By Air
Kazakhstan is a huge country — Almaty to Astana is about 1,200 km — and flying makes sense for longer journeys. Air Astana and its budget subsidiary FlyArystan connect the main cities, with flights between Almaty and Astana taking around two hours. Fares are reasonable and the frequency is good on the main routes.
By Train
The rail network is extensive and reasonably comfortable. The overnight Talgo train between Almaty and Astana is the showpiece service: modern rolling stock, 12 hours, and a genuine alternative to flying. For slower trains, book a kupe (four-berth coupé) rather than platzkart (open carriage) for a more manageable long-haul experience.
Other useful rail connections include Almaty to Shymkent (around 12 hours), Astana to Karagandy (3 hours), and services to Atyrau, Aktobe, and Pavlodar in the west and north.
By Bus and Marshrutka
Between cities within a few hours of each other — Almaty to Shymkent, Astana to Karagandy — intercity buses and marshrutki (minibuses) are the fast, cheap option. Long-distance coach services are improving: comfortable overnight buses now run Almaty–Bishkek and there are sleeper services toward China.
Within towns and smaller cities, marshrutki on fixed routes are the standard way to get around. Fares are minimal; routes are not always obvious to newcomers.
In the Cities
Almaty has a small metro (eight stations, slowly expanding) and a good city bus network. A transit card gives you a significant discount on fares. Taxis are plentiful — use an app (Yandex Go is the dominant platform across Kazakhstan) rather than hailing from the street to get a fair price.
Astana relies on buses; there is no metro yet. Yandex Go and in-app taxis work well.
By Car
Renting a car is practical if you want to reach places like Sharyn Canyon, the Kolsai Lakes, or the Altai mountains on your own schedule. Roads between major cities are generally in good condition. Petrol is cheap. Outside the cities, some roads deteriorate quickly, and you'll need a 4WD for the more remote destinations like Lake Markakol or deeper into the Tien Shan.
Driving in city traffic, particularly Almaty, is chaotic by Western standards. Pedestrian crossings are not always respected. Police checkpoints on highways are common; carry your documents.