{"id":30916,"date":"2018-11-28T12:30:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-28T01:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures?p=30916&#038;preview=true&#038;preview_id=30916"},"modified":"2024-09-18T16:28:03","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T06:28:03","slug":"astana-kazakhstan-travel-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/astana-kazakhstan-travel-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Spend 24 Hours In Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Quick geography test. How many of you can place Nur-Sultan on an Atlas? It\u2019s okay if you\u2019re struggling. Twenty years ago, <\/strong><a href=\"\/kazakhstan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Kazakhstan\u2019s<\/strong><\/a><strong>\u00a0capital city didn\u2019t even exist. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In fact it used to be a small village in the middle of the Asian steppe called Akmola (which translates, rather ominously, to \u2018white grave\u2019). Next-door neighbours? A thousand kilometres of empty tundra and a few Saiga antelope.<\/p>\n<p>Fast forward to 1997 and Kazakhstan\u2019s president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, decided to ditch Almaty (the old capital) and move everything here: government buildings, hotels, Soviet-style, eight-lane superhighways, shimmering skyscrapers and about one million people. (Nazarbayev is also the lifetime \u2018Leader of the Nation\u2019 and Commander In Chief of the armed forces. So when he tells you to build a skyscraper, you jolly well build it fast.)<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_30922\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30922\" class=\"size-full wp-image-30922\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_784541599-e1543292036712.jpg\" alt=\"Locals in a snowy Astana square\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_784541599-e1543292036712.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_784541599-e1543292036712-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_784541599-e1543292036712-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_784541599-e1543292036712-585x329.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-30922\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Locals gather for New Years Eve festivities. Photo by YevgeniyDr.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In the last few years, Nur-Sultan (which recently changed its name from Astana) has risen from the dust of the plains to become \u2018Singapore of the Steppe\u2019. A collection of eye-watering futuristic buildings, public offices and the sort of six-star hotels you only get with oil money.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"\/adventures\/central-asia-musts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>RELATED:\u00a06 REASONS WHY CENTRAL ASIA SHOULD BE ON YOUR TRAVEL RADAR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how to spend 24-hours in Central Asia\u2019s least subtle city.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Getting around<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Getting from A to B in Nur-Sultan is easy. It\u2019s a \u2018planned city\u2019 (like Canberra or Washington D.C.) so road infrastructure is pretty good, even if the roads tend to be on the large side.<\/p>\n<p>Uber and other ridesharing services like Yandex are available. Drivers probably won\u2019t speak a word of English, but the route-map takes care of that problem. There\u2019s also an excellent city taxi service; expect to pay around KZT500 for an average ride, providing you don\u2019t cross the Ishim river. Getting around on foot is possible, but Nur-Sultan specializes in large, empty, horizon-warping spaces; it\u2019s generally faster to just hail a cab.<\/p>\n<p>Pro tip: street names change often in Nur-Sultan, so it\u2019s better to tell your driver the name of a nearby landmark, government building or Trade Centre.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What to see<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_30920\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30920\" class=\"wp-image-30920 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_742129558-e1543291863927.jpg\" alt=\"The Hazrat Sultan Mosque, Astana.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_742129558-e1543291863927.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_742129558-e1543291863927-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_742129558-e1543291863927-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_742129558-e1543291863927-585x329.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-30920\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Hazrat Sultan Mosque, Nur-Sultan. Photo by DEN ProjectDesign.kz.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>There\u2019s no trick to this \u2013 just look up. Like Dubai and Singapore, Nur-Sultan\u2019s skyline is a study in the more-is-more school of architecture. When the city was being built, Nazarbayev hired acclaimed British architect Norman Foster to build the 150-metre Bayterek Tower and the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a glowing transparent tent (the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fosterandpartners.com\/projects\/khan-shatyr-entertainment-center\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Khan Shatyr Entertainment Centre<\/a>), glowing geometric pyramids (Foster\u2019s Palace of Peace), the gold dome of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tripadvisor.com.au\/Attraction_Review-g293944-d8004484-Reviews-Nur_Astana_Mosque-Astana_Akmola_Province.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nur-Astana Mosque<\/a>, and Nazarbayev\u2019s own <a href=\"http:\/\/www.akorda.kz\/en\/republic_of_kazakhstan\/akorda\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Presidential Palace<\/a>, which has a distinctive White House vibe. Even the corporate skyscrapers flair and strut. At night, everything lights up with LED, light shows and digital projections. The power bill must be terrifying.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_30919\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30919\" class=\"wp-image-30919 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_718246498-e1543291645563.jpg\" alt=\"State Opera and Ballet Theatre, Astana\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_718246498-e1543291645563.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_718246498-e1543291645563-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_718246498-e1543291645563-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_718246498-e1543291645563-585x329.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-30919\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nur-Sultan&#8217;s State Opera and Ballet Theatre. Photo by Anton Petrus.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Make sure you tick these off your list: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tripadvisor.com.au\/ShowUserReviews-g293944-d3618651-r461654026-The_Baiterek_Tower-Astana_Akmola_Province.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Baiterek Tower<\/a>, Ak Orda Presidential Palace, Kazakh Eli monument, New National Museum, Hazret Sultan Mosque, Palace of Peace &amp; Reconciliation, and the Palace of Independence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"post-title single-post-title\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"\/adventures\/kyrgyzstan-land-of-the-nomads\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>RELATED: WHAT IT\u2019S REALLY LIKE TO VISIT KYRGYZSTAN, THE LAND OF THE NOMADS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>What to eat<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A lot of young Kazakhstan locals like to hang out in the food courts and the various malls, but there\u2019s some more interesting stuff if you\u2019re willing to explore. Track down the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tripadvisor.co.uk\/Restaurant_Review-g293944-d9580216-Reviews-The_Shoreditch_Burger_Wok-Astana_Akmola_Province.