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Kazakhstan 🇰🇿

backpacking Asia Kazakhstan 🇰🇿Alpine lakes, red canyons and desert chalk cliffs across huge distances.

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Backpacking Kazakhstan in 2027

A complete guide including when and where to go, costs, transport, itineraries, and practical travel advice.
Traveling in Kazakhstan: what to expect

Backpacking Kazakhstan
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 19, 2026

Backpacking Kazakhstan means trading hours for horizons. The country covers about 2.7 million square kilometers, ninth largest on Earth, and Almaty sits roughly 1,200 kilometers from Astana, so a single overnight train can eat a whole day before you reach the next trailhead.

Inside the cities, though, the wild starts close. You can step off an Almaty city bus and climb into the Tian Shan within an hour, then stand above the turquoise water of Big Almaty Lake at around 2,500 meters. Out east, Charyn Canyon’s red walls glow at sunset with almost nobody around. In the west, the Mangystau desert spreads chalk cliffs and underground mosques across empty plateaus. Dinner is a heavy plate of beshbarmak, hand-cut noodles under boiled horse or mutton, and the table rarely runs short. The friction is real, though. Public transport thins out badly beyond the cities, English is scarce outside Almaty and Astana, and the best canyons and lakes often demand a tour or a shared driver.

Kyrgyzstan next door is cheaper and easier for multi-day trekking, with a dense homestay network, and Uzbekistan beats it on Silk Road domes. Kazakhstan wins on raw scale, modern cities and open space. It suits travelers who like to improvise, rent a car or share rides, and switch between craft-coffee streets and empty steppe. It frustrates anyone who wants compact, walkable itineraries.

👉 Get the 📖 Travel Guide of Kazakhstan

Almaty and the Zailiysky Alatau (Almaty, Big Almaty Lake, Shymbulak)

Backpacking Kazakhstan almost always kicks off in Almaty, a leafy, café-packed city of shady boulevards and Soviet mosaics where snow-capped peaks rise straight off the southern edge of town. Ride the Medeu gondola up to Shymbulak, hike past the treeline, or grab a taxi for the hour-long climb to Big Almaty Lake. Flights land here from across Asia and Europe. First-timers love it: you get a ridge walk by morning and a craft beer by night, with glaciers filling the window the whole time.

Southeast Canyons and Lakes (Charyn Canyon, Kolsai Lakes, Kaindy Lake)

East of Almaty the land dries out, cracks open, then flips back to alpine forest. Charyn Canyon sits about three hours out by car, and you can scramble down the Valley of Castles between red walls to the river. Push on to Saty village, sleep in a family homestay, and hike or ride horseback to the upper Kolsai Lakes. Shared tours and hired drivers handle the dirt roads. Expect early starts, then the drowned spruce trunks of Kaindy poking out of cold turquoise water.

Silk Road South (Turkestan, Shymkent, Otrar)

Head south and the pace heats up: louder bazaars, more Uzbek spoken, plov steaming in giant kazans. Turkestan’s turquoise-domed Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, a UNESCO site, draws pilgrims year-round, and the ruined mound of Otrar lies about an hour away. Shymkent is a sociable, food-obsessed city that stays out late. Overnight trains from Almaty take roughly 12 to 16 hours, flights about 90 minutes. Culture hunters get the payoff at dusk, when families stroll slow circles around the mausoleum walls.

Astana and the North (Astana, Burabay, Karaganda)

Astana is a windswept capital of wide boulevards and futuristic landmarks like the Baiterek tower and the tent-shaped Khan Shatyr. Walk the Left Bank after dark when every facade lights up. Trains reach Shchuchinsk, the gateway to Burabay’s pine forests and granite-rimmed lakes, in about three to four hours, and the coal city of Karaganda in roughly three. Architecture fans and history readers thrive here, trading mountain trails for a sharp look at Soviet and post-Soviet ambition.

Mangystau (Aktau, Bozzhyra, Beket-Ata)

Out west by the Caspian, Mangystau means chalk-white plateaus, empty tracks and long stretches without phone signal. Fly into Aktau (around 2.5 to 3 hours from Almaty), then hire a 4x4 with a driver, because public transport quits where the asphalt does. Reaching the fang-shaped cliffs of Bozzhyra takes a full day of off-roading, and the underground mosque of Beket-Ata pulls pilgrims deep into the desert. Self-sufficient travelers happy to camp get sunrise over the cliffs with nobody else in sight.
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Why go?What makes this country worth the trip

