Urumqi to Uzbek to Tagykistan to Afghan to Pakistan

I am in India and have to leave within next 3 weeks from Delhi. Am thinking about travelling the route from China into Uzbekistan, Tagykistan, Afghanistan and into Pakistan by land. Is this possible. Should I get visas in Delhi or would it be better to go to Bangkok to get all visas and a flight to Urumqi? Or could I do it all in Delhi or it should be done on route? I am sorry if anyone thinks I do not know anything at all, which is true and that is why I am asking. It is a thought to do it and wondering from that thought how to do it, without any information or access to books. Any help to formulate ideas would be extremely helpful, as I wish to be in Asia until September, so it was an idea to look at this route. Any tips? Or interesting things to say to help me, itinerary ideas. Hope anyone can give positive suggestions.

Irene a girl on her own (thanks in advance for no witty put downs please! smile!)

There are more than one complication with this plan. The biggest one being China does not border Uzbekistan. Meaning you'll need to go via Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan if you're travelling overland.

The other issue is, legally speaking, the Afghan?pakistan border crossing are closed to foreigners. While some have reported crossing them, the vast majority end up getting turned back. Never mind that they are among the most dangerous crossings in the world.

Without knowing your nationality, i can't give visa advice.

Thank you all for your kind responses - well I do feel abit silly not even knowing the borders!!!!????? What about doing it the other way round. ie., I know I can get a flight into Afghanistan from Pakistan - but is it correct from your information I cannot get over the border into Tagykistan? If I cannot cross the border there, then this trip cannot be done - correct? ie., into Kazakhtan then into China. I have to get to Myanmar for Sept - so it would be good to do it the other way round and cross down at Ruili from China into Myanmar.
An idea - any help on this?

I am a British citizen. Where can you get all the visas in one go or best to get in each country on the way? If I were to do it from Urumqi down to Pak - visas best in Bangkok or Delhi as I need to leave the country in 3 weeks and thought Bangkok may be easier.

I have to make the decision by Monday to put in a visa and start the process.

Bandylegs -

You now have five threads asking essentially the same questions, some that were created after your post above. I'll assume that you're coming back to this one. I think you have a heap of research and thinking to do before you decide your itinerary, and perhaps too much to contemplate before putting in any visa application this coming Monday.

There are a range of safety, cultural and logistical challenges for any foreigner travelling in Afghanistan, and these escalate dramatically for a solo woman traveler. There are a number of logistical issues for anyone travelling in the remote areas of Tajikistan north of the Afghan border, and you'll need an additional permit to do so. This is not available at all Tajik missions. There are cultural issues and some safety concerns for a woman traveling solo in Pakistan.

How about a nice trip to Iran instead?

Plenty of information exists on this site that addresses most of your questions.

Perhaps begin by browsing this Central Asia forum. Read the Central Asia FAQ thread (on the last page of that there is new advice on obtaining CA visas along the way) and the Afghanistan FAQ & Security Thread. You'll find both of these at the top of the forum.

Look also at the thread A sole woman to Travel to Afghanistan (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1863153). From that thread, I suggest you contact the poster Beck to ask her for her experiences as a solo woman traveling on a UK passport in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

You should also read the Indian Subcontinent forum for information on current issues with obtaining a visa for Pakistan in different cities. Both India and Pakistan have changed the rules in recent months but there are wide differences in how consular officials in different countries interpret those changes. Generally, it's becoming harder to get flexible visas if you're away from your home country. You may need a letter from your embassy/high commission to support your application. In that forum, I suggest you send private messages to posters that have relevant information to avoid pesky messages from some of the people that hang around there.

If you decide to head to CA from India via Pakistan, you can pick up all CA visas fairly readily in Islamabad. See my post number 4 in http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?messageID=16702913 for more details.

In one of your other threads, you suggest picking up visas in Urumqi. You can only obtain Kazakh and Kyrgyz visas in that city but some posters say these can take a while, and you may not find anyone who speaks English at one or the other of those consulates. You must also understand that international communications are severely limited, if not blocked, in the whole of Xinjiang province. Because the Kazakh consul must refer applications to Astana for approval, this affects the visa process. You probably will not succeed in obtaining any current travel information online during your time in Xinjiang.

Perhaps fly to Urumqi and then travel from China to Pakistan? You can pick up a 30-day visa on arrival at the Pakistan border. However, also note that the Karakoram Highway in northern Pakistan was cut by a landslide earlier this year, resulting in a lake that requires crossing in one of the (potentially shonky) boats provided by numerous entrepreneurs in that region. This will add considerable time (or drama) to your travel along that route.

Finally, forget about crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan by land. It's both illegal and highly dangerous. There are several flights a week between Islamabad and Kabul. It seems KAM Air is the cheaper option, but Pakistan International flies more frequently at four times a week. In Oct 2009, the return airfare with PIA was about $400. But even if you fly in, there are significant challenges in exiting the airport, getting transport into the city, finding accommodation and how you'll spend your time while there.

There are flights between Dushanbe and Kabul if you're coming that way.

You'll need to obtain visas for all the countries you listed before departure, except for:

• the VOA for Pakistan available at the land border with China
• a VOA at Tashkent if you pre-arrange a letter of invitation from a company such as Stantours or Avantour (there are others)
• a VOA if you fly into Bishkek (no other documents required for most travelers)
• a VOA if you fly into Dushanbe (no other documents required for most travelers)

Find an embassy in New Delhi at http://india.gov.in/overseas/foreign_emb_india.php or use these links:

http://www.tajikembassy.in/
http://www.kazembassy.in/

In SE Asia, Kuala Lumpur has embassies for KG, UZ and KZ; and both Bangkok and Singapore have embassies for UZ and KZ. I think the only Afghan embassy in the region is in Singapore. Here are some links:

http://www.uzbinbkk.com/
http://www.kazembassythailand.org/

http://www.kyrgyzembassy.org.my/
http://www.kazembassy.org.my/

http://www.uzbekistan.org.sg/
http://www.kazakhstan.org.sg/
http://www.afghanembassykl.org/

Edited by: emmeff (added VOA for Dushanbe and info on documents)

Dear No 3

Thanks so much for your kind reply and your effort in all the info. I will peruse it properly tomorrow and yes I would love to go to Iran. In fact you have me thinking Pak/Afghan/Iran/Turkey - it is the right time of year. Any info. Am in Delhi. I taught in Azad Kashmir Pakistan 2 years ago so not worried about solo travelling in such countries.

Love Irene

I taught in Azad Kashmir Pakistan 2 years ago so not worried about solo travelling in such countries.

This statement is a little too blithe. Good on you for feeling confident, but AJK holds few risks to compare with Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly NWFP), FATA or Balochistan.

Afghanistan is more dangerous and difficult again, largely (but not only) because it is a lawless, war-torn state with little infrastructure. The society does not favour or understand solo women travellers.

I recommend you skip Afghanistan. Perhaps travel directly to Iran by train or bus from Quetta, a risky itinerary in itself.

You can start your application for a visa to Iran by seeking the support of an online agency in obtaining an authorisation code. Collect your visa from the consulate you nominate -- Iran has five in Pakistan, including Quetta. Go to the last page of http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1796427 for more information. The growing consensus in that thread is that http://www.touranzamin.com is the most reliable agency for visa support.

That is a very bold adventure that you plan on! Good luck to you.

Please let me know how safe it is.

I'm an Indo-American, and I'd like to do the same/similar thing (i.e. travel from XinJiang China, to Afghanistan to Peshawar to India.