All places and pages

Photo galleries by season

Places whose photos are split by season, so you can compare autumn, winter and spring.

• Almaty cable cars: which lines run, where they go and what to check first winter · 8 photos
• Almaty in winter by numbers: smog, snow and cold days winter · 6 photos
• Ayusai Gorge, Almaty: visitor centre and waterfall trail summer · 8 photos
• Gorelnik Gorge above Medeu: waterfalls, trail and season summer · 6 photos
• Horse riding in Kazakhstan: where to ride and what to expect summer · 6 photos
• Ice skating in Almaty: free city rinks and what is known about the 2026/27 season winter · 4 photos
• Kok-Zhailau: the plateau above Almaty between the two Almaty gorges autumn · spring · 20 photos
• Saty village: base for the Kolsai and Kaindy lakes summer · 7 photos
• Small Almaty Gorge: from Medeu to the Tuyuksu glacier, stop by stop autumn · winter · 14 photos
• Tuzkol Lake: a salt lake with a view of Khan Tengri summer · 4 photos

Places by region

Charyn Canyon 18

• Bestamak, Temirlik and Kurtu: the canyons without crowds
• Burial mounds and kurgans: the park's archaeological trail
• Charyn Canyon rules: what is allowed and what is not
• Charyn Canyon vs the world's canyons: depth and length compared
• Charyn Canyon weather by month: temperature, rain and when to go
• Charyn Canyon with children: what to plan for
• Charyn in a day, or staying overnight
• Charyn in winter: the season nobody plans for
• Charyn without a car: what actually works
• Getting to Charyn Canyon from Almaty
• How Charyn Canyon was formed
• How deep is Charyn Canyon? Compared with Baiterek, the Eiffel Tower and Burj Khalifa
• Near Charyn: building a two- or three-day route
• Photographing Charyn: light, timing, gear
• Sarytogay ash grove: a relict forest from the Paleogene
• Valley of Castles: the main part of Charyn Canyon
• What entry to Charyn Canyon actually costs
• Wildlife of Charyn: what actually lives here

Cities in Kazakhstan 22

• Aktau, Kazakhstan: what to do in the Caspian port city and the desert around it
• Aktobe, Kazakhstan: what to see, the weather by month and trips into the steppe
• Almaty weather by month: temperature, rain, snow and what to pack
• Astana weather by month: how cold it gets, wind and frost
• Atyrau, Kazakhstan: weather, sights and what the city works for as a base
• Karaganda, Kazakhstan: what to see in the coal city and when to come
• Pavlodar, Kazakhstan: weather, things to do and the Irtysh river city as a base
• Things to do in Almaty: 10 places, a one-day plan and three days without a car
• Things to do in Astana: Khan Shatyr, Baiterek, the pyramid and a one-day plan
• Things to do in Kokshetau, the lakeside city that serves as a base for Burabay and Zerenda
• Things to do in Konaev, the reservoir town north of Almaty
• Things to do in Kostanay, a steppe city on the Tobol River
• Things to do in Kyzylorda, the desert city on the Syr Darya
• Things to do in Oral (Uralsk): a Cossack river town on Europe's edge
• Things to do in Oskemen, the river city at the edge of the Altai
• Things to do in Petropavl, the northern city on the Ishim River
• Things to do in Semey, the Irtysh city of Abai and Dostoevsky
• Things to do in Shymkent and how to use it as a base in southern Kazakhstan
• Things to do in Taldykorgan, and how the city works as a base for Jetisu nature
• Things to do in Taraz, the old Silk Road city near the Kyrgyz border
• Things to do in Turkistan, Kazakhstan: the Yasawi Mausoleum and a compact old city
• Things to do in Zhezkazgan, the copper city at the centre of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan itineraries 8

• A Kazakhstan itinerary for 10 days, with four more if you have them
• A Kazakhstan itinerary for 5 days, built around Almaty and its mountains
• A Kazakhstan itinerary for 7 days: Almaty's mountains, then Astana
• A Mangystau itinerary for 3 or 5 days, planned out from Aktau
• A South Kazakhstan itinerary from Shymkent to Turkistan and Otrar, day by day
• Almaty to Bishkek and Karakol: one route through Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan
• An Almaty itinerary for 3, 5 or 7 days in the city and the mountains
• Kazakhstan itinerary: choose 5, 7, 10 or 14 days by what you can reach

Kazakhstan trip planning tools 6

• Distances from Kazakhstan cities to places
• Kazakhstan climate by month: cities and places
• Kazakhstan trip planner: build a day-by-day outline
• Map of places to visit in Kazakhstan
• Quiz: where should you go in Kazakhstan?
• What to pack for Kazakhstan: a checklist by season and place