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shoreditch Burger &amp; Wok<\/a>, a gentrified post-Soviet bistro (the faux \u2018Brick Lane\u2019 sign nearby suggests that hipsterdom is not far behind).<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_30921\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30921\" class=\"size-full wp-image-30921\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_760080205-e1543291963425.jpg\" alt=\"Traditional Kazakh cuisine\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_760080205-e1543291963425.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_760080205-e1543291963425-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_760080205-e1543291963425-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_760080205-e1543291963425-585x329.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-30921\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Traditional Kazakh cuisine. By iPostnikov.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>For more traditional fare, head down Turan Avenue, north of Lover\u2019s Park. You\u2019ll find a strip of restaurants serving up <em>Beshbarmak<\/em> (a horsemeat and pasta dish, and much tastier than it sounds), hot <em>Boursaky<\/em> bread and <em>Shashlik<\/em> kebabs. Avoid street kebab vendors, unless you have a notoriously iron stomach \u2013 quality and freshness aren\u2019t always guaranteed.<\/p>\n<p>Kazakhstan isn\u2019t known as a gourmet paradise, but oil money plus tourism brings good food, and the city\u2019s restaurant scene is definitely on the up. If you want something <em>really<\/em> fancy, check the hotel restaurants at the new St Regis and Ritz-Carlton.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Where to stay<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>When it comes to accommodation, Nur-Sultan is somewhere you can really bling out. Most of the hotels built after 2005 have been your five-star, palm tree, golden waterfalls and imported marble type. The best are the big players like <a href=\"http:\/\/presidentastana.rixos.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rixos President<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriott.com.au\/hotels\/travel\/tsexr-the-st-regis-astana\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">St Regis<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ritzcarlton.com\/en\/hotels\/kazakhstan\/astana\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ritz-Carlton<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www3.hilton.com\/en\/hotels\/kazakhstan\/hilton-astana-TSEKAHI\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hilton<\/a>. A step below that you\u2019ve got Ibis, Best Western and The Diplomat, plus a bunch of three- and four-star independent hotels. You can also hire an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airbnb.com.au\/s\/Astana--Kazakhstan\/homes?refinement_paths%5B%5D=%2Fhomes&amp;allow_override%5B%5D=&amp;s_tag=SsfkCXb4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Airbnb apartment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>When we stay in Nur-Sultan, we\u2019re more concerned with location and the surrounding neighbourhood. <a href=\"https:\/\/grandparkesil.kz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Grand Park Esil<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/ramada-plaza-astana.hoteleastana.com\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ramada Plaza,\u00a0<\/a>Royal Park Hotel\u00a0and the\u00a0Kazzhol Hotel are all good for budget travellers. Just don\u2019t expect heritage charm and subtlety.<\/p>\n<p>Most accommodation in Nur-Sultan sits east of the Ishim River, but as long as you\u2019re relatively close to the Baiterek Tower, you can\u2019t go too wrong.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a data-wpil=\"url\" href=\"\/subscribe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>SUBSCRIBE TO INTREPID\u2019S NEWSLETTER FOR TRAVEL STORIES, COMPETITIONS, GIVEAWAYS &amp; MORE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Things to do<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_30925\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30925\" class=\"size-full wp-image-30925\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_1204674409-e1543292982442.jpg\" alt=\"Astanas Nur-Astana Mosque.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_1204674409-e1543292982442.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_1204674409-e1543292982442-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_1204674409-e1543292982442-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shutterstock_1204674409-e1543292982442-585x329.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-30925\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Nur-Astana Mosque. photo by Diego Fiore.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>A bit like Dubai, there are things in Nur-Sultan that only someone with obscene wealth would ever actually think of (like the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.laac.eu\/en\/projects\/ski-jump-schushinsk-astana\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">futuristic ski jump facility<\/a>, currently under construction). In the meantime, start with the National Museum \u2013 a bizarre spaceship-like structure, plastered with cult-like Nazarbayev effigies (he\u2019s even on the carpet). Inside you\u2019ll find the Hall Of Gold (exactly what it sounds like \u2013 look out for the Scythian burial mound trinkets), The Hall Of Ancient History, The Hall Of Independent Kazakhstan and The Hall Of Modern Art (worth the price of admission alone\u2026).r<\/p>\n<p>You also need to check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/astanatimes.com\/2016\/04\/bustling-bazaars-or-modern-supermarkets-take-your-pick-in-astana\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Artem bazaar<\/a>, an old school market-type building, good for snacks and souvenirs, pamper yourself at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tripadvisor.com.au\/Attraction_Review-g293944-d7137984-Reviews-Bath_Complex_Keremet-Astana_Akmola_Province.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Elixir Bath Complex<\/a>, a traditional bathhouse where you can get a massage, and explore the weird open-air <a href=\"http:\/\/visitkazakhstan.kz\/en\/guide\/places\/view\/116\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Atameken Map<\/a>, a 1.7 hectare museum thing with 200+ models and historical monuments. Sort of a mini pseudo-Kazakhstan.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Looking for a group tour in Kazakhstan? Check out <a href=\"\/kazakhstan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">our latest adventures<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Feature image\u00a0by Jane Peimer via Shutterstock.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Quick geography test. How many of you can place Nur-Sultan on an Atlas? It\u2019s okay if you\u2019re struggling. Twenty years ago, Kazakhstan\u2019s capital city didn\u2019t even exist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15437,"featured_media":30923,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1313],"tags":[180,459],"class_list":["post-30916","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","tag-asia","tag-central-asia","ipf_region-kazakhstan"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.3.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How To Spend 24 Hours In Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In the last few years, Nur-Sultan has risen from the dust of the plains to become \u2018Singapore of the Steppe\u2019. 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