Mountains

Hiking in Kazakhstan starts at the city limits. The Zailiysky Alatau range shoots straight up behind Almaty, with Talgar Peak topping out near 4,980 meters, so you can ride a bus to the trailhead and be scrambling through spruce … read more 👉
Hiking in Kazakhstan starts at the city limits. The Zailiysky Alatau range shoots straight up behind Almaty, with Talgar Peak topping out near 4,980 meters, so you can ride a bus to the trailhead and be scrambling through spruce forest and alpine meadows before lunch. Push further and the Tian Shan builds toward Khan Tengri on the Kyrgyz and Chinese border, while the Altai in the far east holds Belukha at about 4,500 meters, surrounded by larch valleys and almost no other hikers. Start around dawn on Almaty’s day hikes, since afternoon clouds and storms build fast in summer. For the Altai near Belukha, sort your border-zone permit well ahead, because rangers do check, and plan July to early September for snow-free passes.

Low cost

Backpacking Kazakhstan typically costs around 12,500 to 20,000 tenge (US$25 to 40) a day, covering a hostel dorm, three local meals and city transport. Cities run on cheap metro and bus fares, dorm beds cost far less than in … read more 👉
Backpacking Kazakhstan typically costs around 12,500 to 20,000 tenge (US$25 to 40) a day, covering a hostel dorm, three local meals and city transport. Cities run on cheap metro and bus fares, dorm beds cost far less than in Europe, and a filling lunch of lagman noodles, soup and bread rarely stretches your budget. The stolovaya, a canteen with a cafeteria-style counter, is the biggest budget saver: point at what looks good and eat like a local office worker. Bazaars like Almaty’s Green Market sell fruit, nuts and fresh bread for picnic hikes. Your biggest expense will be reaching remote canyons and lakes, so join a shared group tour or split a driver with hostel friends instead of hiring one alone.

⭐ HighlightsKey places and experiences

  • Big Almaty Lake: Ringed by spruce and scree slopes, this glacial reservoir sits around 2,500 meters up in Ile-Alatau National Park, and its color shifts from milky jade to deep turquoise depending on the season and the light. The air smells of pine resin and cold stone, and in late summer the water sits so still that the peaks reflect almost perfectly. Go early, because by midday the clouds roll in off the ridge and swallow the view.
  • Charyn Canyon: The Valley of Castles is a walk of roughly 3 kilometers down between rust-red towers carved by wind and the Charyn River, which waits at the bottom, fast and green under poplar trees. Your boots crunch on loose gravel the whole way down, and the heat bounces off the walls even in May. Come late afternoon, when the rock turns from orange to deep crimson and the shadows stretch long across the floor.
  • Kolsai Lakes: Three lakes step up a forested valley near the Kyrgyz border, and the first one sits right at the trailhead with horses grazing along
… read more 👉
  • Big Almaty Lake: Ringed by spruce and scree slopes, this glacial reservoir sits around 2,500 meters up in Ile-Alatau National Park, and its color shifts from milky jade to deep turquoise depending on the season and the light. The air smells of pine resin and cold stone, and in late summer the water sits so still that the peaks reflect almost perfectly. Go early, because by midday the clouds roll in off the ridge and swallow the view.
  • Charyn Canyon: The Valley of Castles is a walk of roughly 3 kilometers down between rust-red towers carved by wind and the Charyn River, which waits at the bottom, fast and green under poplar trees. Your boots crunch on loose gravel the whole way down, and the heat bounces off the walls even in May. Come late afternoon, when the rock turns from orange to deep crimson and the shadows stretch long across the floor.
  • Kolsai Lakes: Three lakes step up a forested valley near the Kyrgyz border, and the first one sits right at the trailhead with horses grazing along its shore. The hike to the second lake climbs through dark spruce and wild currant bushes, with the creek rumbling beside you. Stay overnight in the nearby village of Saty and you get guesthouse dinners with homemade jam and bread straight from the tandyr oven.
  • Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi: Commissioned by Timur in the late 14th century and never finished, this UNESCO-listed shrine in Turkestan still shows its raw brick front where the tilework was never applied, with wooden scaffold beams poking out. Around the back, the blue ribbed dome glows against the desert sky. Pilgrims murmur prayers at the entrance and walk the grounds slowly, and the cool interior hall swallows the noise of the town completely.
  • Bozjyra: Out in the Mangystau desert, white chalk fangs rise from a dry ancient seabed, and the overlook at the plateau edge drops away to a view that looks more lunar than earthly. There are no fences, no kiosks and no signs, just wind and the crunch of fossil shell fragments underfoot. Camp here and the sunrise paints the cliffs pink, then gold, in total silence.
For quieter corners, try the Bronze Age petroglyphs of Tamgaly, the deep gorge of Aksu Canyon in the Aksu-Zhabagly reserve, or the cave mosque of Shakpak-Ata on the Caspian coast.
Spotted a mistake or missing a highlight? Contact us.
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🧭 RoutesSuggested travel routes through Kazakhstan

