About Qazaqstan
Located along the historic Silk Road, Kazakhstan offers a plethora of stunning destinations, often overlooked by international tourists. Its landscapes are simply breathtaking, ranging from deserts and mountain ranges to lakes with crystal-clear waters and dense forests.
While the cities of Kazakhstan are relatively young, they boast intriguing spots and examples of modern urban planning worth exploring firsthand. Where else but in Kazakhstan can you visit a real spaceport or even a nuclear testing site on a guided tour? Yet, the true highlight here is the tradition of hospitality ingrained in Kazakh culture – visitors are warmly welcomed and respected, with locals’ eager to share the beauty of their land and the rich heritage of nomadic cultures.
Location
Kazakhstan is situated at the heart of Eurasia. To the north and northwest, it shares the world's longest border with Russia, while to the east and southeast, it borders China. Its southern neighbors include Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. The waters of the Caspian Sea are shared with Iran and Azerbaijan.
For ages, these lands have been home to nomads, shaping a vibrant and unique culture. The allure of freedom, palpable amidst Kazakhstan's vast Great Steppe, offers a true escape for travelers weary of bustling cities and tourist hotspots. Authentic nomadic yurts, the traditional drink kumis made from mare's milk, hearty beshbarmak meat dishes, the therapeutic air, and breathtaking mountain vistas, including the singing sand dunes of the Charyn Canyon, often likened to the Grand Canyon, await visitors. This journey promises an extraordinary array of landscapes, where one can encounter towering peaks, serene lakes, desert sands, lush forests, and sprawling meadows.
Getting to Kazakhstan: From Air Travel to Rail Adventures
By Plane: Soaring to the Heart of Asia
In recent years, the number of international flights to Kazakhstan has significantly increased, making it convenient to reach the heart of Asia from Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Currently, approximately 20 airlines operate flights to major cities in Kazakhstan.
A detailed list of airlines is available in our guidehttps://someplace.kz/kazakhstan/spisok-aviakompanij-letyashchikh-iz-kazakhstana
By Train: Exploring the Rails
You can enter Kazakhstan by train from Uzbekistan (Tashkent city), Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek), and Russia (Moscow, Omsk, Astrakhan, Kazan, Samara). It's worth noting that train travel may not always be the most comfortable option. While some trains feature modern, comfortable carriages (known as Talgo), others may be outdated. Given the vast distances between cities in Kazakhstan and neighboring countries, the journey by train may not always offer the best experience.
By Bus: A Road Less Traveled
Traveling to Kazakhstan by international bus is possible from Kyrgyzstan and Russia. However, traveling in such buses may be even less comfortable than by train.
Popular Kazakhstan Cities Among Tourists
Almaty
@Ilyas Dautov
The first capital of independent Kazakhstan, Almaty, is beloved by tourists and locals alike. Dynamic, bustling, and forward-thinking, it beautifully blends echoes of ancient Kazakh nomadic culture with Soviet heritage. You won't experience such an atmosphere anywhere else in the world! The Almaty mountains add a special touch to the cityscape. The grandeur and beauty of nature surrounding Almaty will captivate every traveler!
For a comprehensive guide to Almaty, check out our articles: Almaty Travel Guide and Things to Do in Almaty.
Astana (for some time was renamed to Nur-Sultan)
@Viktor Hesse
The current capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, is a young city. In just 20 years, it has transformed from a bleak city in the middle of the steppe into a modern political center with impressive architectural ensembles, skyscrapers, and beautiful squares. While tourists may not love Astana as much as Almaty, mainly due to its harsh climate with strong winter winds and temperatures dropping to -40 degrees Celsius, spring and autumn offer ideal times to explore this beautiful capital.
Find more information on things to do in Astana here.
Kokshetau (Borovoye)
While the city of Kokshetau itself may not hold much interest for tourists, the nearby Borovoye (another name is Borabay) resort makes this place a true gem! Locals call it the "Kazakhstani Switzerland." With 14 picturesque lakes, pine and birch forests, and mountains, Borovoye (Borabay) is like a mysterious kingdom of nature and harmony amidst the vast Kazakh steppes.
