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Kazakhstan travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Charyn Canyon
Charyn Canyon. Photo: Bgag, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
6h 15mflight from London
Tengecurrency
No visafor UK passports
Type C, Fplugs

Futuristic Astana and vast canyon country

Don't miss

  1. Charyn Canyon
  2. Almaty
  3. Big Almaty Lake
Good forMountains & hikingAdventure

Best time to visit Kazakhstan from the UK

Best value: Apr–May, Oct. May–Sep. Busiest and priciest: Jun–Sep.

-17 C-17°J-14.3 C-14°F-5.7 C-6°M5.9 C6°A13.9 C14°M19.3 C19°J20.7 C21°J19.3 C19°A12.3 C12°S3.6 C4°O-5.8 C-6°N-14.1 C-14°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Nur-Sultan, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Nur-Sultan for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Our pick: April and MayThe warmest of the best-value months (6–14°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: Jun–SepUsually 12–21°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Quiet season: Nov–MarAround -17–-6°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, but cold, so pack layers.
  • Warmest: July (21°C) · coolest: January (-17°C)A 38°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
-17-14.3-5.75.913.919.320.719.312.33.6-5.8-14.1

Festivals and events

  • Nauryz Mar · Nationwide
  • Astana Day Jul · Astana

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 6h 15m
Distance
4,785 km
Main airport
ALA

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add Kazakhstan to your bucket list Search flights to ALA

Practical info and travel guidance

TengeCapital: Astana
Type C, F · 220VBring a UK adapter
Drive on the rightOpposite to the UK
112
EmergencyAmbulance 103
Drink bottledOr treated water
  • VisaNo visa neededUp to 30 days
  • HealthcareSome free urgent careA UK reciprocal agreement covers some urgent state care. Still take travel insurance.
  • LGBT+ travellersLegal, but attitudes can be conservativePublic affection may draw attention.
  • Women travellersFCDO warns of sexual assault or harassmentTake extra care at night and with drinks.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Kazakhstan, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 13 October 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Kazakhstan before you book and again before you go.

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