If you’ve ever dreamed of touching the origins of space exploration, Baikonur is your launchpad to the stars. This legendary spaceport—still humming with the legacy of Gagarin and the dawn of the space age—is now one of Kazakhstan’s most extraordinary and inspiring destinations. Here’s how to plan your own cosmic journey.
Reaching Baikonur is easier than it seems. Start by flying to Kyzylorda, a regional hub connected by direct flights from Astana and Almaty. You’ll arrive at the modern Korkyt Ata International Airport. From there, it’s a scenic 250 km drive—about three to four hours—to Baikonur.
Before heading to the cosmodrome, explore the vibrant city of Kyzylorda on the banks of the Syr Darya River. Its welcoming atmosphere, tree-lined streets, and charming local culture make it the perfect introduction to the region. Don’t miss the Kyzylorda Regional Museum, where you’ll uncover the area’s rich history and traditions.
A must-see stop en route is the Korkyt Ata Memorial Complex. This 9th-century thinker and musician sought immortality through sound. He invented the kobyz, the first stringed instrument of the Turkic world. His story is preserved in a UNESCO-listed epic, and the monument commemorates his eternal musical quest.
Baikonur is more than a cosmodrome—it’s a living city with its own rhythm and Soviet-era charm. Streets lined with monuments and signs in Cyrillic echo a bygone era, yet here the future is always on the horizon.
Important:
To enter Baikonur, a permit is required:
The most iconic launch pad in human history. This is where Yuri Gagarin embarked on his journey into space. Since then, 519 launches have taken place here—the most recent in 2019. Now under the stewardship of Kazakhstan’s Infracos, this platform is being transformed into a hub for space tourism.
This fascinating area includes:
Here, rockets were prepped and fueled before liftoff. Today, two preserved Buran shuttles reside inside, offering a rare look at Soviet engineering marvels.
The tallest structure at Baikonur. It once tested the strength and vibration resistance of rockets under launch conditions. Now it houses the Energia-M—a towering 50.5-meter heavy-class rocket designed as an eco-friendly, high-load alternative to the Proton, capable of delivering up to 35 tons to low Earth orbit or 12 tons to lunar trajectories.
Kazakhstan’s ambitious Baiterek space program is underway, based on the Zenit launch complex. The first launch is planned for late 2025, signaling a new chapter in national spaceflight.
Baikonur hosts 6–7 rocket launches annually, which draw the largest crowds. However, visiting between launches offers a more intimate experience. You’ll explore museums and monuments without queues, take your time absorbing the atmosphere, and snap perfect photos against a peaceful, otherworldly backdrop.
Launch Tours
Organized by Kazakh tour operators like Rocket Go, Cosmotravel, Photosafari, Silk Road Adventures, and Kontakt Agency, these tours range from 2 to 6 days and include:
Non-Launch Tours
Explore Baikonur without the crowds and pressure of a launch schedule. Visit the historic homes of Gagarin and Korolev, walk in their footsteps, and take in a quieter, reflective side of space history.
