The best places to visit in Kazakhstan fall into four regions: the canyons, lakes and mountains around Almaty (Charyn, Kolsai, Kaindy, Big Almaty Lake, Altyn-Emel); Turkistan and its UNESCO-listed Yasawi Mausoleum in the south; Astana and Burabay in the north; and the Mangystau desert in the west. On a first trip, the Almaty region gives you the most for the least travel time.
Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world, 2.72 million km², so when you choose places to visit in Kazakhstan, the first decision is which region to see, not which sight. We are based in Almaty and run trips to most of the south-east places on this list; for the others, we have included the facts you need to plan. Distances are from Almaty unless we say otherwise.
The 15 best places to visit in Kazakhstan at a glance
These are the Kazakhstan tourist places we recommend most often, grouped by region and ordered roughly by how easy they are to reach from Almaty.
| # | Place | Region | Best months | Time needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charyn Canyon | South-east | Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct | 1 day |
| 2 | Kolsai Lakes | South-east | Jun–Sep | 1–2 days |
| 3 | Kaindy Lake | South-east | Jun–Oct; frozen in winter | With Kolsai |
| 4 | Big Almaty Lake | South-east | Jun–Sep | Half a day |
| 5 | Altyn-Emel National Park | South-east | Apr–May, Sep–Oct | 1–2 days |
| 6 | Shymbulak and Medeu | South-east | Dec–Mar, Jun–Sep | Half a day to 1 day |
| 7 | Almaty city | South-east | Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct | 1–2 days |
| 8 | Issyk and the Golden Man | South-east | May–Oct | 1 day |
| 9 | Tamgaly petroglyphs | South-east | Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct | 1 day |
| 10 | Turkistan | South | Apr–May, Sep–Oct | 1–2 days |
| 11 | Aksu-Zhabagly Reserve | South | Spring to autumn | 1–2 days |
| 12 | Astana | North | Jun–Aug | 1–2 days |
| 13 | Burabay National Park | North | Jun–Aug | 1–2 days |
| 14 | Mangystau | West | Apr–May, Sep–Oct | 3–4 days |
| 15 | Baikonur Cosmodrome | South-west | Around launch dates | 2–3 days |
Around Almaty: the south-east
Most of the country's famous landscapes are within a day's drive of Almaty, which is why most first trips start here. If you only have a week, these are the places to visit in Kazakhstan to put first.
1. Charyn Canyon
About 200 km east of Almaty · Best: April–June, September–October · Time: a full day
Charyn is about 154 km long and 150–300 m deep, cut by the Charyn River into red sedimentary rock. Most visitors walk the Valley of Castles, a 2–3 km trail between rock towers that ends at the river, and the canyon is often compared to a smaller Grand Canyon. Nearby grows a protected grove of relict Sogdian ash covering about 5,000 hectares. Join our Charyn Canyon tour, or the 3 Canyons tour with the Black Canyon and Moon Canyon.
2. Kolsai Lakes
About 300 km east of Almaty · Best: June–September · Time: 1–2 days
Three lakes in a spruce-covered valley of the northern Tien Shan, at about 1,800, 2,250 and 2,800 m. The first lake is easy to reach; the trail to the second and third is a real mountain hike, and the upper lake lies near the Kyrgyz border, so carry your passport. See the Kolsai Lakes tour.
3. Kaindy Lake
A 4x4 track from Saty village · Best: June–October; frozen in winter · Time: combine with Kolsai
A narrow lake about 400 m long, formed when an earthquake-triggered landslide dammed the gorge more than a century ago. The drowned spruce trunks still stand in the turquoise water, and in winter they rise out of the ice. See the Kaindy Lake tour.
4. Big Almaty Lake
About 28 km by road from Almaty · Best: June–September · Time: half a day
A turquoise reservoir at 2,511 m, ringed by the peaks of the Ile-Alatau. It supplies Almaty's drinking water, so swimming is not allowed, and private cars may not use the last section of the road. Most visitors see it from viewpoints above the water. See the Big Almaty Lake tour.
