How many days do I need for Kazakhstan?

A week for Almaty and the south-east, with the city, a day in the mountains, Charyn Canyon and the lakes. Ten days to two weeks add a second corridor, Astana on the northern steppe or Turkistan in the south, joined by a flight or an overnight train.

Astana or Almaty: which city should I see first?

They answer different questions. Astana is the planned capital, with Bayterek, Khan Shatyr and a skyline of towers rising from the open steppe; Almaty is the lived-in city of shaded boulevards, cafés and museums, with the mountains beginning at the edge of town. For a first visit with limited time, Almaty, for the city and the mountains together.

Itinerary

Kazakhstan by Corridors: a Week From Almaty

Kazakhstan is too large to cross on one trip, so it is travelled by corridors, one or two regions joined by air or overnight train. The classic first corridor is the south-east around Almaty, where a week holds the city, the mountains above it and a canyon and chain of lakes towards the Kyrgyz border; flights and night trains then add the capital on the northern steppe or the Silk Road town of the south.

Updated 2026-10-09

Days 1 to 3: Almaty and the Mountains

Three days in Almaty give a day for the centre, from Panfilov Park and its wooden cathedral to the Green Bazaar and the view from Kok-Tobe, and a day in the mountains above the city, at the skating rink of Medeu and the slopes of Shymbulak or at Big Almaty Lake. The third day is for the museums, or kept in reserve for mountain weather.

Days 4 to 7: Charyn and the Lakes

A car with a driver heads east to Charyn Canyon and the walk down the Valley of Castles, then on into the mountains for a night near the village of Saty. The next days belong to the Kolsai lakes and the drowned forest of Lake Kaindy, and the road back to Almaty closes the week.

Adding Astana

Astana, the capital on the northern steppe, is a short flight or an overnight train north of Almaty, and two days cover Bayterek, Khan Shatyr and the National Museum. The two cities make the country's great contrast, the planned capital of towers and boulevards against the green city under the mountains, and many trips fly one way and take the train the other.

Adding Turkistan

Turkistan, on the railway across the south, adds the Silk Road: a day at the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi and another for the shrine of Arystan Bab and the ruins of Otrar. An overnight train or a flight from Almaty reaches it, and it pairs with a return through Shymkent.

Adding Baikonur

Baikonur is an expedition of its own rather than an addition to the week: the permits are arranged weeks ahead through a tour operator, and the trip is timed to a rocket launch.

Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.