Mangystau Region · Kazakhstan
Where to stay in Aktau
Aktau is a city in Mangystau Region, Kazakhstan, home to about 183,000 people.
- Best months
- May, September and October
- Nearest airport
- SCO24 km · Aktau International Airport
- Currency
- KZTKazakhstani tenge
- Time zone
- Asia/Almaty
- Language
- Kazakh, Russian
About
About Aktau
Aktau means "white mountain" in Kazakh, and the city is the capital of the Region of Mangystau. While the city is relatively young, there are a number of significant ancient historical and natural sites that can be visited in the area. Mangystau translates roughly from Kazakh as "eternal mountains", although the region is actually home to the Karagiye Depression - one of the lowest points in the world at 130 meters below sea level.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Aktau
See
There is a Soviet-era plane on a pedestal just down the hill from the Asian-themed World War II memorial. At this memorial, an eternal flame (Russian: Вечный Огонь) burns under a circle of partial-white arches, which are reminiscent of a yurt. Across from the memorial, there is a drama theater with regular productions in Russian. Just south of these structures, on Aktau's middle north-south thoroughfare, you will find a collection of restaurants, night clubs and shopping centers. A well-appointed grocery store (Ramstor), movie theater and night club are in the Ardager shopping complex (district 9).
Do
The beaches of Aktau have nice water, and you are allowed to swim anywhere. However, the amount of glass on the beaches can make your beach experience dicey in many locations. Watch out for water snakes in the more rocky parts. Usually, the locals stick to the beaches below the Renaissance. Behind the beach-side grills and clubs there, the beaches are fairly clean and sandy. Unfortunately you cannot kick back just anywhere on the edge of the Caspian, or around the town for that matter, and down a sunset drink. You are not allowed to drink alcohol outside of these beach-side bar and grills, although there are absolutely no signs to warn you otherwise.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Aktau
5 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Aktau Hotel | 2.1 km | |
| Caspian Riviera Grand Palace Hotel | 2.2 km | |
| Rahat Hotel | 3.6 km | |
| Renaissance Aktau Hotel | 0.9 km | |
| Rixos Water World Aktau | 20.0 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Aktau
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Aktau are May, September and October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; November is the wettest, with about 16 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Aktau: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Aktau International Airport (SCO), about 24 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting in
Aktau Airport is 24 km north of the city centre. Taxis and ride-hailing are the easiest way between the airport and town. A ride-hailing fare between the city centre and the airport was about 5,200 tenge in July 2026; in 2025, Yandex showed about 5,000-6,000 tenge, while airport taxi drivers might ask 8,000-10,000 tenge. Agree the fare before leaving, or arrange a hotel pick-up at a set price. Public bus No. 6 serves the airport and central Aktau and is much cheaper than a taxi, but do not rely on it for a tight departure.
Getting around
Aktau is the type of city U2 may have been talking about when they sang about a place where the streets have no names. The city is divided up into largely unlabeled and chaotically numbered districts (including district 9). These are called "micro-raion" in Russian, which even Kazakhs use to describe them in Kazakh. Addresses in Aktau are generally written as follows: 14-42-30, where 14 indicates the district, 42 indicates the apartment or commercial building and 30 indicates the apartment number. House numbering is not sequential.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
SCO · Aktau International Airport
Questions
Aktau: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Aktau?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Aktau are May, September and October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; November is the wettest, with about 16 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Aktau?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Aktau International Airport (SCO), about 24 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Aktau?
Kazakhstani tenge (KZT).
Nearby
Destinations near Aktau
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.