Who it's for
Is Kazakhstan right for your trip?
Every country is somebody's favourite. The honest question is whether it is yours, and for this trip.
This is your trip if…
- You like a city with mountains at the end of the bus line and are happy to base there for days.
- You accept internal flights as the price of a country twice the size of Texas.
- You want landscape without crowds: canyons, alpine lakes, chalk desert and steppe.
- You are curious about post-Soviet Central Asia beyond the Silk Road monuments of Uzbekistan.
Think twice if…
- You expect Samarkand-style architecture on every corner; Kazakhstan's heritage is more dispersed.
- You want to drive across the country; distances are enormous and the steppe roads are empty for hundreds of kilometres.
- You need everything in English and on a fixed timetable.
- You are visiting in July and August and want to avoid 35 °C in the south and the steppe.
Best time to visit
When is the best time to visit Kazakhstan?
May–June and September for Almaty and the mountains; the steppe and Mangystau are best in spring and autumn. Kazakhstan has a hard continental climate: Astana is one of the coldest capitals on earth in winter, the south and Mangystau top 35 °C in high summer, and Almaty sits between them with hot dry summers and snowy mountain winters. Late spring and September are the reliable windows for mountains and cities together. Ski and eagle-hunting seasons run from December to March around Almaty.
- Best
Late spring
May–June
Green foothills, full rivers and mild city days; the Kolsai and Charyn roads are open and the steppe is briefly flowering.
- Mixed
High summer
July–August
Almaty's mountains are at their best while the south, Mangystau and the steppe cities are hot; Altai and the Kolsai lakes are the escape.
- Best
Autumn
September–October
Clear skies, apple harvest and the calmest weather for canyons and lakes; snow returns to the high passes by late October.
- Mixed
Winter
November–March
Skiing at Shymbulak and eagle-hunting displays near Almaty work well; Astana drops below −20 °C and the steppe roads can close.
Climate · monthly normals
Continental foothill climate: cold snowy winters, a wet green spring, hot dry summers and a golden, stable autumn.
For contrast
Open-steppe capital with brutal, windy winters, a short hot summer and little rain in any season.
Festivals and events
What is worth planning around?
Dates a plan should either aim for or steer clear of. Both are useful; the second saves more money.
21–23 March
Nauryz
Nationwide, largest in Almaty and Astana
The Persian-rooted new year fills squares with yurts, nauryz-kozhe soup, horse games and concerts over a long public holiday.
Museums and offices close for several days; book Almaty rooms early and expect crowded transport.
December–February, dates vary
Eagle-hunter competitions
Villages near Almaty such as Nura
Berkutchi with golden eagles compete in winter tournaments that continue a Kazakh steppe tradition rather than staging it for visitors.
Dates are announced late; a driver and warm layers are essential.
6 July
Astana Day
Astana
The capital's founding day brings fireworks, concerts and open-air events along the river and around Baiterek.
September
Almaty Apple Festival
Almaty
The city that gave the world the apple celebrates the harvest with markets, orchard visits and food events in the foothills.
Where to go
Where should you go in Kazakhstan?
The places that earn their nights, most important first, with how long each deserves. Nobody needs all of them on one trip.
City and local guides
6 worked-out stopsMap numbers match the local guide cards.
- 01
Almaty
Central Asia
city3–4 daysAlmaty is the food, museum and mountain base of the country. Big Almaty Lake, Shymbulak and the Kok-Tobe hills are day trips from the centre, and the bazaar and Soviet-era architecture reward slow days in between.
Best time: May–June and September
Explore Almaty - 02
Astana
Central Asia
city2 daysAstana is worth two days as an architectural statement: Foster's tent and pyramid, the Baiterek tower and the national museum on a steppe plain. Fly in; the overnight train from Almaty is a 12-hour experience in its own right.
Best time: June–September
Explore Astana - 03
Charyn Canyon & Kolsai Lakes
Central Asia
travel base2–3 daysCharyn's Valley of Castles and the three Kolsai lakes sit a long day's drive east of Almaty. Sleep in Saty village, walk to Kaindy's drowned forest and give the loop two nights rather than a single exhausting day.