@Evgeniy Emelyanov
During summer, hotels in Borovoye are bustling with local vacationers, and beaches are packed with swimmers. If you're planning to visit here when it’s hot, it's best to prefer hotels with their own beaches, such as Rixos Borovoe. In winter, the area becomes a snowy wonderland, perfect for reindeer, sleigh, and horseback rides. Plus, the "Burabay Land" park hosts Santa Claus's residence, so there's no need any more to travel to Lapland to whisper your Christmas wishes!
Aktau
Aktau, the westernmost city of Kazakhstan, sits on the shores of the Caspian Sea, technically a lake due to its lack of connection to the world's oceans. Nevertheless, its waters are clean and salty, home to Caspian seals that can even be spotted swimming not far from the shore.
Aktau is a destination of certainty. Traveling there by train from Almaty takes three days, crossing steppes with camels. It may not be the most comfortable experience, but the sudden appearance of a train station and then the city itself amidst the real sandy desert is quite fascinating!
Near Aktau lies the Ustyurt Plateau, with the Boszhira tract at its western edge. It looks like landscapes from Mars, with limestone cliffs making for picturesque photo and video opportunities. Just imagine wandering through these whimsical places, setting up camp, and gazing at the endless, star-studded sky!
Turkistan
Another sacred place in Kazakhstan is Turkistan, an ancient city in the south of the country near the border with Uzbekistan. Here, majestic historical sites blend with astonishing nature.
You can delve into the rich history of the region by visiting historical monuments like the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi and the Mausoleum of Aisha-Bibi. Turkistan's uniqueness lies in its architectural richness, reflecting the influence of many cultures. Enjoy the ancient atmosphere as you stroll through old streets and appreciate the beauty of nature in the Bugunsky Reserve.
Shymkent
Usually, tours to Turkistan start from the nearest metropolis, Shymkent. From here, buses and taxis go to Turkestan.
Shymkent is a dynamic and culturally rich city that offers a unique blend of modernity and history. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of local Eastern markets, where you'll find authentic goods and savor the tastes of the national cuisine. The historical center of Shymkent will impress you with its architecture, and the monument "Baydibek Baba" will remind you of the city's heroic past. Discover the richness of Kazakh culture as you stroll through streets filled with traditional crafts and national workshops. Shymkent offers an exciting journey, rich in history and modern impressions.
Time Difference between Kazakhstan and Other Cities Worldwide:
- New York, USA: -9 hours (winter time), -10 hours (summer time)
- London, United Kingdom: -5 hours
- Paris, France: -5 hours
- Berlin, Germany: -5 hours
- Moscow, Russia: -2 hours
- Seoul, South Korea: +5 hours
- Tokyo, Japan: +6 hours
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates: +3 hours
- Doha, Qatar: +4 hours
- Delhi, India: +3 hours 30 minutes
Visas for Foreign Tourists and Customs Regulations
Entry rules for foreign tourists to Kazakhstan may vary depending on nationality and the purpose of the trip. Here are the general guidelines for different regions:
For Tourists from the USA and Europe:
- Visa: Not required.
- Citizens of the USA, European Union countries, and other European nations are exempt from visa requirements for visits to Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Longer stays or other purposes may require a visa.
For Tourists from Canada, New Zealand, Australia:
- Visa: Citizens of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand usually require a visa to enter Kazakhstan. Visas can be obtained from the Kazakh consulate or embassy in their respective countries.
- Visa Cost: The visa cost may vary depending on the type of visa and the purpose of the visit.
For Tourists from the UAE:
- Visa: Citizens of the United Arab Emirates are generally exempt from visa requirements for short visits to Kazakhstan for up to 30 days.
For Tourists from Qatar:
- Visa: Travelers from Qatar are usually exempt from visa requirements for short visits to Kazakhstan for up to 90 days.
Please note that visa regulations may change, so it's recommended to check the latest information on the official websites of Kazakh consular services or embassies in the respective countries before your trip.
Customs
Customs regulations for entering Kazakhstan usually include the following:
- Personal belongings and items for personal use can be brought in duty-free.
- There are restrictions on the import of alcohol and tobacco for personal use. Duty-free import of 1000 cigarettes or 1000 grams of tobacco and 2 liters of alcoholic beverages is allowed.
- Importing drugs, weapons, explosives, and some other prohibited items is strictly prohibited.
- Some goods may be subject to duty or tax when imported into the country.
- Export of gold, precious stones and rare minerals, rare species of animals, and game birds is prohibited.