National parks of Kazakhstan 34

• Aksu-Zhabagly
• Aktau and Katutau mountains in Altyn-Emel
• Alakol
• Altyn-Emel
• Bayanaul
• Big Almaty Lake
• Bozzhyra and the wild landscapes of Mangystau
• Burabay
• Entrance tariffs for every protected area in Kazakhstan
• Ile-Alatau
• Ile-Balkhash
• Kaindy Lake: the sunken spruce forest
• Karkaraly
• Katon-Karagay
• Kazakhstan national park fee calculator
• Kazakhstan national parks and reserves compared: area and fees
• Kazakhstan's 10 strict nature reserves: can you visit them?
• Kazakhstan's national parks and reserves by region
• Kokshetau
• Kolsai Lakes
• Korgalzhyn
• Markakol
• Nature near Almaty: 15 day trips
• Naurzum
• Sayram-Ugam
• Tarbagatai
• The largest protected areas in Kazakhstan
• The Singing Dune in Altyn-Emel
• Turgen gorge waterfalls
• UNESCO heritage in Kazakhstan: seven sites
• What park services cost: guides, filming, yurts, buses
• Who runs the parks: four authorities and why it matters
• Zapovednik, park, rezervat: where you will be let in
• Zhongar-Alatau

Nature of Kazakhstan 11

• Animals of Kazakhstan: how many species and who lives where
• Birdwatching in Kazakhstan: species, migration and where to go
• Flamingos in Kazakhstan: the world's northernmost colony
• Kazakhstan nature calendar: what happens each month
• Kazakhstan's Red Book: the 217 listed animals and where to see them
• Natural zones of Kazakhstan: from forest-steppe to desert
• Poppy fields in Kazakhstan: when they bloom and how to find them
• Red Book plants of Kazakhstan: 387 listed, from wild apple to tulips
• Rivers of Kazakhstan: the longest, their basins and where to see them
• Saiga antelope in Kazakhstan: numbers, range and can you see one
• Wild tulips in Kazakhstan: where and when they bloom

