Kazakhstan
Astana travel guide
Astana is a city in Kazakhstan, home to about 1,078,000 people.
- Best months
- May to September
- Nearest airport
- NQZ12 km · Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport
- Currency
- KZTKazakhstani tenge
- Time zone
- Asia/Almaty
- Language
- Kazakh, Russian
About
About Astana
Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan. With a population of 1,7 million within the city limits, it is the second-largest in the country after Almaty, the national capital until 1997.
The settlement was founded as a Russian military outpost in 1830 as Akmola ("white grave" in Kazakh) and was given town status 1832, when its name was Russianized to Akmolinsk. The town was a mining town, and during the time of Stalin it was a destination where people were deported. During World War II, peasants from the western Soviet Union fleeing the advancing Germans were moved here. From then on, the region started developing into an agricultural center also.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Astana
See
The many modern and futuristic buildings of Astana is a reason to visit the city. However, on a closer look they're less impressive as they're poorly maintained and often underused.
- Palace of Peace and Reconciliation
- KazMunayGas Palace
- The Triumph of Astana
- Shabyt palace
- Palace of Independence
- Ak Orda presidential palace
- Parliament building
- National education academy
- Emerald towers
- Expo 2017 buildings
- National archives
- Building of ministers
Do
- Ak Bulak sauna Complex
- Duman
- Astana Arena
- Stadio Kazhymukan Munaitpasov
- Barys Arena
- Saryarka Velodrome
- Alau ice palace
- Palasport "Kazakhstan"
- Astana Opera
- Kazakstan Ortalyk concert hall
- Kinopark 8
- Astana Circus
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Astana
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Astana are May to September. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 27 °C; July is the wettest, with about 55 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 Astana: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport (NQZ), about 12 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting in
See Kazakhstan for visa information, but most western passport holders don't need a visa for visits of up to 30 days.
Getting around
There are plenty of taxis starting from local taxis, ending with the most used services like Yandex Taxi, InDriver, you can expect to pay 1000-3500 tenge for a trip within the city. Yandex and Uber were ubiquitous and even in tough weather conditions you shouldn't expect to wait more than 5 minutes for a car. As of January 2023, Uber is reportedly no longer present in the city, only Yandex. Street taxis: Stand at the side of any road and thumb down a passing car, within 3 minutes you should have a string of them. Tell them your destination and they will either drive off or gesture you in.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
NQZ · Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Astana
Stay safe
Astana doesn't have any major safety issues, for example you can drive late at night without problems. Bus drivers may shortchange you when buying tickets.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Astana: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Astana?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Astana are May to September. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 27 °C; July is the wettest, with about 55 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Astana?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport (NQZ), about 12 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Astana?
Kazakhstani tenge (KZT).
Nearby
Destinations near Astana
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.