Best time: June–September or December–March
Explore Charyn Canyon & Kolsai Lakes - 04
Turkistan & the south
Central Asia
travel base2–3 daysThe Khoja Ahmed Yasawi mausoleum is the country's greatest monument, now framed by a large new tourist complex. Pair it with Shymkent, the Otrar ruins and Sauran, and travel by train or plane rather than the road from Almaty.
Best time: May–June and September
Explore Turkistan & the south - 05
Mangystau & Aktau
Central Asia
travel base3–4 daysAktau is a Caspian oil city and the only base for Mangystau's white chalk mountains, Bozzhyra's cliffs and the underground mosques of Beket-Ata and Shakpak-Ata. A 4×4 with a driver and camping gear is the whole plan.
Best time: October–April
Explore Mangystau & Aktau - 06
Altai & the east
Central Asia
travel base4–6 daysÖskemen is the gateway to Katon-Karagay national park, Rakhmanov Springs and the Belukha massif. Distances are long, permits for the border zone take days and the reward is Siberian forest with almost no other visitors.
Best time: June–September
Explore Altai & the east
Things to do
What should you do in Kazakhstan?
Not a bucket list — the handful of things that make this country this country, with the timing catch that stops people doing them well.
- 01
Take the bus to Big Almaty Lake
Almaty foothills
A turquoise reservoir at 2,500 metres is reachable from the city in a morning; walking is restricted at the water's edge, so treat it as a viewpoint and an acclimatisation day.
- 02
Sleep in Saty for the lakes
Kolsai and Kaindy
Village homestays put you at the trailhead for Kolsai's first lake at dawn and the drowned spruce trunks of Kaindy without the tour-bus timing.
- 03
Stand in Charyn at golden hour
Valley of Castles
The red-rock canyon is at its best late in the day; combine it with a night in Saty rather than driving both ways from Almaty.
- 04
See Yasawi's mausoleum from the old town side
Turkistan
Approach the unfinished Timurid portal on foot from the historic quarter before the new complex, and visit at prayer times when it works as a shrine rather than a monument.
- 05
Camp under the Bozzhyra cliffs
Mangystau
The chalk pinnacles above the Ustyurt plateau are the reason to cross the country; a night there is the difference between a photograph and the place.
- 06
Eat the Almaty bazaar
Green Bazaar
Horse sausage, kurt, dried fruit, Korean salads and Uyghur laghman explain the city's mix better than any museum.
How to get around
How do you get around Kazakhstan?
Air Astana, FlyArystan and SCAT connect Almaty with Astana, Shymkent and Turkistan, Aktau and Öskemen in two to three hours; the same journeys by road or train take a day or more. Talgo overnight trains link Almaty, Astana and Turkistan comfortably. Every mountain, canyon or desert excursion depends on a driver with a suitable vehicle.
Domestic flights
Fly between Almaty, Astana, Turkistan, Aktau and Öskemen; FlyArystan is the low-cost carrier and SCAT serves Aktau. Book early for summer and Nauryz.
Rule of thumb: More than 500 km between bases → fly.
Talgo and overnight trains
The Almaty–Astana Talgo takes 12–13 hours overnight in comfortable berths; Turkistan is reachable by train from both cities. Buy tickets on the KTZ app or site.
Driver and 4×4 hire
Almaty agencies run drivers to Charyn, Kolsai and the ski areas; Mangystau and the Altai require a 4×4 with an experienced driver, food and fuel planning.
Buses, metro and Yandex Go
Almaty has a short metro and a good bus network reaching the ski lift and lake roads; ride-hailing is cheap everywhere.
Passes and cards, honestly
- There is no national transport pass; airline promotions and the KTZ rail app are the only savings.
- Border-zone permits for the Altai and parts of Mangystau are issued by the migration police and take five to ten working days; arrange them through a local operator.
Travel tips
What should you know before you go?
The things locals assume you know. Most travellers learn them by getting one wrong on day two.
