Aktau: Kazakhstan’s Caspian Seaside City

Aktau: Kazakhstan’s Caspian Seaside City was originally published in 2025

Sat along the Caspian Sea, Aktau is one part Kazakh beach town, one part an oil industry stronghold, and one part jumping-off point for explorations in the remote Mangystau Region.

Despite being a working city, Aktau has an unexpected charm: a mix of rugged coastline, Soviet-era quirks, and sunsets that’ll make you stop mid-step along the Rock Trail to soak it all in.  

Aktau makes for a great starting point for further adventure in Western Kazakhstan whether you’re digging into the spirituality of Mangystau through its ancient underground mosques, hiking across the beguiling plateaus of Ustyurt and taking in views of Bozzhyra that look like they’re straight out of Mars, or just breathing in the salty Caspian air. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s got just the right amount of off-the-radar vibes to feel like you’ve stumbled onto something off the main trail.

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Where to Stay in Aktau

There are a plethora of accommodation options in Aktau to serve every budget as it is a Caspian Sea getaway for Kazakhs. Here are the accommodations I was able to stay in during my time in Aktau and can thoroughly recommend:

Budget:

Kaspi Hostel is an excellent option for backpackers with welcoming staff and conveniently located about 30 minutes on foot from downtown Aktau.

Gostevoi 125 Hotel was the perfect spot to break after long and cold rainy days. Rooms are private but the hostel is located in the outskirts. Great location for independent travelers with their own vehicle, but if here without a car, plan to Yandex into the city.

Midrange:

Rahat Hotel is located just off of the coast and about 30 minutes walk from downtown Aktau. The hotel has a Soviet-era feel to it and the included breakfast is excellent.

Zhagalau Resort is located about 15 minutes south of Aktau by car. Zhagalau Resort is perfect for those wanting a sandy beach, pool, and a villa vibe. Their onsite restaurant Bal Jide serves up excellent Kazakh cuisine as well.

Splurge:

Caspian Riviera Grand Palace is sat right on the coast along the Rock Trail and pretty centrally located in Aktau. The hotel boasts excellent rooms with great onsite services and restaurants, a well as an aquarium.

How to get to Aktau

Aktau is far from everything in Kazakhstan, generally speaking, at nearly the same distance from Moscow as it is from Astana.

You do have a few options to reach Aktau- by road, plane, ferry, and train.

A handy way to look for and purchase transport options between cities in Kazakhstan is on tickets.kz where you can check plane, rail, and bus options.

By Flight:

Flying to Aktau is the most convenient way to reach the country’s west. There are regular flights to Aktau from Astana, Almaty, and other cities in Kazakhstan. You will also find flights to Baku, Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Istanbul, Doha, and various cities in Russia.

By Train:

Traveling to Aktau by train is a long and painfully slow journey. There are services to Astana, Almaty, Aktobe, and other cities in Kazakhstan. To put it in perspective- I took a 55 hour train to get from Aktau to Almaty. Not for the faint of heart.

Do note that the name of the station serving Aktau is called Mangystau Station (sometimes the old name of Mangyshlak Station is used). There is an Aktau Station but it is located in Karaganda Region, in Central-East Kazakhstan over 2000 kilometers away.

By Road:

Again, like the train, you can expect this to be a slow arduous journey reaching Aktau from other parts of Kazakhstan. That said, there are regular bus services connecting Aktau.

When I came to Aktau, I had just finished running a tour of Turkmenistan and combined it with my visit to Mangystau by crossing the Garabogaz-Temir Baba Border Crossing.

By Ferry:

The ferry from Baku to Aktau is still possible to take for those looking to cross the Caspian Sea. Do note that as of 2024, you still can only exit Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan by ferry. You can only enter Azerbaijan by plane.

For updates on the schedule which can be unpredictable, contact Aktau’s Ferry Management at [email protected].

Foot passenger tickets cost $80, with additional fees of $100 per car or $140 per motorcycle, plus a $200 vehicle departure ticket. The fare includes tea, drinking water, meals, and a shared two-bed cabin with shower and toilet access.

Things to do in Aktau

Rock Trail

The Rock Trail in Aktau, Kazakhstan, is a new walking route forged in 2019 that showcases the city’s dramatic coastline and unique geological formations.

This trail winds along limestone cliffs and past sandy, somewhat secluded beaches.

Nursultan Nazarbayev Avenue

Nursultan Nazarbayev Avenue is Aktau’s main artery, running five kilometers. Highlights along Nursultan Nazarbayev Avenue is the Eternal Flame WWII monument at Victory Boulevard, where a short walk leads to the Peacekeeping Soldiers Memorial and MiG-21 monument.

Across from the flame, the Nurmukhan Zhanturin Musical Drama Theatre offers a range of performances, from kids’ shows to dramas. Nearby, the Beket Ata Central Mosque, with its 50-meter minaret, sits just northeast of the theatre, while the Church of the Annunciation lies about a kilometer further east, beside a large cemetery.

Eternal Flame & MiG-21 Monument

The Eternal Flame monument in Aktau is a significant landmark honoring Mangystau soldiers who fought in World War II. Designed by Evgeny Borisovich Fedorov and unveiled on May 9, 1985, the monument features a yurt-inspired design symbolizing peace, intersected by five pylons representing the war years.

Head down Victory Boulevard towards the coast to reach the Peacekeeping Soldiers Memorial and MiG-21 Monument.

Melovoy Lighthouse

The Melovoy Lighthouse, perched atop an apartment block, is an Aktau landmark. Built in 1974, it was reactivated in 2021 after years of inactivity. Its light beam now reaches up to 38 kilometers.

Mangystau Regional Museum of History & Local Lore

With exhibits that span from prehistory to modern times, featuring dioramas on geology, paleontology, ancient hunting traps, and key historical events like the 1870 Adayev Uprising, the Mangystau Regional Museum of History and Local Lore is a great place to visit for ancient and historical insights into Aktau.

Aktau Beaches

Aktau offers free public beaches but for added comforts like showers, toilets, and deck chairs, head to paid spots like Dostar, Marrakesh, and Manila Beach.

These beaches also feature water sports such as jet skiing, banana boat rides, wakeboarding, and stand-up paddleboarding, making them perfect for a fun day by the Caspian Sea.

Things to do Outside Aktau

The Mangystau Region boasts heaps of things to do outside of Aktau, here are a few:

• Bozzhyra
• Kyzylkup & Mount Bokhty
• Shopan Ata & Beket Ata
• Sor Tuzbair
• Karynzharyk Depression
• Senek Sands
• Ustyurt Caves
• Torysh
• Sherkala
• Airakhty Shomanai
• Kopomsay Canyon
• Kokkala Gorge
• Shakpak Ata

For details on visiting each of these sites, check out my Guide to the Mangystau Region.

Have any questions about visiting Aktau?

Ask in the comments section below.

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