A Pak-China luxury bus service has embarked on its maiden journey from Lahore to the city of Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang province.

The Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) and Shuja Express together launched the bus service between Pakistan and China to facilitate tourists as part of an initiative to connect both countries via road under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The Lahore-Kashgar bus will run four days a week, on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, while the Kashgar-Lahore bus will run on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

The journey will take a total of 36 hours, and the bus will make five stops along the way before it crosses into China at the Khunjerab Pass.

Travellers will require a valid visa and ID card to make the journey.

The one-way fare is Rs13,000, while a round trip will cost Rs23,000.

PTDC official Mukhtar Ali told on Monday that the bus service would allow visitors, especially monks, to visit sacred Buddhist sites dating back to the Gandhara era.