Places 172

• Abat-Baitak Mausoleum and its necropolis in the steppe south of Aktobe
• Abylai Khan Residence, Petropavl: museum hours and what is inside
• Airakty, Mangystau's Valley of Castles: getting there and when to go
• Ak-Bulak: a ski resort in the Soldatskoye gorge beyond Talgar
• Akmeshit Cave, Kazakhstan: getting there and the climb down
• Aksay Gorge near Almaty: routes, access and the Aksay Skete
• Aktolagai chalk cliffs: a fossil seabed in the western Kazakh steppe
• Akyrtas: the unfinished red stone palace east of Taraz
• Akzhaiyk Reserve: the Ural Delta wetlands on the Caspian near Atyrau
• Alasha Khan Mausoleum: a brick tomb above the Karakengir in central Kazakhstan
• Alma-Arasan: the hot springs of Prokhodnaya gorge above Almaty
• Almaty Main Botanical Garden: opening hours, tickets, entrances and bloom seasons
• Almaty Zoo in Kazakhstan: opening hours and how to visit
• Altai Alps: a ski base near Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk)
• Amankaragay Pine Forest: a planted pine belt in the Kostanay steppe
• Ancient Taraz: visiting the buried Silk Road city under modern Taraz
• Arasan Spa Almaty: prices, steam rooms and rules at the Arasan Baths
• Arbat Almaty: the pedestrian stretch of Zhibek Zholy Street
• Arystan Bab Mausoleum, the pilgrim stop before Turkistan
• Ascension Cathedral and Panfilov Park in central Almaty
• Assy Plateau: summer pastures above Turgen and the Assy-Turgen Observatory
• Astana Botanical Garden: what to see and how to get there
• Ayusai Gorge, Almaty: visitor centre and waterfall trail
• Baidibek Ata Mausoleum: finding the right village in southern Kazakhstan
• Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan: where it is, what launched here and what we could not confirm about visiting
• Barlyk-Arasan hot springs near Lake Alakol: water, radon and what to ask
• Barsakelmes: the former Aral Sea island that became a desert nature reserve
• Bartogay Reservoir, a mountain irrigation lake on the Chilik River
• Bayterek Tower in Astana: what the monument is and how to plan a visit
• Beket-Ata underground mosque at Oglandy
• Bektau-Ata, a granite island in the steppe north of Lake Balkhash
• Belukha Mountain, the highest point of the Altai on the Kazakhstan–Russia border
• Berel Kurgans, the frozen burial mounds of the Kazakh Altai
• Besshatyr kurgans: a Saka royal necropolis on the Ili River
• Big Almaty Peak: climbing above Big Almaty Lake in 2026
• Bokey Orda, the khan's headquarters village in Kazakhstan's far west
• Botai settlement: a Copper Age horse people's village in North Kazakhstan
• Buiratau National Park: a steppe-and-forest park in the hills east of Astana
• Bukhtarma Reservoir: what to know before a trip to Kazakhstan's largest reservoir
• Burkhan-Bulak Waterfall, the tallest waterfall in Kazakhstan
• Butakovka waterfall and gorge
• Central Mosque Almaty: what to wear, when to go and what is unconfirmed
• Chagan Atomic Lake, the crater a 1965 nuclear blast left on the Semipalatinsk Test Site
• Chundzha (Shonzhy): hot springs of the Uygur district
• Domalak Ana Mausoleum, a revered shrine on the southern slope of the Karatau
• Eshkiolmes Petroglyphs: over 4,000 rock carvings on a Zhetysu ridge
• First President Park in Almaty: a large city park on former apple orchards
• Fort Shevchenko, the old Caspian fort town on the Mangystau coast
• Furmanov Peak: the trail from Medeu past the Sky Swings
• Gorelnik Gorge above Medeu: waterfalls, trail and season
• Green Bazaar Almaty: a market on the same square since the 1860s
• Hazret Sultan Mosque in Astana: what to know before you visit
• Independence Park, Shymkent: fountain, monument and a short walk
• Irgiz-Turgai Reserve, the saiga refuge of the Aktobe steppe
• Issyk Lake (Esik): the 1963 mudflow and the lake today
• Jochi Khan Mausoleum: a medieval brick tomb in the Ulytau steppe
• Kamenskoe Plateau above Almaty: observatory and trails
• Kapal-Arasan: a thermal spring sanatorium in the village of Arasan
• Kapshagay Reservoir and the city of Konaev
• Karagiye Depression, the deep karst basin near Aktau
• Karakhan Mausoleum: a rebuilt 11th-century tomb on the edge of Taraz
• Karatau Reserve: a young mountain sanctuary in southern Kazakhstan
• Karynzharyk Sands: a salt-and-sand depression deep in Mangystau
• Kaskasu Gorge near Shymkent: weather, road and the unbuilt ski resort
• Kaskelen Gorge near Almaty: the Uy-Tas boulder hike
• Kazygurt Mountain, the limestone ridge south of Shymkent tied to Noah's Ark
• Kegen and the Kokpek Pass: a high steppe valley on the road east of Almaty
• Ken Baba, Shymkent: the old park is now a Japanese garden
• Kenderli on the Caspian: what exists today, the resort plan and the road
• Keruen Saray, Turkistan: the modern canal complex by the Yasawi mausoleum
• Khan Shatyr, Astana's giant tent with a beach inside
• Khan Tengri mountain: what Kazakhstan's highest peak demands of a visitor
• Kiin-Kerish, the Burning Cliffs near Lake Zaysan, and what a trip there takes
• Kimasar Gorge, Almaty: three walks from Medeu by city bus
• Kobeituz Pink Lake: a shallow salt lake in the steppe north-east of Astana
• Kok-Tobe: the cable car, TV tower and viewpoints above Almaty
• Kok-Zhailau: the plateau above Almaty between the two Almaty gorges
• Kokkol waterfall in the Kazakh Altai: the walk, the season and how to get there
• Konyr-Auliye cave: two caves, one name, and how to reach the right one
• Korkyt Ata Memorial, a wind-played monument on the Syr Darya steppe
• Kostobe, Kazakhstan: the Silk Road city of Jamukat near Taraz
• Kyzylarai Mountains: the highest point of the Kazakh steppe and the Bronze Age tombs of Begazy
• Lake Balkhash in Kazakhstan: a 600 km lake that is fresh at one end and salty at the other
• Lake Bolshoye Chebachye: the largest lake of the Burabay group and when to go
• Lake Chelkar (Shalkar) near Oral: water, season and what to check
• Lake Imantau: swimming, the road from Kokshetau and what to check first
