7-Day Two Capitals of Kazakhstan: Almaty & Astana by Overnight Train
- Free cancellation up to 14 days before
- Instant confirmation
- Guided tour in English
About this experience
Kazakhstan has two capitals and they could not be less alike. Almaty sits against a wall of snow peaks, shaded by apple trees, and still feels like the cultural centre of the country. Astana was built on open steppe in a single generation, and looks it — a skyline of glass pyramids, tented malls and a golden tower, laid out on an axis you can walk end to end. This seven-day private tour gives you both, and joins them on the overnight Talgo sleeper rather than a flight, so the eleven hundred kilometres of steppe between them become part of the journey instead of something you skip over.
Why you will remember this trip
Ride the overnight Talgo sleeper between the two capitals in a private compartment
Ride the cable car to Kok-Tobe for the whole of Almaty laid out below the mountains
Stand inside Zenkov Cathedral, one of the tallest wooden buildings in the world, built without nails
Walk the Turgen gorge to its waterfalls, an hour from the city and a world away from it
Take the lift up the Baiterek tower to the golden handprint at the centre of Astana
See the Golden Man and the Kazakh steppe collections in two of the country’s best museums
Your 7 days
Day 1 — Arrive in Almaty, Panfilov Park, Zenkov Cathedral and the Green Bazaar
Day 2 — Kok-Tobe, Medeu ice rink and the Shymbulak mountain gondola
Day 3 — Turgen gorge waterfalls and Issyk Lake in the foothills
Day 4 — Almaty museums and the evening Talgo sleeper to Astana
Day 5 — Arrive in Astana — Baiterek tower, Abu Nasr al-Farabi Mosque (formerly Nur-Astana) and Hazrat Sultan
Day 6 — Khan Shatyr, the Nur Alem EXPO sphere and the National Museum
Day 7 — Departure from Astana
Private from start to finish
This is a one-way journey, Almaty in and Astana out, which is awkward to arrange independently and simple as a private tour. Your guide handles the station, the luggage and the tickets, and a second guide and driver meet you on the platform in Astana. Train compartments are booked for your party alone.
Next available dates
What’s included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver for the whole itinerary
- Private English-speaking guide throughout the touring days
- 6 nights' accommodation with daily breakfast, as described in the itinerary
- Arrival transfer from Almaty International Airport (ALA) and departure transfer to Astana airport (NQZ)
- All fuel, road tolls, parking and driver expenses
- Bottled drinking water in the vehicle every day
- Overnight Talgo sleeper ticket, Almaty to Astana, in a private compartment for your party
- Entrance fees to Kok-Tobe cable car, Turgen gorge, Baiterek tower, Nur Alem sphere and the National Museum
- Separate private guide and driver in each city
- Porter assistance at Almaty and Astana railway stations
Not included
- Flights into Almaty and out of Astana
- Kazakhstan visa, where your nationality requires one
- Lunches and dinners, unless individually listed as included
- Travel and medical insurance, which we strongly recommend
- Personal expenses, laundry, minibar and telephone charges
- Gratuities for your guide and driver, which are at your discretion
- A single supplement applies if you require a compartment to yourself as a solo traveller
Itinerary
- 1
Arrival in Almaty and the old city centre
Your driver meets you at Almaty airport and brings you into the city. Almaty is laid out on a grid that tilts towards the mountains, so you can always tell which way is south by looking up. Panfilov Park — a wooded park in the centre of the city, with the war memorial to the 28 Guardsmen and an eternal flame. Zenkov Cathedral — a tall, brightly painted Orthodox cathedral built of Tien Shan spruce in 1907. It survived the 1911 earthquake that flattened most of the city, which is why it is famous. Green Bazaar — the city’s working market: horse sausage, dried apricots from the south, fresh kurt, and stallholders who will hand you things to taste. Arbat pedestrian street — an easy evening walk with buskers and cafes. Overnight in Almaty.
- 2
Kok-Tobe and the mountains above the city
A full day going up. Almaty sits at 800 metres; by the afternoon you are above 3,000. Kok-Tobe cable car — the gondola leaves from the city centre and climbs to a hilltop park with the best single view of Almaty against the Zailiysky Alatau. Medeu — the highest Olympic-size speed-skating rink in the world at 1,691 metres, where dozens of world records were set on its unusually pure mountain water ice. Shymbulak gondola — three linked stages up to Talgar Pass at 3,200 metres, with the glacier line directly ahead. The mudflow dam — the enormous barrier above Medeu, built to protect Almaty from debris flows, with 842 steps up the side for anyone who wants them. Overnight in Almaty.
- 3
Turgen gorge and Issyk Lake
East out of the city into the foothills, for a day of rivers and forest rather than city streets. Turgen gorge — a wooded valley climbing into the Ile-Alatau national park, with hot springs and trout farms along the road. Bear Waterfall — a walk of about thirty minutes each way through spruce forest to a fall of around 30 metres. Issyk Lake — a turquoise mountain lake held behind a natural dam. The original lake was destroyed by a mudflow in 1963 and has slowly re-formed. Lunch in the gorge — at a local trout restaurant, where the fish comes out of the tank in front of you. Overnight in Almaty.
- 4
Almaty museums and the overnight train
A relaxed final day in Almaty, with your luggage stored, before the train leaves in the evening. Central State Museum — the national collection, from Bronze Age burials to the Kazakh khanates, with a replica of the Golden Man warrior. Museum of Folk Musical Instruments — in a wooden building in Panfilov Park; the dombra and kobyz collections are played for visitors. Republic Square and the Independence Monument — the civic heart of the modern city. Almaty-2 railway station — your guide checks you in and settles you into your compartment before the train pulls out. Overnight on the Talgo sleeper to Astana.
