photos
- Driver with 20+ years of experience
- Air conditioning and heating
- DVD · TV · MP3
- Soft reclining seats
- Electric door
- Luggage compartment
These photos show our own 13-seat Toyota Hiace with a high roof and a wide aisle between the seats. We took them ourselves: the cabin, seats and luggage compartment of this very vehicle. We have one minibus: this is the one that will come for you, with its own driver at the wheel.
13-seat cabin
Luggage compartment
Almaty to Khorgos: a private minibus instead of a scheduled bus
Your group travels in our minibus with a driver — from your door to the destination, with no timetables and no transfers. Distance: ~330 km; drive time: ~4.5 hours.
Your own AlaGo minibus
- from 100,000 ₸ for the whole Toyota Hiace — one price for the vehicle, however many people travel.
- Leave whenever you like — even at 5 a.m.; no waiting for a scheduled departure.
- We pick you up at your door and drive you right to the place, with no changes.
- Luggage, strollers and gear go in a separate compartment, not on your lap.
Why a scheduled bus is less convenient
- It leaves on a timetable, not when it suits you.
- You have to get to the departure point and from the arrival point on your own, with your bags.
- Luggage goes in a shared hold, and oversized bags and gear usually cost extra.
- You get off at a bus station or the last stop, not at your address.
We don’t sell individual seats — the minibus goes out for your group only. Luggage travels in a separate compartment, and you choose the departure time and the stops on the way. We’ll give you the exact price for your dates — by phone or on WhatsApp.
Khorgos: frequently asked questions
How much is a minibus trip from Almaty to Khorgos?
From 100,000 ₸ for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus, one way — the price is for the entire vehicle, not per passenger. A same-day round trip with waiting in the parking lot is priced separately — we will give you the exact price as soon as you tell us the date and the number of people.
How long is the drive from Almaty to Khorgos?
About 330 km via Shelek and Zharkent, roughly 4.5 hours not counting stops. With an early start, the trip fits comfortably into one day — with a few hours at the center.
Does the driver wait while we walk around the pavilions?
Yes. Vehicles do not enter the ICBC; you go in on foot, so the minibus waits in the parking lot at the checkpoint. You decide how long to stay — the driver is reachable by phone.
Will our purchases fit?
The Hiace has a separate luggage compartment, and if needed some of the 13 seats can be freed up for cargo. Let us know in advance if you plan to bring back bulky purchases — we will take it into account when loading. All 13 can travel light; if everyone has a large suitcase or bulky gear, we take up to 9 passengers — tell us what you are bringing when you book.
What documents do we need to enter the center?
You enter the center with an identity document; the rules are set by the border service. Duty-free allowances change from time to time, so check the current requirements before the trip: the carrier is not responsible for customs rules.
Can we go to Khorgos and stay the night?
Yes, there are several options: a one-way transfer, a same-day trip with waiting, or an overnight stay in Zharkent and return the next day. Tell us your schedule and we will price it.
Tell us where and when
We’ll bring a Toyota Hiace minibus with a driver to any address in Almaty at the time you need. Available 24/7.