• Lake Inder and the Inder Hills: a salt lake and karst country north of Atyrau
• Lake Kambash near the Aral Sea: why the water level decides your trip
• Lake Moiyldy near Pavlodar: mud, brine and how to get there
• Lake Shaitankol: a small granite-ringed lake near Karkaraly
• Lake Shalkar in North Kazakhstan: a brackish lake with a birch-lined shore near Kokshetau
• Lake Shchuchye, the deepest of the Kokshetau lakes, and what a trip there involves
• Lake Toraigyr: a small mountain lake in Bayanaul National Park
• Lake Yazevoe in the Kazakh Altai: road, altitude and the permit question
• Lake Zaysan in Kazakhstan: an ancient lake on the Irtysh, now part of a reservoir
• Lake Zerenda, a pine-ringed freshwater lake in northern Kazakhstan
• Lake Zhasybay: a clear lake inside the Bayanaul hills of north-east Kazakhstan
• Lake Zhasylkol, an earthquake-dammed lake in the Dzungarian Alatau
• Mashat Canyon: a river gorge in the hills east of Shymkent
• Mashkhur Zhusup Mosque: Pavlodar's great blue-domed mosque
• Medeu: the high-altitude rink, the mudflow dam and the gorge
• Moiynkum Desert: what to know before going to Kazakhstan's southern sands
• Moon Canyon, Kazakhstan: how to get there from Almaty
• Mount Bokty in Mangystau: getting there, park fees and when the layers show
• Narynkol, a high mountain village on Kazakhstan's border with China
• Nur Alem, Astana: what is open inside the Expo sphere
• Oi-Qaragai: the all-season mountain resort near Almaty
• Okzhetpes rock and Zhumbaktas: what we know before you plan a visit
• Ordabasy Hill: the stele and museum west of Shymkent
• Oskemen Ethnopark: what to see and how to plan a visit
• Otrar, the Silk Road city in southern Kazakhstan that fell to Genghis Khan
• Pervomaiskie Ponds near Almaty: location, swimming, season
• Rakhmanov Springs: radon hot springs in the Altai
• Ridder and the West Altai Reserve: taiga mountains in Kazakhstan's far northeast
• Sairam: the ancient Silk Road town of Isfijab on the edge of Shymkent
• Saraishyk, the Golden Horde city on the Ural River near Atyrau
• Saryagash: a mineral water spa town in southern Kazakhstan
• Saty village: base for the Kolsai and Kaindy lakes
• Sauran, the abandoned walled city on the Syr Darya steppe
• Semey Ormany, the protected ribbon pine forests around Semey
• Semipalatinsk Test Site: history, location and whether you can visit
• Shakpak-Ata underground mosque: getting there and what to know
• Shardara Reservoir: a large Syr Darya lake in Kazakhstan's far south
• Sherkala Mountain: the lion fortress of Mangystau
• Shopan-Ata: a rock-cut mosque and old necropolis in Mangystau
• Shymbulak weather by month: temperature, snow and the season dates
• Shymbulak: the ski resort above Medeu and Talgar Pass
• Shymkent Arboretum: a 117-hectare park on a former landfill
• Shymkent Citadel: the Shymqala complex and old town mound
• Sibiny Lakes in East Kazakhstan: choosing a lake and what to expect
• Small Almaty Gorge: from Medeu to the Tuyuksu glacier, stop by stop
• Sorbulak Lake near Almaty: wastewater reservoir and birds
• Spassk Memorial, the prisoner-of-war cemetery outside Karaganda
• Syrymbet and the Aiyrtau Hills: the Ualikhanov family estate in north Kazakhstan
• Tabagan ski resort: a small hill near Almaty for a short ski day
• Talgar Peak: the highest point of the Trans-Ili Alatau
• Talgar Settlement, a medieval Silk Road town on the edge of modern Talgar
• Tamgaly (Tanbaly) petroglyphs
• Tamgaly Tas petroglyphs: a Buddhist open-air temple on the Ili River
• Tamshaly canyon in Mangystau: the dripping grotto and how far it really is
• Tekeli: a mining town at the mouth of the Dzungarian Alatau gorges
• Tekturmas Mausoleum in Taraz: a rebuilt saint's tomb on a hill above the Talas
• The Aral Sea in Kazakhstan: where it lies, what is left and how to reach it
• The Black Canyon on the Charyn River (Aktogay)
• The Caspian Sea at Aktau: beaches, water temperature and when to swim
• The Caspian seal: what a traveller to Kazakhstan's sea coast should know
• The Ereymentau Mountains: a low rocky range in the steppe east of Astana
• The Ili River: what a rafting trip to Lake Balkhash involves
• The Issyk kurgan and the Golden Man (Esik)
• The Katutau mountains: a volcanic ridge in Altyn-Emel National Park
• The Mugodzhar Mountains, the low southern tail of the Urals in Aktobe Region
• The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation in Astana: what the pyramid is and how to plan a visit
• The Turgai Geoglyphs: giant earth figures in the steppe of northern Kazakhstan
• Torysh Valley of Balls: the stone spheres of Mangystau
• Turkestan: the Yasawi Mausoleum, Sauran and Otrar
• Tuyuksu Glacier: the retreating ice at the head of the Malaya Almatinka valley
• Tuzbair salt flat: getting there, the after-rain mirror and fees
• Tuzkol Lake: a salt lake with a view of Khan Tengri
• Ukash Ata well and mausoleum: a pilgrim site in the Karatau foothills north of Turkistan
• Ulytau Mountains: a low granite range at the heart of the Kazakh steppe
• Ustyurt Plateau: visiting the Ustyurt Reserve in western Kazakhstan
• Visiting the Abai Museum in Semey, the city where Kazakhstan's poet studied
• Visiting the Aisha Bibi Mausoleum, a carved terracotta tomb outside Taraz
• Visiting the ALZHIR Memorial, the former Gulag camp for wives near Astana
• Visiting the Central State Museum of Kazakhstan in Almaty
• Visiting the Karlag Museum in Dolinka, at the former centre of a Gulag camp
• Visiting the National Museum of Kazakhstan in Astana: halls, gold and timing
• Where the snow leopard lives in Kazakhstan, and what a traveller can realistically expect
• Zharkent Mosque, a Chinese-style mosque on Kazakhstan's eastern edge
• Zharkent-Arasan: radon hot springs in the Zhetysu mountains
• Zhidebay: the mausoleums of Abai and Shakarim and his last home
• Zhygylgan, the Fallen Land: Caspian cliffs, the road and the edge