- Kazakh and Russian coexist
- Both are everyday languages; a few Kazakh greetings are appreciated but Russian gets things done, and language politics is a live subject best not lectured on.
- Hospitality is formal
- A guest is seated, fed first and offered tea repeatedly; refusing everything reads as rejection, so accept a little and praise the beshbarmak.
- Nomadic heritage is contemporary
- Yurts, eagle hunting and horse games are living practices in villages and at festivals, not museum reconstructions; ask before photographing people and animals.
- Soviet history is close
- The ALZhIR and KarLag camp museums near Astana and Karaganda, and Semey's nuclear test-site legacy, are part of the country's account of itself; visit with seriousness.
- Politics stays at the table
- Public protest is tightly policed and the 2022 unrest is still raw; follow local guidance and keep opinions for private conversations.
Travel basics
Visa, money, SIM cards and more
The boring section, which is why it is the one people skip and then regret at the airport.
visa
Thirty days visa-free for most
EU, UK, US, Canadian, Australian and many other passports enter visa-free for up to 30 days; others use the e-visa portal. Registration is handled automatically for short stays.
money
Tenge from ATMs, cards in cities
Cards work in Almaty and Astana, cash rules in villages, bazaars and for drivers. Kaspi, the local super-app, dominates payments; carry small notes for marshrutkas.
connectivity
Buy a local SIM at the airport
Beeline, Kcell and Tele2 are cheap and cover the cities and main roads; the Kolsai valley, Mangystau desert and Altai forest drop to nothing.
plugs
Type C and F, 220 V
Standard European two-pin sockets throughout; no adapter needed from most of Europe.
safety
Low crime, real road risk
Cities are safe with normal care. Driving is the main hazard: long steppe roads, drunk drivers and winter ice. Use Yandex Go in cities and vetted drivers for long distances.
health
Altitude and sun in the mountains
Almaty's lakes and passes reach 2,500–3,500 metres; ascend gradually. Tap water is not reliably drinkable outside Almaty; carry a filter for the Altai and desert.
Trip costs
How much does a trip to Kazakhstan cost?
A mid-range trip usually needs about €50–€120 per person per day, before long-haul flights. Cities, food and transport are inexpensive by European standards, and mountain day trips from Almaty cost almost nothing. Money goes on internal flights, 4×4 hire with a driver in Mangystau and the Altai, and a few well-run hotels.
Shoestring
€€30–50
per person / day
- Stay
- Hostels and Almaty flats
- Food
- Bazaar food, canteens and laghman houses
- Transport
- City buses, marshrutkas and overnight trains
Very workable for Almaty and Astana; remote regions need a shared vehicle.
Mid-range
€€50–120
per person / day
- Stay
- Three-star hotels and village guesthouses
- Food
- Sit-down restaurants and a couple of tasting nights
- Transport
- Internal flights and shared drivers for canyon loops
The sensible level for a two-region trip.
Comfortable
€€150–300
per person / day
- Stay
- Almaty's best hotels and mountain lodges
- Food
- Restaurant dining and private food guides
- Transport
- Private 4×4 with driver in Mangystau or the Altai
Spend on the vehicle and driver where roads end.
Sample itineraries
Starting points, not scripts
Each of these is a real request you could hand to Menta as written. Change the people, the month and the pace; the structure will hold.
Almaty and the mountains
7 days- Almaty
- Big Almaty Lake
- Charyn Canyon
- Kolsai Lakes
- Almaty
The core first trip: city days, foothill lakes and a two-night eastern loop with a driver.
Two capitals and the Silk Road south
11 days- Almaty
- Charyn Canyon
- Turkistan
- Shymkent
- Astana
Almaty and one canyon day, an overnight train to Turkistan's mausoleum and a flight north to the planned capital.
Mountains and chalk desert
13 days- Almaty
- Kolsai Lakes
- Aktau
- Bozzhyra
- Beket-Ata
- Almaty
Alpine lakes in the east, then a flight across the country for a 4×4 camping loop through Mangystau's canyons and underground mosques.
