Is Uber in Kazakhstan? The Complete Guide to Transport In Almaty, Astana And Beyond
If you are visiting Kazakhstan for the first time and do not speak the local language, you may be anxious to find out is Uber in Kazakhstan and what exactly is the best Kazakhstan taxi app or ride share app. The good news is that Kazakhstan is easy to navigate for foreigners even if you don’t speak Kazakh or Russian. In addition to cheap taxis and user friendly taxi hailing apps, Kazakhstan has a great public transport network. Read on to find out the ins and outs of getting from point A to point B in Kazakhstan.
Is Uber in Kazakhstan?
Uber is no longer available in Kazakhstan and has merged with Russian company Yandex Go to provide app based taxi hailing services in major cities like Astana and Almaty.
Although an Uber KZ may still be available to people who have their app store registered in the region, most visitors will find it easier to use Yandex Go.
What is the Best Kazakhstan Taxi App?
The best taxi app in Kazakhstan is the Yandex Go app. The Yandex Go app is a taxi hailing app so it connects riders to taxis in the area.
It is available in English which removes the language barrier. This is extremely helpful if you don’t speak Russian or Kazakh.
Like other taxi hailing apps and ride sharing apps, Yandex Go will quote the cost upfront. You can pay by credit card or by cash. Some foreign users have reported issues with their credit cards being verified by Yandex Go but we didn’t have any problems. Apple Pay is not always accepted on Yandex Go.
Beyond taxis, the Yandex Go app can be used to organize package delivery, food delivery, and it also shows the live position of public transport, allowing you to easily coordinate your travel within major cities.
How Much do Taxis cost in Kazakhstan?
Taxis are extremely affordable in Kazakstan.
Tariffs vary from region to region but generally there is a starting price of 400 ₸ – 600 ₸ ($0.90 – $1.30) and then a tariff of 150 ₸ – 300 ₸ ($0.30 – $0.60) per kilometer.
If you are foreign and don’t speak Kazakh or Russian, we recommend using a Kazakhstan taxi app like Yandex Go to book your taxi to ensure you arrive at the right place, for the right price.
Is There Public Transport in Kazakhstan?
Yes! Kazakhstan has cheap and reliable public transport throughout the country.
Buses are the most popular form of public transport in cities. The buses in Kazakhstan are modern and reliable but often very packed on popular routes in busy cities. Buses are also extremely cheap with pre-purchased bus tickets usually costing less than 100 ₸ ($0.20). Buying a ticket on the bus might be a little more expensive around 150 ₸ or ($0.30).
Almaty has the country’s only metro. Two cities, Termitau and Pavlodar, have tram systems.
Don’t forget to use the Yandex Go app to see the real time location of your bus.
What About Train Travel In Kazakhstan
Train travel in Kazakhstan is a popular way of traveling between cities. While train travel is slow, if you aren’t in a rush it can be a wonderful, safe and affordable way to see the country.
Train tickets are very affordable with first class sleeper car tickets between Astana and Almaty (fifteen to twenty hours) costing under 23,000 ₸ ($50) and seats from as little as 4,500 ₸ ($10).
You can easily find and book train tickets in English through tickets.kz.
Intercity Transfers in Kazakhstan
Private transfers can be a good solution for visitors needing to travel further distances without the hassle of using buses or the sluggishness of the train.
Depending how far you want to travel, how big your group, and what type of car you need, private transfer can be as little as 9,000 ₸ ($20) per hour of driving, making it an affordable, comfortable, and convenient way to travel between cities. We booked a one-way private transfer from Almaty to Karakol in Kyrgyzstan a six hour journey across country lines for $200 USD.
Airport Transfers
Getting from the airport can be a hassle because most people arrive without the Yandex taxi app and without a local sim, and there is no free wifi for visitors without a local number. If you have roaming and can get access to the internet, the best way to travel from the airport is with a taxi booked on Yandex Go.
Alternatively airports in the major Kazakhstan cities of Astana and Almaty have official booths for taxi companies where you can arrange a ride. The tariffs from the airport are often more expensive. Another added bonus for using the official booths is that you will be able to pay by credit card and avoid the increased foreign currency charge from airport ATMs.
Buses run regularly from the Astana airport (between 06:00 and 23:00) and Almaty airports (between 06:00 and 21:00) to the city and can be a great way to transfer from the airport extremely cheaply.
You can pre-book a private transfer from most major airports but these transfers attract a premium.
Car Rental in Kazakhstan
There are a number of car rental companies operating in Kazakhstan, however renting a car is not widely recommended. Some of the challenges if car rental include, dodgy car rental operators, poor condition of roads, the aggressive driving styles of the locals as well as corrupt police officers known for targeting foreigners and soliciting bribes.
If you do need to rent a car, rental prices start from around $50 a day and fuel is generally affordable.
Is There Uber Eats in Kazakhstan?
The food in Kazakhstan, especially in larger cities is wonderful and very multi-cultural. You can find restaurants with European, Asian and Russian influence. However, ordering food to go or for delivery can be difficult if you don’t speak Russian or Kazakh.
Thankfully, there are food delivery apps to help you in Kazakhstan.
Like Uber Taxi, Uber Eats does not operate in Kazakstan, however Yandex offers food delivery in the major cities. Simply download the app and find something you like. The downside to using Yandex Go for food delivery is that the food menus are only in Russian.
Wolt is an alternative food delivery service popular in Kazakhstan and you can easily translate the menus to English.
Food delivery is very affordable in Kazakhstan and using an app can be very helpful if you don’t speak Russian.
Travelers seeking a beautiful, challenging, unique, uplifting, and reflective experience, we can’t recommend enough traveling to Kazakhstan today.
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Hopefully, you found the information you needed to help you get around Kazakhstan. If you have any questions or comments about Uber and ride sharing apps in Kazakhstan, please let us know in the comments below or send us an email at thevanabonds(a)thevanabondtales.com
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