What is your General Terms & Conditions?
Please learn about our General Terms & Conditions.
How to book a trip with Dostar Trips?
- Choose the trip and submit the Reservation Form. We will be happy to answer any of your questions and send you the confirmation of your booking.
- Pay a 10% deposit seven or more days before the trip’s departure date.
- Pay the rest 90% of the trip price before or on the departure day. You can pay with cash (USD, EUR, KZT) or by bank transfer.
Visa & Passport Information
Do I need travel insurance?
YOU MUST HAVE TRAVEL INSURANCE covering all applicable dates of travel with the Tour Operator. This insurance must cover personal injury and emergency medical expenses. You acknowledge that insurance coverage is not included in the cost of any Tour offered by the Tour Operator and you are required to obtain separate coverage at an additional cost. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have sufficient coverage and comply with the terms of the applicable insurance plans. You are responsible for advising your insurer of the type of travel, destination(s) and activities included in your booking so that the insurer may provide appropriate coverage.
Why do I need to register in Kazakhstan?
According to Kazakhstan regulations, foreigners arriving in the country for over 5 days (arrival/departure days are counted) should be registered at the place of residence/stay by local authorities. Different registration rules apply to those who cross the border by land and air.
Upon arrival in Kazakhstan, citizens of foreign countries are required to obtain an immigration card. There are hotels, where a tourist stays, will add a registration note. Each foreigner arriving in Kazakhstan should register within five days (Saturday and Sunday are counted). However, citizens of 48 countries are free of registration procedures within the first 5 days; they receive an immigration card with (!) double stamps upon arrival. Also, citizens of Russia and Belarus can stay up to 30 days in Kazakhstan without registration. All other nationalities can complete the registration within 5 days in the migration police office themselves or hand it to a travel agency.
Citizens of the following countries are exempt from registration requirements:
1. Australia
2. Austria
3. Belgium
4. Brazil
5. Bulgaria
6. Canada
7. Chili
8. Croatia
9. Cyprus
10. the Czech Republic
11. Denmark
12. Estonia
13. Finland
14. France
15. Germany
16. Greece
17. Hungary
18. Iceland
19. Ireland
20. Israel
21. Italy
22. Japan
23. South Korea
24. Latvia
25. Lithuania
26. Luxembourg
27. Malaysia
28. Malta
29. Mexico
30. Monaco
31. the Netherlands
32. New Zealand
33. Norway
34. Poland
35. Portugal
36. Romania
37. Singapore
38. Slovakia
39. Slovenia
40. Spain
41. Sweden
42. Switzerland
43. Turkey
44. UAE
45. Ukraine
46. the UK
47. the USA
Is it safe to drink a tap water?
Drinking tap water is not recommended but you can use boiled water. Bottled water can be bought throughout the country.
Is it safe to ride horses from the first to the second Kolsay lakes?
You can ride the horse from the first to the second Kolsay lake if you are a confident horse rider. Please be aware that horse hosts, from whom you rent horses are not professional horse keepers. They won’t provide you with any helmets or any other protective equipment. So if you are not very confident horse rider we would not recommend you to rent a horse.
Is it safe for a female to travel alone with a male driver?
We work only with highly professional and very reliable drivers. But if you still have any concerns please let us know and we will find a female driver for you. We are striving on making your journey as interesting and safe, as possible 🙂
What is the best time to visit Kazakhstan?
The best time to visit Kazakhstan is from April to October. The weather is bright and dry with a fresh wind. From mid-April till early June you can enjoy blossom in steppe. Trekking tours are available in summer and autumn. You can enjoy the ski resorts in winter.
What is the cost of public transport and taxi in the cities of Kazakhstan?
In Almaty ride on public bus and subway costs 80 KZT (one way) and in Astana – 90 KZT (one way) in case if you pay with special yellow card for public transport – Onay. You can buy this card at the newspaper stands, at the ticket offices at metro, at airport and train stations, shops. The price of the card is 400 KZT (around 1.5 USD, one bus ride is included in the cost), then you need to put some amount of money for further bus use. The cost of the ticket without card is 150 KZT, you pay it to the driver.
In major cities taxi ride ranges from 800 – 1000 Tenge. In other cities fares are cheaper.
What languages do people speak?
The official language is Kazakh, but most of the people speak Russian. In major cities (Almaty, Astana, Shymkent) you can meet English speaking people.
What is the voltage in Kazakhstan?
The voltage is 220 V. In order to use 110/120-Voltage devices in places where there is only a 220/240V power you need to use step-down voltage converter or a combination converter. Buying a converter, you need to proceed from your appliance’s wattage and circuitry.
Do you offer custom tours?
Yes, of course! We are striving on designing custom tours, made to satisfy your specific requirements and wishes. We have had all kinds of requests from different people and for different occasions and we are eager to learn more about you to offer you the best experience.
What are the cancellation terms?
In case of Tour cancellation made by you not later than 24hours before the departure date, 100% of the payment is refundable.
All cancellations must be in writing and be made by the person who submitted the booking form. Please send an email to [email protected].
Once the tour has started, no refund for any unused portion or part of the tour or services to be provided will be given. If you want to make any changes to the tour, or depart the tour early, such alteration or departure will be entirely at your own expense and liability. You will also need to communicate in writing to the Tour Operator your reason for leaving the tour.
How can I book the tour?
The Tour is considered to be booked if a deposit (10% from the tour price) for the chosen Tour is paid seven days before the departure date of the tour. Full payment for any Tour booked must be done before the departure date of the first Tour included in the applicable booking.
Which currency to pay?
You can pay in USD, Euro or KZT on current rate.
Is it possible to join a group?
Normally we only provide private tours, however if there are several separate travelers with the same itineraries on the same dates, we can combine them if they agree. The earlier you apply the more chances that there will be some more people for the same tour on the same dates. So please apply early and enjoy your tour with lower price.
What is the group size?
We normally go with the groups as big as 4-6 people. We find it is an optimal group size: people can effectively communicate to each other and to their guide. But sometimes we also have bigger groups – 10-20 people.
Are there any questions we didn’t answer here? Please ask us via email [email protected] We will be happy to answer!