Kazakhstan travel guide: Everything you need to know before visiting Kazakhstan

Ile-Alatau National Park begins where Almaty's southern suburbs stop. From the edge of the city, a gondola climbs 4.5 km to Shymbulak, and Big Almaty Lake sits at 2,511 m only about 15 km from the centre. Charyn Canyon is about 200 km away and the lakes at Kolsai and Kaindy about 300 km, so a week in the southeast already mixes city cafés with canyon rims and mountain water. Nomadic traditions are still part of daily life too, from beshbarmak shared off one platter to the yurts that go up in city squares for Nauryz.

Uzbekistan is the trip for Silk Road cities, and Kyrgyzstan is rawer trekking with patchier infrastructure. Kazakhstan sits between the two, with a cosmopolitan Almaty and big landscapes, plus the launch site Yuri Gagarin left from in 1961. It suits hikers and road-trippers, and anyone who wants somewhere few of their friends have been. Distances are huge, so most trips focus on one or two regions and fly between them. This Kazakhstan travel guide covers where to go, two itineraries and the practical side of a trip.

5 reasons to visit Kazakhstan

Any one of these would justify the flight.

1. Take the gondola from Almaty's edge up to Shymbulak, where the top lift reaches 3,200 m.
2. Stand at the rim of Charyn Canyon's Valley of Castles, 150 to 300 m deep in places.
3. See the turquoise Kaindy Lake, where drowned spruce trunks still stand in the water a century after the 1911 earthquake that formed it.
4. Visit the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkistan, commissioned by Timur in 1389 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
5. Sit down to beshbarmak, eaten from a shared platter, with bowls of tea that keep getting topped up.

Where to visit in Kazakhstan?

Where should a first trip start? In Almaty and the mountains around it, which hold more than half the places below. The rest need a domestic flight, and we'd add one or two rather than chase all of them.

Spend two days in Almaty

Almaty was the capital until December 1997 and is still the largest city, and we'd give it two full days before any road trip. Start in Panfilov Park, laid out in the 1870s, where the wooden Ascension Cathedral, built between 1904 and 1907 and 56 m tall, came through the 1911 earthquake with little damage. It's often said to have been built without nails. The Green Bazaar, trading since 1875, is a short walk away, and its covered hall is the place to buy kurt, spices and dried fruit. Ride the Kok-Tobe cable car (₸10,000 return) for the city at sunset.

Ride the gondola to Shymbulak above the Medeu valley

Go up to Shymbulak even if you never ski, and go early on a clear morning. The gondola runs 4.5 km from Medeu to the resort base at about 2,200 m, and lifts continue to the Talgar Pass at 3,200 m. A return to the top costs ₸12,000. In summer the views from the top are just as good, and it's a starting point for high walks. Down at the bottom, the famous Medeu rink, opened in 1951 at 1,691 m, is closed for rebuilding until about the end of 2027. The mudflow dam above it has a history of its own. In 1973 it stopped about 4.5 million m³ of debris.

Walk up to Big Almaty Lake

Big Almaty Lake sits at 2,511 m, only about 15 km south of the city centre, but getting there takes effort. The road is closed to private vehicles, so you walk the last stretch from the upper checkpoint, about 7 km each way with around 600 m of climbing. Organised transfers with special approval can still drive up, which is why we'd book a tour and start early. The lake supplies Almaty's drinking water, so swimming is banned. The Tien Shan Astronomical Observatory stands above it, and park entry costs under ₸1,000 per person.

Stand on the rim of Charyn Canyon

Charyn is often called the little brother of the Grand Canyon. It's far smaller, but at about 154 km long and 150 to 300 m deep in places, it holds its own. The canyon is about 200 km east of Almaty, a drive of about three hours, and the Valley of Castles is the most visited part. Entry costs under ₸1,000 per person plus a car fee. We'd skip the long day trip back to Almaty and carry on to Saty for the night, then see Kaindy and Lower Kolsai the next day.

