kazakhstan tours and travel information

Kazakhstan is located in Central Asia and ranks ninth in terms of area in the world. Its border with Russia is the longest continuous land border in the world, at 7,598.8 kilometers. The capital of the republic is Astana. Also, tourists may be interested in the cities of Almaty, Turkestan, Shymkent, and Aktau. The state language is Kazakh, and although Russian has the status of an official language, it is freely spoken by the majority of the population of Kazakhstan.

From January 1, 2023, you do not need to have a Coronavirus vaccination passport or a PCR test to enter Kazakhstan. You can easily cross the border without any certificates.

However, we recommend that you check the information regarding Coronavirus at your destination outside of Kazakhstan.

Also, in all cities, the mask regime has been canceled and all restrictions on movement and visiting attractions have been canceled.

From January 1, 2023, you do not need to have a Coronavirus vaccination passport or a PCR test to enter Kazakhstan. You can easily cross the border without any certificates.

However, we recommend that you check the information regarding Coronavirus at your destination outside of Kazakhstan.

Also, in all cities, the mask regime has been canceled and all restrictions on movement and visiting attractions have been canceled.

Kazakhstan's currency is the tenge. It will not be difficult to exchange rubles for tenge; in all cities, exchange points are common. By the way, in exchange offices, the exchange rate is usually more profitable than in banks.

In large cities, in many places, it is easy to pay with a bank card, but when traveling outside the administrative centers, it is better to have cash.

Cellular communication in Kazakhstan is quite affordable and of high quality. The largest telecom operators and telecommunications companies in the country are Beeline, Tele2, Altel, Kcell, and Activ. You can buy a number with a passport. On average, a tariff with 20 GB of the Internet and free calls within the network will cost 3,000 - 4,000 tenge per month.

The fare in public transport in Astana is 90 tenge. In the capital, as in most cities of Kazakhstan, an electronic fare collection system has been introduced. You can buy a special plastic card, top it up and then use it, but you can also make payments in cash. If you did not notice the conductor, you can give money to the driver, and in return, he will give you a ticket. If paid in cash, the fare is higher. You can pay using a QR code if you have a bank application installed and a card is linked. The codes are posted on the bus.

In Almaty, the fare starts at 80 tenge on the bus and metro when paying with the Onay card. When paying in cash, the cost is 150 tenge. The Almaty metro has so far only one branch that runs through the central part of the city. The journey from one end to the other takes about 20–25 minutes. You can also pay for the train via SMS. You need to send the number from the validator to 9909. In this case, the cost of the trip will be 80 tenge. Works only with Kazakhstan telecom operators

For navigation and walking around the city in Kazakhstan, the 2GIS application is used. In almost every city you can move around with the help of these maps.

There are three taxi services available in Kazakhstan: Yandex taxi, Uber, and inDriver. In addition, bicycles and electric scooters are offered in Astana and Almaty through the Almaty Bike, Astana Bike, Jet, Ozim, and Elevan, Whoosh applications.

Car sharing operates in Astana. There is an Extracar service for people over 22 years old with more than two years of driving experience. You can take a car on bail for 30 thousand tenge. Under the same conditions, but with a 50,000 deposit, they can also provide AsiaRent.

Almaty has Anytime. In order to use its services, you need to be over 20 years old, have a category B driver's license, and a smartphone with the ability to download the appropriate application, as well as a Visa or MasterCard bank card.

Kazakhstan is a country that is proud of its traditions and language. Although many people can speak Russian fluently, any local will be grateful and more open if you learn a few words in Kazakh. "Hello" - "Salemetsizbe", "Hi" - "Salem", "Bye" - "Sau bol", "See you" - "Koriskenshe", "Thank you" - "Rakmet", "Please" - "Otinish", "Excuse me" - "Keshiriniz". There are many videos on the Internet that teach the correct pronunciation. Spending a couple of minutes watching them and learning how to pronounce the sounds correctly means securing yourself the favor of the locals on your way.

Prices for basic products in Kazakhstan are lower than in Russia. The national cuisine of Kazakhstan - Beshbarmak, Kazakh meat, Kuyrdak, Baursaks, and Kumys. But they are always prepared for the holidays. In Kazakhstan, there are often places with European cuisine. You can easily find modern coffee houses, as well as various pizzerias and sushi bars. The average check for lunch in a catering establishment in Astana will be about seven thousand tenge. It costs 2000 tenge to eat in the dining room. Fast food - 3000 tenge. And, for example, a cup of coffee in the capital can be bought for 700 tenge. You can order food using Wolt, Glovo, ChocoFood, Yandex.Food. You can order groceries at home. You can find such services in search engines.

You can move around Kazakhstan by bus, train, and plane. A flight from Astana to Almaty will take one hour and 40 minutes and will cost an average of 15.5 thousand tenge, a flight from Astana to Aktau will take almost three hours and will cost 30 thousand tenge. Trains are much cheaper, but the travel time is longer: from Astana to Almaty about a day. OftenThe new Talgo high-speed trains are often chosen by Kazakhstanis; tickets are slightly more expensive, but travel time is half that of a regular train, "Talgo" is much more comfortable and cleaner. Train tickets can be purchased on the website of the railway carrier or on aggregator websites. Electronic tickets. If you are traveling around Kazakhstan on a local train, then you do not need to print it out. Instead, show the QR code to the conductor at the entrance along with your passport.