Common questions
Quick answers about travel in Kazakhstan
Short answers to the questions people ask before they book. Use the full guide for the detail and trade-offs.
- When is the best time to visit Kazakhstan?
- May–June and September for Almaty and the mountains; the steppe and Mangystau are best in spring and autumn. Kazakhstan has a hard continental climate: Astana is one of the coldest capitals on earth in winter, the south and Mangystau top 35 °C in high summer, and Almaty sits between them with hot dry summers and snowy mountain winters. Late spring and September are the reliable windows for mountains and cities together. Ski and eagle-hunting seasons run from December to March around Almaty.
- How much does a trip to Kazakhstan cost?
- Plan about €50–€120 per person per day for a mid-range trip, before long-haul flights. Cities, food and transport are inexpensive by European standards, and mountain day trips from Almaty cost almost nothing. Money goes on internal flights, 4×4 hire with a driver in Mangystau and the Altai, and a few well-run hotels.
- How do you get around Kazakhstan?
- Air Astana, FlyArystan and SCAT connect Almaty with Astana, Shymkent and Turkistan, Aktau and Öskemen in two to three hours; the same journeys by road or train take a day or more. Talgo overnight trains link Almaty, Astana and Turkistan comfortably. Every mountain, canyon or desert excursion depends on a driver with a suitable vehicle.
More destinations
Where else?
- JapanA megacity, a thousand temples and trains that leave to the second.
- ChinaImperial capitals, fast trains, regional tables and landscapes at continental scale.
- ItalyThree civilisations' worth of cities, and lunch takes two hours.
- SpainEurope's longest high-speed rail, five cultures, and lunch at three.
- PortugalTwo hilly cities, a valley of port and a long Atlantic coast.
- GreeceAntiquity, two hundred inhabited islands and a ferry timetable to respect.
- IcelandOne road, no trains, and weather that rewrites the plan daily.
- ThailandStreet food, temples, two coasts and Asia's cheapest good hotel room.
- VietnamTwo capitals, one slow railway and the best street food in Asia.
- MoroccoMedinas, the High Atlas and the Sahara, a ferry ride from Europe.
- MexicoA 3,000-year-old civilisation, the best street food on earth, and two coastlines.
- Costa RicaCloud forest, two coasts, volcanoes and wildlife best seen slowly.
- The BahamasShallow banks, island towns and water-led journeys between cays.
- BarbadosCoral coasts, Bajan food and an island with several speeds.
- CubaLayered cities, karst valleys and a journey that needs patience.
- Dominican RepublicCaribbean cities, mountain interiors and coasts beyond the resort gate.
- JamaicaMusic, mountain rain, strong food and coasts with different rhythms.
- FranceGreat cities, long lunches, mountains and a coast for every mood.
- United KingdomHistoric cities, wild coastlines and weather worth planning around.
- GermanyBig culture, small cities, forests and trains with caveats.
- NetherlandsCanals, art, cycling and small cities that reward staying longer.
- CroatiaAdriatic islands, stone towns, clear water and a crowded August.
- TurkeyMosques, markets, ancient cities and coastlines on a huge scale.
- SwitzerlandAlps, lakes and trains that make the expensive route feel simple.
- AustriaImperial cities, Alpine lakes, music and excellent rail links.
- NorwayFjords, midnight light, coastal towns and beautiful long distances.
- SwedenArchipelagoes, forests, design and summer light that lasts.
- FinlandLakes, saunas, forests and a capital built for slow days.
- CzechiaBeautiful old towns, serious beer and an easy train route beyond Prague.
- PolandDeep history, lively cities, forests, lakes and mountain food.
- IrelandAtlantic cliffs, music-filled towns, green roads and weather in charge.
- AustraliaBig distances, old landscapes, city beaches and wildlife in the wild.
- New ZealandVolcanoes, fjords, coast roads and a country made for the outdoors.
- IndonesiaVolcanoes, rice fields, reefs and thousands of islands to choose from.