5. Altyn-Emel National Park
About 320 km to the Singing Dune · Best: April–May, September–October · Time: 1–2 days
A desert park created in 1996 near the Ili River. Its Singing Dune, about 120–150 m high, hums when the sand moves in dry weather; the Aktau mountains are banded in white, red and ochre, and the Katutau rocks are volcanic. Parts of the park belong to the Cold Winter Deserts of Turan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2023. See the Altyn-Emel tour.
6. Shymbulak and Medeu
15–25 km from the centre · Best: December–March for skiing, June–September for views · Time: half a day to a full day
Shymbulak ski resort sits at 2,260 m, with lifts up to the Talgar Pass at about 3,200 m, and is reached by a 4.5 km gondola from Medeu. The famous Medeu skating rink is closed for reconstruction until about late 2027, but the gondola still runs. See the Shymbulak tour.
7. Almaty city
About 2.35 million people · Best: April–June, September–October · Time: 1–2 days
The capital until 1997 and still the country's business and cultural centre. Walk Panfilov Park and the wooden Zenkov Cathedral (1907), eat your way around the Green Bazaar, see the history collections of the Central State Museum and ride the cable car up Kok-Tobe hill. Our guide to things to do in Almaty covers the city in detail, and the Almaty city tour fits it into one day.
8. Issyk: the Golden Man and the lake
About 50 km east of Almaty · Best: May–October · Time: a full day
In 1969 archaeologists excavating the Issyk burial mound found the "Golden Man", a Saka warrior buried with more than 4,000 gold items, who has since become a national symbol. Higher up the gorge, Issyk Lake at 1,756 m was badly damaged in 1963, when a mudflow broke its natural dam. See the Issyk Lake tour; the nearby Turgen Gorge is another good day of waterfalls and forest.
9. Tamgaly (Tanbaly) petroglyphs
About 170 km north-west of Almaty · Best: April–June, September–October · Time: a full day
Some 5,000 rock carvings, the oldest from the Bronze Age, in a quiet gorge of the Chu-Ili mountains. The site became Kazakhstan's second UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.
The south: Turkistan and Aksu-Zhabagly
10. Turkistan and the Yasawi Mausoleum
About 1.5 hours by air from Almaty · Best: April–May, September–October · Time: 1–2 days
The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi was built from 1389 to 1405 on Timur's orders and left unfinished when he died; its turquoise-tiled dome still dominates the city. It became Kazakhstan's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 and is a major place of pilgrimage. The mausoleum of Arystan Bab and the ruins of Otrar are within reach.
11. Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve
About 70 km east of Shymkent · Best: spring to autumn · Time: 1–2 days
Founded in 1926, Aksu-Zhabagly is Kazakhstan's oldest nature reserve and part of the Western Tien-Shan UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2016. It is known for wild tulips in spring, the deep canyon of the Aksu River and its birdlife.
The north: Astana and Burabay
Astana and Burabay are the places to visit in Kazakhstan for modern architecture and northern lakes. Both are best in summer, when the long winter is over.
12. Astana
About 1 hour 40 minutes by air from Almaty · Best: June–August · Time: 1–2 days
The capital since 1997 is a showcase of modern architecture. The main places to visit in Astana are the Bayterek tower (105 m, with its observation deck at 97 m to mark 1997), the 150 m Khan Shatyr tent, the Hazrat Sultan Mosque and the Nur Alem sphere built for EXPO 2017, which now houses an AI centre. Winters are hard: January averages −10 °C by day.
13. Burabay National Park
About 250 km from Astana, roughly 3 hours by road · Best: June–August · Time: 1–2 days
Lakes, pine forest and granite rocks in the Kokshetau Hills, often called "Kazakh Switzerland". The Zhumbaktas rock rises out of Lake Burabay, and the Okzhetpes rock stands over the shore.
The west and south-west: Mangystau and Baikonur
These are the most remote places to visit in Kazakhstan. Both need careful planning, and Baikonur can only be visited with a specialised operator.
14. Mangystau
Fly to Aktau · Best: April–May, September–October · Time: 3–4 days with a 4x4
A desert region on the Caspian Sea with some of the most unusual landscapes in Central Asia: the white cliffs of Bozzhyra, the lone rock of Sherkala, the stone spheres of Torysh and the Karagiye Depression, more than 130 m below sea level. Its underground mosques, including Beket-Ata and Shopan-Ata, were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2026. Summer can pass 40 °C, so avoid June to August.
