Almaty to Ürümqi by train
Travel from Almaty (Kazakhstan) to Ürümqi (China) by train (865km): schedule and information to the train connection. Compare fares and buy your ticket.
To travel by train from Almaty in Kazakhstan to Ürümqi in China, there is one direct connection between Almaty and Ürümqi (Urumqi). A more frequent route leads via Russia. Please read the following information and blog posts.
There are two main routes. Compare them and decide which one feeds your needs best.
- 1Almaty (Kazakhstan) - Ürümqi (China)
- 2Almaty (Kazakhstan) - Novosibirsk (Russia) - Beijing (China) - Ürümqi (China)
865 km
How to use the following information: we show you the best routes and where to buy tickets. On longer routes you may need more than one ticket. Book your tickets step by step as explained. If you have questions about the route from Almaty to Ürümqi, please ask in our forum. Of course, sometimes there are as well other travel routes possible.
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections : popular connections travelled by other users
Ürümqi - Almaty / Nur-Sultan - Hong Kong / Nur-Sultan - Shanghai / Nur-Sultan - Wuhan / Almaty - Beijing / Almaty - Hong Kong / Almaty - Shanghai / Almaty - Wuhan / Nur-Sultan - Ürümqi1 Almaty (Kazakhstan) - Ürümqi (China)
1a Travelling from Almaty (Kazakhstan) to Ürümqi (China)
To travel from Kazakhstan to China by train, you have once per week a direct overnight train from Almaty (Kazakhstan) to Ürümqi (or Urumqi / China). The journey time is about 36 hours. Buy your train ticket via the given booking link (write the city name like "Urumqi").
Where to buy a ticket from Almaty to Ürümqi?
Check times&prices 
Buy the train ticket at a railway station. Note: in some countries you have to pay a service fee at the ticket counter. The ticket can be purchased at a station in the country of departure, also sometimes in other countries.
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Ürümqi - Almaty / Almaty - Beijing / Almaty - Hong Kong / Almaty - Shanghai / Almaty - Wuhan / Nur-Sultan - Beijing / Nur-Sultan - Hong Kong / Nur-Sultan - Shanghai / Nur-Sultan - Ürümqi / Nur-Sultan - Wuhan
2 Almaty (Kazakhstan) - Novosibirsk (Russia) - Beijing (China) - Ürümqi (China)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
2a Travelling from Almaty (Kazakhstan) to Novosibirsk (Russia)
If you want to travel from Kazakhstan to Russia, buy your train ticket locally at a train station in Kazakhstan or via one of the given booking links. There are direct overnight trains available between both countries.
Where to buy a ticket from Almaty to Novosibirsk?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train company:
RZD Российские железные дороги / KTZ Қазақстан Темiр Жолы
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Novosibirsk - Almaty / Almaty - Moscow / Almaty - Saint Petersburg / Almaty - Yekaterinburg / Nur-Sultan - Moscow / Nur-Sultan - Saint Petersburg / Nur-Sultan - Yekaterinburg
2b Travelling from Novosibirsk (Russia) to Beijing (China)
To travel from Russia to China by train, use the direct train connections by the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Buy your train ticket via one of the following booking links. There find as well the exact train schedules and ticket prices.
You will need additional train tickets in Russia and China to connect to the international train. These are also available via the given booking links.
A journey from Moscow to Beijing takes about five days and tickets are available from 500 EUR. The route is served by Russian railways RZD and Chinese railways.
Where to buy a ticket from Novosibirsk to Beijing?
The following links could be interesting for you.
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
020 Moscow - Beijing / 019 Beijing - Moscow
train company:
RZD Российские железные дороги
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Beijing - Novosibirsk / Moscow - Beijing / Saint Petersburg - Beijing
2c Travelling from Beijing (China) to Ürümqi (China)
To travel in China by train, we recommend to buy your train ticket online via one of the given booking links. There you get schedules and ticket prices. It is the easiest way if you do not speak the Chinese language. In China you have frequent high-speed train connections. If you want to travel cheaper, but slower, buy a ticket for one of the standard trains. Also available are several night train connections. Trains can be very full at peak travel times.
Where to buy a ticket from Beijing to Ürümqi?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
China Railway High-speed (CRH)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
020 Moscow - Beijing / 019 Beijing - Moscow
train company:
CNR 中国铁路总公司
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Ürümqi - Beijing / Beijing - Guangzhou / Beijing - Hong Kong / Beijing - Shanghai / Beijing - Wuhan / Hong Kong - Shanghai / Hong Kong - Beijing / Hong Kong - Wuhan / Shanghai - Beijing / Shanghai - Hong Kong / Shanghai - Wuhan
Need a cheap place to sleep? We recommend booking.com
Find a cheap flight! Compare prices on Kiwi.com
Do you have questions about the connection between Almaty and Ürümqi? Does something not work as it should? Just ask in our forum and get competent answers from our rail travel experts.
