# National Museum of Kazakhstan, Astana > The National Museum of Kazakhstan is Central Asia's largest museum, on Independence Square in Astana — home of the **Golden Man**, Saka gold and the story of the steppe. Allow about two hours. Foreign visitors pay **5,000 ₸**, plus 1,000 ₸ for the Gold Halls. It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00; the ticket desk closes at 17:00. Web page: https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/national-museum-of-kazakhstan - City: [Astana](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana), Kazakhstan - YesGo score: 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 2 h - Entry: 5,000 ₸ foreigners, Gold Halls +1,000 ₸ - With kids: Fine with kids - Foreign visitors: 5,000 ₸, without a guide - Gold Halls 1 and 2: Separate ticket: 1,000 ₸, free audio guide - Kazakh citizens: 1,000 ₸; students 700 ₸; schoolchildren and pensioners 500 ₸ - Private tour for foreigners: 5,000 ₸ per group of 1–4; Gold Halls tour in a foreign language 1,000 ₸ - Foreign exhibitions: 2,000 ₸ extra for adults - Opening hours: Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, ticket desk until 17:00 - Closed: Mondays; the last Tuesday of every month is a cleaning day - Photography: Only with the museum’s permission, which is a paid extra — ask at the desk - Address: 54 Tauelsizdik Avenue, Independence Square - Time to allow: ≈ 2 hours; 3–4 hours for every hall - Coordinates: 51.11823, 71.46938 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **5,000 ₸** — admission for foreign visitors, without a guide (source: Order No. 307-NQ of the Minister of Culture and Information, Appendix 15, as amended 25 May 2026; museum notice) - **74,000 m²** — floor area of the complex, Central Asia’s largest museum (source: museum website, “History of the museum”; Russian Wikipedia; Astana Times, 4 July 2014) - **1969** — the Golden Man was found in the Issyk kurgan near Almaty (source: English Wikipedia, “Issyk kurgan”; Russian Wikipedia) - **14,000 m²** — of exhibition space (source: museum website; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **2 July 2013** — Government Decree No. 675 founded the museum (source: museum website, “History of the museum”; Russian Wikipedia) - **July 2014** — the museum opened to visitors (source: Astana Times, 4 July 2014; e-history.kz, 3 July 2014; English Wikipedia) - **7 blocks** — of varying height, up to nine storeys, make up the building (source: museum website; English Wikipedia) - **4,000+** — gold items lay in the Issyk kurgan burial chamber (source: English Wikipedia, “Issyk kurgan”; Russian Wikipedia) - **2 Gold Halls** — on a separate ticket: the Golden Man and Saka-Sarmatian art (source: museum price list (Order No. 307-NQ, Appendix 15); visitastana.kz) - **3 languages** — Kazakh, Russian and English on touchscreens and the multimedia guide (source: museum website; Astana Times, 4 July 2014) ## Is the National Museum of Kazakhstan worth it? Yes — if you only visit one museum in Astana, make it this one. It is the country’s main history museum and, by its own description, the largest in Central Asia: a 74,000 m² complex of seven white-and-blue blocks on Independence Square. It was founded in 2013 and opened to visitors in July 2014. The draw for most travellers is the **Gold Halls**, with the Golden Man — a Saka warrior in a suit of gold plates — and treasures from burial mounds across the steppe. The rest of the museum walks you from Stone Age tools to Kazakh nomad life and the 20th century, with touchscreens and a multimedia guide in English. It is not worth it if you have only an hour in Astana and dislike museums — then see the square outside instead. Note the two-tier pricing: foreigners pay five times what Kazakh citizens pay. At 6,000 ₸ with the Gold Halls, it is still good value for two hours. ## National Museum of Kazakhstan tickets and price for foreigners Prices are set by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Information (Order No. 307-NQ, Appendix 15, as amended in May 2026). **Foreign visitors pay 5,000 ₸** for general admission without a guide. Kazakh citizens pay 1,000 ₸, students 700 ₸, schoolchildren and pensioners 500 ₸. The **Gold Halls 1 and 2** need a separate 1,000 ₸ ticket — the same for everyone — and the audio guide is included free. Temporary foreign exhibitions cost another 2,000 ₸. So a typical visit for a foreign traveller is 6,000 ₸. A private tour with a museum guide for foreigners is 5,000 ₸ per group of one to four. A guided tour of the Gold Halls in a foreign language is 1,000 ₸. Tickets are sold at the desk and online through Ticketon, linked from the museum’s website, nmrk.kz. Free entry on the third Sunday of each month applies to Kazakh citizens only, and never to the Gold Halls. The museum states plainly that foreign citizens and residence-permit holders do not get it. > **Paying as a foreign visitor** Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards work at most hotels, restaurants and bigger shops in Astana. Kaspi QR, the local favourite, needs a Kazakh bank app or an Alipay+ wallet. Carry some tenge in cash in case a terminal refuses your card at the ticket desk. ## Kazakh citizens vs foreign visitors | | Kazakh citizens | Foreign visitors | | --- | --- | --- | | Main halls | 1,000 ₸ (students 700 ₸, schoolchildren and pensioners 500 ₸) | 5,000 ₸ | | Gold Halls 1 and 2 | 1,000 ₸, free audio guide | 1,000 ₸, free audio guide | | Gold Halls guided tour | 500 ₸ in Kazakh or Russian | 1,000 ₸ in a foreign language | | Private tour, 1–4 people | 2,000 ₸ | 5,000 ₸ | | Third Sunday of the month | Main halls free | Full price | | Children under 7 | Free | No separate rate listed — ask at the desk | Prices from the museum’s price list, approved by Order No. 307-NQ of the Ministry of Culture and Information, as amended in 2026. ## What to see at the National Museum - **Gold Hall 1** — the Golden Man from the Issyk kurgan, found in 1969 about 50 km east of Almaty, plus gold from the ancient metal-working centres of central, eastern and northern Kazakhstan. - **Gold Hall 2** — Saka and Sarmatian art: finds from Berel, Shilikty, Taksai and other burial mounds, the animal style, reconstructed burials and an ancient metal workshop. - **Ancient and Medieval History** — from Stone Age tools to medieval pottery and coins, including the stone figure known as the Tobol Thinker. - **Ancient Turkic Civilisation** — the era of the Turkic khaganates that ruled the steppe in the early Middle Ages. - **Traditional Kazakh Culture** — a yurt, national dress, jewellery and everyday nomad life; the most photogenic rooms if you get a photo permit. - **History of Kazakhstan, 13th–20th centuries** — warriors’ weapons, documents and photographs, the famine, repression, the Second World War and the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. - **Fine Art** — Kazakh painting, graphics and sculpture, including the sculpture Apa. > **No photos without a permit** Museum rules ban photography and filming in all halls, with a camera or a phone, unless you have the museum’s special permission — a paid extra. Coats, hats and sunglasses, backpacks of any size, large bags, umbrellas, food and drinks all go to the cloakroom. ## How to get to the National Museum of Kazakhstan 1. From [Bayterek Tower](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/bayterek-tower) the museum is about 3.5 km south-east. The quickest way is a Yandex Go taxi — 10–15 minutes to the entrance on Tauelsizdik Avenue. 2. By bus: ride to the stops by Independence Square on Tauelsizdik Avenue. Check the route number in 2GIS, the most accurate local map app — several Astana stops were renamed or closed for roadworks in 2026. Pay with a contactless bank card or a transport card. 3. On foot: 45–50 minutes east along [Nurzhol Boulevard](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/nurzhol-boulevard), then across the Ishim river to Independence Square. Lovely in summer, bitterly windy on the open square in winter. 4. On the square, aim for the tall white column of the Kazakh Eli monument: the museum is the white building with blue glass blocks beside it. 5. The ticket desk closes at 17:00 — arrive at least an hour before so you can still see the Gold Halls. Coats and bags go to the cloakroom. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] It is not a Monday or the last Tuesday of the month - [ ] I’ll reach the ticket desk before 17:00 - [ ] 6,000 ₸ for admission and the Gold Halls — card or cash - [ ] No backpack, or happy to leave it in the cloakroom - [ ] Decided whether I want a photo permit - [ ] Two hours set aside, more with a guided tour ## Astana history sights compared History sights in Astana rated by YesGo. - [Bayterek Tower](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/bayterek-tower) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · 2,500 KZT; kids 6–15 1,250 KZT - [Independence Square and Kazakh Eli Monument](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/astana-independence-square) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free - [Palace of Peace and Reconciliation](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/palace-of-peace-and-reconciliation) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 2,000 ₸ incl. guided tour - [National Museum of Kazakhstan](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/national-museum-of-kazakhstan) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · 5,000 ₸ foreigners, Gold Halls +1,000 ₸ - [ALZHIR Memorial and Museum](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/alzhir-museum) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ 1,200 ₸, guided tour extra ## Half a day on Independence Square The museum, the Kazakh Eli monument, Hazrat Sultan Mosque and the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation pyramid are all within a short