The 7-Day Mountains and Canyons Route

A week focused on the southeast, where Almaty’s cable cars and gondolas put you into the Tien Shan within half an hour of your hotel. Expect high-altitude lakes, red rock and village homestays, with only one long drive.
  • Big Almaty Lake and the Shymbulak slopes
  • The Valley of Castles in Charyn Canyon
  • The Kolsai Lakes trek from Saty
  • Lake Kaindy’s drowned forest

👉 explore this 7-day route

The 14-Day Capital, Silk Road and Tien Shan Route

Two weeks that move from Astana’s glass skyline to the lakes of the northern steppe, then south to pilgrim shrines and spice-scented bazaars. The trip closes in the mountains, so you finish among pine forest and canyon walls.
  • Astana’s Bayterek Tower and National Museum
  • The granite lakes of Burabay
  • The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkestan
  • Charyn Canyon and the Kolsai Lakes

👉 explore this 14-day route

The 21-Day Caspian to Silk Road Grand Route

Three weeks spanning the full width of Kazakhstan, from cliff-cut mosques on the … read more 👉

The 7-Day Mountains and Canyons Route

A week focused on the southeast, where Almaty’s cable cars and gondolas put you into the Tien Shan within half an hour of your hotel. Expect high-altitude lakes, red rock and village homestays, with only one long drive.
  • Big Almaty Lake and the Shymbulak slopes
  • The Valley of Castles in Charyn Canyon
  • The Kolsai Lakes trek from Saty
  • Lake Kaindy’s drowned forest

👉 explore this 7-day route

The 14-Day Capital, Silk Road and Tien Shan Route

Two weeks that move from Astana’s glass skyline to the lakes of the northern steppe, then south to pilgrim shrines and spice-scented bazaars. The trip closes in the mountains, so you finish among pine forest and canyon walls.
  • Astana’s Bayterek Tower and National Museum
  • The granite lakes of Burabay
  • The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkestan
  • Charyn Canyon and the Kolsai Lakes

👉 explore this 14-day route

The 21-Day Caspian to Silk Road Grand Route

Three weeks spanning the full width of Kazakhstan, from cliff-cut mosques on the Caspian desert to humming sand dunes and medieval clay cities. It’s the route for travelers who want the country’s difficult history alongside its big landscapes.
  • The Underground Mosques of Mangistau
  • The KarLag Museum near Karaganda
  • The Singing Dunes of Altyn Emel
  • The ruins of Sauran outside Turkestan

👉 explore this 21-day route

🌤️ When to go?A month-by-month overview

The best time for backpacking Kazakhstan is late May through June and again September into mid-October, when Almaty’s mountains are mostly snow-free, the steppe isn’t baking, and guesthouses are still charging shoulder-season rates. Region matters a lot here: the south (Almaty, Shymkent, Turkestan) warms up roughly a month earlier than Astana and the north, while the Altai in the far east is only realistic from July to early September.
  • Winter (November to March): Astana averages around -15°C in January, with cold snaps below -30°C and a brutal wind. Almaty sits nearer -5°C but sinks under coal smog. Hostels are empty and cheap, and Shymbulak ski resort above Almaty usually runs from December into April. High trails and most mountain yurt camps are shut.
  • Spring (April to May): Southern days run 15 to 25°C, wild tulips cover the steppe and Aksu-Zhabagly, and prices stay low. The odd spike is early May: public holidays on May 1, 7 and 9 send Almaty residents en masse to Charyn Canyon and Kolsai, so trains and guesthouses fill for those dates.
  • Summer (June to August): The Tian Shan high passes open, but Shymkent and Turkestan regularly hit 35 to 40°C and Mangystau turns into an oven. School holidays pack Big Almaty Lake, Kolsai and the Alakol and Balkhash shores, and lakeside rooms get pricier and scarcer.
  • Autumn (September to October): Dry, clear days, low crowds and falling prices. Charyn, Altyn-Emel and Mangystau are at their most comfortable, and snow returns to the high passes by mid-October.
Whatever the month, pack a proper insulated jacket: nights at Big Almaty Lake (around 2,500 meters) drop near freezing even in June.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: fair for travelingFEBFebruary: fair for travelingMARMarch: good for travelingAPRApril: good for travelingMAYMay: highly recommended for travelingJUNJune: excellent for travelingJULJuly: fair for travelingAUGAugust: fair for travelingSEPSeptember: highly recommended for travelingOCTOctober: highly recommended for travelingNOVNovember: fair for travelingDECDecember: fair for traveling
pixabay-kazakhstan - visitalmaty-3457125

