The land of silk roads, nomadism, yurts, vast steppes and Borat — yes, Borat. But Borat, is perhaps the most absurd mockumentary and depiction of Kazakhstan

The country is so vastly underrated and HUGE — when I say huge, you should know that their desert roads can go on and on for 4,000 km that could even rival the Australian outback.

It’s a good thing I decided to not cycle here in the hot desert, and choose to spend time more in the mountains of Kazakhstan.

I was intrigued by this landlocked country which is by the way 9th largest in the world.

It is also home to diverse range of wildlife like the Persian leopard, one of the most vulnerable species in the world.

I spent two weeks in Kazakhstan but you can easily spend 5 days if you’re short of time.

Their national parks are so close to the city like 30km that it is almost impossible to run out of things to do.

First things first, here are some basics you should know before travelling to Kazakhstan and also the complete itinerary covering 5 to 10 days.

When’s the best time to visit

The best optimal time to visit Kazakhstan is between July to September. I visited the same time and it was gorgeous and perfect for hiking in the mountains.
The next best time is April to June but it may be a bit cold in the mountains. Just know that spring is often short here like 1.5 months and there’s still snow up in the mountains.

Where to stay

Stay in Almaty’s centre close to the opera house is better where you will be right in the historical centre of the city.
Here are the best places to stay in Almaty: Apart Hotel Colibri (amazing relaxing spot) & Evergreen hostel (best hostel in Almaty)

Which simcard to get:

The best simcards are either Kcell, Tele2, Beeline, or Airalo.
For the best coverage in Kazakhstan, I prefer Beeline. You can get 7 GB, valid for 30 days for KZT 3190.
The next best option is to just get a eSim by Airalo so you can get internet the moment you land which is a much safer option.

Travelling Around

It is so easy to get around in Almaty — the city is made for walking. But outside of the city, where the distances are long you can rely on these transport options:

Marshrutkas: I love them and they seem like a soviet thing. These marshrutkas are essentially minibuses that can fit 15 and 30 people. You can catch them from Sayakhat station in Almaty and look for shared taxis.
Yandex app: Yandex is the best e-hailing app in Kazakhstan
Train Tickets: The best way to enjoy views of Kazakhstan is from the train. You can book your train tickets from their official website. Tip: try not to visit the country during their peak holiday period called Nauryz. It is packed to the brim.

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Kazakhstan Itinerary in 5 Days to 10 Days

1. Almaty (3 Days)

Almaty which also is known as “the father of apples” which the town is proudly known for was such an amazing city to explore.

On one hand you have the Tien Shan mountains surrounding the city

But on the other side there are walkable boulevards that take you to the parks and interesting architectures that reminds you of what a post-Soviet modern city looks like.

It was the most modern metropolis out of all the Central Asian countries that I visited.

In fact, I thought to myself that if I would ever wanted to travel long-term, Almaty is the perfect base to be at.

the ascension cathedral of kazakhstan in almaty

Your first visit should be the Zenkhov Cathedral, a Russian orthodox church that was built completely with wood and without nails which survived some tough earthquakes. The inner structure of the cathedral was made in art workshops in Moscow and Kiev.

Near from the cathedral but not too far is the 28 Panfilov Guardsmen Park. I loved the park and how easy it was to just casually stroll through while taking a breather.

The monument has an interesting history. It is dedicated to and named after the Panfilov heroes which were the 28 soldiers of an Alma-Ata Infantry unit who allegedly died while defending Moscow from the German invasion during the Second World War

Just within walking distance, you’ll find the Green Bazaar with nearly everything from clothes, nuts, fish, cheese and honey. There’s even meat and if you’re adventurous you could try out horse meat or milk here (p.s: I am not a fan of it!).

It’s nice to interact with the locals here and see what are the most interesting finds and a great introduction to Central Asian spices.

For the rest if your evening or even the next day, you need to explore and visit the ferris wheel at the top of Kök-Töbe. It’s a fun amusement park with vendors selling handicrafts and souvenirs. The cable-car ride costs approximately 5000 tenge ($10.40) for a round-trip.

If you’re looking for a way to unwind in a complete soviet-like bath house, the Arasan baths may be worth checking out purely for the local experience. You get lashed with oak leaves and for 2-hours get to enjoy a Finnish sauna, Turkish steam, Russian steam all with a cold plunge, showers and pools.

Where to stay in Almaty?

2. Big Almaty Lake (1 Day)

and views from the summit of big almaty lake

Located at an altitude of 2,511m on the upper side of the Almaty canyon, the lake is a major source of drinking water for the region.

Like the vast majority of lakes in the Tien Shan mountains, the lake appeared as a result from number of earthquakes.

