Kazakhstan country guide

Things To Do In Kazakhstan

The ninth largest country on earth, with mountains above Almaty, canyons in the steppe and a capital built from nothing in thirty years. Visa-free, and almost nobody goes.

Pick a city What it costs

€10

Dorm bed, from

9th

Largest country in the world

€3

A plate of beshbarmak

Days visa-free for many

Enormous, empty and easier than expected

Kazakhstan is the size of western Europe and then some, with 20 million people in it. Most travellers see one corner: Almaty in the southeast, with the Tian Shan mountains rising directly behind the city and a set of canyons, lakes and steppe within a day's drive.

Almaty is the good news. It is a green, walkable city of Soviet planning and leafy avenues, with a ski resort at the end of a bus route, hot springs in the foothills, and a café and restaurant scene that is the best in Central Asia.

Astana, the capital since 1997, is the other kind of place entirely — built from nothing on open steppe, full of glass towers by international architects, and either fascinating or sterile depending on your tolerance. Beyond both, the country is steppe, the Charyn canyon, the Aral Sea's remains and space on a scale that is difficult to convey.

Where to go

Domestic flights and a decent rail network cover the distances, which are very large.

Almaty

25 hostels · dorms from €0

The main city: mountains at the end of a bus route, tree-lined streets and the best food in the region.

There is really something for everyone here. If you want culture visit the national museum or the art museum. If you want shopping go to a mall and there is a lot of good value brands that mix traditional and modern style. There are great cafes and nightlife. If you want nature book a day trip to one of the national parks surrounding Almaty, all of them are worth it and unique. The locals are very friendly and easy to connect with even if there is a language barrier a lot of times. Go visit!
A traveller, on Hostelworld

The Almaty guide

Turkistan

1 hostel

The Yasawi mausoleum, a UNESCO site and the country's most important pilgrimage destination.

The Turkistan guide

What kind of trip is this?

Kazakhstan is mountains and steppe, with one genuinely good city as a base.

Adventure in Kazakhstan

The Tian Shan, canyons and lakes within a day of Almaty.

What to do

Hike to Big Almaty Lake
Walk Charyn Canyon
Ski at Shymbulak in winter

Spots to visit

Charyn Canyon
Kolsai Lakes
Tian Shan

Best cities for it

Things to do

Things to do in Kazakhstan

Almaty's attraction is its position. Shymbulak ski resort and the Medeu skating rink are at the end of a city bus route, Big Almaty Lake is an hour up a valley, and the Tian Shan foothills start where the streets stop. In winter it is a genuinely cheap ski destination.

Charyn Canyon is the standard day trip — three hours each way, a red rock gorge you walk down into, usually combined with the Kolsai Lakes and Kaindy's sunken forest as a two-day trip with an overnight in a village guesthouse.

Turkistan, in the south, holds the Yasawi mausoleum, a fifteenth-century Timurid building that is the most important pilgrimage site in Kazakhstan and comparable to what you would see in Uzbekistan. Astana is worth a day or two if modern architecture interests you and you can tolerate the cold.

Eating in Kazakhstan

Kazakh food is nomadic at its base — beshbarmak, boiled meat with flat noodles, is the national dish and is eaten communally — and layered with Russian, Korean and Uzbek influences from a century of population movement.

Almaty's Green Bazaar is the place to understand it: horse sausage, dried curd, Korean-style salads made by the descendants of deported communities, honey, and every variety of dried fruit.

The capital and Almaty both have restaurant and café scenes well beyond what the region suggests, at prices that are reasonable rather than cheap. Outside the cities, expect canteens serving lagman, plov and shashlik for €3 to €6.

Nightlife

Going out in Kazakhstan

Almaty has the nightlife: bars, clubs and a craft beer scene concentrated in the centre, and it runs later and more comfortably than anywhere else in Central Asia. Prices are moderate — a beer is €2 to €4.

Astana has a smaller version, dominated by hotel bars and restaurants, and it is bitterly cold to walk between them for half the year.

Elsewhere, the evening is dinner and tea. Alcohol is widely available, this being a secular state with a strong Russian cultural influence, and vodka remains common though beer and wine have taken over among younger people.

Getting around

Getting around Kazakhstan

The distances are the defining fact: Almaty to Astana is 1,200km. Domestic flights on Air Astana and FlyArystan cover it in under two hours for €40 to €90, and are the sensible choice.

The rail network is extensive and cheap, and overnight sleepers between the main cities are comfortable and a genuine experience — Almaty to Astana takes around 13 to 20 hours depending on the service.

Around Almaty, shared taxis and marshrutkas reach the canyons and lakes, though most travellers use a tour or a shared driver arranged through their hostel. Yandex Go handles taxis in the cities and is cheap.

Costs

What Kazakhstan costs

Kazakhstan is cheap by European standards and slightly pricier than its Central Asian neighbours in the big cities. Dorms start around €10, a canteen meal is €3 to €6, and Almaty restaurant dinners run €10 to €20.