- South KoreaFast cities, quiet temples, mountain trails and food at every hour.
- United StatesHuge landscapes, distinct cities and a route that must respect the map.
- CanadaBig wilderness, thoughtful cities and distances that need their own plan.
- ArgentinaBig-city appetite, Andean wine country and Patagonia at full scale.
- BrazilAtlantic cities, living cultures and continental-scale nature.
- ChileDesert sky, Pacific cities, volcano lakes and Patagonian wind.
- ColombiaHighland cities, Caribbean history and coffee-country roads.
- PeruAndean cities, living food cultures and Amazon headwaters.
- IndiaMughal cities, desert forts, sacred rivers and a monsoon coast.
- Sri LankaTea hills, ancient cities and two coasts with opposite seasons.
- NepalHimalayan trails, Newar cities and lowland jungle in one country.
- MalaysiaHawker cities, tea hills, island coasts and Bornean rainforest.
- PhilippinesIsland archipelago where the flight map decides the trip.
- CambodiaAngkor's stone, the Mekong's rhythm and a country still healing.
- TaiwanNight markets, high-speed rail and a mountainous Pacific island.
- LaosSlow Mekong days, mountain roads and a new railway.
- United Arab EmiratesSeven emirates, two big cities and a mountain-and-desert hinterland.
- JordanPetra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea on one compact road.
- OmanForts, wadis, dunes and turtle beaches on the Arabian Sea.
- EgyptThe Nile corridor, Red Sea reefs and five thousand years in sequence.
- South AfricaTwo oceans, self-drive safari and cities with unfinished histories.
- KenyaSavannah, highlands and a Swahili coast, sequenced by rain.
- TanzaniaThe northern circuit, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar, priced honestly.
- NamibiaSelf-drive desert, empty roads and Africa's darkest skies.
- BelgiumFlemish art cities, Brussels institutions and forested Ardennes valleys.
- DenmarkCopenhagen design, island villages and long Jutland beaches.
- HungaryThermal baths, Danube grandeur, wine hills and the Great Plain.
- SloveniaAlpine lakes, an emerald river, karst caves and a Venetian coast.
- GeorgiaCaucasus villages, eight-thousand-year wine and a serious table.
- MontenegroA fjord-like bay, limestone peaks and a short, crowded coast.
- AlbaniaOttoman towns, an Ionian riviera and a raw alpine north.
- RomaniaSaxon towns, Carpathian wilderness and Europe's largest wetland.
- BulgariaMonasteries, mountain villages and a working Black Sea coast.
- SlovakiaAlpine peaks, castle ruins and wooden churches on a rail spine.
- Bosnia and HerzegovinaOttoman bazaars, stone bridges and wild rivers between mountains.
- EstoniaMedieval Tallinn, bog boardwalks, island manors and long white nights.
- LatviaArt Nouveau Riga, castle valleys, a wooden spa coast and deep forest.
- LithuaniaBaroque Vilnius, a dune spit, lake castles and pine spa towns.
- MaltaLimestone capital, Neolithic temples, harbour ferries and Gozo's slow coast.
- CyprusDivided capital, mosaic coast, painted mountain churches and a wild peninsula.
- SingaporeA dense, humid city-state that rewards districts, not landmarks.
- MaldivesAtolls, reefs and two very different ways to stay.
- BhutanHimalayan valleys, dzongs and a daily fee that shapes everything.
- UzbekistanSilk Road cities linked by fast trains and desert roads.
- EthiopiaRock churches, highland monasteries and a distinct calendar.
- UgandaGorillas, chimpanzees, the Nile and crater-lake forests.
- RwandaGorilla volcanoes, tea hills and a compact, orderly country.
- BotswanaDelta floods, elephant rivers and empty Kalahari pans.
- ZambiaWalking safaris, wild rivers and the Zambian side of Victoria Falls.
- MadagascarLemurs, baobabs and an island that evolved apart.
- MauritiusLagoon coasts, a volcanic interior and a Creole, Indian and Chinese island.
- TunisiaCarthage, medinas, Roman arenas and the Saharan oases.
