Astana Day Planner for Any Weather

October 29, 2026

Planning a day in Astana

Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan, and it was called Nur-Sultan between 2019 and 2022. The city is built on dead-flat steppe, so there are no hills, lakes or rapids to organise a trip around. What it has instead is big architecture, heated indoor venues and a strong performing-arts scene. The weather decides most of the plan, so this page is organised by conditions first and by sight second.

Prices are in tenge (KZT), at roughly 470 to 500 KZT to US$1 in 2026. Cards and Kaspi QR are widely accepted.

If it is bitterly cold

From about November to March, lows can fall to -30C or lower and the wind makes it feel worse. Frostbite on bare skin is a real risk, so keep each outdoor stint to about 20 minutes and move between warm buildings.

Sky Beach Club in Khan Shatyr (Turan Avenue 37) is an indoor beach with air at about +30C. It reopened on 1 May 2026. Adults pay 20,000 KZT, children 12,000 KZT, and under-3s are free. There is no weekend surcharge, though towels and robes cost extra. Hours are not confirmed, so ask before you go.
BEIBARYS (Kenes 7) sells a three-hour package with a heated pool, sauna and hammam. A June 2026 report put it at about 8,000 KZT per adult.
Astana Opera (Dinmukhamed Kunayev Street 1) has about 1,250 seats. Ask the box office on +7 7172 70-96-10 or use ticketon.kz. Seats start from low thousands of tenge, depending on the show.
Municipal skating and ice-slide areas appear each winter. Locations and prices change every year, so ask your hotel.

If it is warm and dry

From late May to September the temperature often sits between 25 and 35C.

Boats run on the Ishim (Esil) river in season, usually from around May. Piers and prices are not fixed, so ask on the embankment.
Orman Park has outdoor pools, about 30 minutes from the centre. June 2026 prices were around 5,000 KZT Monday to Thursday and 7,000 KZT Friday to Sunday.
Oasis Beach Club has outdoor pools too, at about 12,000 to 14,000 KZT in June 2026.
Central Park and the embankment are free for an evening stroll.

Indoors in any season

The Ailand oceanarium on the Korgalzhyn Highway has a 70 m tunnel. It appeared to be open in summer 2026, but prices and hours are not confirmed. Its aquapark closed on 1 September 2025 for a rebuild, so do not plan around slides.

The Nur Alem sphere, from the 2017 Expo, is now the alem.ai AI centre with a Singularity Museum on the ground floor. The posted schedule is 10:00 to 19:00 Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 to 20:00 on Saturday and Sunday, and shut on Monday. Check which hours apply to the museum itself.

Moving around

The Tarlan Astana light rail opened on 16 May 2026, runs about 06:00 to 23:00 and costs a flat 200 KZT. City buses cost 110 KZT with a card or QR and 220 KZT in cash until 30 November 2026, then 150 and 300 KZT from 1 December. Yandex Go is the main taxi app, and city rides typically cost a few thousand tenge at most. Avoid unofficial street taxis, and take care near bars and clubs late at night.

Booking and reading

For the national rules before you fly, see the UK government entry requirements for Kazakhstan . For the current rail map and fares, the Astana Times report on the light rail is a good start. Compare ticketed tours on Viator .