# Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, Astana

> Norman Foster’s 62-metre pyramid on the right bank of the Esil, just behind Independence Square. You go in on a guided tour that comes with the ticket: 2,000 ₸ for adults, 1,000 ₸ for children. Open 10:00–18:00 from September to May and until 20:00 in summer. Allow about an hour — the highlights are the inclined lift and the Cradle hall under the stained-glass doves.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/palace-of-peace-and-reconciliation

- City: [Astana](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana), Kazakhstan
- YesGo score: 39/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 1 h
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Ticket with guided tour: 2,000 ₸ adults
- Children 6–15: 1,000 ₸
- Pensioners: 1,500 ₸ with ID
- With the foreign exhibition: 3,000 ₸ adults, 2,000 ₸ children
- Groups of 10+: 1,500 ₸ per person
- Discount: 30% with City Pass Kazakhstan (not for groups)
- Opening hours: Sep–May 10:00–18:00, Jun–Aug 10:00–20:00
- Closed: No closing day listed by the operator; Visit Astana says daily
- Tour times: Not published — call the desk: +7 7172 570 376
- Tour languages: Kazakh, Russian and English
- Getting there: Taxi, or buses 19, 29 or 40 to the Dvorets Mira i Soglasiya stop
- Address: Tauelsizdik Avenue 57
- Coordinates: 51.12306, 71.46361
- Facts checked: 30.10.2026

## Key facts

- **62 m** — tall, on a 62 × 62 m square base (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; former official palace website (Visit Astana gives 63 m))
- **Norman Foster** — architect, Foster + Partners (source: English Wikipedia; Visit Astana)
- **1 Sep 2006** — official opening (source: English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **130 doves** — in Brian Clarke’s stained glass at the apex (source: Former official palace website; Visit Astana; Russian Wikipedia)
- **1,302 seats** — in the opera hall (source: Former official palace website; Russian Wikipedia)
- **13 months** — to build (source: Russian Wikipedia; Kazinform)
- **60°** — the angle of the inclined lifts that run up the pyramid’s faces (source: Kazinform; Live the World)
- **100 seats** — in the Besik (Cradle) hall on the 8th floor (source: Astana Venue Management price list; Kazinform)
- **Religions congress** — built as the venue for the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions (source: English Wikipedia; former official palace website)
- **Montserrat Caballé** — sang at the opening (source: Former official palace website; Visit Astana)
- **> 2,000 m²** — floor area of the atrium (source: Russian Wikipedia; Kazinform; Astana Venue Management price list)

## Palace of Peace and Reconciliation tickets

An adult ticket is **2,000 ₸** and includes the guided tour; children aged 6–15 pay 1,000 ₸ and pensioners with ID 1,500 ₸. When a visiting foreign exhibition is on and you want to include it, the price rises to 3,000 ₸ for adults and 2,000 ₸ for children.

Groups of ten or more pay 1,500 ₸ each. A **City Pass Kazakhstan** card gets 30% off (not on group tickets). Tickets can’t be exchanged or refunded.

Prices are in tenge and you buy at the desk inside the building. Bring some tenge in cash in case the terminal turns down a foreign card.

> **You can only go in with a guide** The ticket is sold with a guided tour, so you can’t wander the halls on your own. Tour times aren’t published: call the desk on +7 7172 570 376 or arrive early and be ready to wait for the next group. English tours may need enough people — ask when you call.

## Opening hours

From 1 September to 31 May the palace is open **10:00–18:00**; from 1 June to 31 August, **10:00–20:00**. The operator lists no closing day, and the city’s tourist office describes it as open daily — still, call ahead on public holidays or when a big event is booked in the opera hall.

In winter, aim to arrive by about 16:30 so the last tour finishes before closing.

## How to get to the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation

1. From [Bayterek Tower](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/bayterek-tower) the pyramid is about 3 km east, across the Esil — a long walk, especially in winter.
2. Easiest: a Yandex Go taxi, ≈ 10 minutes.
3. By bus: routes 19, 29 and 40 stop at Dvorets Mira i Soglasiya (Palace of Peace and Accord). 2GIS shows the best route from where you are.
4. Pay the bus fare with a contactless bank card, a phone or a transport card; tourist cards for 5, 10 or 15 rides are sold at the airport.
5. Walk up the long stairway from the square to the base of the pyramid; the ticket desk is inside.
6. Afterwards, [Hazrat Sultan Mosque](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/hazrat-sultan-mosque) and [Independence Square](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/astana-independence-square) are a few minutes away on foot.

## What to see inside the Pyramid

- **The opera hall** — 1,302 seats, in the base of the pyramid.
- **The atrium** — a vast hall with the Museum of Peace and Accord and a display of national costumes.
- **The inclined lift** — it climbs the pyramid’s face at 60°.
- **The winter garden** on the way to the top.
- **The Besik (Cradle) hall** on the 8th floor: a round table under the dove window, with views over the city.
- **The Kulanshi gallery** of contemporary art.
- Outside — the whole pyramid from the long stairway and water channel on the square side.

## Is the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation worth it?

Yes, if you care about architecture: it is one of Norman Foster’s most unusual buildings, and the tour is cheap. The exhibits themselves are modest — you come for the space, the lift and the light in the top chamber. If you only have a couple of hours in Astana, see the pyramid from outside and spend the time at Bayterek or the [National Museum](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/national-museum-of-kazakhstan) instead.