Hike between the Kolsai Lakes

Kolsai Koldery National Park holds three lakes stepped up one valley. Lower Kolsai, at 1,818 m, is up to 80 m deep, and it's tempting to stop there. Keep going. The trail to Middle Kolsai at 2,252 m is 7 to 8 km one way, about four hours on foot, and it's the best day walk in the region in our view, so give it a second night in Saty. The upper lake sits close to the Kyrgyz border, so carry your passport if you go beyond the middle one. Saty village is the base, about 300 km from Almaty, four to five hours by road. With no dependable public transport, come with a driver or on a tour.

See the drowned forest of Kaindy Lake

Kaindy Lake was formed by a landslide in the 1911 Kebin earthquake. More than a hundred years later, the trunks of Schrenk's spruce still stand upright in the water, bare grey masts rising out of turquoise blue. The lake lies at about 2,000 m and is only about 400 m long, but up to 30 m deep. It's about 11 km from Saty, and you cover the last stretch by 4x4, on horseback or on foot. Pair it with Lower Kolsai on the same day.

Hear the Singing Dune in Altyn-Emel National Park

Altyn-Emel is the place for strange landscapes rather than pretty ones, and that's a compliment. The park lies about 250 km from Almaty, four to five hours by road. Its best-known sight is the Singing Dune, about 120 m high and 1.5 km long, which hums when dry wind moves the sand. Further in, the Aktau range is striped in bands of colour, and the Saka burial mounds at Besshatyr rise from the plain. Cars pay a daily park fee, and it's best visited with a guide, so we'd stay overnight rather than rush it.

Fly to Astana for the architecture

Is Astana worth the flight? For the buildings, yes, and one or two days covers it. The city has been the capital since December 1997, and its name simply means "capital". Ride up the 105 m Baiterek tower (₸2,500), where the viewing deck sits at 97 m in honour of 1997. Foster + Partners designed the Khan Shatyr, a 150 m tent-shaped centre with an indoor beach that's billed as the world's largest tent, and the 62 m pyramid of the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation. The Astana Grand Mosque opened in 2022, holds 235,000 worshippers and is the largest in Central Asia. Come in summer. January highs average -10.3°C.

Take a weekend in Burabay

Burabay is Astana's weekend escape, a national park of lakes and pine forest nicknamed Kazakh Switzerland. It's about 257 km from the capital, about three hours by car on the A1. Without a car, take the fast train to Kurort-Borovoe station in Shchuchinsk (2.5 to 2.75 hours), then a 22 km taxi. Cars pay a park fee at the entrance. We'd only come if you're already in Astana, and then it's worth the weekend. From Almaty, the Tian Shan lakes are closer and better.

Stay overnight in Turkistan

Turkistan holds the finest building in Kazakhstan, in our view. Timur commissioned the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, honouring a 12th-century Sufi poet, in 1389, and it was still unfinished when he died in 1405. It rises 38.7 m, and its 18.2 m dome is described as the largest surviving brick dome in Central Asia. UNESCO listed it in 2003. Next door, the free Karavan-Saray complex, opened in 2021, has canal boat rides and an evening water show. FlyArystan and SCAT fly from Almaty in about 1 hour 30 minutes. Stay the night to see the mausoleum lit up after dark.

Look for wild tulips around Shymkent and Aksu-Zhabagly

Shymkent, the third-largest city in Kazakhstan, sits about 120 km north of Tashkent, and we'd treat it as a base. The real draw is Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve, founded in 1926 and the oldest nature reserve in Central Asia, and part of the Western Tien-Shan World Heritage Site since 2016. Between late March and June, wild tulips flower here, including Tulipa greigii. Visits run mainly with guides and permits, so arrange one before you go. Regional trains reach Turkistan in about 3 hours 45 minutes, so the two pair well in spring.

Drive into the chalk valleys of Mangystau

Mangystau has the most unusual landscape in the country, and it needs two or three days with a driver. Bozzhyra, on the edge of the Ustyurt plateau, is a valley of white chalk outcrops with two towering fangs at its entrance and marine fossils in the rock. It's about 300 km from Aktau, on the Caspian Sea, and you need a 4x4 and a local driver, because rain washes out the tracks from autumn to spring. There's a small entry fee. In July 2026 the region's rock-cut mosques joined the UNESCO World Heritage list. Pilgrims stay overnight at Beket-Ata, about 280 km east of Aktau, and Shakpak-Ata is cut into the chalk about 127 km away. Dress modestly at both. Aktau has direct flights from Almaty and Astana.

