The Old City Tour

Astana is known for futuristic towers and grand new buildings, but this private tour takes you toward the city’s older cultural core. You’ll connect Kazakhstan’s national story with the Soviet period, then see the former Trade House of Merchant Matvey Kubrin, now the Astana Supermarket.

I like the private vehicle, which keeps a short city tour easy and flexible, and I like the mix of museums, public monuments, and an ordinary shopping stop. The main consideration is the word old: do not expect a medieval European quarter. In a city shaped by rapid growth, old can mean early 20th-century or Soviet-era.

Key points

• Atameken’s huge map lets you see Kazakhstan’s regions and major cities in one walk.
• Saken Seifullin Museum gives the tour a personal link to the Soviet period through the poet’s life.
• Khan Kenesary’s statue introduces a major figure in Kazakh national history beside the Ishim River.
• The First President Museum focuses on Nursultan Nazarbayev’s long political career, from 1990 to 2019.
• The Trade House of Merchant Matvey Kubrin adds an everyday shopping stop inside a historic building.
• Private, air-conditioned transport and included entry fees make the $93.42 price easier to assess for a small group.

Seeing Astana before the futuristic skyline

This tour works best as an introduction. It does not try to cover every major sight in Astana. Instead, it gives you a compact sequence of places that explain how Kazakhstan developed from khanates and regional traditions through the USSR and into the modern republic.

You’ll spend roughly three to four hours with a guide and your own group. The private format matters here. You are not sharing a vehicle with strangers, and transportation is included between stops. Bottled water, entrance fees, taxes, and an air-conditioned vehicle are also covered.

The title Old City needs a little context. Astana has changed quickly, and much of what you see today is modern. The older buildings are not ancient in the usual European sense. One part of the experience features architecture more than 100 years old, which can sound amusing to visitors from England or older cities. Still, that age gives the stop value: it shows an earlier commercial Astana that can be easy to miss beside the newer monuments.

Atameken and a country in miniature

The first stop is the Atameken Ethno-Memorial Map of Kazakhstan, where the country is represented on a large miniature map. The regions and major cities, including Astana and Almaty, are marked across the display.

You’ll have about 40 minutes here, with admission included. I like this as a first stop because it gives you geographical bearings before the historical material begins. Kazakhstan is enormous, and names that seem abstract on a map become easier to place when you can see the country laid out in one setting.

The park contains more than 200 sights to discover. That makes it more than a quick photo stop. You can use the time to identify regions you may visit later, spot important cities, and understand how far Astana is from other centers of power and culture.

The limitation is the format. A miniature map can show location, but it cannot explain every region in depth. You’ll get the most from it if you treat it as a visual introduction and listen for the places that return later in the tour.

Saken Seifullin’s six-room story

The Saken Seifullin Museum is the most personal stop on the route. It occupies six rooms devoted to different periods in the life of the poet Saken Seifullin, linking literature and biography with the wider Soviet period.

You’ll spend about 40 minutes inside, and admission is included. This is useful because the tour moves beyond statues and official dates. A person’s life gives you a clearer way to think about the political changes Kazakhstan experienced during the USSR.

The museum also helps balance the later focus on presidents and national leaders. Seifullin’s story brings attention to culture, writing, and the role of an individual during a difficult period. You can expect displays centered on his life and the historical setting around it, rather than a broad museum covering every part of Kazakhstan.

If you prefer large museums with many galleries, this stop may feel small. Its strength is focus. Forty minutes is enough for a guided visit without turning the tour into a long indoor session.

Khan Kenesary beside the Ishim River

The monument to Khan Kenesary is a brief outdoor stop, lasting about 10 minutes. The statue shows Kenesary, described as the last king of the Kazakh Khanate, across the Ishim River.

This is a short visit, but it carries a lot of historical weight. The monument introduces the period before Soviet rule and gives you a figure connected with Kazakh political identity. After the museum’s look at the 20th century, the statue shifts the story back toward the khanate and national independence.

The river setting also gives you a change of pace. You are not spending the entire tour inside museums or in the vehicle. Still, do not expect a long guided walk here. Ten minutes is enough to see the monument, take in the setting, and hear the main explanation before moving on.

Because the stop is brief, you may want to ask your guide about Kenesary while you are there. The supplied tour information gives him a major place in the story, but not a full account of the monument or its surroundings.

The First President Museum and modern Kazakhstan

The Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan gives you a look at Nursultan Nazarbayev, who served as the country’s first president from 1990 to 2019. The visit lasts about 30 minutes, with admission included.

The displays include archive documents, scientific materials, and books written by Nazarbayev. This makes the stop different from the Kenesary monument and the Saken Seifullin Museum. You move from early Kazakh statehood to the Soviet era, then into the political history of the modern republic.

I would approach this museum as a place to understand how Kazakhstan presents its recent national story. It is not simply another monument. It shows official documents and personal publications tied to a long presidency, giving you material to consider as you look at the city’s newer identity.

Thirty minutes is a sensible amount of time for a first visit. You can see the main displays without using the whole afternoon. The subject may appeal most to you if modern politics, government, and national identity interest you. If you mainly want historic streets and older architecture, this is the stop most likely to feel formal.

A shopping stop in a former merchant’s building

The tour also includes a local shopping experience at the Trade House of Merchant Matvey Kubrin, now known as the Astana Supermarket. This is one of the most useful details in the experience because it takes you away from purpose-built tourist attractions.

