Highlights
Almaty
Kazakhstan's largest city sits at the foot of the Zailiysky Alatau mountains, with tree-lined avenues, the wooden Zenkov Cathedral in Panfilov Park, the Green Bazaar and the Kok-Tobe hill. The Medeu ice rink and Shymbulak ski resort are a short ride up the valley.
Big Almaty Lake
A turquoise mountain reservoir in the hills above Almaty, surrounded by peaks. It is an easy day trip and a good introduction to hiking in the Tian Shan.
Charyn Canyon
A red sandstone canyon east of Almaty, often compared to a smaller Grand Canyon. The Valley of Castles section has a walking trail between eroded rock formations down to the Charyn River.
Kolsai and Kaindy lakes
A chain of mountain lakes surrounded by spruce forest near the Kyrgyz border. At Kaindy, the trunks of drowned trees rise out of the clear water, a result of an earthquake-triggered landslide.
Astana
The capital, built up on the steppe since the 1990s, is a showcase of modern architecture, including the Baiterek tower, the Khan Shatyr tent-shaped shopping centre and the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation pyramid.
Turkistan
In the south, the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, a UNESCO site with a vast tiled dome built at the end of the fourteenth century, is an important place of pilgrimage.
Altyn-Emel National Park
A desert park with the Singing Dune, which hums when the sand shifts, and the striped, colourful Aktau Mountains, best explored on a guided 4x4 trip.
Mangystau
A remote region in the west near the Caspian Sea, with white chalk cliffs, the canyons of Bozzhyra and underground mosques carved into rock. Travel here is by 4x4 with experienced guides.
Interesting facts about Kazakhstan
- Kazakhstan is the ninth-largest country in the world and the largest that is entirely landlocked.
- Yuri Gagarin, the first person in space, was launched in 1961 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, which is still in use.
- The wild ancestor of the domestic apple grows in the mountains around Almaty, whose name is linked to the Kazakh word for apple.
- The capital moved from Almaty to Astana in 1997; Astana was renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019 and changed back to Astana in 2022.
- Kazakhstan is gradually changing the Kazakh alphabet from Cyrillic to a Latin-based script.
Best time to visit
Late May to September is the best time for hiking in the mountains around Almaty, visiting the lakes and travelling the steppe, with July and August the warmest months. Spring and early autumn are good for the southern deserts and canyons, which get very hot in midsummer. Winter is long and cold, with Astana among the coldest capitals in the world, but Almaty's nearby ski resorts are popular from about December to March.
Practical information
| Capital | Astana |
|---|---|
| Currency | Kazakhstani tenge (KZT) |
| Languages | Kazakh, Russian |
| Plugs | Type C, F |
| Voltage | 230 V, 50 Hz |
| Emergency | 112 for all emergencies; also 101 fire, 102 police, 103 ambulance |
| Driving | On the right |
| Tipping | Some restaurants add a service charge of around 10 percent; if not, leaving about that much is appreciated. Tips for drivers and guides are welcome. |
Getting around
Distances are huge, so domestic flights are the practical way to travel between Almaty, Astana, Shymkent and the west. A good rail network links the main cities, including fast trains and comfortable overnight sleepers. Almaty has a metro line, buses and many taxis, and ride-hailing apps are widely used and inexpensive. For the canyons and mountain lakes, most visitors join a tour or hire a car with a driver, as public transport is limited and some roads are rough.
Staying connected in Kazakhstan
Mobile coverage is good in Almaty, Astana and other cities, along main roads and on many intercity rail routes, with 4G widely available. In the mountains, canyons, deserts and across much of the open steppe, signal becomes patchy or disappears. Wi-Fi is common in hotels, cafés and shopping centres. Many everyday services, including taxis and maps, rely on local apps that need data. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.
See Kazakhstan eSIM plans · How to install an eSIM
Useful apps for Kazakhstan
- Yandex Go: Ride-hailing in Almaty, Astana and other cities, with fares shown upfront.
- inDrive: A popular ride-hailing app where you can propose a fare to drivers.
- 2GIS: Detailed city maps with businesses, entrances and public transport, widely used in Kazakhstan and working offline.
- Google Translate: Translating Russian and Kazakh signs and menus, with offline language packs.