A day is €25 to €40. The costs that add up are domestic flights across the enormous distances and organised day trips from Almaty at €30 to €60 per person shared.

Cards are widely accepted in Almaty and Astana and less so elsewhere. The tenge is weak against the euro, which makes the country noticeably better value than it was a few years ago.

Safety

Staying safe in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is safe for travellers with low crime against visitors, and Almaty is comfortable to walk around at night in the central districts.

The practical risks are environmental. The mountains above Almaty are serious terrain with avalanche risk in winter and fast weather changes in summer, and the steppe in winter reaches minus 30 with little shelter.

Two other things. Taxi overcharging at Almaty airport is the standard nuisance, solved by using Yandex Go. And parts of the country around Baikonur and some border zones are restricted — the cosmodrome is visited only on organised tours booked well in advance, and turning up is not an option.

Entry and documents

Kazakhstan offers visa-free entry to citizens of many countries, including the EU, UK, US, Canada and Australia, generally for 30 days. The scheme has been expanded several times, so check the official position for your nationality before booking.

Passports need six months' validity.

Registration used to be a significant headache and is now handled automatically for most visitors arriving by air, with the migration card process digitised. If you arrive overland or stay beyond a certain period, check the current rules, because this is the area that has changed most.

When to go

May, June and September are the best months. Summer on the steppe is hot and winter is severe, though Almaty in winter is a cheap ski destination.

0°

Jan

Cold, and ski season at Shymbulak

2°

Feb

Still winter. Good snow above Almaty

9°

Mar

Thawing. Nauryz new year on the 21st

18°

Apr

Spring. Green steppe and wildflowers

24°

May

Excellent. Mountains accessible and everything green

29°

Jun

The best month. Warm, clear and the lakes open

31°

Jul

Hot on the steppe, perfect in the mountains

30°

Aug

Warm. Kolsai swimmable, if briefly

25°

Sep

Superb. Clear air, autumn colour in the valleys

16°

Oct

Cooling fast. Quiet and good value

7°

Nov

Cold and grey. Between seasons

1°

Dec

Winter proper. Ski season opens

Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets: quiet busy peak

Average highs for Almaty. The steppe and Astana are far more extreme in both directions — Astana is among the coldest capitals in the world, regularly reaching minus 30 in January.

What your trip will cost

Pick how you travel and how long for. Per night, for one person, in euro equivalents of tenge.

Domestic flights at €40–90 and shared day trips from Almaty at €30–60 sit outside these figures.

Nights 7

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Beds—
Food and drink—
Getting around—
Doing things—

What's on

What is on while you are there

Nauryz in March is the big one, and it is celebrated across Central Asia.

21–23 March

Nauryz

Nationwide

Persian new year and the biggest holiday of the year, with yurts in city squares and horse games.

December to March

Ski season

Shymbulak, Almaty

Cheap lift passes at a resort reachable by city bus.

6 July

Astana Day

Astana

The capital's founding day, with concerts and fireworks.

Summer

The Spirit of Tengri

Almaty

An ethnic and world music festival in the mountains above the city.

Varies

Baikonur launches

Baikonur Cosmodrome

Rocket launches viewed on organised tours booked months in advance.

16 December

Independence Day

Nationwide

A public holiday in the depths of winter.

All events in Kazakhstan

Hostels

Where to stay in Kazakhstan

The highest-rated hostels in the country, live from Hostelworld. Almaty has most of them, and they are the best source for shared day trips to the canyons.

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Kazakhstan travel questions

The ones we get asked most.

How long do you need in Kazakhstan?

A week around Almaty covers the city, Charyn Canyon and the Kolsai Lakes. Two weeks lets you add Astana or Turkistan, though the distances are enormous — Almaty to Astana is 1,200km and best flown.

Do I need a visa?

Many nationalities, including the EU, UK, US, Canada and Australia, enter visa-free for 30 days. The scheme has been expanded several times, so check the official position for your passport before booking.

Is Kazakhstan cheap?

Yes by European standards. Dorms from €10, canteen meals at €3 to €6, Almaty restaurants at €10 to €20, and a day around €25 to €40. Domestic flights are the main extra.

Why Almaty rather than Astana?

Almaty has the mountains at the end of a bus route, tree-lined streets, the region's best food scene and the canyons and lakes within a day. Astana is a purpose-built capital of glass towers that is fascinating for a day or two and bitterly cold.

What is the best day trip from Almaty?

Charyn Canyon, three hours each way, usually combined with the Kolsai Lakes and Kaindy's sunken forest as a two-day trip with a village overnight. Hostels arrange shared drivers at €30 to €60 a head.

When is the best time to visit?

May, June and September. Summer on the steppe is hot, winter is severe — Astana regularly hits minus 30 — though Almaty in winter is a genuinely cheap ski destination.

Can I visit Baikonur?

Only on an organised tour booked months in advance. The cosmodrome is a restricted area leased to Russia, and turning up independently is not possible.

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Things To Do In Kazakhstan

Enormous, empty and easier than expected

Where to go

Almaty

Turkistan

What kind of trip is this?