Planning a trip to the transcontinental country of Kazakhstan? This nation, located in both Eastern Europe and Central Asia, is home to such sights as Big Almaty Lake, the mountain arena of Medeo, plus the iconic Baiterek Tower. Here’s more travel information to get you in the mood to go:

  • If you’re flying into Kazakhstan, chances are you’ll arrive at Almaty International Airport (3-letter code: ALA). This is located some 24 kilometres from Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city (although the capital is Nur-Sultan).
  • The currency of this country is the Kazakhstani tenge. This currency is widely used in daily life. If you intend to exchange currencies here, it’s best to take a major currency such as US dollars or euros.
  • The official languages of this country are Kazakh and Russian. Ready to practice your Kazakh? ‘Hello’ is ‘Sälem’, ‘Goodbye’ is ‘Saw bolıñız’, while ‘Thank you’ is ‘Raxmet’. The locals will thank you for trying!
  • Kazakhstan’s time zone is GMT-6 (East Kazakhstan Time) and the international dial code is +7. Be sure to take the time difference into account if you call a hotel or make another reservation.
  • Kazakhstan’s cuisine is based on the population’s historic occupation as sheep herders. As such, you’ll find lots of dishes based around horse meat, mutton and milk. The national dish is ‘beshbarmak’ – boiled meat with noodles in an onion soup.

Learn more ahead of your visit in our articles below.

Kazakhstan Visa for Indians

To apply for a Kazakhstan tourist visa, you need to follow a range of steps…