For a first Kazakhstan itinerary, base yourself in Almaty. Three days covers the city, Charyn Canyon and one mountain day; five days adds the Kolsai and Kaindy lakes with a night in Saty; seven days adds Altyn-Emel and a spare day. With ten days, fly on to Turkistan or Astana. Distances are long, so plan one big trip per day.
Kazakhstan covers 2.72 million km², making it the ninth-largest country in the world, and its highlights are spread out. The mountains, lakes and canyons of the south-east are all within a day's drive of Almaty, while Turkistan and Astana are a flight away. The routes below are built around realistic drive times, the seasons, and one spare day for weather, which is what separates a relaxed Kazakhstan travel itinerary from an exhausting one.
How many days do you need in Kazakhstan?
| Trip length | What fits | Pace |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days | Almaty city, Charyn Canyon, one mountain day | Full but manageable |
| 5 days | Adds the Kolsai and Kaindy lakes, with a night in Saty | Comfortable |
| 7 days | Adds Altyn-Emel National Park and a spare day | Comfortable, with a weather buffer |
| 10 days | Adds Turkistan or Astana by air | Two regions |
| 14 days | Adds Mangystau in the west, or both Turkistan and Astana | Three regions |
Distances from Almaty: plan one big trip a day
Most mistakes in a Kazakhstan itinerary come from underestimating distances. Use this table before you fix your days.
| Place | Distance from Almaty | How long to plan |
|---|---|---|
| Kok-Tobe, Green Bazaar, Zenkov Cathedral | In the city | Half a day to a full day |
| Medeu and Shymbulak | 15 km and 25 km | Half a day or a full day |
| Big Almaty Lake | About 28 km by road | Half a day |
| Issyk (Golden Man burial mound and lake) | The burial mound is about 50 km east | Full day |
| Charyn Canyon | About 200 km, roughly 3 hours by road | Full day |
| Kolsai and Kaindy lakes | About 300 km to Kolsai; Kaindy is a 4x4 track from Saty | Two days with a night in Saty |
| Altyn-Emel National Park | The Singing Dune is about 320 km away | A very long day, better as two |
| Tamgaly (Tanbaly) petroglyphs | About 170 km | Full day |
| Turkistan | Flight of about 1.5 hours; trains take 14–17 hours | Two days |
| Astana | Flight of about 1 hour 40 minutes; trains take about 16–17 hours | One or two days |
3-day Almaty itinerary
Three days is enough for a first taste. This short Almaty itinerary gives you one city day, one canyon day and one mountain day.
Almaty city
Start at Panfilov Park and the wooden Zenkov Cathedral, completed in 1907, which came through the 1911 earthquake with only minor damage. Walk to the Green Bazaar, add the Central State Museum if you like history, and finish on Kok-Tobe, where the 1,620 m cable car ride takes about 6 minutes. Our Almaty city tour covers the day.
Charyn Canyon
Leave early for the three-hour drive east. Walk the Valley of Castles, a 2–3 km trail between red rock towers that leads down to the Charyn River. To see more, take the 3 Canyons tour, which adds the Black Canyon and Moon Canyon, or keep it simple with the Charyn Canyon tour.
The mountains above the city
In summer, go to Big Almaty Lake at 2,511 m. In winter, ride the gondola from Medeu to Shymbulak. Either way you pass through Ile-Alatau National Park.
5-day Kazakhstan itinerary: add Kolsai and Kaindy
Five days lets you add the two lakes that many visitors come for. The efficient way is to combine Charyn with the lakes and sleep in Saty village, the closest village to both.
Almaty city
As in the 3-day plan.
Big Almaty Lake or Shymbulak
A mountain day close to the city, chosen by season.
Charyn Canyon, then Saty
Walk the Valley of Castles in the morning, then continue to Saty for the night.
Kaindy and Kolsai
A 4x4 takes you up the dirt track to Kaindy Lake and its sunken spruce forest. Then walk the shore of the first Kolsai lake (1,818 m) before driving back to Almaty.
A lighter day
The waterfalls of Turgen Gorge, Issyk Lake and the story of the Golden Man, the Alma-Arasan hot springs, or a tandem paragliding flight.
Our Kazakhstan tour packages include versions of this route with the night in Saty.
7-day Kazakhstan itinerary: add Altyn-Emel
Keep days 1 to 5 from the plan above, then add the desert.
Altyn-Emel National Park
Drive north-east to the Singing Dune, a sand dune about 120–150 m high that hums when the sand moves in dry weather, and to the colourful Aktau mountains and the volcanic Katutau rocks. The dune alone is about 320 km from Almaty, so many travellers sleep in Basshi and split the park over two days. See the Altyn-Emel tour.
Spare day
Keep it free for weather or for the second day in Altyn-Emel. If it stays free, visit the Tamgaly petroglyphs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 170 km away, or spend a slow day in the city.
10-day Kazakhstan itinerary: add Turkistan or Astana
With ten days, add a second region by air after your seven days around Almaty.