Public Transport
The situation with urban transport varies greatly depending on the city of your stay. In Almaty, there is a very convenient and extensive network of urban transport. Being in the city center (for example, near the Green Bazaar), you can easily travel to any part of the city and its suburbs. Buses and electric trams operate here, most of which are new and comfortable. In addition to surface transport, Almaty has a metro, although currently there is only one line connecting the eastern part of the city with the west.
© Nicole Lynn Smoot
The Almaty metro is a new project, it is being expanded slowly but steadily, and many Almaty residents consider it a city attraction, as it is new, and the stations are nicely decorated in different styles. In the Yandex Go app, under "Transport," you can track the location of all city buses and trams in real-time – very convenient!
The fare is 200 tenge (less than 0.5 US dollars) if paying in cash. But if you plan to stay in the city for a long time, you can purchase an ONAY transport card, top it up through QIWI payment terminals or ONAY and KASPI apps (the app of the most popular bank in Kazakhstan), and travel on all types of urban transport for just 100 tenge.
@press.kz
Public transport operates from 6-7 am to 9 pm on weekdays. On weekends, there is less transport, and the intervals between bus arrivals become longer by 15-30 minutes. The metro operates daily from 06:20 to 23:30.
During rush hours (weekdays from 07:30 to 10 am and from 5 pm to 9 pm), buses in Almaty are very crowded!
In Astana and Shymkent, the situation with public transport also meets the standards of large developed cities. However, if you decide to travel to small cities in Kazakhstan, you will face a challenge. There is not much transport in small cities, and it is difficult to find information about the schedule.
Taxi
You can use your UBER app in Kazakhstan, however, this company is affiliated with the Russian service Yandex here, which creates a monopoly in the taxi market and high prices for taxis by Kazakhstani standards. You can also use the inDriver service or call a taxi by phone through small taxi services (which is not so convenient considering that you do not speak Russian or Kazakh). Local residents mainly use Yandex.
However, what tourists should definitely not do is use the services of private taxi drivers. Typically, as soon as you land at the airports of Almaty, Astana, and Shymkent, private drivers will immediately surround you, offering you a ride to the city. It is better not even to negotiate with them and immediately order a taxi through UBER and Yandex GO because often cases occur when taxi drivers take tourists to the city and demand payment many times more than agreed before the trip. There have been cases when taxi drivers raised the fare by 10 times, and in response to the refusal to pay, they kept tourists in the car. In such cases, you should immediately contact the police. Thanks to the fact that this became known to the public and pressure was exerted on the police, cases of such fraud were quickly investigated, and tourists were refunded for the taxi.
Climate
Let's reiterate, Kazakhstan is a vast country, and the climate varies depending on the region. However, all cities in Kazakhstan experience four seasons: hot summers, pleasant autumns and springs, and cold winters. The country lies in a sharply continental climatic zone, which means temperatures can rise to 40 degrees Celsius in summer and drop to -40 degrees in winter. But in the south (like Shymkent, Turkestan, and Almaty), winters are shorter, and there are fewer frosty days than in Astana. Summer can be hot in all cities of Kazakhstan.
Local Currency, Exchange, Payments
The local currency is called tenge (KZT). Currency exchange can be done at exchange offices in airports, throughout the city (exchange rates at different exchange offices do not differ much from each other), and at branches of all banks in Kazakhstan. Currency exchange usually occurs legally and safely. It's worth noting that currency exchange in the city is prohibited after 8 pm – this is how the Kazakhstani government fights against crime sponsorship. The most popular exchange network MIG has information about the current rate and locations of their points on their official website www.mig.kz/en/.
However, it is important to know that non-cash payment is highly developed in Kazakhstan. You can easily and conveniently pay for your purchases with a bank card. Cash may only be needed at food markets and small shops. All cafes, restaurants, and large stores have terminals for card payments.
Food
In Kazakhstan, you can find food to suit any taste, especially in Almaty. There are a large number of cafes and restaurants here, many of which are up to global standards, although no establishment in Kazakhstan has yet been awarded a Michelin star. However, there are cuisines from different parts of the world: Italian, Turkish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Georgian, Russian, and others.