Kazakhstan itinerary ideas for your trip

Almaty to Astana takes under two hours by air and around 16 hours by Talgo train, and that gap shapes both routes. The first stays in the southeast. The second adds three flights, and if it feels rushed, we'd cut Burabay first.

5 to 7 day Kazakhstan itinerary

Day 1-2: Almaty, with Panfilov Park, the Ascension Cathedral, the Green Bazaar, Kok-Tobe at sunset and the gondola to Shymbulak.

Day 3: Big Almaty Lake on foot, or a hike in Ile-Alatau National Park.

Day 4-5: Charyn Canyon on the way to Saty, a night in the village, then Kaindy and Lower Kolsai before driving back to Almaty.

Day 6-7: Altyn-Emel with an overnight stay, or a half-day at the Tamgaly petroglyphs, a UNESCO site about 170 km from Almaty, and a final day in the city.

10 to 14 day Kazakhstan itinerary

Day 1-3: Almaty and Big Almaty Lake, as above.

Day 4-6: Charyn Canyon, then two nights in Saty for Kaindy and the walk to Middle Kolsai.

Day 7-8: Altyn-Emel and the Singing Dune.

Day 9-10: Fly to Turkistan for the mausoleum and Karavan-Saray at night, then take the train to Shymkent and, in spring, Aksu-Zhabagly.

Day 11-12: Fly to Astana for Baiterek, the Khan Shatyr and the Grand Mosque, with a day in Burabay if time allows.

Day 13-14: Fly to Aktau for Bozzhyra and the underground mosques with a 4x4 driver, or finish back in Almaty.

Want two nights in Saty on the shorter route, or a longer stretch in Mangystau instead of Astana? You can build or adjust this route in the Guided app.

Fun things to do in Kazakhstan

The mountains beat everything else on this list, partly because Almaty puts them so close. Skating at Medeu would normally be on it too, but the rink is closed for rebuilding until about the end of 2027.

Ski at Shymbulak

Shymbulak's season runs from about December to March or April, with about 12 km of runs. Lift-pass prices change with demand, so check them before you go. Skiing in the morning and eating dinner in a big city that evening is the main reason we'd visit in winter.

Hike in Ile-Alatau National Park

Furmanov Peak is the classic Almaty hike, about 15 km return with about 1,350 m of climbing, starting near Medeu (bus 12 gets you there). The Titov Lakes and the Kok-Zhailau plateau are other good routes, and there are 18 SOS shelters in the mountains around the city.

Watch an eagle hunter at work

Falconry has been on UNESCO's intangible heritage list since 2021, and Kazakhstan's berkutchi hunt with eagles. Day trips from Almaty go to Kokpek village, about 160 km away and two hours by road, for a two-hour show. November to February is the best time.

Steam at the Arasan baths

The Arasan baths in central Almaty were built between 1979 and 1982 and have Oriental, Russian and Finnish sections under one roof. It's the most local thing you can do in the city on a cold afternoon.

Celebrate Nauryz in March

Nauryz is the spring new year, a public holiday from 21 to 23 March, and it joined UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2024. City squares fill with yurts and food stalls. If your dates are flexible, this is the week to be in Almaty or Astana.

When to go to Kazakhstan?

When is Kazakhstan at its best? We'd go from mid-May to June or from September to early October. Almaty's average highs climb from 0.5°C in January to 30.5°C in July. Astana is one of the world's coldest capitals and has recorded -51.6°C. Mountain weather changes fast in every season.

• Spring (March to May): Almaty highs of about 10 to 23°C and wild tulips in the south, though April and May bring a flood risk.
• Summer (June to August): highs of around 28 to 30°C in Almaty and 26°C in Astana, and the best months for Kolsai and high hikes, with busy weekends.
• Autumn (September to October): 17 to 25°C in Almaty and golden colours in the mountains, before November turns cold.
• Winter (December to February): ski season at Shymbulak, with Almaty highs of 0 to 2°C. Astana highs sit at -8 to -10°C.

