The largest and best known of the Central Asian Stans, Kazakhstan is increasing in popularity as a destination for people who like to get away from the major tourist routes. Although more well-known than neighbouring Turkmenistan or Kyrgyzstan, it still well and truly counts as “off the beaten path” travel.
We’ve put together a few quick easy bits of travel advice for your next journey.
Visa
The vast majority of people who travel to Kazakhstan are eligible for 30 days visa free as a tourist. You can read more about the visa situation on our visa page .
Getting in and out
Airport
Most people who arrive in Kazakhstan will fly to Almaty Airport. Almaty is the country’s largest city and usually the first port of call for people travelling to Kazakhstan. There is also Astana airport, in the capital and second largest city.
Astana airport is modern and efficient, while Almaty airport is currently undergoing renovations due to how extremely overcrowded it has become in recent years, because it is simply just so much smaller than it needs to be.
Land borders
There are many land border crossings, since Kazakhstan is the worlds 9 th largest country and borders China, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. So there are plenty of options of land borders that you might want to cross if you’re visiting a neighbouring country on the same trip.
Turkmen land borders
- Temirbaba - The only border crossing between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan is closed to foreigners. Only locals living in the border region can use this crossing.
Uzbek land borders
- Karakalpakstan (UZ), Beyneu (KZ) - Not a particularly common route for tourists to take, this crossing is right up in the north west of Uzbekistan, between Nukus/Aral Sea in Uzbekistan, and Atyrau in Kazakhstan.
- Chernayevka (UZ) – Zhibek Zholy (KZ) - The vast majority of people going between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan by land will take this border crossing. It’s just a 30 minute drive from the centre of Tashkent, and once across the border you’re about an hour and a half away from Shymkent. It’s very easy to find cars between these cities, or there are trains running multiple times a day.
- There are a handful of smaller border crossings near Tashkent including: Serke/Turkistan, Konsbayeva/Yalama, Kaplanbek/Saryagash. These are all smaller than the main crossing at Zhibek Zholy so therefor will have smaller queues and shorter waiting times, but also less infrastructure and not as many options for transport.
Kyrgyz land borders
- Kordai (KZ), Ak-Zhol (KG) – this is the main border crossing between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Located between Almaty and Bishkek, this is also the busiest border crossing in Central Asia. It is easy to get transport to and from this border going in both directions to either Bishkek or Almaty.
- Kegen (KZ), Kensu (KG) – Known as the Karkara crossing, this is for the more adventurous, being a quite remote crossing in the east of the country. The border used to close over winter but is now open all year round, though over colder months chances of delays are likely. It is open only during daylight hours.
- Aisha Bibi (KZ), Chongkapka (KG) – Located between Taraz and Talas, this route is common for those travelling from Bishkek to Tashkent overland. Also the most common route from Bishkek to Shymkent.
- Other crossings include Ak-Tilek (not open to foreigners), Alatau (not open to anyone), Kenbulun and Syptai Batyr.
Russian land borders
- Zhanaul – Between Atyrau and Astrakhan, this is a big and generally smooth border crossing. Also a major railroad border crossing.
- Taskala – Between Uralsk and Saratov. Very basic, but easy-going. No problems reported so far.
- Mashtakov – Between Uralsk and Samara.
- Dimitrovo – Ilek: Between Uralsk and Orenburg.
- Zhaisan – On the main road from Aqtobe to Orenburg. If you are taking the train here, take notice, you will need a double entry Kazakh visa. Better to take the bus!
- Kairak – Alimbetovka: On the main road from Aqtobe to Orsk.
- Podgorodka – On the main road from Kostanay to Chelyabinsk. Further south is a railroad border crossing, on the Kostanay-Magnitogorsk line.
- Kazancevskoe – On the main road from Petropavlovsk to Chelyabinsk.
- Isilkul – Roslavka: International road and rail border crossing between Omsk and Petropavlovsk. Operates at night. After 6pm, Petropavlovsk is connected to Omsk only by shared taxis.
- Karaagash – On the main road from Pavlodar to Omsk.
- Oktyabrskiy – International rail and road border crossing between Pavlodar and Barnaul.
- Zhezkent – International rail and road border crossing between Semey (Semipalatinsk) and Rubtsovsk.
- Shemonaika – International road border crossing between Ust-Kamenogorsk and Rubtsovsk that works 24/7. Roads are fine, and you avoid the busier Semey (Semipalatinsk) border crossing.
Chinese land borders
- Khorgos, Nur Zholy – The main border crossing between Kazakhstan and China, and also the home to the biggest economic zone along the border. For those who want to pay a brief visit to China without the need for a visa, you can do it at Khorgos. You can enter the market and they even have a great foodcourt.
- Bakhty, Tacheng – A small border crossing between North Kazakhstan and Xinjiang.