@caspiannews.com
As for traditional Kazakh cuisine, it has its unique features and a rich heritage reflecting the history and culture of the country. Here are some features of Kazakh cuisine, as well as information about common ingredients and dishes:
Meat
Meat plays an important role in Kazakh cuisine. Lamb, beef, and horse meat are widely used in various dishes. Kazakhs often grill, stew, fry, or add meat to soups and stews.
Horse meat
Horse meat is a common food product in Kazakhstan. Horse meat dishes such as "beshbarmak" (a traditional Kazakh dish made of dough, meat, and onions) are popular in Kazakh cuisine.
Meat dishes
In addition to "beshbarmak," popular dishes in Kazakh cuisine include "kezhe," "shashlyk" (shish kebab), "kyurdak" (stewed meat with potatoes and onions), "shuzhyk" (fried meat with onions and peppers), and many others.
Dairy products
Dairy products such as kumys (fermented mare's milk), kefir, sour cream, and cottage cheese are also widely consumed in Kazakhstan.
Traditional pastries
Various types of traditional baked goods are very popular in Kazakh cuisine, such as baursaks (doughnuts), flatbreads, and chak-chak (gingerbread, usually drizzled with honey).
Shopping in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is flooded with goods from neighboring China. Products from Turkey and South Korea are also popular. Here you can find items for every budget and taste. There are high end malls where you can buy global luxury brands, malls with mass-market items, and bazaars where you can find authentic Kazakh-style products: souvenirs, clothing, and jewelry.
Overall, Kazakhstan is not typically considered a shopping destination. However, while in major cities of Kazakhstan, if you need to buy anything from clothing to electronics, you'll easily find it.
A big plus in Kazakhstan is that large malls here operate daily until 10 pm, and there are many 24-hour supermarkets with a wide variety of food products. There is a network of Interfood supermarkets where European products with labels in European languages are sold.
Safety
Contrary to tourists' expectations of dangers lurking around every corner in a country with "stan" in its name, Kazakhstan is a relatively peaceful country. Of course, crime happens here, but tourists are rarely affected.
The main rule in Kazakhstan is to stay away from... the police. And always have your passport with you in case the police decide to check you! The majority of unpleasant situations tourists experience are often due to police officers, who sometimes try to extort money from tourists from developed countries by imposing fines and demanding bribes.
However, overall, the situation is not that bad. As for crime, the only real risk to consider is pickpocketing in public transport. Also, it's best not to stroll around after 10-11 pm in residential areas of the city, although there's a good chance nothing serious will happen. Moreover, it's quite safe even at night in the centers of cities like Almaty and Astana.
Women in Kazakhstan are at a greater risk than men. If you're alone in Kazakhstan, it's best not to test your luck and be out alone on the streets after 11 pm. While rapes in Kazakhstan are not as common as in India, feeling completely safe here is not guaranteed.
For more detail read our artickes about scam threats tourists may face in Kazakhstan.
Tours to Natural Sites: How to Book Tours to the Most Authentic Places in Kazakhstan Safely and Cost-Effectively
The first important point to consider is that without a guide and a purchased tour, you are unlikely to reach natural attractions, as public transport does not go there. You can, of course, order a taxi through UBER or Yandex GO, but in the mountains, there may not be internet reception, and it will be problematic to order a taxi back to the city after your walk. Therefore, the success of your short-term tours will depend entirely on the guides you choose.
Booking and paying for a tour online in advance is not easy. It's worth remembering that when booking a tour directly through a guide on social networks, such as Instagram, you can easily come across scammers who will take your money and disappear from your radar forever. Plus, Kazakhstan does not have PayPal, and transferring money to individuals in Kazakhstan is also quite problematic.
Therefore, it's best to turn to large travel agencies. It's more convenient to do this while already in Kazakhstan (by going to the office of a travel company, paying on the spot, and getting a payment receipt). However, in summer, the number of tourists can be very large, and there is a chance of not getting into a tourist group. Also, the tour schedule may be inconvenient.
Another solution is to book individual tours in advance and online from reliable services, such as ours.
Accommodation
There are plenty of hotels and hostels in tourist centers. You can easily find a suitable room in any part of the city through Booking.com. Staying in apartments and houses through AirBnB is also quite common.
The main rule of accommodation in Kazakhstan is to choose places in the city center. It will be more expensive than on the outskirts, but the difference is colossal, believe me!