💰 Costs (as of 2026)What things cost day to day

Backpacking Kazakhstan costs most budget travelers US$30 to 45 a day, which makes it pricier than Kyrgyzstan and close to Uzbekistan, while it stays well below western China or Moscow.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$8 to 15 per nightA dorm bed in central Almaty runs about US$9 to 14, and Astana is similar, at US$9 to 15. Shymkent and Turkistan come in lower, around US$7 to 10. You pay less by booking a week or longer, since many hostels discount long stays by 10 to 20 percent. Kyrgyzstan dorms usually cost US$6 to 10.
MealsUS$8 to 15 per dayA plate of lagman or plov in a stolovaya (canteen) is US$3 to 5, and a samsa from a street stall costs about US$1. If you self-cater from Magnum or Small supermarkets, bread, kefir, eggs and fruit for a day come to roughly US$5 to 7. A shashlik dinner with tea in a sit-down café is US$7 to 12.
Local transportUS$2 to 20 per day (averaged)City buses in Almaty cost about US$0.30 to 0.40 a ride with an Onay card. A Yandex Go ride across Almaty is US$2 to 5. Long distances eat the budget: Almaty to Astana by overnight train is US$15 to 35 depending on class, and Almaty to Shymkent by bus is roughly US$12 to 18. Shymkent to Turkistan
… read more 👉
Backpacking Kazakhstan costs most budget travelers US$30 to 45 a day, which makes it pricier than Kyrgyzstan and close to Uzbekistan, while it stays well below western China or Moscow.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$8 to 15 per nightA dorm bed in central Almaty runs about US$9 to 14, and Astana is similar, at US$9 to 15. Shymkent and Turkistan come in lower, around US$7 to 10. You pay less by booking a week or longer, since many hostels discount long stays by 10 to 20 percent. Kyrgyzstan dorms usually cost US$6 to 10.
MealsUS$8 to 15 per dayA plate of lagman or plov in a stolovaya (canteen) is US$3 to 5, and a samsa from a street stall costs about US$1. If you self-cater from Magnum or Small supermarkets, bread, kefir, eggs and fruit for a day come to roughly US$5 to 7. A shashlik dinner with tea in a sit-down café is US$7 to 12.
Local transportUS$2 to 20 per day (averaged)City buses in Almaty cost about US$0.30 to 0.40 a ride with an Onay card. A Yandex Go ride across Almaty is US$2 to 5. Long distances eat the budget: Almaty to Astana by overnight train is US$15 to 35 depending on class, and Almaty to Shymkent by bus is roughly US$12 to 18. Shymkent to Turkistan is about US$5 to 8.
ActivitiesUS$0 to 50 per dayTours are the big expense, because the best scenery sits far from public transport. A group day trip to Charyn Canyon costs US$25 to 45, and a Kolsai and Kaindy lakes tour runs US$35 to 60. The Shymbulak gondola is about US$15 to 25 round trip. Hiking near Almaty is almost free, apart from park entry fees of US$2 to 3.
MiscellaneousUS$2 to 5 per dayA tourist SIM from Beeline or Kcell with plenty of data costs US$6 to 10. Museum tickets are US$2 to 6, a banya session is US$5 to 10, and coffee in an Almaty café is US$2.50 to 4. These small costs add up faster in Astana.
Total Daily BudgetUS$30 to 45 per dayWith a dorm, canteen meals and city buses, you can live on about US$30. If you add one tour or one long train ride every few days, you will average closer to US$45. A similar style of travel costs about US$22 to 35 in Kyrgyzstan.
Travelers pay in tenge, and cards work almost everywhere in the cities, including on buses and in canteens. I’d still carry some cash for village guesthouses and roadside stalls near Charyn and the lakes. To keep tour costs down, join a shared group from an Almaty hostel. A private driver for the same trip often costs twice as much per person.
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

✈️ The backpacker research shortcutKazakhstan Travel Guide

An offline-friendly backpacking guide with optimized travel routes, ranked highlights, transport advice, and the best areas to stay.
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The digital guide (376 pages) contains:
✅ 98 highlights, ranked by travel appeal
✅ Optimized 7, 14 & 21-day travel routes
✅ Cities, national parks, landmarks, beaches
✅ How to get around
✅ Offline-friendly for travel without Wi-Fi
👉 Click to see all 30+ guide features

