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Astana in December
Better avoided: December is outside the recommended season (May – September). Against it: Extreme Cold in Astana. Independence Day can fall this month.
The season opens in May, 5 months away. Extreme Cold in Astana: usually over after February.
2 days in Astana in December · from ₹15,765 for two
Stay, food & local travel; getting there extra
The weather in December
What the season does to Astana this month.
Worth knowing
Extreme Cold in Astana
Astana is one of the coldest capitals in the world: from December to February it is often -20°C to -30°C, colder with the steppe wind, and blizzards (buran) close the highways and delay flights. Bring a down coat, a hat that covers the ears, gloves and thermal layers, and plan indoor sights.
What’s on in December
Timing a trip around these changes what you pay and what you can book.
Independence Day
Independence Day on 16 December, a public holiday, with concerts and events in Almaty and Astana. Almaty also remembers the December 1986 protests on Republic Square.
What it costs
For two sharing a room; 2 days on the ground, getting there not included.
Budget
₹15,765 for two
- Room a night₹3,780
- Food a day, each₹2,184
- Main sight entry, each₹530
Mid-range
₹35,145 for two
- Room a night₹8,400
- Food a day, each₹5,040
- Main sight entry, each₹530
Luxury
₹78,755 for two
- Room a night₹18,900
- Food a day, each₹11,760
- Main sight entry, each₹530
Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for Kazakhstan yet, so they don't move with the month.
Getting there
Fly into Astana (NQZ)
Flights from India: from 2 cities, one way from ₹27,000
Fly into Almaty (ALA), 972 km away
Then: Flight · 4h 15m (Air Astana / FlyArystan / SCAT)
Flights from India: from 13 cities, one way from ₹20,000
Routes compared
Entry rules
No visa needed for up to 14 days
- No visa for up to 14 days per visit: Indian passports enter Kazakhstan visa-free for tourism, business or private visits, as long as your stays add up to no more than 42 days in any 180 days. The days count from the moment you cross the border.
- At immigration in Almaty or Astana, show your passport and, if asked, your return ticket and hotel bookings; you are stamped in free of charge.
- No registration is needed for stays of up to 30 days: your hotel notifies the migration service. Keep the passport with its entry stamp with you.
- Staying longer than 14 days needs a visa before you fly (a tourist e-visa or one from the Embassy of Kazakhstan in New Delhi). Fees and the process differ between sources, so confirm with the embassy well ahead; overstaying the 14 days is an offence under Kazakh migration law.
Carry: Indian passport valid for at least 6 months from the day you arrive, with a blank page; Return or onward ticket within 14 days; Hotel bookings for the stay; Travel insurance (advised, not required).
The 14-day visa-free stay for Indians dates from Government Decree No. 464 of July 2022 and was on the Foreign Ministry's April 2026 list; the e-visa for longer stays is described differently by different sources, so check with the Embassy of Kazakhstan before you book a trip over two weeks.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Elsewhere in Kazakhstan in December
Instead in season this month.
- Shymbulak & Medeu · good month
Nearby in Astana & Burabay:
Want this as a real plan?
Astana in December, day by day, priced for your group.