Turkistan, 2–3 days
Fly about 1.5 hours to see the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, built from 1389 to 1405 on Timur's orders and left unfinished when he died. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003. The Arystan Bab mausoleum and the ruins of Otrar are nearby.
Astana and Burabay, 2–3 days
Fly about 1 hour 40 minutes to the capital for Bayterek (105 m, with its observation deck at 97 m to mark 1997, the year the capital moved), Khan Shatyr and the Hazrat Sultan Mosque. Burabay National Park, with its lakes and granite rocks, is about 3 hours' drive away.
Kyrgyzstan
Or cross the border to Kyrgyzstan and Lake Issyk-Kul. Our tour packages can add it to a Kazakhstan trip.
Two weeks: add Mangystau
Mangystau, on the Caspian Sea, has Kazakhstan's wildest scenery: the white cliffs of Bozzhyra, the rock of Sherkala, the stone spheres of Torysh and the underground mosque of Beket-Ata, which became part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2026. Fly to Aktau and plan three or four days with a 4x4, ideally in April–May or September–October, since summer temperatures can pass 40 °C.
Changing the plan by season
The same Kazakhstan itinerary looks very different in January and in July. Here is what to swap in and what to watch for:
| Season | Swap in | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | Shymbulak skiing, frozen Kaindy, the Alma-Arasan hot springs | Snow on the lake roads; the Medeu rink is closed until late 2027 |
| Spring (Mar–May) | Wild tulips in April, Altyn-Emel, Charyn | Snow on high trails; keep a rain day |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | Kolsai lake hikes, Big Almaty Lake, the gorges | Midday heat in the canyons, so start early |
| Autumn (Sep–Oct) | Everything: the best all-round season | Cold nights from October |
Getting around: tour, driver or self-drive?
| Option | Good for | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| Public transport and app taxis | Getting around Almaty | No practical service to Charyn, Kolsai, Kaindy or Altyn-Emel |
| Self-drive | Experienced drivers who want flexibility | The Kaindy track needs a 4x4, and UK advice warns that driving standards "can be erratic" |
| Private driver or tour | Most visitors, especially on a first trip | Book ahead in peak season |
- Start early. Most day trips leave Almaty in the morning to beat the traffic and, in summer, the heat.
- Carry your original passport. The law requires it, and guards check passports near the Kyrgyz border at Kolsai.
- Carry some tenge in cash. National park eco-fees are small (865 ₸ per person per day at Kolsai and Charyn in 2026), and not every place outside the city takes foreign cards.
- Keep one spare day for weather, especially in spring and winter.
- Download Yandex Go for taxis and 2GIS for maps in the city.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Kazakhstan?
Five to seven days for Almaty and the south-east: the city, Charyn Canyon, the Kolsai and Kaindy lakes and a mountain day. Add two or three days for Turkistan or Astana. Ten days covers two regions without rushing.
Is 3 days enough for Almaty?
Yes, for the highlights. A 3-day Almaty itinerary covers one city day, Charyn Canyon and one mountain day, either Big Almaty Lake in summer or Shymbulak in winter. The Kolsai and Kaindy lakes need two more days.
Can you see Charyn, Kolsai and Kaindy in one day?
It is possible, but it is a very long day with most of it in the car. We recommend two days with a night in Saty village, which leaves time to walk at each stop.
What is the best 7-day Kazakhstan itinerary?
Almaty city, a mountain day, Charyn Canyon and on to Saty, Kaindy and Kolsai, a lighter day, Altyn-Emel, and a spare day. It covers the best landscapes of the south-east with realistic driving.
Do you need a car in Kazakhstan?
Not in Almaty, where app taxis and buses work well. For Charyn, Kolsai, Kaindy and Altyn-Emel you need a car, a driver or a tour, because there is no practical public transport.
Is Astana worth adding to the trip?
Yes, if you like modern architecture: Bayterek, Khan Shatyr and the Hazrat Sultan Mosque are a flight of about 1 hour 40 minutes away. For nature, spend the extra days around Almaty instead.
Want this route planned around your dates?
Send us your dates, group size and what you want to see. We will turn this Kazakhstan itinerary into a day-by-day plan with transport, guides and, if you need them, hotels.
- Country size: Guinness World Records. Charyn Canyon and the Valley of Castles: Wikipedia, Charyn National Park.
- Kolsai Lakes: Wikipedia. Big Almaty Lake: Wikipedia. Issyk burial mound: Wikipedia.
- Singing Dune: Altyn-Emel National Park.
- UNESCO: Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, Tamgaly (Tanbaly) petroglyphs, Rock mosques of Mangystau.
- Flights: FlyArystan, Almaty–Turkistan and Astana–Almaty. Train times: Tengrinews.
- Bayterek: Wikipedia. Zenkov Cathedral: oq.gov.kz. Kok-Tobe cable car: Kok-Tobe.
- National park fees 2026: Tengrinews. Driving standards: UK FCDO.