📅 Plan smarter in minutes, not weeks
✅ Month by month travel advice
✅ Festivals & national holidays
✅ Budget expectations

🗺️ Go to the right places, skip the overrated ones
✅ Honest pros & cons of destinations
✅ Top hikes, parks & viewpoints
✅ Lesser-known places most travelers miss
✅ Clear “worth it vs skip it” guidance

🛏️ Travel smoothly without rookie mistakes
✅ Best areas to stay
✅ Transport systems explained simply
✅ Common scams & safety advice
✅ SIM cards, money & practical tips

🌍 Understand the country, not just visit it
✅ Culture & traditions
✅ 52 Essential phrases & customs
✅ Festivals worth planning around
✅ Traveler-friendly historical context
✅ Insights that make places more meaningful

📱 Built for real travel conditions
✅ Fully downloadable PDF
✅ Works completely offline
✅ Optimized for phone use
✅ Useful in remote areas & buses
✅ Everything in one place
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🛏️ Where to stay?Where to stay in Kazakhstan

Hostels and budget guesthouses are easy to find in Kazakhstan, with dorm beds in the big cities typically running 4,000 to 8,000 tenge (about US$8 to 16) and simple private rooms from roughly 12,000 tenge (US$24). In Almaty, the leafy grid around Zhibek Zholy (the pedestrian “Arbat”) and Panfilov Park puts you within walking distance of the Green Bazaar, metro stations and the bars along Panfilov Street, though some cheaper places sit in older Soviet blocks with thin walls and street noise. The streets just south toward Abay Avenue are quieter and closer to the mountain buses. In Astana, the Right … read more 👉
Hostels and budget guesthouses are easy to find in Kazakhstan, with dorm beds in the big cities typically running 4,000 to 8,000 tenge (about US$8 to 16) and simple private rooms from roughly 12,000 tenge (US$24). In Almaty, the leafy grid around Zhibek Zholy (the pedestrian “Arbat”) and Panfilov Park puts you within walking distance of the Green Bazaar, metro stations and the bars along Panfilov Street, though some cheaper places sit in older Soviet blocks with thin walls and street noise. The streets just south toward Abay Avenue are quieter and closer to the mountain buses. In Astana, the Right Bank old center near the train station has the cheapest beds and calm, safe streets, while the Left Bank is pricier and closer to Baiterek and the modern sights, but nightlife is thin and distances between blocks are long.

If you enjoy meeting fellow travelers, consider choosing hostels with high ratings for atmosphere. On the other hand, if you prefer having your own space, a hotel might be a better option.