Where to stay in Kazakhstan?

Almaty is the most expensive city for a hotel bed, averaging ₸31,200 a night in July 2025 against ₸20,100 nationally. It's still where we'd spend most nights, because the road trips start there.

Almaty, for walkable evenings or the foothills

We'd base first-timers in the Golden Square near Panfilov Park, where you can walk to dinner. If the mountains are the point of your trip, stay up towards Medeu instead.

Astana, for a night near the landmarks

For a one-night stop, we'd pick the Left Bank, near Baiterek and the Khan Shatyr.

Saty, for Kolsai and Kaindy

Family guesthouses such as Zhyldyz are the only realistic base for both lakes.

Turkistan, next to the mausoleum

Hotels inside the Karavan-Saray complex put you next to the Yasawi Mausoleum, so you can walk over after dark.

Guided tip: In summer, book your Saty guesthouse well ahead, especially for weekends.

Getting around when visiting Kazakhstan

Fly between regions and drive only in the mountains. That's the short version, and it saves you days, because Almaty to Astana is about 1,200 km by road.

Fly with Air Astana, FlyArystan or SCAT

Air Astana, the low-cost FlyArystan, SCAT and Qazaq Air cover the domestic network. Almaty to Astana has about 131 flights a week, from about $40 to $50 one way. Over these distances, flying is the only sensible option.

Take a KTZ train once

Book KTZ trains at bilet.railways.kz or at station ticket offices. The Almaty to Astana Talgo takes around 16 hours, with a seat at about ₸10,200, kupe at ₸22,400 and lux at about ₸33,000. Almaty-1 station is being rebuilt, so check whether your train leaves from Almaty-1 or Almaty-2, and lock your compartment at night.

Use the metro, buses and app taxis in cities

Almaty's metro has one line and 11 stations, and a ride costs ₸120, the same as a bus. Buses are cashless, paid with an Onay card or app rather than a foreign bank card. In Astana, the LRT opened in May 2026 and runs from the airport to Nurly Zhol station in about 40 minutes for ₸200. For taxis, use Yandex Go or inDrive, never a street-hailed car.

Hire a driver for the mountains and canyons

A small rental car costs about £41 to £49 a day, and you'll need an International Driving Permit (1968 convention) with your licence. Roads are poor in places and fuel stations are scarce outside cities, and the alcohol limit is zero. Most visitors hire a driver or join a tour for Charyn, Kolsai and Altyn-Emel, and that's what we'd do.

Guided tip: Download 2GIS before you land. It's a popular map app in Kazakh cities and shows bus routes and opening hours.

Food and drinks you should try when visiting Kazakhstan

Kazakh cooking is built on meat and tea, and portions are bigger than you expect. Everyday dishes overlap with Uzbek and Uyghur cooking.

Beshbarmak and kazy

Beshbarmak is the national dish, boiled horse meat or mutton laid over flat sheets of noodle with onion, with the broth, sorpa, served on the side. The name means "five fingers", and at a family meal the host or the eldest carves and serves guests in order of rank. Look out for kazy too, a horse-meat sausage kept for festive meals. Order beshbarmak at least once, even if you're unsure about horse.

Manty, plov and lagman

Manty are large steamed dumplings, and they're the one we'd order first. Plov, lagman and samsa are everyday dishes too.

Baursak and kurt

Baursak are puffs of fried dough served with tea. Kurt is the acquired taste, salty dried balls of sour milk sold at Almaty's Green Bazaar. Buy a small bag first.

Kumis, shubat and local beer

Kumis is fermented mare's milk and shubat is fermented camel's milk, and both are worth one cautious glass. Horses have been part of life here for a very long time, and remains at Botai, from about 3500 BC, are among the earliest evidence of horse herding. For something more familiar, local beers include Derbes and Alma-Ata, and a draught costs about ₸1,500.

