Gateway to the south · Kazakhstan
Shymkent travel guide
Kazakhstan’s third city, between Tashkent and Turkistan.
Shymkent is Kazakhstan’s third-largest city and the hub of the south, a short drive from the Uzbek border at Tashkent. It is a relaxed, warm city with good bazaars and food.
Most travellers use it as a stop between Tashkent and Turkistan, or as a base for the ancient town of Sayram and the Aksu-Zhabagly nature reserve in the Western Tien Shan.
- Time needed
- 1 day
- Best time
- April–June and September–October
- Getting there
- About 2.5 hours by road from Tashkent, including the border crossing. Trains to Almaty and Turkistan.
Don’t miss
What to see in Shymkent
- 01
Sayram
One of the oldest towns in Kazakhstan, with mausoleums and minarets.
- 02
Aksu-Zhabagly
Founded in 1926, the oldest nature reserve in Central Asia, famous for wild tulips.
- 03
Central bazaar
A busy market with southern produce.
Nearby
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