Kazakhstan Travel FAQs

Up to date information for vaccinations before you travel to Kazakhstan are available from the NHS website

For up to date information around safety and security in Kazakhstan read the Foreign & Commonwealth Office latest information for Kazakhstan.

The best time to visit Kazakhstan is between July - August, when the weather is perfect throughout the country. This is the peak season, and the best timefor hikers to visit. April - June, and September - October are also a decent time to visit Kazakhstan. The steppes are particularly beautiful during this time.

You can travel to Kazakhstan without a visa, provided your stay does not exceed 30 days (the day you arrive counts as day 1, regardless of arrival time). If you wish to stay longer than 30 days, you'll need a visa. You should contact your nearest Embassy of Kazakhstan for further information.

The official currency of Kazakhstan is the Kazakhstani tenge.

Kazakhstan's desert life includes snakes, lizards and other reptiles; jerboas, gophers and other rodents; and larger animals such as gazelles. Deer, boars, jackals and other mammals live near lakes and rivers. The steppes are home to deer, antelope, badgers, wolves and foxes.

The most popular Kazakh dish is 'besbarmak'. It is the main dish of the national cuisine and is translated as 'five fingers', and because the dish is eaten with hands. Classic recipe of Besbarmak is usually boiling a broth with several types of meat (horse meat, lamb, beef and camel meat) and rectangle-shaped pasta.

The official languages of Kazakhstan are Kazakh with 5,290,000 speakers around the country and Russian which is spoken by 6,230,000 people. Both Kazakh and Russian are used on equal grounds.

The currency in Kazakhstan is the Kazakhstani tenge. Tipping is not customary in Kazakhstan, as a service charge is included in hotel and restaurant bills. However, as more tourists arrive tipping is becoming more common. There is also a fixed charge on taxi and railway transport, so many taxi drivers won't take tips unless travellers insist repeatedly.

Local Kazakhstan travel experts are available.