How to get to Astana?

How to get

The capital of Kazakhstan serves as a major transport hub. You can get there without any problems by different modes of transport.

Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport is one of the most state-of-the-art airports in the Eurasian continent, capable of receiving and servicing any type of aircraft. The airport has existed since 1931. The first flight from Akmolinsk (former name of Astana) was made to the city of Semipalatinsk. Like the city, it was renamed several times over the years, and since 2017 it bears the name of the First President of Kazakhstan.

Astana can be easily reached by plane from anywhere in the world. Wizzair, a low-cost airline flying through Budapest, has become a bridge between Kazakhstan and Europe. Also, Air China and China Southern Airlines connect Astana with the Asian part of the continent. Air Astana is a national carrier and the largest airline in Kazakhstan with over 60 domestic and international routes, including Moscow, London, Seoul, Frankfurt, Istanbul, etc.

The city's airport was founded in 1931 for servicing small aircraft. Today, almost 80 years later, it is the second-busiest airport in Kazakhstan servicing 130 domestic and international flights a day. It hosts 23 airlines with scheduled passenger flights. The airport's capacity is up to 7 million passengers per year. It is certified by the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO.

The average duration of direct flights from Astana is 5-6 hours in different directions. You can get to London in 6 hours, to Seoul – in 7 hours.

How to get to the city from the airport

The airport is located about 15 kilometers southeast of the city center. You can get to the city by bus, taxi or using the car rental service.

You can reach the Astana-1 railway station by Buses #10 and # 12. These buses also pass through the city center and make many stops on their way. You can catch the bus in the square in front of Terminal 1.

The first Bus #10 leaves the train station for the airport at 5:50 am, the last bus leaves the airport at 10:40 pm, and departures are scheduled for every 5-7 minutes. The first Bus #12 leaves the train station for the airport at 7:50 am, the last bus leaves the airport at 10:30 pm, buses run every 15 minutes. The ticket costs 180 tenge in cash and 90 tenge when you pay with a transport card. The tariff is valid on all city routes. You can purchase a ticket from the bus driver or buy a transport card at specialized desks or transport ticket machines.

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By train

If you don’t feel like flying, you can easily get to the capital of Kazakhstan by train.

There are two railway stations in Astana: Astana-1 Station (The Old Train Station) serves transit trains, while Nurly Zhol Station is a terminus.

Astana is also connected by rail with Belarus; you can get to Minsk in a little more than 3 days. The same train will bring residents of Smolensk, Tula, and Penza to Kazakhstan. On certain dates, trains go to Tashkent and Bishkek.

Trains regularly depart from Astana to other major cities of Kazakhstan – Almaty, Karaganda, Kostanay, Kokshetau, Petropavlovsk, Kyzylorda, Uralsk, and Shymkent. Suburban transportation to nearby settlements is also available.

If you want to visit Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city and former capital, you can take the high-speed Talgo train and reach your destination in 13.5 hours. Baiterek Train takes 5 hours longer to arrive and a regular passenger train will take you to Almaty in about a day.

By bus

Bus service is well developed in Kazakhstan. The capital is connected with all major cities by regular routes. Regular buses run to Tashkent (Kyrgyzstan) and some Russian cities.

You can get to Russia’s Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Omsk, Tomsk, and Novokuznetsk from Astana by bus. It takes 14 hours to get to Omsk, a day – to Novosibirsk, 20.5 hours – to Yekaterinburg.

By car

It is also convenient to get to Astana by car from anywhere in Kazakhstan and even from abroad. The A-1 highway connects the capital with Petropavlovsk (a fairly long section of it is a toll highway). From Russia, you can get to the border with Kazakhstan following the A310 federal highway from Chelyabinsk. From the border, follow the M36 highway that passes through Astana and goes further to Almaty.