By train
There are direct trains from Moscow, for example “Moscow-Astana”, from St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. Trains that go to Blagoveshchensk from many Asian settlements in Russia also pass through Kazakhstan. A trip from Moscow will take at least 2.5 days.
- Jibin123: Provides information for visa application to enter Kazakhstan, as well customs regulations and import restrictions.
By plane
The easiest and fastest way is by air. Air traffic is very developed here, regular flights to Astana and Almaty fly from many large cities. The flight from Moscow will take no more than three hours.
By car
It can be reached by car, but in winter the roads become not very convenient. Astana will be separated from Moscow by three thousand kilometers of roads.
Transport
If you go to Kazakhstan, rest in it will be almost impossible without the use of transport. In general, the transport system here is quite familiar to us, so tourists should not have any special problems.
Long-distance bus routes are inconvenient, and it is better to travel between cities by train – the railway connection is well developed here. Air transport is highly developed.
City transport is represented mainly by buses and minibuses, there are trams in Almaty. As in Russia, minibuses are more expensive, but they run more often and often until late at night. Almost all cities have taxis, usually without meters – it is customary to negotiate a price with the driver. And local motorists are very fond of taking passengers often for a moderate fee.
Money
The banking system in the state is very developed, in banks and exchange offices it is easy to exchange rubles, euros and dollars for the local currency, tenge. In settlements on the border and markets, it is possible to pay in rubles, but the exchange rate will not be profitable.
Cards are accepted almost everywhere in large cities, but in small resorts it is better to have cash.
Kitchen
If you like to combine delicious food and relaxation, Kazakhstan will be a great place for you.
The main feature of the cuisine is fermented milk drinks such as koumiss. They like to drink tea here, serving it with cheese or fried donuts. From snacks, curd balls kurt, sausage from horsemeat kazy and others are good.
The main traditional Kazakh dishes are:
- Beshbarmak – meat dish with noodles and broth;
- Palau – pilaf;
- Kuyrdak – offal with noodles;
- Sirne – potatoes with fried lamb;
- Kabyrga – vegetables and lamb brisket;
- Sorpa – meat soup;
Sweets are also good, for example, shek-shek made of honey with dough or shertpek made of honey and horse fat. True, they taste quite unusual.
There are a lot of restaurants, especially traditional cuisine. Kazakh dishes are best prepared in Almaty, at the Gakku restaurant. In the south of the state, you can taste the dishes of local peoples in small cafes.
If you are not interested in Kazakh cuisine, then there are many other restaurants in large cities – French, Japanese, Italian, Chinese and even Russian.
Souvenirs
To make your vacation in Kazakhstan memorable for you for a long time, you definitely need to bring a few souvenirs from this country:
Chocolate and sweets of the firm “Rakhat”
Almost the main gastronomic souvenir, compact and really tasty
Cognac
Wide range, low prices
felt products
The real national pride of the locals
Beautiful leather goods
Flasks are especially interesting.
Judge
Delicious horse meat sausage
Ceramic tableware
Dairy products
Dick basket
Patchwork quilts made by local craftswomen
Cap
National wardrobe detail
Tea
Silver jewelry
Jewelers make very beautiful
Ordinary souvenirs
Like figurines of monuments, key rings, magnets
Visa and customs
Due to the absence of a visa for Russians, going on vacation to Kazakhstan is not at all difficult. Moreover, you can not even issue a passport and go to travel inland. You can stay on the territory of the state for up to 90 days, but if you are traveling for longer than a month, then you need to get on the migration register.
Customs rules are quite simple and standard. You can import and export foreign currency in any quantity, up to a thousand cigarettes, up to two liters of alcohol. As elsewhere, it is forbidden to import drugs and dangerous items. The export of rare birds and animals, gold and valuable minerals is prohibited.
IMPORTANT: Tourists note that sometimes there are problems with customs clearance when traveling by car – things are very carefully inspected for several hours.