## A short history

The idea came up at the first Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana in 2003. The pyramid was built in 13 months and opened on **1 September 2006** as the congress’s permanent home.

The design moves from dark lower floors to a bright apex, where Brian Clarke’s stained glass shows 130 doves — one for each of Kazakhstan’s peoples. Montserrat Caballé sang at the opening. Today it is a cultural centre run by Astana Venue Management.

## Before you go: checklist

- [ ] I’ll be there before 18:00 (20:00 in summer)
- [ ] Called the desk about the next English tour
- [ ] Some tenge in cash for the ticket
- [ ] ID if I qualify for a discount
- [ ] An hour set aside for the palace
- [ ] Hazrat Sultan and Independence Square on the same route

## Pyramid vs Bayterek

|  | Palace of Peace and Reconciliation | Bayterek |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | Foster pyramid, cultural centre | Monument with a viewing deck |
| Bank | Right, behind Independence Square | Left, Nurzhol Boulevard |
| Adult ticket | 2,000 ₸ incl. guided tour | 2,500 ₸ |
| Children (6–15) | 1,000 ₸ | 1,250 ₸ |
| Hours, Sep–May | 10:00–18:00 | 10:00–21:00 |
| How you visit | Guided tour | On your own |

Bayterek is about the view over the Left Bank; the pyramid is about architecture and interiors. Short on time? Do Bayterek and see the pyramid from outside on the way to the mosque.

## Astana from above: compare the views

Every Astana viewpoint 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
- [Nurzhol Boulevard](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/nurzhol-boulevard) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 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
- [Burabay (Borovoe)](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/burabay) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Car entry from 1,298 ₸

## Bayterek to the Pyramid in half a day

Bayterek in the morning, then the pyramid, the mosque and Independence Square — they stand side by side. Finish at the National Museum. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

1. [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
2. [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
3. [Hazrat Sultan Mosque](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/hazrat-sultan-mosque) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free
4. [Independence Square and Kazakh Eli Monument](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/astana-independence-square) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free
5. [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 ₸

> **Come back after dark** At night the faces are lit and the apex glows from inside. The halls are closed by then, but the view from Independence Square is the best photo of the day.

## Good to know

The large building next door is the Palace of Independence, a separate venue for official events. Concerts in the pyramid’s opera hall need their own tickets — the tour doesn’t include them. Locals simply call the building “the Pyramid” (Piramida).

## Tips

- Pair the pyramid with Hazrat Sultan Mosque and the National Museum — all within walking distance.
- Have a City Pass Kazakhstan? Show it at the desk for 30% off.
- In winter get there by 16:30 so the last tour ends before 18:00.
- The dove window is only visible from inside — take your time in the Cradle hall.
- Return after sunset for the lit-up pyramid from Independence Square.

## Questions

### How much is the ticket to the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation?

2,000 ₸ for adults with the guided tour, 1,000 ₸ for children aged 6–15 and 1,500 ₸ for pensioners. With the foreign exhibition: 3,000 ₸ and 2,000 ₸.

### What are the opening hours?

10:00–18:00 from 1 September to 31 May and 10:00–20:00 from 1 June to 31 August. The operator lists no closing day.

### Can you visit the Pyramid without a tour?

No — the ticket comes with a guided tour. Ask at the desk or call ahead for the next tour time.

### Are there tours in English?

The city’s tourist office says tours run in Kazakh, Russian and English. English groups may need enough people, so call the desk first.

### Where is the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation?

At Tauelsizdik Avenue 57 in Astana, on the right bank of the Esil, behind Independence Square and the Kazakh Eli monument.

### How do I get there from Bayterek?

It’s about 3 km: around 10 minutes by Yandex Go taxi, or buses 19, 29 and 40 to the Dvorets Mira i Soglasiya stop.

### How long do you need?

About an hour for the tour and the climb to the Cradle hall; half a day with the mosque and Independence Square.

### Is it worth visiting?

For architecture fans, yes — it’s cheap and unlike any other building in the city. If you’re short on time, admire it from outside.

### What do the doves in the stained glass mean?

Brian Clarke’s window shows 130 doves, one for each of the peoples living in Kazakhstan.

## How we checked

Fares, hours and discounts come from the operator, Astana Venue Management (object page and price list). The child age band differs — the price list and Russian page say 6–15, the English page 6–14; we follow the price list. Visit Astana gives hours of 10:00–21:00 and a height of 63 m; we show the operator’s hours and the encyclopedias’ 62 m. No closing day is listed, so that row is marked “verifying”. Tour times are not published anywhere. Bus numbers are unofficial data from two directories. The visitor rules are posted as a scan, so we don’t quote a dress code or photo rules.

## Sources

- Astana Venue Management: Palace of Peace and Reconciliation page and price list — fares, hours, discounts, 30.10.2026
- Former official website of the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation — history, halls
- Visit Astana: Palace of Peace and Reconciliation; information for tourists (bus fares)
- English and Russian Wikipedia: Palace of Peace and Reconciliation; Wikidata Q2119741
- Kazinform: 10 interesting facts about the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, 2018

---

This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.