Day Trips from Astana, Kazakhstan

October 29, 2026

Day trips from Astana

Astana sits on dead-flat steppe, and there are no mountains, canyons or lakes inside the city or on its doorstep. Only three real day-trip options exist, and two of them are long. The famous scenery of southern Kazakhstan, such as Kok-Tobe, Medeu, Charyn Canyon or Kolsai, is 950 to 1,200 km away near Almaty and cannot be done from Astana in a day. This page is honest about what is realistic.

ALZHIR memorial, Akmol

About 40 km west of Astana, in the village of Akmol, stands the ALZHIR Museum and Memorial Complex. It commemorates the Akmola camp for wives of people condemned as traitors to the motherland, part of the Karlag system, set up in 1938. Reported figures say more than 18,000 women passed through. Please visit quietly and respectfully. The outdoor memorial and the museum are the focus, and the visit takes about half a day including the 45 to 60 minute drive.

Hours are Tuesday to Sunday 09:00 to 18:00, with the ticket office closing at 17:00, and the site is closed on Monday. Foreign-visitor tariffs listed from March 2024 were 1,200 KZT for self-guided entry, 1,500 KZT per person for a guided visit in Kazakh or Russian, and 8,000 KZT per person for an English-language tour. Prices may have changed, so confirm them before travelling. Suburban bus 300 leaves from Asia Park on Kabanbay Batyr Avenue, based on a 2022 source, and a taxi with waiting time is the usual alternative. Confirm the timetable on +7 7172 574-777.

Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve

About 130 to 135 km southwest of Astana, Korgalzhyn is part of the UNESCO-listed Saryarka steppe and lake system. Lake Tengiz holds a flamingo colony, usually present from late April or May to mid-September, and May to June is best for tulips and birds. Visiting is not casual. You need permission from the reserve, and staff escort visitors, so register with the reserve office in Korgalzhyn village and phone ahead, especially for weekends. Buses run from Saparzhai bus station to Korgalzhyn village but timetables vary. Allow 2 to 3 hours each way, which makes this a very long day. Tour operators quote about US$160 per person for a one-day trip.

Burabay National Park

Burabay (also called Borovoe) is about 257 km away. Driving takes roughly 3 hours each way, including the last 20 km beyond Shchuchinsk. The Burabay Express train takes about 2.5 hours, and the 2025 launch timetable left Astana at 11:00 and returned from Kurort-Borovoe at 14:15, leaving under an hour on site. Fares at launch ranged from 2,962 to 5,805 KZT, and the 2026 schedule has not been confirmed. The station is 20 to 22 km from Burabay village, and a taxi there is typically 1,500 to 2,000 KZT.

A day trip means five to six hours of travel for a short visit, so an overnight stay is much better. Bolektau is an easy climb of about 30 minutes with views over the lake. Okzhetpes needs a guide and equipment. A national park fee of about 241 KZT per person per day has been reported, so check it at the gate. See Burabay transport guidance and the Bolektau page . To compare organised trips, try Viator day trips .

Winter note

From November to March, road conditions can be icy and temperatures can fall to -30C or below. Check the forecast, carry warm layers and leave long drives for the milder months.