It depends on where you are from, and the situation has improved considerably in recent years.

Citizens of a substantial and growing number of countries – including much of the EU, the UK, the USA, and many others – can now enter Kazakhstan visa-free for stays of up to thirty days. For those who do require a visa, an e-visa system is in place and is generally straightforward to navigate.

We advise checking the current list of eligible nationalities before travelling, as it has expanded progressively and continues to do so. Koryo Tours can advise on the current situation for your specific nationality and assist with any documentation required.

Unlike some of its neighbours, Kazakhstan does not require visitors to travel with a guide, and independent travel is perfectly possible, particularly in Almaty and Astana.

That said, for the more remote parts of the country – the Mangystau region in the west, the Altai in the east, the steppe areas away from the main roads – a guided tour or at minimum some logistical support is strongly advisable.

Distances are enormous, infrastructure in remote areas can be limited, and local knowledge makes an enormous difference to what you are able to see and experience. Our tours are designed to give you genuine access to places and people that independent travel would make very difficult to reach.

Spring and autumn, without much question. May and September in particular offer the best combination of comfortable temperatures, accessibility, and the kind of light that makes the landscapes – whether steppe, mountain, or canyon – look extraordinary.

Winters in Kazakhstan are not to be underestimated; Astana is one of the coldest capital cities in the world and temperatures of minus twenty or thirty are entirely normal.

The winters do have a stark beauty of their own, and some travellers find them compelling, but they require preparation and some flexibility in plans. Summers can be very hot, especially in the south and in the Mangystau desert region in the west, though the mountain areas around Almaty remain pleasant.

Check conditions for the specific region you are visiting, as the country’s size means the climate varies significantly across it.

Yes, Kazakhstan is a safe country to visit. Incidents of crime against tourists are uncommon, and the main cities – Almaty in particular – have a relaxed and generally secure feel.

The usual sensible precautions apply: be aware of your belongings in crowded areas, be cautious about informal currency exchange, and exercise the kind of common sense you would anywhere.

Political demonstrations, which have occurred periodically since the events of January 2022, are best avoided as a visitor. In rural and remote areas, the practical challenges (distance, weather, limited infrastructure) require more attention than any question of personal safety. Your guide will advise on anything locally relevant.

The situation is an interesting and evolving one. Kazakh is the official state language, a Turkic language written in Cyrillic script (with a transition to Latin script officially underway, though proceeding slowly in practice).

Russian remains very widely spoken, particularly in the cities and among the older population, and functions as the main lingua franca across much of the country – for many urban Kazakhstanis, it is still the language of daily life and work.

The younger generation is notably more Kazakh-dominant, and the balance is shifting.

English is increasingly spoken among young, educated urban Kazakhstanis, particularly in Almaty. In rural areas, you are more likely to need Kazakh or Russian. A few words of Kazakh for greetings are genuinely appreciated and go down well. Russian will serve you practically in most situations.
 

There is no formal dress code for tourists, and Almaty in particular is a cosmopolitan city where you will see every style of dress.

Kazakhstan is broadly a Muslim-majority country, though practice varies considerably – it tends to be less observant than some neighbouring countries, and the Soviet legacy has left a secular character in much of public life. When visiting mosques or other religious sites, the usual courtesies apply. Women should cover their heads, and exposed legs and shoulders are inappropriate.

Many sites will have scarves available, but it is better to come prepared. Outside religious sites, dress is generally a matter of personal comfort and common sense for the climate.

Kazakhstan does not present any unusual health risks for most visitors. The most common issues are the predictable ones: an upset stomach from unfamiliar food, or the consequences of unfamiliar quantities of fermented mare’s milk (kumys), which is an acquired taste and a powerful one.

Standard travel vaccinations are recommended, and a course of hepatitis A and typhoid is sensible.

Tick-borne encephalitis is a genuine risk in forested areas, particularly in the Altai region and around Almaty in spring and early summer, a vaccination is available and advisable if you are planning to spend time outdoors in those areas.

Travel insurance that covers medical evacuation is strongly recommended; distances in the remote parts of the country mean that access to medical facilities can take time. Altitude is a factor in the mountain areas around Almaty, where some walks go above 3,000 metres.

The internet in Kazakhstan is considerably better than in some of Kazakhstan’s neighbours.

Mobile internet coverage is good in the cities and reasonable along main routes, and accommodation in Almaty and Astana will generally offer functioning wifi. Some content is restricted – certain social media platforms and websites are periodically blocked – and a VPN is a useful thing to have installed before you travel, as downloading and configuring one once you are in the country can be more complicated.

In remote areas, particularly in Mangystau and the far east, connectivity is limited or absent. It is worth planning around this rather than against it; being offline in the steppe is, in its way, one of the more memorable aspects of the trip.
 

The country rewards ambition. Almaty is the natural starting point and deserves real time. The Tian Shan mountains rising directly above the city, the excellent Central State Museum, the Green Bazaar, the Medeu skating rink and the Shymbulak ski resort above it, and a restaurant and bar scene that will surprise visitors who arrive with low expectations.

Astana is a completely different and equally unmissable experience – the Bayterek tower, the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, the extraordinary Khan Shatyr shopping centre (a vast transparent tent covering an internal beach resort), and the general spectacle of a city that decided to be remarkable and largely succeeded.

Beyond the cities... The Charyn Canyon in the south-east, a landscape so dramatic it is genuinely disorienting. The Kolsai Lakes and Kaindy Lake, where a submerged forest of tree trunks rises from turquoise water. The petroglyphs of Tamgaly, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkestan, one of the great monuments of the Timurid period. And the Mangystau region in the west, where the desert produces underground mosques, vast canyons, and a landscape that feels unlike anywhere else on earth.

The question is not what to see but how much time you have.
 

Almaty has the most international connections and is the natural entry point for most visitors, with direct flights to a wide range of European, Asian, and Middle Eastern hubs.

Astana also has an international airport with good connections, particularly useful if you want to begin in the capital and move south.

The national carrier is Air Astana, which has a reasonable reputation and appears on standard flight booking sites.

By land, Kazakhstan shares borders with Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, and crossings into Kyrgyzstan (for Bishkek and beyond) and Uzbekistan are commonly used by travellers doing a broader Central Asia trip.

The Almaty–Bishkek corridor is particularly well-travelled and straightforward. Crossing into China is possible but requires more planning.

Overland into Russia is, of course, subject to the wider political situation and should be assessed at the time of travel.

Kazakhstan also makes an excellent part of a longer Central Asia itinerary, combining it with Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and beyond is something we have a great deal of experience in designing.

Talk to us about what you want to do, and we will build something worth doing.