- Dostyk, Druzhba – The Alashankou is a main border crossing for passenger rail and road travel. By train, count on 8 hours at the border. China and Soviet railroads use different gauges, and the wheels of the train need to be changed.
- Kalzhat, Dulata – This crossing is not open to foreigners.
See and Do
Astana
The capital of Kazakhstan is Astana, though it has had an interesting past when it comes to naming, which you can read about here . This city was purpose built in the north of the country. It is extremely cold in winter so it’s best to visit Astana from April until October, although even April and October can experience snow.
Astana is famous for its modern unusual architecture. Many of the world’s best architects were given carte-blanche to build a futuristic city and Astana was the result. A day is usually enough to see what Astana has to offer.
Almaty
The former capital of Kazakhstan and still the biggest city, Almaty is cool. Considered the cultural capital, Almaty needs a few days to properly experience this great city. Full of restaurants and cafes, museums, and theatres, hiking in summer and skiing in winter, Almaty rivals any European city for liveability. Almaty is all about just being there and getting a feel for it, as opposed to ticking off specific must-see sites.
Shymkent
The southern capital of Kazakhstan and less than an hour to Tashkent in Uzbekistan, Shymkent is not a city that you would usually visit for itself. It is however a good jumping-off point from which to visit the Silk Road sites of Turkestan and Otrar. Southern Kazakhstan is also notorious for its abandoned mining towns, so for those interested in Urbex this is the place to be.
Charyn Canyon
Probably the most famous natural attraction in Kazakhstan, Charyn Canyon was formed millions of years ago and is actually very similar to the Grand Canyon in the US. Located about a 4 hour drive from Almaty, Charyn Canyon can be done as a day trip from Almaty, however it’s best done as a two day trip and including Kolsai and Kandy Lakes, with an overnight in Saty, or nearby.
Kolsai and Kaindy Lakes
Probably the second and third most famous natural attractions in Kazakhstan. In 1911 an earthquake caused landslides creating lakes that previously had not existed. Wonderful hiking opportunities are on offer, or you can just sit with a drink and enjoy the views. Kolsai Lake is easily reached with any normal car, and there is a carpark a couple hundred metres away from the edge of the lake, lined with shops and cafes. Kaindy Lake on the otherhand requires a 4x4 for the last several km, and from the carpark still requires either a hike, a marshrutka and then a hike, or a horse ride.
Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site Polygon
The Polygon Nuclear Test site in north eastern Kazakhstan is something very different altogether. This is the location which experienced the most nuclear tests on earth – 456 in total. This has resulted in a moonscape and otherworldliness that exists in few other places on earth. Coming here to learn about the Soviet Nuclear programme is an experience that should be on anyone’s list.
Why visit Kazakhstan?
Kazakhstan is a massive country, with a lot going for it. It's by far the most developed country in Central Asia, in pretty much every way. Almaty has been the economic and social centre in the region for a long time, and is a really cool, vibrant city. Astana, though famous for its bizarre start in life and unique architecture, despite the artificial nature of the city, is actually becoming quite cool now too. And other regional cities, which just a few years ago felt like post-Soviet outposts, are now brimming with hipster coffee shops, food carts, chill outdoor bars, etc.
Yet, leave the cities and you've got the unbelievably vast Kazakh Steppe, which continues all the way up to Siberia. In the west you've got some of the most unique natural landscapes in the world, including our favourite, the Valley of the Balls. If you like industrial stuff, there's Karaganda, Semey and Erkutsk. If Soviet relics are your jam, then just go pretty much anywhere. Around Almaty, you've got more cool nature, and then in the south near Shymkent, you've got Uzbek style ancient cities. Not to mention of course Baikonur and the Aral Sea.
I guess the real question is, why wouldn't you visit Kazakhstan?!
Rules
There really aren't many rules in Kazakhstan, other than the normal ones - don't murder, for example. However, you should tread with some trepidation around speaking ill of the government. Whilst you'll across many locals freely expressing their concerns and opinions, and for the most part you will also be fine doing this, it is something that gets people in trouble.
Bread is also very important in all of Central Asia, including in Kazakhstan. In fact, this is a Soviet thing, so you might come across it in Easter Europe or Russia as well. You should not disrespect bread, as it represents life. So you shouldn't throw it in the rubbish bin or on the ground, and you should always show bread respect.
Dress Code
There definitely isn't a dress code in Kazakhstan. There are certainly more hijabs and abayas being worn now than there were five or ten years ago, but they still look more out of place than shorts and a t-shirt. People in cities are mostly very fashionable, but in a western way, and could be from any city in Europe most of the time.