The building offers a look at commercial life from an earlier Astana. It is described as a classic USSR-era building, with architecture dating back more than 100 years. You can see how a historic commercial space has been given an everyday modern use instead of being preserved only as a display.

I like this kind of stop because it gives you a chance to look at ordinary goods, local shopping habits, and the way old buildings fit into present-day life. You are not just moving from one official monument to the next. You get a small glimpse of how residents use the city.

The exact amount of time at this stop is not specified, so your experience may depend on the guide and the day’s pace. It is best viewed as a local interlude rather than a dedicated shopping tour. Alcoholic drinks are not included, while bottled water is provided.

What the private format changes

At $93.42 per person, this is not the cheapest way to see Astana. The value depends heavily on the size of your group. For one or two people, the cost is a substantial outlay for three to four hours. For a family or a small group, private transportation and a dedicated guide can make the price more reasonable.

You are paying for more than admission. The package includes:

• Private transportation
• Air conditioning
• A guide
• Bottled water
• Entrance fees
• Taxes and other fees

The private setup also helps if your group wants to ask questions or spend a little more time at a particular stop. The tour is not advertised as a large group departure, and only your party participates.

Pickup is offered, but the stated start point is Zher-Ana in Astana. The listed end point is Tserkov, also in Astana. Confirm the pickup details when you book, especially if you are staying outside the central area.

The tour is booked, on average, 16 days ahead. That does not mean you must reserve it that early, but it is a useful sign that advance planning is sensible. Confirmation arrives within 48 hours and depends on availability.

How much walking and effort to expect

The experience requires a strong level of physical fitness. The tour includes outdoor monuments, museum visits, movement through a miniature park, and transfers between sites. The exact walking distance is not provided, so I would not book it assuming you can remain seated for most of the day.

Comfortable shoes are a practical choice. The Atameken stop covers a large display area, and the Kenesary monument is outdoors beside the river. Weather can also affect the experience, since the tour requires good conditions. If poor weather forces a cancellation, you are offered another date or a full refund.

The air-conditioned vehicle is especially helpful if the day is warm or if you want a break between stops. It also removes the need to arrange separate taxis between museums and monuments.

One practical point comes from the experience of arriving in Astana: use care with airport transportation. A taxi driver reportedly tried to overcharge one participant, even though the normal fare had been checked through Yandex Taxi and inDrive. That issue was separate from the tour, but it is a good reason to arrange your transfer carefully before the sightseeing begins.

Who will get the most from this tour

I would choose this experience if you are visiting Astana for the first time and want the city explained rather than simply photographed. It gives you a useful framework: national identity at Atameken, the Soviet period through Seifullin, earlier political history at Kenesary’s monument, and modern state history at the First President Museum.

It also suits families and small groups that value privacy and a vehicle with air conditioning. The itinerary mixes indoor and outdoor stops, so you are not committed to one kind of sightseeing for several hours.

You may want a different tour if your main goal is Astana’s futuristic architecture, nightlife, or a long walking route through historic streets. This experience touches older architecture and culture, but it is not a broad city tour of every landmark. It is also not ideal for anyone who needs a very gentle, low-effort outing, since a strong fitness level is requested.

The material can feel official at times, especially at the First President Museum. That is not a flaw, but it is worth knowing. You are learning how Kazakhstan presents its political story, not only visiting neutral art or archaeology museums.

Booking, cancellation, and practical value

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Changes made inside that 24-hour window are not accepted, and the payment is not refunded. The same local-time cutoff applies to cancellations.

Since weather matters, keep some flexibility in your schedule if possible. A poor-weather cancellation brings an alternative date or a full refund.

The tour’s price includes the main costs that can otherwise make a half-day outing harder to judge. You will not need to add museum admissions or arrange separate transport, though the package does not include alcoholic beverages.

The experience has received a 5 out of 5 rating from three posted ratings, so the early response is very positive. With such a small number, I would treat that as encouraging rather than conclusive. The most useful strengths are clear from the design: a private guide, a sensible mix of historical periods, included admissions, and a shopping stop that feels more connected to daily life than a standard photo opportunity.

Should you book The Old City Tour?

Book it if you want a private, guided introduction to Astana’s older cultural and political story, especially if this is your first visit. The Atameken map, Saken Seifullin Museum, Kenesary monument, and First President Museum give you four different ways to understand Kazakhstan, while the former merchant’s trade house adds a practical local touch.

I would hesitate only if you expect a medieval old town, a relaxed stroll, or a tour centered on Astana’s newest architecture. The $93.42 price is easiest to justify for a family or small group that values private transport and included fees. For those visitors, this is a focused way to get your bearings and understand the city beyond its striking modern skyline.

FAQ

How long does The Old City Tour last?

The tour lasts approximately 3 to 4 hours.

What is included in the price?

The price includes bottled water, private transportation, all fees and taxes, an air-conditioned vehicle, a guide, and admission to the included attractions.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates in the private tour or activity.

Where does the tour start and end?

The stated start point is Zher-Ana, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan. The stated end point is Tserkov, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan.

What museums and monuments are visited?

The route includes the Atameken Ethno-Memorial Map of Kazakhstan, the Saken Seifullin Museum, the Monument to Khan Kenesary, and the Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It also includes a shopping stop at the former Trade House of Merchant Matvey Kubrin, now the Astana Supermarket.

Is pickup available?

Yes, pickup is offered. Confirmation is provided within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start time are not refunded. If poor weather causes the tour to be canceled, you are offered a different date or a full refund.