Getting There
There is one flight a day from Ürumqi. For times, check with CAAC on Wenhua Lu (tel. 0997/712-9390).
The railway station is on the southwest side of town. Taxis (¥10) and bus no. 6 (¥1.50) take you into town. Heading west the times aren't great, but the train is preferable to the bus; the K9787 for Kashgar (9 hr.) leaves at 4:08am or the slower 7557 (11 hr.) departs at 8am. Heading east, the K9788 for Ürumqi (16 hr.) leaves at 11:38pm. The railway ticket office, open from 9am to noon, 1 to 8pm, and 9pm to midnight, sells tickets up to 10 days in advance. Sleeper tickets are only available for express trains; soft sleeper tickets are hard to come by, but hard sleepers are often available.
The bus station at Tian Shan Lu 125 (tel. 0997/712-2379) has no direct buses to Kashgar, and no guarantee of a berth on sleeper buses from Korla. However, hourly buses run to Aksu (275km/171 miles; 4 hr.; ¥42, where you'll need to take a taxi (¥5) to Zhongxin Keyun Zhan in order to board a Kashgar-bound bus (8 hr.; ¥60). Heading east, regular buses connect with Luntai (111km/69 miles; 2 hr.; ¥20); with Korla (285km/173 miles; 5 hr.; ¥49); and with Ürumqi (748km/464 miles; 12 hr.; ¥165 lower berth, ¥155 upper berth).
Getting Around
Taxis have no meters; most trips within town cost ¥5. There are three-wheelers and pedicabs, as well as six bus routes. Bus fare is ¥.50. Donkey-drawn carts for ¥1 connect the bus station with the old part of town.
Fast Facts
Banks -- The Bank of China (Mon-Fri 10am-7pm summer), Tian Shan Lu 25, has an ATM, can change cash and draw money on credit cards, but it doesn't change traveler's checks. There's another branch with an ATM on the southeast corner of the intersection of Wenhua Zhong Lu and Youyi Lu.
Internet Access -- There are plenty of Internet cafes on Tianshan Lu near the junction of Wuyi Lu, which charge ¥2 per hour.
Post Office -- The post office is at Wenhua Lu 8, open from 10am to 7:30pm.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