Culture and local habits you'll notice when visiting Kazakhstan

About 20.6 million people live in Kazakhstan, 71.3% of them Kazakh and 14.6% Russian, and the state is secular, though most people identify as Muslim. Kazakh is the state language, but Russian is the practical lingua franca in cities and English is limited, so a translation app helps. Learn two words of Kazakh anyway. They earn more goodwill than anything you say in English.

Sälemetsiz be: hello (polite)

Rakhmet: thank you

Hospitality shows in small habits. Take your shoes off indoors. Men shake hands with every man present, while women often greet verbally. The seat of honour, the tör, is the one farthest from the door, kept for elders and guests. Bring sweets or fruit to a home, and never refuse bread. Tea comes in bowls filled only partway, so it stays hot and can be refilled, which is a sign of respect. Many restaurants in Almaty and Astana add a 10 to 15% service charge. If yours doesn't, round up or leave 5 to 10%.

Costs of a holiday to Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is good value, but don't expect Uzbek prices. Numbeo's 2026 cost of living index puts it at 29.8, a little above Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan (both 27.3), close to China (30.5), and below Georgia (33.1) and Turkey (39.2). Restaurants are where the gap with the southern neighbours shows most. City transport and bazaar food stay cheap, while Almaty hotels and mountain tours with a driver are where the money goes.

Practical tips for visiting Kazakhstan

Paperwork and taxis cause most of the trouble visitors run into here. The QazETA check matters most, in our view, because the rules are changing through 2027.

✔ Check the entry rules and QazETA before you fly

Many nationalities, including the UK, EU and US, can visit Kazakhstan without a visa for up to 30 days per visit, with a maximum of 90 days in any 180. A free electronic travel authorisation, QazETA, is being phased in and becomes compulsory for visa-free visitors in 2027. Apply at qazeta.kz at least 72 hours before you fly, and check the current rules before travel. Your hotel or host registers your stay. Check GOV.UK's Kazakhstan entry requirements or your own government's advice before you book.

✔ Carry cash for bazaars and guesthouses

The currency is the tenge (₸). Cards and contactless work widely in cities, and ATMs are common, but decline dynamic currency conversion when a machine offers it. Kaspi QR codes dominate local payments, and tourists usually can't use them. Cash over US$10,000 must be declared.

✔ Use app taxis and watch your drinks

The US rates Kazakhstan Level 1, its lowest advisory. The risks are specific. Drink spiking and robbery have been reported in bars and unmarked taxis, and fake police are a known scam. Book taxis through an app, and keep an eye on your glass. Almaty also sits in an active earthquake zone. The emergency number is 112.

✔ Carry your original passport at all times

Copies aren't accepted as ID. Don't photograph military sites, airports, borders or some official buildings, and don't drink in public, which can bring a fine. A law from December 2025 bans the "promotion" of non-traditional sexual orientation, and it applies to foreigners. Dress modestly at mosques and shrines.

✔ Never hike alone in the mountains

Weather in the Tian Shan turns fast, and the UK government warns of avalanches and rockfall and advises against trekking alone. Save Almaty's mountain rescue numbers, 109 or 112, before you set off.

✔ Sort your phone and plugs

On trips under 30 days, a local SIM works without extra steps. For longer, register the phone or use an eSIM. Plugs are type C and F at 220 V, and tap water should be boiled before you drink it. The whole country is on one time zone, UTC+5.

Fun facts about Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world. A few other things are less well known.

• It's the 9th largest country in the world overall.
• Yuri Gagarin launched from Baikonur on 12 April 1961, and Russia leases the cosmodrome until 2050.
• The wild ancestor of the domestic apple grows in the Tian Shan around Almaty, and Almaty's name comes from the Kazakh word for apple.
• The capital has been renamed five times since 1961, when Akmolinsk became Tselinograd, and it has been Astana again since 2022.
• Borat was filmed in Romania, not Kazakhstan, and the country later used "Very Nice" in a 2020 tourism campaign.
• Kazakhstan has 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and the newest are the Mangystau rock-cut mosques, added in 2026.

With a week, stay in the southeast and spend a night in Saty. With two weeks, fly to Turkistan for the mausoleum after dark and finish among the white chalk of Mangystau.