Before traveling, it is better to study a map of Astana's districts in advance. This will help you to successfully choose the best neighborhood for life and more rationally plan all movements.
Geography
Look how Astana is located on the map of Asia: the capital is located on the bank of the Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, in the Akmola region. It is a large city of one million people, second in size after Almaty. Since 1997, Astana became the capital and began its rapid development.
Due to the fact that the modern city was designed relatively recently, it is quite conveniently planned together with transportation and infrastructure. Therefore, it is quite easy to understand the map of Astana with districts. In addition, it is an important transportation hub, so that the main highways and railways of Kazakhstan and the entire Central Asian region pass through it.
The relief is smooth and flat, with small lakes. Slight hills are observed only in the northeastern part of the city. This is a steppe zone at an altitude of about 350 meters above sea level. By the way, it is one of the highest capitals in the world. But one should take into account the sharply continental climate with strong temperature differences between seasons.
Astana neighborhoods
Before visiting a new city, and especially a large and densely populated one, it is better to decide in advance which district of Astana to choose for living. It depends on your plans for your trip - tourist, working, personal. We tell you the main nuances.
The best tourist districts of Astana
List of the main districts of Astana on the map:
- Almaty - the most densely populated and one of the oldest.
- Saryarka - like Almaty district, was founded in 1998. There are many factories and other industrial facilities here.
- Baikonur - young, separated from Almaty and Saryarka in 2018. Mostly here are high-rise residential buildings and public gardens.
- Yesil is the left bank of the Ishim River, aka Yesil in Kazakh. It is a new administrative center with residential areas. There are many universities and parks, and also Astana Botanical Garden.
- Nura - formed in 2022 from a part of Esil district on the territory of Taldykol lakes.
- In 2024 a completely new district Saraishyk was founded.
The best districts of Astana for tourists are Esil and Almaty. Nurzhol Boulevard from the Presidential Residence of Akord to the shopping mall "Khan-Shatyr" belongs to Yesil. To find the center of Astana on the map, look for the Baiterek Monument, which is also adjacent to Nurzhol Boulevard.
The Almaty one is adjoined by Independence Square with the main historical sights. These are the most sought-after neighborhoods to live in. Here you can find good options for different budgets.
Dangerous areas of Astana
The analytical center MIND at Maqsut Narikbayev University has conducted a study of dangerous areas of Astana. According to statistics, most often crimes occur in the territory of the old railway station, as well as - in the area from the Eurasian National University on Abylai Khan Avenue. It is also worth being more careful, and especially - look after things near the shopping centers "Khan Shatyr" and "Keruen".
Astana tourist map
Of course, the easiest way to find Astana on the world map is Google maps. It is fast, convenient and you can accurately understand distances and other features. We advise to pay attention, how Astana is located on the map of Kazakhstan. There are many interesting sights in the vicinity, so if you have time in reserve - safely plan and a few field trips.
If you prefer to have a map of Astana for the tourist offline, there are convenient applications for smartphone, for example - maps.me. Just install it and download a map of Astana with all the districts in advance. This is the most famous application, but there are other similar ones, so compare several different ones and choose according to the convenience of the interface. We advise you to do it even before the trip.
A practical map of Astana with streets is offered by easyway.info. It is used to plot routes on public transportation. You can download or print the map from mapz.com in any convenient format - PDF, JPG, PNG or PSD.
Useful information for tourists with restaurants, hotels, routes and everything that may be useful is presented on the portal visitastana.kz in Russian, English and Kazakh languages.
On the site or in the SmartGuide app you can find a map of Astana with sights and the main popular sightseeing routes. Some of them are accompanied by an audio guide.
Different maps of Astana with hotels, stores, restaurants are also available at viamichelin.com. And a beautiful tourist map with markings of the main monuments and sights is on eng.city-tour.kz.
In the city itself, various guidebooks are often available at the airport, hotel reception, souvenir stores and tourist spots. They are easy to find just by walking around the center. There will be no problem with this.
And in the warm season, the capital launches a project of free walking tours. For a small deposit you can rent an audio guide and a guidebook. The money will be returned when you hand them back. But more detailed information about this project should be found out directly on the dates of your trip.
Conclusion
To have time to see more interesting places and not to miss out on anything, plan your trip carefully. Therefore, we recommend to familiarize yourself with the tourist map of Astana, and at the same time to determine in which area it is better to go, in which area to live and where all the main attractions, restaurants and stores are located. Choose for yourself how you prefer - online map of Astana or printed tourist guide on the spot. Or maybe both options at once?
