Tashkorgan is reached by the Karakoram Highway from Kashgar, about 290 kilometres and seven to nine hours of driving depending on the road and police checks. Long-distance buses leave Kashgar's south bus station daily in the morning, and shared taxis (typically four passengers) can be arranged from the same place; the shared taxis are faster and cost only marginally more. The road climbs steadily, with checkpoints at Ghez and Karakul Lake where foreign passports are recorded.
Foreigners need only a valid Chinese visa to reach Tashkorgan, but a separate Khunjerab Pass permit is required for the final stretch to the Pakistani border, and that section is in any case only open to those continuing through to Pakistan with vehicle and onward visa in order. Crossings happen daily during the season; international buses to Sost in Pakistan run when both governments allow it, which is not every year.
A small airport (Tashkurgan Khunjerab Airport) opened in 2023 with limited domestic flights from Kashgar and Urumqi, but the road remains the way most travellers arrive — and the road is half the point.