- 5
Arrival in Astana and the left bank
The train arrives in the morning. Your Astana guide meets you on the platform and takes you to the hotel to freshen up before the day begins. Baiterek tower — the 97-metre tower at the centre of the city, built around the legend of the Samruk bird. The lift goes up to the observation deck and the gilded handprint. Abu Nasr al-Farabi Mosque (formerly Nur-Astana) — a white mosque whose golden, 40-metre dome refers to the age at which the Prophet received revelation. Hazrat Sultan Mosque — one of the largest mosques in Central Asia, in classical Islamic style with Kazakh ornament throughout. The Nurzhol boulevard — the long ceremonial axis that runs from Baiterek to Ak Orda, best walked in the late afternoon. Overnight in Astana.
- 6
Khan Shatyr, Nur Alem and the National Museum
A full day on the architecture that made Astana famous, most of it indoors, which matters in this climate. Khan Shatyr — Norman Foster’s tented mall, a 150-metre transparent cone with a beach and a monorail inside it. Nur Alem — the eight-storey glass sphere built for EXPO 2017, now a museum of future energy, worked through from the top floor down. National Museum of Kazakhstan — the country’s flagship museum: the Hall of Gold, the ethnography collection and the halls on the founding of the capital. Palace of Peace and Reconciliation — the glass pyramid by Foster, seen from the outside and, when it is open, from within. Overnight in Astana.
- 7
Departure from Astana
The morning is yours until the transfer. Free time — for the Astana Opera, the Atameken miniature park, or simply a last coffee on the boulevard. Airport transfer — your driver takes you to Astana airport in good time for your flight. End of the tour.
Good to know
- Duration
- 7 days
- How you meet
- Meet on location
- Confirmation
- Instant confirmation
- Cancellation policy
- Free cancellation up to 14 days before
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Guide
- Guided tour in English
- Start times
- 12:00
Know before you go
- This is a land-only tour: it starts at Almaty International Airport (ALA) and ends at Astana airport (NQZ). Please book your own flights to arrive in Almaty on Day 1 and depart from Astana on the last day.
- This is a private tour. You travel only with your own party, your guide and your driver.
- Children aged 3 and over pay the traveller price. For children under 3, contact us before booking.
- Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date in Kazakhstan.
- Citizens of more than 80 countries, including the UAE, the UK, the EU, the USA and Malaysia, may enter Kazakhstan visa-free for up to 30 days. Please confirm the rule for your own nationality before booking.
- The national currency is the tenge (KZT). Cards are widely accepted in Almaty and Astana; carry cash for rural stops, small museums and roadside stalls.
- Kazakhstan uses a single time zone, UTC+5, across the whole country.
- Your guide speaks English. Russian and Kazakh are the everyday languages; English is limited outside the main hotels.
- Driving distances in Kazakhstan are long. The itinerary states each day's approximate road time so you can plan realistically.
- Dress modestly at mosques, mausoleums and other sacred sites: shoulders and knees covered, and a headscarf for women.
- Please tell us about any dietary requirement, allergy or reduced mobility at the time of booking so we can plan around it.
- The tour begins in Almaty (ALA) and ends in Astana (NQZ). Please book an open-jaw flight, or a domestic connection back to Almaty, and tell us which.
- The Talgo sleeper is a modern Spanish-built train with two-berth and four-berth compartments, bedding, air conditioning and a restaurant car. It is comfortable, not luxurious.
- Astana is bitterly cold from December to February, regularly below minus 20°C. The tour runs year-round, but pack accordingly.
- Kok-Tobe cable car occasionally closes for maintenance or high wind; we substitute the road ascent on those days.
- A clear copy of the passport of every traveller, at least 7 days before arrival
- Your inbound and outbound flight numbers and times, so we can meet you correctly
- Comfortable closed walking shoes; the itinerary includes uneven ground
- Sun protection: hat, sunglasses and a high-factor sunscreen
- A reasonable level of general fitness for the walking described in the itinerary
- Warm layers — Kazakhstan's temperature swings sharply between day and night
Cancellation policy
Free cancellation up to 14 days before the experience starts.
- 14 days or more before: full refund
- 7–13 days before: 50% refund
- Less than 7 days before: no refund
Meeting point
View on map
Almaty Airport (ALA) arrivals hall
- Address
- Almaty International Airport (ALA), arrivals hall, Almaty, 050039, KZ
- How you meet
- Meet on location
- Coordinates
- 43.35210, 77.04050
Illustrative map. Open it in Maps for the exact spot and live directions.
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Write a reviewFrequently asked questions
How long does this experience last?
It lasts 7 days.
Can I cancel this booking?
Free cancellation up to 14 days before the experience starts. 14 days or more before: full refund · 7–13 days before: 50% refund · Less than 7 days before: no refund
Is this experience guided, and in what language?
Guided tour in English
Is hotel pickup included?
No — you make your own way to the meeting point.
Where does this experience start?
It starts at Almaty Airport (ALA) arrivals hall, Almaty International Airport (ALA), arrivals hall, Almaty, 050039, KZ.
Still have a question?
Message our team on WhatsApp — we can help with dates, group bookings and anything else before you book.
- Photo credits
- Photo 1: Marat Rysbekov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo 2: Alexey Komarov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
- Photo 5: Никита Михайловский / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo 6: N seeker / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Photo 7: Nikolai Bulykin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo 8: Fukurukudzu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo 9: Nurken / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo 11: Nikolai Bulykin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo 13: Vyacheslav Bukharov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo 14: Лаззат Хайдаров / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Photo 16: Davide Mauro / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
From AED 4,403 per person (4–6 travelers)Free cancellation