walk. 1. [National Museum of Kazakhstan](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/national-museum-of-kazakhstan) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · 5,000 ₸ foreigners, Gold Halls +1,000 ₸ 2. [Independence Square and Kazakh Eli Monument](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/astana-independence-square) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free 3. [Hazrat Sultan Mosque](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/hazrat-sultan-mosque) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free 4. [Palace of Peace and Reconciliation](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/palace-of-peace-and-reconciliation) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 2,000 ₸ incl. guided tour ## Good to know Don’t confuse it with the Central State Museum of Kazakhstan, which is in Almaty. The museum’s old web address, nationalmuseum.kz, no longer works — the official site is nmrk.kz. Don’t expect to shoot the Golden Man on your phone without a permit — buy a postcard at the museum shop instead. ## Tips - Arrive at 10:00 opening — that leaves time for both the Gold Halls and the nomad rooms before the ticket desk closes. - Do the Gold Halls first — they take about an hour — then see the rest as time allows. - Pick up the free audio guide with your Gold Halls ticket; without it most cases are just beautiful gold. - Leave your backpack at the hotel — even a small one has to go to the cloakroom. - There is a designated spot for snacks; food and drinks are not allowed in the halls. - Afterwards, cross the square to Kazakh Eli and Hazrat Sultan Mosque — 5–10 minutes on foot. ## Questions ### How much is the National Museum of Kazakhstan for foreigners? 5,000 ₸ for general admission, plus 1,000 ₸ for the Gold Halls with a free audio guide. Kazakh citizens pay 1,000 ₸. ### What are the National Museum of Kazakhstan opening hours? Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00, with the ticket desk closing at 17:00. It is closed on Mondays and on the last Tuesday of every month. ### Is the Gold Hall included in the ticket? No. Gold Halls 1 and 2, where the Golden Man is, need a separate 1,000 ₸ ticket; the audio guide comes free. ### Can you take photos inside? Only with the museum’s special permission, which is a paid service. Without it, photography and filming are not allowed in the halls. ### How long do you need at the National Museum? About two hours for the highlights, an hour for the Gold Halls alone, and three to four hours to see every hall. ### Is the National Museum of Kazakhstan worth visiting? Yes — it is the best single introduction to Kazakhstan’s history, and the Golden Man is unique. Skip it only if you have under an hour in Astana. ### Is there free entry? On the third Sunday of each month, but for Kazakh citizens only and not for the Gold Halls. Foreign visitors always pay. ### Are there English tours? Yes. A private tour for one to four foreign visitors is 5,000 ₸, and a Gold Halls tour in a foreign language is 1,000 ₸. Touchscreens and the multimedia guide are in English too. ### Where is the National Museum of Kazakhstan? At 54 Tauelsizdik Avenue on Independence Square in Astana, next to the Kazakh Eli monument and opposite Hazrat Sultan Mosque. ## How we checked Prices come from the current text of Order No. 307-NQ (Appendix 15 is the museum’s price list) and match the museum’s own notices on the foreigner rate and the free third Sunday. Older guidebook prices (700 ₸, or 1,000 + 2,000 ₸) are out of date. Hours and closing days are from the museum’s website; Visit Astana gives 9:30 opening, we show the museum’s 10:00. Sources give 7, 11, 18 or 20 halls — the museum’s own site gives two figures — so we don’t quote a number. The Astana Times dates the opening to 2 July 2014, e-history.kz to 3 July, so we say July 2014. We found no published price for the photo permit. We give no bus number: routes changed in 2026 and the only list we found dates from 2021. ## Sources - Order No. 307-NQ of the Minister of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan, 4 July 2025, Appendix 15, as amended by Orders No. 242-NQ (25 May 2026) and No. 399-NQ (28 August 2026) - National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, nmrk.kz: Contacts, Museum rules, Third Sunday, For foreign visitors, Accessible museum, History of the museum - Visit Astana — Gold Halls tour at the National Museum; information for tourists on paying fares - Astana Times, 4 July 2014 — opening of the National Museum - e-history.kz, 3 July 2014 — the National Museum opens - English Wikipedia: “National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan”, “Issyk kurgan”; Russian Wikipedia; Wikidata Q18405670 - BES.media — Astana bus stops closed for roadworks - Bento Travel — card and QR payments in Kazakhstan; Alipay+ and Kaspi.kz press release, August 2025 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.