Getting around Kazakhstan: trains, flights, buses, metro and taxis

For long distances in Kazakhstan you choose between a train and a flight. Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are a bus ride from Almaty’s Sairan station, and Tashkent also has a daily train. Within Almaty and Astana you can use the metro or LRT, city buses and app-based taxis. We could not confirm a direct service to Charyn; see the last section.

Which way to go: from, to and how

The table lists only what we could confirm. Train times come from an aggregator and are a rough guide, and timetables change on 13-14 December 2026.

In practice, the far ends of the country are easiest by air, and the overnight Almaty-Astana train takes more than half a day. Classes and routes are on the trains page.

Out of date, and in one case dangerous

These tips still circulate online, and each can cost money or a lost day.

• Sayakhat as a departure point. Travel articles still send buses towards Kegen and Narynkol from it. A 2018 report describes the station as demolished with a new one planned, and a 2023 note mentions a possible housing complex on the site. We could not confirm that it operates, so do not plan around it.
• Cash on Almaty buses. Ended on 3 August 2024.
• The rail ticket address eticket.railways.kz. It does not resolve as of 5 November 2026. The working address is bilet.railways.kz.
• Boarding at Almaty-1 station. Suspended since 15 July 2026 for station reconstruction. Go by the station on your ticket.

Almaty metro: one line, open until midnight

The metro runs from 06:20 to 00:00 Astana time. It has one line with 11 stations over 13.4 km. Kalkaman station was not open when we checked: opening was planned for December 2026, and in September officials confirmed “by the end of 2026”. A branch to Barlyk and a second line to the airport are only plans, so the metro does not reach the airport.

Paying:

• ticket desks take cash and cards, and a smart token lasts one day;
• a smart card holds up to 60 rides and lasts 3 years from top-up;
• a bank card via POS terminal and the Onay card also work;
• the Onay app generates a QR code without internet, a pilot since 16 April 2025.

Children aged 7-15 pay less. See the operator for amounts.

For every station with its nearby sights, and fares from the operator, see metro Almaty station by station.

Almaty buses: have the app ready

You cannot pay cash on a bus or trolleybus. A visitor has to install an app or send an SMS, as reported back in 2024. The working options are Kaspi QR and ONAY!QR, scanned on board. Kaspi is a local banking app; Onay is run by the Almaty Transport Holding, with contacts at onay.kz.

Install Onay before your first ride, while you have internet. Our SIM and eSIM page covers getting connected on arrival day.

Astana: LRT since May 2026, plus city buses

The Tarlan Astana line opened on 16 May 2026 and has carried passengers since 17 May. Its first phase is 22.4 km with 18 stations, linking the airport and the centre with driverless trains. Since 1 August 2026 it has single rides and passes for 1, 3, 5 and 10 days. These fares cover the LRT only, and integration with buses is still planned. See the operator for amounts.

The city has more than 100 bus routes. You pay with an Astra Plat card or a contactless bank card, and routes appear in Transcard, Yandex Go, 2GIS and Avtobys. The airport sells tourist bus cards for 5, 10 and 15 rides that need no app. Reports disagree on the city’s transit app, naming Avtobys, Transcard and an older Astra, so a tourist card is the simplest start.

Taxis by app

Yandex Go and inDrive both operate in Kazakhstan. We do not publish fares, so check the estimate in the app before you order.

Domestic flights: 28 FlyArystan routes this winter

For the season from 25 October 2026 to 27 March 2027, FlyArystan lists 28 domestic routes.

The west of the country is where flying matters most: the Almaty-Aktau train takes more than two days, and FlyArystan flies that route. Check frequency and fares with the airline.

Buses from Sairan station in Almaty

Sairan international bus station is at 294 Tole Bi Street. Tickets are sold on the station’s website, and you board with your document. We confirmed the three routes in the table here: 701 to Bishkek, 407/1 to Tashkent and 424 to Karakol on Issyk-Kul.

National parks without a car

We could not confirm a direct service to Charyn or Shonzhy. Route 424 passes through Shelek and Kegen, but it is an international bus to Karakol and does not go to Shonzhy. Separate pages cover this:

• Charyn without a car: what is left to arrange for the last stretch;
• where to go without a car: places where it is realistic;
• nature near Almaty: short trips from the city.

If you decide to rent, start with driving on a foreign licence. Bus lines and the border are set out in Almaty to Bishkek and Karakol.

Some routes have their own guides: flights and getting in from the airport, Almaty to Bishkek and Almaty to Tashkent. If you decide to drive, read the Almaty car rental checklist.