The best way to get here in the past was through a Yandex taxi but as of 2024 — the place is no longer available through car unless you bribe officers.

You could opt to take this tour that lets you go for a hike around the lake.

In the past, it was possible to go hike the Big Almaty Lake peak (3,680m) through this gpx trail on a day trip but since the death of a tourist — the descent can be a bit tricky and it is best not to descent through the Ayusai Gorge which leads back to the city.

However, if things change, I would recommend you to do the hike but in a group as it is still a mountain and I found the descent particularly gnarly.

Read my full post on Hiking The Big Almaty Lake and Peak In One Day: Kazakhstan's Blue Lake

3. Saty, Kolsai, Kaindy & Charyn Canyon (2 Days)

At an altitude of 2,000m, Lake Kaindy is 400 metres long and was formed in 1911 after an earthquake triggered a limestone landslide that formed a natural dam.

The journey to Kaindy lake is approximately 12km and if you take a car along the dirt roads, it’ll be 45 minutes long.

I went to Saty and from Saty hiked and explored Kolsai & Kaindy lakes while leaving Charyn Canyon for a separate trip. But you can take a tour that covers Charyn Canyon with Kolsay and Kaindy Lakes Tour if you don’t want to deal with logistics.

The next day was spent exploring the three lakes that form Kolsai Lake - Upper, Middle and Lower Kolsai lakes which are located at 1,870, 2,250 and 2,650 meters above sea level.

You can totally hitchhike from Saty to here if you’re a do-it-yourself trip else it is possible to arrange transportation with the places you stay in.

charyn canyon - kazakhstan’s grand canyon

After that, we visited the Charyn Canyon national park, rightly tagged as Kazakhstan’s Grand Canyon and even possibly the second largest Canyon after the US, I was intrigued about this place.

If you want a tour that’s taken care of, I highly recommend going for the private Charyn Canyon tour that includes a full day of hiking who can even provide some information about the history and geology of the area

Also read:

Where to stay in Saty?

4. Kok Zhailau National Park (1 Day)

trekkg through kok zhailau in IIle-Alatau national park

If you want to have a picnic and explore a hiking trail in IIle-Alatau National Park, you could go hike up to Kok Zhailau. A lot of local Kazakhs tend to explore this trail on the weekends.

It takes around 4 hours to complete the 8.5km trail (to-and-fro) and starts out pretty challenging but evens out quite a bit with a total elevation gain of 725metres.

The Kok Zhailau trail is located between the small and big gorges of Almaty with an altitude of 2,200 metres. The trail passes through birch and pine groves with amazing views of Kumbel Peak, the Talgar pass and nearest peaks on the open ridge.

There are more peaks to explore here which can get pretty challenging such as the three brothers peak.

If you’re well-versed with maps, you could follow this gpx trail or opt to take a guide with you with this trekking tour.

5. Medeu Cable Car & Shymbulak (1 Day)

If you’re there in Winter or closer to the colder months, it would be worth it to explore the world’s highest mountain largest skating rink which is at 1691m above sea level.

To get here, catch the bus no. 12 which departs from near Hotel Kazakhstan. You’ll get to Medeu in about an hour and it costs around 150Tenge.

From Medeu, you can table the cable car up to Shymbulak — there are 3 stations up the top. For 3500 KZT, you get to go on a round trip all the way to the top and back.

The highest point is at the top of Shymbulak Ski Resort which stands at 3,200metres. There’s a cool picnic spot all the way at the top which makes for an awesome experience!

If you want a cool experience, you should totally stay up here!

Where to stay in Shymbulak?

6. Shymkent (2 Days) or Astana (2 Days)

From the buildings and architecture to parks and museums, Astana the capital city of Kazakhstan is worth a visit if you like to admire and some futuristic domes.

If you also want to dive into a bit of history and bleakness, there’s a Kazakhstan's Concentration Camp For 'Wives Of Traitors To The Motherland'.

It happened during the most cruel period in Kazakhstan and it is also absurd that there was such a thing especially for wives. It happened during a Stalin-era labor camp in the Aqmola region of Kazakhstan and 18,000 women were victims to this brutal force.

The place is 40km away from the city so private transport like taxi would be needed to arranged.

If Astana and buildings, and visiting a museum is not your thing, you could opt to explore Shymkent for its culture. The city is 2200 years old and it is known to be the sunniest in Kazakhstan,

A notable spot is Sayram, an important stop during the Silk Road Era known for its mosques and unique structures. If you can’t visit Uzbekistan, this a spot to explore instead.

All your trains schedules can be booked on 12go.asia

Also read my other posts on Central Asia:

Central Asia

Of Lakes & Peaks: Kazakhstan Itinerary in 5 to 10 Days