Almaty, canyons and lakes: 6 days in Kazakhstan
Almaty → Charyn Canyon → Kolsai Lakes → Kaindy Lake
From €775 per personView tour
Steppe, canyons and the Tien Shan
Kazakhstan travel guide
Alpine lakes above Almaty, red canyons and endless steppe.
Kazakhstan is the ninth-largest country in the world, and most travellers see only a corner of it. That corner is spectacular: Almaty sits directly beneath the snow peaks of the Trans-Ili Alatau, with alpine lakes, the red walls of Charyn Canyon and the spruce-ringed Kolsai Lakes within a day or two's drive.
Further afield, the south holds the Silk Road city of Turkistan and its Timurid mausoleum; the far west has the otherworldly chalk landscapes of Mangystau near the Caspian. Kazakhstan combines naturally with Kyrgyzstan (Almaty and Bishkek are a few hours apart by road) and with Uzbekistan via Shymkent and Tashkent.
- Capital
- Astana (largest city Almaty)
- Currency
- Tenge (KZT)
- Languages
- Kazakh and Russian
- Time zone
- GMT+5
- Ideal length
- 5–10 days
- Best months
- May–September
- Entry
- Visa-free for many nationalities
- Gateways
- Almaty and Astana airports
Why visit Kazakhstan
Mountains on the city's doorstep
From Almaty, Big Almaty Lake, Medeu and Shymbulak are less than an hour away.
Canyons and lakes
Charyn Canyon, the Kolsai Lakes and Kaindy's sunken forest make a classic three-day loop.
Silk Road heritage
The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkistan is one of the finest Timurid buildings anywhere.
Space to yourself
Mangystau, Altyn-Emel and the steppe offer some of the emptiest landscapes in Asia.
Top destinations
Where to go in Kazakhstan
Tours
Kazakhstan tours & itineraries
Combine Kazakhstan with its neighbours
Central Asia grand tour: five countries in 21 days
Ashgabat → Darvaza gas crater → Kunya-Urgench → Khiva → Bukhara → Samarkand → Seven Lakes (Haft Kul) → Tashkent → Margilan → Osh → Bishkek → Song-Kul → Issyk-Kul → Almaty
From €2,935 per personView tour
Uzbekistan & Kazakhstan: Silk Road and Tien Shan, 12 days
Almaty → Charyn Canyon → Turkistan → Tashkent → Samarkand → Bukhara → Khiva
From €1,435 per personView tour
Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan: lakes and pastures, 10 days
Almaty → Charyn Canyon → Kolsai Lakes → Karakol → Issyk-Kul → Song-Kul → Bishkek
From €1,245 per personView tour
Season
When to visit Kazakhstan
Best months: May–September.
Ideal Good Challenging
Culture
Kazakh culture grew from nomadic life on the steppe: the yurt, horse breeding, the dombra (a two-stringed lute) and a deep tradition of hospitality. Guests are offered tea, baursak (fried dough) and often kumys, fermented mare's milk. Cities are modern and Russian is widely spoken alongside Kazakh.
History
The steppe was home to the Saka (Scythian) peoples and later to Turkic nomads. The southern oases, Turkistan, Otrar and Sayram, were Silk Road towns; in the 15th century the Kazakh Khanate formed and its three zhuz (hordes) roamed the steppe. Kazakhstan became part of the Russian Empire and then the USSR, and declared independence in 1991. The capital moved from Almaty to Astana in 1997.
Nature
Kazakhstan runs from the Caspian Sea to the Altai. The south-east is dominated by the Tien Shan, with peaks above 4,000 m within sight of Almaty, while the centre is open steppe and semi-desert. National parks such as Altyn-Emel, Kolsai Lakes and Aksu-Zhabagly (founded in 1926, the oldest reserve in Central Asia) protect much of it.
Food
What to eat in Kazakhstan
Beshbarmak
The national dish, boiled meat over wide flat noodles. The name means "five fingers".
Baursak
Puffy fried dough served with tea at every gathering.
Kazy
Horse-meat sausage, a festive delicacy.
Kumys and shubat
Fermented mare's milk and camel's milk, slightly sour and fizzy.
Almaty apples
The wild apple forests of the Tien Shan foothills are thought to be where the domestic apple originated.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kazakhstan
- 2003Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi
- 2004Petroglyphs of the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly
- 2008Saryarka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan
- 2014Silk Roads – Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor (shared with China and Kyrgyzstan)
- 2016Western Tien-Shan (shared with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan)
- 2023Cold Winter Deserts of Turan (shared with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan)
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UK, the EU and the USA, can visit Kazakhstan visa-free for up to 30 days. Check the official government sources or your nearest Kazakh embassy before you travel, as rules change.
Getting around
Distances are large. Almaty is the base for the south-east, and most sights are reached by private vehicle on day trips or two- to three-day loops. Fast trains link Almaty with Astana, Shymkent and Turkistan, and domestic flights connect the main cities with Aktau (for Mangystau).
Travel tips
- Kolsai, Kaindy and Charyn can be combined in a two- or three-day trip from Almaty, with a night in the village of Saty.
- Mountain weather changes fast; bring a warm layer even in July.
- Cards are accepted widely in Almaty and Astana; carry cash in villages and national parks.
Travel guide
Planning a trip to Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: frequently asked questions
How many days do I need in Kazakhstan?
Five to six days covers Almaty, Charyn Canyon and the Kolsai and Kaindy lakes. Add two or three days for Turkistan, or several for Mangystau in the far west.
When is the best time to visit Kazakhstan?
May to September for the mountains and lakes. Winter is ski season above Almaty.
Can I combine Kazakhstan with Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan?
Yes. Almaty and Bishkek are only a few hours apart by road, and southern Kazakhstan connects with Tashkent via Shymkent.
Plan your journey in Kazakhstan
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