15. Baikonur Cosmodrome
In the Kyzylorda region · Organised tours only · Time: 2–3 days around a launch
The world's first spaceport, leased to Russia until 2050. You cannot visit on your own: passes are arranged through specialised tour operators well in advance, usually around a launch date.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kazakhstan
For many travellers the UNESCO list is the easiest way to choose Kazakhstan tourist attractions beyond the mountains. As of September 2026 the country has seven sites:
| Site | Year | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi | 2003 | Turkistan |
| Petroglyphs of the Archaeological Landscape of Tanbaly | 2004 | About 170 km north-west of Almaty |
| Saryarka: Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan | 2008 | Korgalzhyn and Naurzum reserves |
| Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor | 2014 | 8 sites in Kazakhstan, including Talgar, Kayalyk and Akyrtas |
| Western Tien-Shan | 2016 | Includes Aksu-Zhabagly, shared with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan |
| Cold Winter Deserts of Turan | 2023 | Includes parts of Altyn-Emel and Barsakelmes |
| Rock Mosques and Associated Sacred Sites of Mangystau | 2026 | Beket-Ata, Shopan-Ata and three other sites |
How to combine these places
Few travellers see all fifteen Kazakhstan tourist places in one trip. A realistic plan looks like this:
- 5–7 days: Almaty, Charyn, Kolsai and Kaindy, Big Almaty Lake and Altyn-Emel.
- 10 days: add Turkistan, or Astana and Burabay, by air.
- 2 weeks: add Mangystau in the west.
Our Kazakhstan tour packages cover the Almaty region in 3, 5 or 7 days, and all our day trips from Almaty are on the all tours page. Travelling from India? See the Kazakhstan tour package from India.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous place in Kazakhstan?
Of all the Kazakhstan tourist places, Charyn Canyon is the best-known natural sight, often compared to a smaller Grand Canyon, and the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkistan is the most famous historic monument. In Astana, the Bayterek tower is the symbol of the capital.
How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites does Kazakhstan have?
Seven, as of September 2026. The newest, the rock mosques and sacred sites of Mangystau, including Beket-Ata, was inscribed on 27 July 2026.
Which is better to visit, Almaty or Astana?
For nature and day trips, Almaty: canyons, mountain lakes and ski slopes are all within a day's drive. For modern architecture, Astana. Many visitors base themselves in Almaty and add Astana for one or two days.
What are the best places to visit in Kazakhstan in winter?
Shymbulak ski resort, frozen Kaindy Lake, Charyn Canyon, which is open all year, and Almaty city. Astana is much colder, with January averages of −10 °C by day.
Can tourists visit Baikonur?
Only on an organised tour with a pass arranged well in advance, usually around a launch. The cosmodrome is leased to Russia until 2050.
How many days do you need to see Kazakhstan?
Five to seven days for the Almaty region, about ten for Almaty plus Turkistan or Astana, and around two weeks if you also want to see Mangystau.
Choosing where to go first?
Tell us how many days you have and what you like: mountains, desert, history or snow. We will suggest the places to visit in Kazakhstan that fit your dates and plan the Almaty part for you.
- UNESCO World Heritage List for Kazakhstan: whc.unesco.org; Yasawi Mausoleum; Tanbaly; Cold Winter Deserts of Turan; Rock mosques of Mangystau.
- Charyn: Charyn Canyon and Charyn National Park. Kolsai: Wikipedia. Kaindy: Wikipedia, Natural Hazards, 2024. Big Almaty Lake: Wikipedia.
- Altyn-Emel: national park history and Singing Dune. Medeu: Tengrinews, August 2026.
- Issyk: Issyk kurgan and Lake Issyk. Almaty population 1 January 2026: Tengrinews.
- Astana: Bayterek, Khan Shatyr, Nur Alem. Burabay: Wikipedia. Aksu-Zhabagly: UNDP.
- Mangystau: Orexca; The Times of Central Asia. Baikonur: Wikipedia. Country size: Guinness World Records.