Best hostels in Kazakhstan


Best quality hotels in Kazakhstan

🚌 Getting aroundHow to travel within the country

Crossing Kazakhstan means covering serious distance (Almaty to Astana is roughly 1,200 km), so your big choice is a 1.5-hour budget flight versus a 12 to 20 hour train that doubles as a night’s bed. Fly when time is tight; ride the rails when you want the steppe rolling past your window with a cup of tea in hand.
  • Overnight trains: Almaty to Astana takes about 12 to 14 hours on the fast Talgo-type services and 17 to 20 hours on older sleepers. A bunk in open-plan “platzkart” runs roughly 8,000 to
… read more 👉
Crossing Kazakhstan means covering serious distance (Almaty to Astana is roughly 1,200 km), so your big choice is a 1.5-hour budget flight versus a 12 to 20 hour train that doubles as a night’s bed. Fly when time is tight; ride the rails when you want the steppe rolling past your window with a cup of tea in hand.
  • Overnight trains: Almaty to Astana takes about 12 to 14 hours on the fast Talgo-type services and 17 to 20 hours on older sleepers. A bunk in open-plan “platzkart” runs roughly 8,000 to 13,000 tenge (US$16 to 26), while a four-berth “kupe” compartment costs about 13,000 to 22,000 tenge (US$26 to 44). Book on the official railways site or app with your passport details, and buy a week or two ahead around holidays because berths sell out. Every carriage has a hot-water boiler, so bring noodles, bread and a mug, and you’ll end up trading snacks with your bunkmates while the horizon stays perfectly flat for hours.
  • Budget domestic flights: Low-cost carriers and Air Astana link Almaty, Astana, Shymkent, Aktau and Turkistan, with Almaty to Astana taking about 1 hour 40 minutes. Fares booked early land around 15,000 to 40,000 tenge (US$30 to 80). Cabin bag limits on the low-cost side are strict, so pay for luggage online, never at the gate. You get two extra days in the mountains instead of two days in transit.
  • Intercity buses and marshrutkas: These minibuses and coaches leave from city bus stations (Sayran in Almaty is the main hub). Shymkent to Turkistan takes 2 to 2.5 hours for about 1,500 to 2,500 tenge (US$3 to 5), and Almaty to the Saty area near the Kolsai Lakes takes 5 to 6 hours. Pay cash at the counter or to the driver. Seats are tight, but you reach villages trains never touch.
  • Shared taxis: Drivers wait outside bus stations and leave once all four seats fill, usually 1.5 to 2 times the bus fare and noticeably faster. Agree on the price per seat, not per car, before loading your pack. It’s the quickest way to hop between southern towns and still be in time for a bazaar lunch.
  • City transport and ride-hailing: Almaty’s single metro line and city buses in most cities cost roughly 150 to 250 tenge (about US$0.30 to 0.50) per ride, and Yandex Go handles short taxi trips for 800 to 2,500 tenge (US$1.60 to 5). Use the app instead of flagging cars, and you’ll know the fare before you climb in.
For the most efficient route across the country, fly one long leg and take the overnight train on the other: you save a hostel night, see the steppe properly once, and keep your daylight hours for the canyons and lakes.
In both of Kazakhstan’s big cities, a city bus from the airport to the center costs well under US$1 and a Yandex Go ride runs about 2,500 to 4,500 tenge (US$5 to 9).
Almaty International Airport (ALA): about 15 km (9 miles) to the center.
  • City bus 92 (45 to 60 minutes, 200 to 250 tenge / about US$0.40 to 0.50): catch it at the stop outside the terminal and pay by tapping an Onay card, a bank card or scanning the QR code with the Onay app, as buses run from roughly 6:00 to 23:00.
  • City bus 79 (45 to 60 minutes, 200 to 250 tenge / about US$0.40 to 0.50): it leaves from the same stop in front of arrivals and is paid the same way, so take whichever of the two comes first if you’re heading downtown.
  • Yandex Go (20 to 35 minutes, 2,500 to 4,500 tenge / about US$5 to 9): order in the app once you’re on airport Wi-Fi or a local SIM and meet the driver in the marked pickup zone, with service around the clock.
  • Airport taxi (20 to 35 minutes, 5,000 to 8,000 tenge / about US$10 to 16): use the official taxi desk in arrivals and agree on the price before you get in, since drivers who approach you inside the hall often ask double.
Astana International Airport (NQZ): about 16 km (10 miles) to the center.
  • City bus 10 (45 to 60 minutes, 100 to 150 tenge / about US$0.20 to 0.30): the stop is right outside the terminal, and you pay by scanning the QR code on board with a payment app or tapping a transport or bank card, with the last departures around 23:00.
  • City bus 12 (40 to 55 minutes, 100 to 150 tenge / about US$0.20 to 0.30): it uses the same stop and payment system and is the better pick if you’re staying on the Left Bank near the government district.
  • Yandex Go (20 to 30 minutes, 2,500 to 4,000 tenge / about US$5 to 8): book in the app and walk to the signed pickup area by the parking lot, available 24 hours a day.
  • Airport taxi (20 to 30 minutes, 4,000 to 7,000 tenge / about US$8 to 14): taxis wait at the rank outside arrivals, and fixing the fare before departure saves an argument at the hotel door.
⚠️ Prices and routes can change, so take this as a rough guide and ask for local advice when you arrive.
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🔒 Safety (risk Level: low)What first-time visitors should know

Safety for solo travelers, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals
Kazakhstan is generally safe for solo travelers, with low rates of violent crime against visitors and well-lit, well-policed central areas in Almaty and Astana. The main risks are petty theft in crowded bazaars and on buses, overcharging by unlicensed taxis, and drunk men late at night, so use Yandex Go and keep your passport copy handy for occasional police checks. Solo women rarely face serious problems but may get persistent attention or questions about marriage, which a firm, polite refusal usually ends. Same-sex relations are legal, yet society is conservative, there is no legal recognition, and lawmakers have moved toward restricting “LGBT propaganda,” so LGBTQ+ travelers should keep public affection discreet and rely on word-of-mouth for the small, low-key scene in Almaty.


Full official government travel advisory (live updates)
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✈️ VisaEntry requirements and paperwork

Citizens of the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries can visit Kazakhstan visa-free for up to 30 days per entry, with a general limit of 90 days within any 180-day period. Travelers who do need a visa can usually apply online for an e-visa through the official Kazakh migration portal, or apply at a Kazakh embassy or consulate. Always check the current rules for your passport before booking, as visa-free lists and stay limits are updated periodically.
⚠️ Visa requirements can change over time, so always check the latest visa requirements with the official embassy or government website before you travel.

