Things to Do at Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center

Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center charges no entry fee for the shopping and dining areas, with individual attractions inside priced separately, and opens daily 10:00 to 22:00 at the northern end of the Left Bank axis. Designed by Norman Foster and opened in 2010, the 150-meter-tall transparent tent structure uses ETFE plastic panels stretched over a steel cable-net frame to create an interior heated to a constant 20 to 25 degrees Celsius while Astana's winter outside hits minus 30. The building covers 127,000 square meters and contains a shopping mall, a cinema, an indoor water park, a roller coaster, and a rooftop beach resort with sand imported from the Maldives and a wave pool heated to 35 degrees. The beach resort (Sky Beach Club) costs 5,000 KZT (about $10 USD) for a day pass. A food court on the third floor serves Kazakh beshbarmak (boiled meat with flat noodles) for 2,500 KZT and Korean bibimbap for 2,000 KZT, reflecting Astana's multiethnic population. The tent glows from inside at night like a translucent lantern visible from across the city, and the engineering behind the structure is so interesting that architectural tour groups visit it specifically. The building sits 1 km north of Bayterek Tower along the pedestrian boulevard, walkable in summer or reachable by bus 10 from the city center for 150 KZT. Winter visitors treat it as an indoor city, spending entire afternoons without stepping outside.

Khan Shatyr sits on Turan Avenue in Astana's modern district, making it easy to reach by taxi, bus, or foot. Most people grab a taxi. The ride from downtown takes 10-15 minutes and won't break the bank. Public buses work too-several routes stop nearby, though you'll walk a few extra minutes to reach the entrance. Staying near the government district makes things even easier. It's a 20-minute walk from Bayterek Tower through some of the city's most impressive modern buildings.