Astana Travel Guide — Best Time, Things to Do & Where to Stay

Why Astana

Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan and the country's second-largest city after Almaty. Located in northern central Kazakhstan at an elevation of 347 meters, the self-administering city spans 722 square kilometers along the Ishim River. It sits in a broad, flat, semi-arid steppe region, situated roughly 1,000 kilometers from Almaty, 200 kilometers from Karaganda, and 450 kilometers from Omsk, Russia.

The area's history dates back to the 12th-to-14th-century Bozok settlement, a military fortress along the Silk Road. Modern establishment began in 1830 as Akmoly on the Ishim River, achieving town status in 1832 as Akmolinsk. During the Soviet period, it was renamed Tselinograd in 1961 while serving as the center of the Virgin Lands Campaign, undergoing major infrastructure and housing construction. Following Kazakhstan's independence in 1991, the name reverted to Akmola. It succeeded Almaty as the national capital in December 1997 and was renamed Astana in 1998. The city was briefly named Nur-Sultan from 2019 until reverting to Astana in 2022, earning a Guinness World Record for the most capital name changes in modern times.

Following its designation as the capital, Astana was developed as a modern, planned city based on design principles guided by architect Kisho Kurokawa. The Ishim River serves as a geographic divider, separating the older established boroughs on the northern bank from the modern developments on the southern bank. Today, the city serves as a major commercial, educational, and financial center in Central Asia, hosting the Astana International Financial Center, a special economic zone, and numerous national corporate headquarters.

Visitors to Astana can explore notable cultural and religious landmarks. The city is home to the Astana Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, as well as Central Asia's largest synagogue and the Catholic Our Mother of Perpetual Help Cathedral. The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, constructed in 2006 to host the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, provides space for multiple global faiths. Additional cultural highlights include the regional historical museum, which was established in 1923.

Astana experiences an extreme continental climate, ranking as the world's second-coldest capital city. Winters are long, dry, and cold, with typical temperatures dropping between minus 30 and minus 35 degrees Celsius from mid-December to early March, keeping the Ishim River frozen from November into April. Summers are warm, occasionally reaching 35 degrees Celsius, accompanied by brief rain showers. Strong winds are frequent across the city's open steppe landscape, particularly on the rapidly developing Left Bank.