Kazakhstan Travel Forum

Hello,
I Am an Australian citizen travelling around Europe. I have decided that I would like to visit Kazakhstan. Do I need a visa to enter Kazakhstan (I will only be there for a weekend or so). If I do need a visa can I apply for this outside of Australia?
Any other relevant information on this subject would be greatly appreciated too. For example; links to visa information, past experiences etc etc.

Thanks in advance.
Michael.

Hello all!
M planning to fly from Delhi to Almati at the end of July.Any idea about the best reliablee airline? any info about prices?
I keep getting different information about the visa... Do I need a visa to enter Kazakhstan? or can I do a visa on arrival? not clear...
what are the must see places around Almati?
Any advice most welcome, if anyone is there around the same time, let me know!

Thanks in advance for your tips

Hello,
what is the possibilities to go from Almaty to Karakol for 12 persons? It is possible to reached Karakol not going to Bishkek direction?

Thank You

Going to visit motherland town of Karaganda for a couple of weeks. If any of you crazy Americans want to meet or come along, let me know. I am in New York.

Hi,

I'm planning to travel for 5 weeks in the summer, 2 weeks in Russia and 3 weeks in Kazakhstan. However, I'm unsure of the best location to cross into Kazakhstan. Is it possible to enter Kazakhstan from Volograd by train, or bus? If so, how much does it roughly cost? Or is there a better location?

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

J

3 friends and I are travelling to Almaty in early June and we need to find a hotel.
All the agencies, websites etc we have tried name the same 10 or 12 hotels, all of which are already booked on our dates or are very expensive.
There must be more hotels in Almaty. Can anyone help with the names and/or contact details of any two or three star hotels. Anywhere in the city or near the airport will do.
Please help.

Hi we are flying in to Almaty arriving at 5:10am on the KLM flight. Local (UK) time that is midnight so we will be very tired. Are there hotels we can check in to at that time to get some sleep?

Also if we decided to catch a train somewhere instead, how quickly could we get from Almaty airport to Alma-Ata-2 train station? Does immigration take a long time?

Thanks for your help!

Hi friends, I am planning to make a big trip through Central Asia next summer and would like to cover all 5 ex SU countries. Did anyone make a trip like this? I plan to travel by myself on budget. Maybe a stupid question but how much money should I plan for spending in 6 weeks? I have to make it a cheap trip. What are the best means of travelling? bus? Where should I start and where should I end? I am very grateful for all kinds of advices! Thanks a lot, Silvia

Looking for a dry, pleasant June destination linked by a discount airline from Dubai

I am spending the Spring in Iran, and in June I am changing flights in Dubai to somewhere dry, and pleasant serviced by one of the discount airlines operating in the UAE.

My research shows Air Arabia flies to

Almaty, Kazakhstan (near beautiful Kyrgyzstan)
Lebanon
Nepal

All three of these destinations appeal to me but Nepal's rainy monsoon season begins in June, and I don't want to be there when it's raining.

Lebanon, and Kazakhstan have the nicest weather during summer, but I think Canadians need a visa to go to Kazakhstan, like a real visa (pre-arranged at the Kazakh embassy either in Tehran, or Dubai). Also, it sounds difficult to arrange, and really expensive. Does anyone know the cost of 1 month tourist visa for Canadians going to Kazakhstan? I am only interested in Almaty, and then I want to cross the border to Kyrgyz, then Uzbek, and Tajik. I'd like to do a little circle, and end up back in Almaty again, only because Air Arabia flies from there. I could also be interested in a land crossing entering Tibet, but I don't know if that's possible for foreigners. Regarding a Kazakh visa, perhaps a 3 day transit visa is enough? See Almaty, and then hop the border to Bishkek?

Air India Express flies Dubai to Amritsar, India, and I know India is HOT in June, but if I start in Amritsar, and head NORTH to Kashmir, maybe there is an international border/crossing (along with land transport) to Tibet? Of Course, then I need a Chinese visa/permit, and where to get that in Amritsar, or Kashmir?

If I go to India, I prefer to go high in altitude because it is June, and I don't want to be at sea level, especially in a big city like Mumbai or Dehli. I just hope Northwestern India is relatively dry in June.

Ok so Air Arabia, or Air India Express, and there are a couple other airlines flying to really HOT places like Phillipines, but since it's June, I didn't include any tropical destinations.

So, please let me know which destination you think is best for June, and then from there, into the Summer.

Lebanon, Almaty, Kazakhstan, or Nepal (rainy?) on AA
or Northwestern India on AIA

I also have the option of entering Turkmenistan, or Armenia by road after Iran (I think June could be a good time in either place), but Turkmenistan doesn't seem to have any Couchsurfers, which is how I travel. No hotels, ever.

Let me know your thoughts about June.

Hi Everyone,

I am not sure if anyone here will know the answers to my questions or some suggestions of places to find the answers. I have inquiries into the embassies and to a few tour companies but have not heard anything back and am trying to expand my quest for answers. We have also looked at the embassy websites to no avail.

1. What are the Kazakhstan's restrictions and regulations on the import and
export of horses?
For example what paperwork is needed as far as vaccinations, proof of
ownership?

2. Are there any tests the horses will have to take once in your country
if they come from another?

3. Will the horses need to be registered anywhere on entry to your
country, or upon their purchase?

4. Are there any border crossings where horses are restricted from
crossing into and out of the country?

5. Are there any border crossings where it would be easier to
import/export a horse, in your opinion?

Any help on any of these questions would be absolutely amazing. We are trying to decide our route, but that all depends on which borders we may cross with horses and which we cannot. The plan is to travel through Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to start.