- GuatemalaMaya highlands, volcano lakes and a Petén forest of ruins.
- PanamaCanal city, Caribbean archipelagos and cloud-forest coffee.
- EcuadorVolcano avenue, cloud forest, Amazon edge and the Galápagos.
- BoliviaAltiplano salt, Aymara cities and a wide Amazon lowland.
- UruguayCalm capital, Atlantic beaches and slow wine country.
- FijiReef islands, village life and two big green mainlands.
- SerbiaDanube cities, monastery hills and long-table hospitality.
- North MacedoniaOhrid's lake, Ottoman bazaars and mountain villages in a small compass.
- KosovoEurope's youngest country: café capital, Ottoman Prizren and alpine valleys.
- MoldovaUnderground wine cities, cliff monasteries and Europe's least-visited country.
- ArmeniaStone monasteries, Ararat views and a capital that stays up late.
- AzerbaijanCaspian capital, mud volcanoes and Caucasus villages above the tea plains.
- LuxembourgFortress capital, Moselle wine and Ardennes castles by free bus.
- AndorraPyrenean principality of ski valleys, Romanesque chapels and thermal spas.
- Faroe IslandsEighteen basalt islands of sea cliffs, tunnels and turf-roofed villages.
- GreenlandIcebergs, ice sheet and Inuit towns reached only by air and sea.
- KyrgyzstanYurt stays, alpine lakes and horse treks in the Tian Shan.
- TajikistanPamir Highway, Wakhan villages and turquoise Fann lakes.
- PakistanMughal Lahore and the Karakoram, planned region by region.
- BangladeshRiver delta, mangrove tigers, tea gardens and Dhaka's old city.
- Hong KongVertical harbour city, outlying islands and surprising country parks.
- BruneiWater village, gilded mosques and untouched Borneo rainforest.
- Timor-LesteReef walls, mountain villages and a young nation's coastline.
- Saudi ArabiaNabataean tombs, Red Sea reefs and a fast-changing kingdom.
- QatarA compact Gulf peninsula built around one polished capital.
- GhanaAtlantic forts, Ashanti heritage and a warm, workable West Africa.
- SenegalDakar's music, Gorée's memory and delta and river landscapes.
- Cape VerdeTen Atlantic islands of morna, volcanoes and trade winds.
- SeychellesGranite islands, coral atolls and Creole ease in the Indian Ocean.
- MozambiqueIndian Ocean coast, dhow islands and a restored savanna.
- ZimbabweVictoria Falls, walking safaris and Africa's largest ancient stone city.
- MalawiA freshwater sea, restored parks and high plateaus in one small country.
- EswatiniA small kingdom of royal ceremony, rhino reserves and highveld hikes.
- LesothoThe mountain kingdom: pony treks, high passes and Basotho villages.
- BelizeBarrier reef, Maya cities and Garifuna coast in one small country.
- HondurasBay Islands diving, Copán's carved city and cloud-forest highlands.
- El SalvadorSurf coast, volcano towns and a small country in rapid change.
- NicaraguaColonial cities, twin-volcano island and two very different coasts.
- Trinidad and TobagoCarnival, ibis and doubles on Trinidad; reef and calm on Tobago.
- Saint LuciaThe Pitons, rainforest ridges and Kwéyòl villages on one green island.
- ParaguayRiver cities, Jesuit ruins and the enormous quiet of the Chaco.
- SamoaTwo volcanic islands, village fales and fa'a Samoa on its own terms.
- TongaA Polynesian kingdom of four island groups, whales and strict Sundays.
- VanuatuActive volcanoes, kastom villages and eighty islands of Melanesia.
- Cook IslandsRarotonga's ring road, Aitutaki's lagoon and atolls nobody reaches.
Kazakhstan is a good trip. Make it your trip.
Everything on this page is context Menta already has. Add the people going, the dates and what you actually care about, and the plan starts smarter than a blank chat.
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Start planning KazakhstanGuide last reviewed 2026-09. Check visa rules against your own passport before you book.