📍 Kazakhstan

KAZAKHSTAN COMPLETE: STEPPE, CANYONS AND SILK ROAD

Q: What weather should you expect?

Summer (June-August): Warmest weather, ideal touring, long daylight hours, mountain hiking season, steppe exploration, peak tourist season, advance booking recommended. Spring (April-May): Mild weather, blooming landscapes, comfortable temperatures, fewer crowds, excellent value, awakening nature, pleasant conditions. Fall (September-October): Comfortable weather, autumn colors, clear skies, harvest season, good hiking, fewer tourists, beautiful photography. Winter (November-March): Cold weather, snow sports, winter festivals, challenging conditions, lowest prices, indoor cultural focus, extreme temperatures.

Red canyon walls rising majestic, golden steppes stretching to infinity. Kazakhstan, vastness and wild beauty.

≈ 25

Days

3601

Stops

📖 13 min read 🔄 Last updated: 2026-01-17

Begin in Almaty at the foot of the mountains, then explore Charyn Canyon and its sculpted rocks. Cross the steppes toward isolated lakes and nomadic villages, before approaching Mangystau and its desert landscapes. Kazakhstan strikes with the scale of its horizons and terrain diversity, between Silk Road and raw nature.

Almaty: mountain city glows modern
Charyn: canyon glows red stone
Steppe: grasslands stretch endless horizon
Astana: capital rises desert

Your day-by-day itinerary

Day

Almaty

mountain city glows modern prosperity

4 photos

Day 1

🔍

Discover

Kok Tobe hill cable car and viewpoint

Central State Museum

🎯

Activities

→

Stroll in Central Almaty

Day

Almaty

mountain city glows modern prosperity

4 photos

Day 2

🔍

Discover

Medeu Ice Skating Rink

Shymbulak ski resort (cable car)

🎯

Activities

→

Arasan Baths traditional experience

Day

Almaty

mountain city glows modern prosperity

4 photos

Day 3

🔍

Discover

Big Almaty Lake

🎯

Activities

→

Hiking trails around the lake

🚗

Next stop

Distance: 235.7 km

Travel time: 2h57

Day

Charyncanyon

red canyon towers dramatic splendor

2 photos

Day 4

🔍

Discover

Charyn Canyon Valley of Castles

🎯

Activities

→

Hiking rocky trails in the canyon

🚗

Next stop

Distance: 96.7 km

Travel time: 1h37

Day

Kolsai

alpine lake gleams turquoise perfection

6 photos

Day 5

🔍

Discover

Lake Kaindy sunken forest

🎯

Activities

→

Kayaking on Lake Kaindy

Day

Kolsai

alpine lake gleams turquoise perfection

6 photos

Day 6

🔍

Discover

Kolsai Lakes first lake

🎯

Activities

→

Hiking to second and third Kolsai Lakes

🚗

Next stop

Distance: 106.9 km

Travel time: 1h47

Day

Altyn Emel

6 photos

Day 7

🔍

Discover

Altyn-Emel National Park Singing Dunes

Aktau Mountains

🎯

Activities

→

Explore Besshatyr Burial Mounds

🚗

Next stop

Distance: 163.6 km

Travel time: 2h03

Day

Zharkent

caravan town preserves silk road

10 photos

Day 8

🔍

Discover

Zharkent Mosque (Chinese-Islamic architecture)

🎯

Activities

→

Explore Silk Road cultural heritage

Day

Zaysan

steppe lake mirrors vast sky

7 photos

Day 9

🔍

Discover

Lake Zaysan shoreline

🎯

Activities

→

Fishing at Lake Zaysan

Day

Oskemen

river city pulses regional culture

6 photos

Day 10

🔍

Discover

Oskemen Ethno Park

🎯

Activities

→

Explore Altai Alps region

Day

Bayanaul

mountain island rises steppe plateau

4 photos

Day 11

🔍

Discover

Bayanaul National Park Jasybay Lake

🎯

Activities

→

Climb Mount Akbet for panoramic views

🚗

Next stop

Distance: 201.3 km

Travel time: 2h31

Day

Karkaraly

nature park guards forest sanctuary

9 photos

Day 12

🔍

Discover

Karkaraly National Park and Shaitankol (Devil's Lake)