Thank again for your time and knowledge!

-Noelle

How I can travel from Almaty to Shymkent by bus or minibus? and what's aprox. rates

Hi everyone,

I'd really appreciate any help anyone can provide in the following area.

I am looking to find a charity in Kazakhstan that I could possibly volunteer with for a bit or help raise money for. I really want to find a good one that actually helps people, or animals if at all possible, and that isn't too corrupt, i.e. most funds actually go towards charity. I would really like to be able to volunteer there for a bit as I pass through the country. I know most places don't like random foreigners interrupting their daily routine, but I'd be willing to donate money as well.

Thanks for any ideas or suggestions!

Hi,
I have a few questions for those who have been to Kazakhstan via China and Uzbekistan recently:

1. can I buy visa to KZ in Urumqi?
2. which visa is better to buy -twice time transit (how many days does that visa allow to stay in country) in two different embassy/consulate (ie. once in Urumqi and for second time in Toshkent) or better buy double entry tourist visa in Beijing (or Urumqi if possible). I plan to stay in KZ no longer than month altogether - probably.
3. do I need to make fixed dates and border point of entry when I apply for visa? If I decide to go there earlier than visa says would that be impossible?

I checked for most of answers with KZ MOFA webpage... but still I am not having all answers there.

4. Antoher question is: is it possible to rent a yurt for 1 week or more, somewhere nice but it doesn't have to be tourist place?

5. What would be more interesting way to get to Russia - train towards Moscow or local buses towards Volgograd, Which landscape is more interesting (february to may?)?

6. What kind of local food can I expect in KZ? Any names and what it is like?

Thank you for any helpful hint and/or comment. Regards
Vesna

Hi everyone!
I'm in the planning stages for a trip across some of the 'stans', particullarly Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Does anyone have any recommendations for very detailed maps showing roads/trails, topography and town names in English, Russian and the local dialects?
Thanks for any info!

I'm planning to go to Kazakhstan for at least a month next year. I'm wondering if I obtained a one-month tourist visa, and then spent a month there, and then left for a month or two, could I get another tourist visa to go back? If I'm there and meet someone who would be willing to sponsor me to come back soon, could I do that?

Also, I'm trying to figure out what the cost of renting an apartment and feeding myself in Kazakhstan might be, on average. I don't think I'll be in Almaty much, but even that would be useful.

Thanks!

I am a Briton living in Korea, and will leave shortly to return to England. I want to leave Korea by ferry to China, travel across China, and fly home from Astana in Kazakhstan, so I need to get a visa for Kazakhstan. Am I able to do this in Korea?? And will I need a letter of invitation etc to enter Kazakhstan?

I study Russian in my school and would like to do a few weeks this winter in a Russian speaking country. I have been to Russia and was thinking to go to Kazakhstan. Some of the questions I have is about registering once you get there. I will be going on my own and renting an apartment or a room and would be really annoyed having to figure out how to register. I am not worried about getting the invitation and the visa, just about if I have to register like they require in Russia. Also, I am coming from the US and would like to know whats the cheapest place to fly into.

Thank, Jenn

Are there are any restrictions on taking medication with you when travelling and on arrival in Kazakhstan. The gentleman in question has to inject himself daily and will therefore need to be able to take syringes, and all related medication.

Hi all, I want to get an apartment in Kostanai, Kazakhstan this autumn (probably October), to visit some friends. However, although I see people mentioning getting apartments, nobody EVER explains how they do this. The closest I saw was "through connections, not agencies." What on Earth is a 'connection' in this case? Please give me some advice, since it's so difficult to get ahold of an apartment! Thank you!

Hi there,

We're travelling overland from China into Kazakhstan, Hoegs Pass. We will be flying home ten days from then, from Astana. Finding it really hard to get a guidebook from here, we'd love any tips or recommendations on what to do roughly in that area. After China, we'd love a little bit of countryside and nature.
Thanks a lot,

Julie

What are my options if I want to travel between Almaty to Tashkent? I'd rather not fly. any information about buses, trains and shared taxis would appreciated. thanks

Where is the best clubs to go to that are located near Comfort Hotel in Astana ?

Thanks !

Hello! I plan to visit Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kirgistan this summer.
I'd like to know if i need LOI to apply for visas to these countries in advance in my homecountry or there is no need to apply for visas in advance and there is an oppotunity to get visas just at the airport without LOI arriving to any of these countries?Thanks.

How to travel from Almaty to Urumqi?

Can we travel by plane or by train?

How often are there flights ?

Sincerely yours


Bjørn Myrvang

I am considering a post in Atyrau and just wondering what types of outdoor activities are available in the area. Any pointers would be appreciated.

Hello dear VT friends. i did get same replies, but i am still surgging for ideas and wich places to visit in K We are going in june. Wich kind of transport is the best in k, train?

Hello dear VT friends. i did get same replies, but i am still surgging for ideas and wich places to visit in K We are going in june. Wich kind of transport is the best in k, train?

Hi all, we are going to kazakhstan in june for 4 weeks. traveling by train from moscow to Almaty. we would like to do some trekking when we are there, so have anyones some good tips, where to go and where to book!

How long would it take to travel by train from Astana to Oskemen? I am planning on flying into Astana, then shortly traveling to Oskemen shortly thereafter. Also, how much would this cost?

I am in Georgia and planning to head to China from here...........just wondering if anyone knew what my options were from Kazakhstan? Is it possible to head into Russia and cut through Mongolia? is the border open? Is it possible to cut straight across and enter China from Kazakhstan? Are the trains affordable for this route? I will be taking the ferry across the Caspian......but am lost from there.......any help would be greatly appreciated.
Trevor