Topics of discussion
People in Kazakhstan love hearing what foreigners have to think about Kazakhstan and they're usually surprised how easily impressed we are. Kazakhs especially will ask all foreigners the same questions: "have you tried Beshbamark?" (the national dish of Kazakhstan consisting of flat noodles, horse meat and an onion broth), "have you been to the mountains?" (people in Kazakhstan love the mountains and it's a popular way to spend leisure time), "where have you been? Charyn Canyon? Kolsai Lake? Astana?", and so on.
While the film Borat used to be firmly off limits, Kazakhstan has come a long way in the almost 20 years since the film's release, and they are more nuanced about the topic, even including the phrase "very nice!" in their recent tourism campaign.
Religion
Kazakhstan has the lowest percentage of adherents to Islam in Central Asia with approximately 70% being recorded as Muslim. This figure includes many individuals who are ethnically Kazakh and therefore legally muslim but do not follow any faith.
In 2020, around 20% of the population were Christian, with Russian Orthodox being the main denomination.
The original religion of Kazakhstan was Tengrism. Tengris worship the sky and mother earth, and only a small number still remain.
Politics
Kazakhstan is a rather socially liberal country and has a relatively high rate of development. The First President, Nursultan Nazerbayev, another former Soviet leader who continued his grip on power, was surprisingly well respected for his ability to create rapid growth while avoiding the ethnic conflicts that have plagued their neighbours in the past. With the death of Islam Karimov in 2016, Nazerbayev was then the last Soviet leader still in power in Central Asia, however early in 2019 he officially resigned from the position and now holds the position of “Father of the Nation”, amongst other things. With the riots in January 2022, some sudden changes have come to the country, though even more than a year later, it’s still difficult to tell what exactly is happening, with some aspects of political discourse progressing, while at the same time are we witnessing the rise of another strongman? Kazakhstan could be described more along the lines of the Asian developmental dictatorships of Singapore and Malaysia than Turkmenistan or North Korea.
Ethnicity
Kazakhs make up 70% of the population while Russians are 15% of the population of Kazakhstan. There are significant populations of Uzbeks, Ukrainians, Georgians, Belarussians, Azeri, Tatars, Uyghurs, Germans, Koreans, Dungans and Poles, just to name a few living in Kazakhstan.
During the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan was the most Sovietised, which mean bringing in large numbers of immigrants from other parts of the country. This is why, even today, Kazakhstan is an extremely multi-cultural country.
Photography
There really isn't anything to note on this front - don't take photos of embassies or military, like in most countries. The only place where you might get kickback and be surprised about it is in bazaars. Another hang-up from the Soviet Union is that bazaars are no-photo zones. Of course these days there's really no reason for this and it's pretty irrelevant, but it's just one of these things that's still lingering about. Having said that though, people are caring less and less about this, and you will likely be able to get photos in bazaars if you want to.
Hotels
There are all your major international chains in Almaty and Astana, and some in Shymkent, Aktau, Aktobe etc. Everyone in Kazakhstan is very well connected though, so all options are available on your normal booking platforms, such as booking.com. Even in more remote areas, there are often options online.
Nightlife
Almaty is brimming with all sorts of nightlife options - high end nightclubs, chill hole-in-the-wall bars, beer gardens, huge live music venues, craft beer places, swanky restaurants, and everything in between. They're definitely a night people as well, so aside from nightlife as such, the cities are usually very lively in the evenings anyway, much more so than in the mornings. Even just going for a post-dinner stroll in a park or around a nearby area, you'll find all sorts of people out and about at all hours of the night.
Shopping
Kazakhstan has had all the western shopping brands for a long time - H&M, Zara, Pull & Bear, Marks & Spencers, etc. There are bazaars, however they're definitely waning in popularity these days, as most locals prefer just to shop in supermarkets, of which there are plenty options. Sadly, bazaars in Kazakhstan are mostly frequented by homeless people, gypsies, or very poor and often elderly people, and tourists.
When is the best time to visit Kazakhstan?
This is a very good question, and also depends on where in Kazakhstan you're visiting. Remembering it's about the same distance from Almaty to Astana, as it is from Paris to Warsaw. And they're not even at opposite ends of the country. From east to west, it's about 500km further than Paris to Moscow.
Astana is the second coldest capital in the world (after Ulaanbaatar), and is extremely cold over winter. However, it does also get quite a hot summer. Almaty on the other hand doesn't get quite as cold a winter, but a very hot summer. In general though, Kazakhstan is very cold in winter and very hot in summer. So the best times to visit most places are spring or autumn.
What to eat
Whilst Kazakhstan definitely isn't a culinary destination, and anyone who comes with that expectation will be sorely disappointed (like with anywhere in Central Asia), it is actually becoming a lot better in recent years. Hand in hand with general development, the population of Kazakhstan is becoming more interested and discerning when it comes to other cuisines, and experimenting a little bit with their food. The days of Kazakhs thinking that onions are spicy, and rice and tea constitutes a meal, are somewhat behind us now. Almaty especially is brimming with exciting food options.