🎯

Activities

→

Trekking in pine forests and granite ridges

🚗

Next stop

Distance: 228.6 km

Travel time: 2h51

Day

Karaganda

industrial city hums soviet heritage

5 photos

Day 13

🔍

Discover

KarLag Museum (former labour camp)

EcoMuseum Karaganda

🎯

Activities

→

Stroll Central Park Karaganda

🚗

Next stop

Distance: 249.5 km

Travel time: 3h07

Day

Astana

capital rises desert ambition

4 photos

Day 14

🔍

Discover

Bayterek Tower

Khan Shatyr shopping and entertainment

🎯

Activities

→

Visit Hazrat Sultan Mosque

Day

Baikonur

spaceport stands cosmic legacy

4 photos

Day 15

🔍

Discover

Baikonur Cosmodrome museum

🎯

Activities

→

Space launch viewing (if scheduled)

Day

Boszhira

mountain ridge sculpts layered stone

3 photos

Day 16

🔍

Discover

Boszhira Canyon white cliffs

Valley of Balls geological formations

🎯

Activities

→

Visit Sherkala Mountain

🚗

Next stop

Distance: 84.8 km

Travel time: 1h25

Day

Mangystau

desert region glows moonscape

6 photos

Day 17

🔍

Discover

Underground Mosque of Beket-Ata

🎯

Activities

→

Explore desert surroundings

🚗

Next stop

Distance: 142.2 km

Travel time: 2h22

Day

Aktau

caspian port faces ancient sea

5 photos

Day 18

🔍

Discover

Aktau Caspian Sea beaches

🎯

Activities

→

Swimming in the Caspian Sea

→

Wander Turkestan traditional bazaars

✈️

Next stop

✈️ Flight / transfer day

Distance: 1789.8 km

Travel time: 10h

Day

Turkestan

holy city preserves islamic heritage

6 photos

Day 19

🔍

Discover

Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi

🎯

Activities

→

Explore Shymkent bazaars and tea shops

🚗

Next stop

Distance: 198.5 km

Travel time: 2h29

Day

Shymkent

trading city anchors southern route

4 photos

Day 20

🔍

Discover

Shymkent Central Park

🎯

Activities

→

Guided wildlife trekking

🚗

Next stop

Distance: 103.3 km

Travel time: 1h43

Day

Aksu Zhabagly

6 photos

Day 21

🔍

Discover

Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve and Aksu Canyon

🎯

Activities

→

Walk among ancient rock carvings

Day

Tamgaly

sacred site holds ancient petroglyphs

9 photos

Day 22

🔍

Discover

Tamgaly Petroglyphs UNESCO site

🎯

Activities

→

Walk among ancient rock carvings

🗺️ Itinerary map

❓ Frequently asked questions

What weather should you expect?

Summer (June-August): Warmest weather, ideal touring, long daylight hours, mountain hiking season, steppe exploration, peak tourist season, advance booking recommended.

Spring (April-May): Mild weather, blooming landscapes, comfortable temperatures, fewer crowds, excellent value, awakening nature, pleasant conditions.

Fall (September-October): Comfortable weather, autumn colors, clear skies, harvest season, good hiking, fewer tourists, beautiful photography.

Winter (November-March): Cold weather, snow sports, winter festivals, challenging conditions, lowest prices, indoor cultural focus, extreme temperatures.

How many days should I plan?

We believe you will enjoy this itinerary best by dedicating between 20 and 30 days. The next step will allow you to adjust the duration of your stay.

What to discover in Kazakhstan?

World's largest landlocked country with diverse landscapes, nomadic heritage, and space program history. Experience traditional hunting, modern cities, and authentic Central Asian culture. The country offers cultural immersion with natural beauty and historical significance. Kazakhstan provides vast adventures with cultural authenticity and natural diversity.