🎒 What to pack?Packing essentials for the trip

Packing for Kazakhstan means planning for one of the most extreme continental climates on Earth: Astana can drop below minus 30°C in winter, while the southern steppe around Shymkent and Turkistan regularly tops 35 to 40°C in summer. Even in summer, nights in the Tian Shan mountains near Almaty turn cold fast, so layers, a warm fleece and a windproof jacket earn their space in your bag. Sturdy shoes with grip are worth it for gravel trails and canyon rims, and strong sun protection matters on the open steppe where shade is rare. Cities are relaxed and modern in dress, but pack something that covers shoulders and knees (plus a scarf for women) for visiting mosques and mausoleums in the more conservative south.

Apart from this country specific advice, I have also crafted a general packing list that should help on any trip. authorOver the years, I've learned the importance of packing minimally. It's so much easier to jump on the back of a truck or squeeze yourself into the last spot of a minibus without that supersized backpack. If you're headed to a warm destination, leave your winter jacket at home; for colder regions, opt for thin thermal underlayers. Instead of packing your entire wardrobe, bring just three sets of clothes, as laundry facilities are available everywhere.

View the full list 👉

🙋 FAQTravel questions about Kazakhstan

Trip Planning

Planning a backpacking route through Kazakhstan can be tricky — you need to balance must-see places, travel times, budget, and how long to stay in each destination. Our free personalized Kazakhstan itinerary planner creates a route based on your travel style, trip duration, and interests, so you can spend less time researching and more time exploring.



Personal tip: I normally search on good rating for atmosphere (for meeting people) and location (for easy exploring). Cleanliness as a bonus.


Travel Essentials

No vaccinations are required to enter Kazakhstan, but make sure routine vaccines (MMR, tetanus-diphtheria, polio and seasonal flu) are up to date. Hepatitis A and typhoid are recommended for most travelers, and hepatitis B is advised for longer stays. Consider rabies vaccination if you’ll be trekking or in remote rural areas far from clinics, and tick-borne encephalitis vaccination if you plan to hike the forests and mountains around Almaty and the east between April and September, when ticks are most active.


vaccination requirements
When I first started traveling, I often spent part of my first day in a new country hunting for a local SIM card. While this can still be slightly cheaper, it also takes time and planning.

These days, it's much simpler to install an eSIM before leaving home. Once you arrive in Kazakhstan, you can activate it immediately and have mobile data from the moment you land — which is especially useful for ordering transport or navigating away from busy airports.

There are many providers nowadays, and price differences are usually small. I personally go with Holafly, as it offers excellent network coverage throughout the country and strong global coverage, so you can manage multiple countries from a single app.


HolaFly eSim

Culture & Customs

Hospitality in Kazakhstan is taken seriously: if invited into a home, remove your shoes at the door, bring a small gift such as sweets or fruit, and accept at least some tea and food, since refusing outright can seem rude. Treat bread with respect by never throwing it away, dropping it or placing it upside down, and avoid stepping over the dastarkhan (the tablecloth where food is laid out). A host who keeps your tea cup half-filled wants you to stay, and elders are served first and given the best seats, so wait for them before eating and stand when they enter. Do dress modestly at mosques and mausoleums, with women covering their hair and men avoiding shorts, and don’t photograph people, police or military sites without asking. Public displays of affection are uncommon outside central Almaty, which matters especially for same-sex couples, and women may find that men insist on paying or carrying bags, which is meant as courtesy.
Trying traditional food is always a great way to experience the culture. Here are some must-try dishes for Kazakhstan.
  1. Beshbarmak: The national dish of boiled horse meat or mutton served over wide, flat noodles with onion broth, traditionally eaten by hand (the name means “five fingers”). It anchors family celebrations and guest meals, where the host carves and distributes the meat by rank and age.
  2. Kazy: A rich horse-meat sausage made from rib meat and fat stuffed into intestine, then smoked or dried. It appears sliced on every festive table and is especially prized during Nauryz and weddings.
  3. Baursak: Puffy squares or balls of fried dough served with tea, jam or soup. No celebration happens without them, and they’re offered to guests as a sign of hospitality and good fortune.
  4. Plov: Rice slow-cooked in a large cauldron with carrots, onions, lamb or beef and plenty of oil. Shared across Central Asia, it’s a staple of southern Kazakh cooking and a go-to dish for large gatherings.
  5. Manty: Large steamed dumplings filled with minced lamb or beef, onion and sometimes pumpkin, eaten with sour cream or vinegar. They’re cheap, filling and found in nearly every canteen.
  6. Lagman: Hand-pulled noodles in a spicy stir-fry or broth with meat, peppers and vegetables, brought by the Uyghur and Dungan communities. It’s one of the most popular everyday lunches in the country.
  7. Kumys and shubat: Fermented mare’s milk (kumys) and fermented camel’s milk (shubat), slightly sour and fizzy. These drinks are rooted in the nomadic past and are still valued for their supposed health benefits, especially in summer.
  8. Kurt: Hard, salty balls of dried fermented curd that keep for months. Once a practical snack for herders on the move, it’s now sold at every bazaar and shared on long journeys.
Tap water in Kazakhstan is treated in major cities like Almaty and Astana, but aging pipes mean many locals boil or filter it before drinking. Tourists are advised to stick to bottled or filtered water, which is cheap at around 150 to 300 tenge (US$0.30 to 0.60) for a 1.5-liter bottle, and a filter bottle is useful for refilling on trekking trips. Using tap water for brushing teeth is generally fine in the cities.
The main language in Kazakhstan is Kazakh. Backpacking is way more rewarding if you know a bit of the local language, so I'd suggest brushing up on the basics just in case your Kazakh skills have become a bit rusty.