Buses also run around the country. It is better to check the availability of tickets, schedule, and cost in each city separately because bus stations in Kazakhstan are private. You can find the numbers at the city's help desk. There is one bus station "Saparzhai" in Astana. In Almaty - "Sairan". You can also travel around Kazakhstan by taxi Indriver. You can move around Kazakhstan, of course, on your own transport.

The "Krysha" and olx.kz websites provide rental options, and airbnb is more suitable for English-speaking tourists. The cost of renting a home will largely depend on the area where you decide to stay. In Astana, the Yesil district is considered the most expensive. This is because it is a new administrative center, and most of the sights, places for entertainment, and business centers are located here. It also leads in terms of safety, infrastructure, and cleanliness. Saryarka and Almaty districts can also be called attractive areas. Settlements like Kossha, Taitobe, Zhibek Zholy and others are available in the suburbs.

The Medeu district of Almaty is considered the financial and tourist center of Almaty. This is a clean, quiet, calm area with beautifully landscaped courtyards, an abundance of elite residential complexes and park areas, shopping centers, and significant infrastructure facilities. The Philharmonic, the Palace of the Republic, the park of 28 Panfilov Heroes, and the Ascension Cathedral are located hereShymbulak, Kok-Tobe, and Medeu are nearby rivers and mountains. It will be more expensive to rent a house in this area of Almaty than, for example, in Almaly, Zhetysu, Turksib districts.

Bostandyk district is considered the most convenient in terms of the availability of suitable infrastructure. It is a cozy, safe, and pleasant area to live in. On this site are the Palace of Students, the Circus, sports complexes, and shopping centers. Almaly district lacks some infrastructure (locals prefer to walk to supermarkets and shopping and entertainment centers in other areas), but it boasts excellent transport links. In addition, there are many cultural sites. The Auezov district is considered to be a residential area, but it is ideal for living. There are many shops, markets, shopping and entertainment centers, and transport interchanges are quite convenient.

It should be noted that there is a problem with air pollution in Almaty, which is why local residents prefer to settle closer to the mountains, above Abay Avenue. It is better to choose accommodation near the metro station.

The main dangers that tourists may face are theft and fraud. Thefts can happen in hotels, cafes, restaurants, crowded places, and transport. Car thefts are not uncommon. It is common for fraudsters to steal bank cards, their numbers, and passwords in order to transfer money from them in the future. Therefore, if your plans include paying for services and goods using bank cards, as well as withdrawing cash from ATMs, then try to withdraw money only from banks. Do not lose sight of the card in cafes, restaurants, and other places. Always be vigilant.

Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the local police communicate with tourists extremely politely, they are ready to listen and come to the rescue, you can also turn to them if some illegal act has been committed against you, and just to find out the way.

Aside from the local police, traffic in Kazakhstan is practically the same as that in Russian-speaking countries, so many tourists rent cars or use their own vehicles. In Kazakhstan, it is customary to observe the speed limit and the rules. This is monitored by cameras that immediately capture the violation and send it to the appropriate authorities.

In accordance with the provisions of Article 7 of the Law "On the Legal Status of Foreigners" of the Republic of Kazakhstan, medical assistance to foreign citizens is provided in the presence of a private medical insurance policy, unless otherwise provided by laws or international agreements signed by the Government of Kazakhstan.

It is recommended to include the risks associated with infection with Coronavirus in the medical and/or travel insurance policy for staying in Kazakhstan.

It is better to start a visit to the republic from its capital - Astana. Here is a monument with an observation deck "Baiterek", from which you can walk along the Water-Green Boulevard towards the entertainment center "Khan Shatyr" with a cafe and a park, the Palace of Peace and Accord in the form of a pyramid, the snow-white Khazret Sultan Mosque and other majestic and monumental examples of modern architecture. It will also be interesting to visit the Nur Alem Future Energy Museum. A new mosque has recently been opened, which has become the largest in Central Asia.

Almaty remains the largest city and cultural capital of Kazakhstan. Once here, you should definitely go to the Shymbulak ski resort, ride the cable car to Kok-Tobe Mountain and see the TV tower of the same name, and visit the Medeu skating rink. In Almaty, there is the Central State Museum, which presents thousands of exhibits that are related to the history of Kazakhstan. In the city center, you will find a park named after the 28 Panfilov guardsmen, on whose territory stands a bright yellow Orthodox church - the Ascension Cathedral of Tsarist times.

Shymkent is worth a visit for delicious food, pleasant weather, picturesque landscapes, huge parks and mausoleums of Arystan-bab, Karashash-Ana, Ibrahim-Ata, and the settlements of Sauran, Martobe, and Otrar, and Turkestan - for the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yassaui and the gaming and entertainment center " Caravanserai".

It is worth visiting Aktau in the summer, as this city is located on the shores of the Caspian Sea.