Astana by private car: airport, meetings and Burabay

Astana is a planned capital on the open steppe, rebuilt from the late 1990s around the Baiterek tower, the ministries of the Left Bank and the tent-shaped Khan Shatyr. Most foreign visitors come for business, conferences or government meetings, and stay two or three days. The architecture is genuinely worth a look, but distances between buildings are long, and for five months of the year the wind makes walking between them a poor idea.

When to go

June to early September is warm, often 25–30 °C, with long evenings on the Esil embankment. May and late September are pleasant and quieter. From November to March Astana is one of the coldest capitals in the world: January averages around −15 °C with nights to −30 °C and occasional blizzards that close the highways for a few hours. Business runs normally all winter; you simply want a warm car waiting at every door.

Arriving

Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport (NQZ) is about 25–35 minutes from the Left Bank hotels. A private airport transfer costs from $45 per car, with flight tracking, a name sign in the arrivals hall and 90 minutes of free waiting from landing. For a frank comparison of taxis, apps and buses, see the Astana airport guide.

A driver for meetings

The most common booking in Astana is a private driver for the day, from $160 for 8 hours and 200 km. Your driver waits outside each ministry, office or hotel, keeps the car warm and knows which entrances the security posts actually use. For delegations, a minivan ($200) or a 16-seat Sprinter ($330) keeps everyone together. Invoices for companies are available on request.

Burabay (Borovoe)

Burabay is the capital's weekend escape: granite hills, pine forest and clear lakes about three hours north. Book a Burabay day trip from $220 per car with 5–6 hours at the lakes, Okzhetpes rock and Blue Bay, or a one-way Astana to Burabay transfer from $150 if you are staying at one of the resort hotels. Flying in and going straight to the lakes? The Astana airport to Burabay transfer is from $160, and the driver meets you in arrivals.

Combining Astana with the rest of Kazakhstan

Astana is a 1 h 40 min flight from Almaty and about 2 hours from Shymkent or Turkestan. Many travellers do Astana for business, then add four or five days in the Almaty mountains or the Silk Road south. Our Kazakhstan itinerary guide shows how to fit them together, and getting around Kazakhstan compares trains, flights and drivers. For a longer trip with the same driver throughout, see the multi-day private driver.

Practical notes

• Visa and Mastercard work almost everywhere in Astana; carry some tenge for small cafés.
• In winter we check road status the evening before and at dawn for every Burabay booking; if the motorway is closed, you get a free new date or a full refund.
• Child seats are free on request, and ski bags fit in every car class.