Want to understand locals better?
The complete Travel Guide for Kazakhstan includes 52 essential words and phrases — greetings, thank-yous, ordering food, transport, numbers, and common local expressions you'll actually hear.

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English in Kazakhstan is limited: you’ll manage in Astana and Almaty at hostels, hotels, newer cafés and among students and young professionals, but bus stations, bazaars and taxis rarely go beyond a few words. In rural areas and smaller towns, expect almost no English at all. Russian is the language that helps most, since nearly everyone speaks it alongside Kazakh, so learning the Cyrillic alphabet and phrases like “spasibo” (thank you) and “skolko?” (how much) pays off fast. Download Yandex Translate or Google Translate with offline Russian, and use the 2GIS app to show addresses to drivers.

Money & Payments

The local currency of Kazakhstan is KZT (₸).
ATMs are easy to find in Kazakhstan’s cities and towns, especially machines from Halyk Bank, Kaspi, ForteBank and Bank CenterCredit, and they dispense tenge with local fees ranging from zero to around 1,000 tenge (US$2) per withdrawal, plus whatever your home bank charges. Visa and Mastercard work for contactless payment in most supermarkets, malls, restaurants, hotels and city transport in Almaty and Astana, but bazaars, small village shops, rural guesthouses, marshrutkas and shared taxis are cash only. Locals pay almost everything with the Kaspi QR app, which usually requires a Kazakh bank account, so carry enough cash for places that don’t take foreign cards. US dollars and euros are both easy to exchange, ideally in clean, undamaged notes from 2013 or later, and Russian rubles are also widely accepted at exchange points. Change money at licensed exchange booths marked “obmen valyut” or at banks, which post competitive rates openly, and avoid anyone offering to change money on the street.
Tipping in Kazakhstan is appreciated but modest, and many restaurants and cafés in Almaty and Astana already add a 10 to 15 percent service charge to the bill, in which case nothing more is expected. Where no service charge appears, leaving 5 to 10 percent for good service is generous. Taxi drivers don’t expect tips beyond rounding up, while trekking guides and drivers on multi-day tours typically receive 5,000 to 10,000 tenge (US$10 to 20) per day from the group.

🧩 Nearby countriesNearby backpacking alternatives

We 💚 feedbackThe bottom line on traveling here

Kazakhstan gives you a rare combination: genuinely big mountains and empty desert, with modern cities and fast Wi-Fi as your launch pads. You can trek above a tree line in the morning and eat Korean salads in a downtown café that evening. The downside is scale. The sights are scattered across a country so vast that you will spend real money and time on drivers, tours or long train rides to reach them. It works best for travelers comfortable with some Russian phrases, flexible plans and the occasional long transfer, and for anyone who likes landscapes without crowds. If you want a tight, cheap circuit of walkable towns linked by easy buses, neighboring Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan will serve you better.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on in-depth research, insights shared by experienced travelers, and feedback from the local travel community in Kazakhstan. While every effort is made to keep the information accurate and current, conditions can change — so if you spot anything incorrect or outdated, please get in touch.



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Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

This site is built on a combination of firsthand travel experience and carefully curated insights from other backpackers. Many guides are based on places I’ve personally visited, while others bring together tips, observations, and practical advice shared by trusted travelers I’ve met along the way.

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