Practical information 49

• Kazakhstan visa: who needs one, the visa-free list and how to apply 8

• Accessible nature in Kazakhstan: wheelchairs, strollers and older travellers
• Almaty mountain weather: temperatures by altitude and month
• Almaty to Bishkek: bus, shared taxi, flight and the Korday border
• Almaty to Issyk-Kul: routes via Korday or Kegen, distance and border
• Almaty to Tashkent: train, bus, flight and which border is open
• Best time to visit Kazakhstan, month by month
• Border zone permits: where you need one and where you do not
• Camping in Kazakhstan: where a tent is legal, fees and fire rules
• Can you drive in Kazakhstan with a foreign licence?
• Car rental in Almaty: what to check before you drive into the mountains
• Do you need a 4x4 in Kazakhstan? Mangystau, Altai and Altyn-Emel
• Dogs in Kazakhstan's national parks: what the rules actually say
• Drones and photography in Kazakhstan's national parks: law, fees and no-go places
• Fines in Kazakhstan: traffic penalties in MCI, with article numbers
• Fishing in Kazakhstan: spawning bans, rules and fines
• Flights to Kazakhstan: direct routes, airports and getting into the city
• Getting around Kazakhstan: trains, flights, buses, metro and taxis
• Health and medicine in Kazakhstan: vaccines, insurance, medicines, ticks, altitude
• Heat in Kazakhstan's canyons and deserts: Charyn, Altyn-Emel, Mangystau
• Is Kazakhstan safe? Government warnings, closed areas and risks by trip type
• Kazakh culture and customs: what visitors should know
• Kazakhstan border crossings: which ones foreigners can use
• Kazakhstan food: traditional dishes, horse meat and where to try them
• Kazakhstan time zone: one zone, UTC+5, since 1 March 2024
• Kazakhstan trains: routes, classes and where to book
• Kazakhstan visa for Bangladeshi citizens: no e-Visa, plan on an embassy
• Kazakhstan visa for Filipinos: 30 days visa free and the ETA
• Kazakhstan visa for Indians: visa-free rules, documents, cost
• Kazakhstan visa for Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Ghana and South Africa
• Kazakhstan visa for Pakistani citizens: embassy route and fees
• Kazakhstan visa for UAE and GCC residents: citizenship decides
• Kazakhstan visa for UK citizens: what GOV.UK and the Decree agree on
• Kazakhstan visa for US citizens: 30 days free, then the ETA
• Kazakhstan weather by month and region, from Shymkent to Pavlodar
• Kazakhstan yurt stays: what a Kazakh yurt is and where to sleep in one
• Metro Almaty: station map, fares and how to ride as a visitor
• Money in Kazakhstan: currency, cards, cash
• Mudflows in the Almaty mountains: when the risk peaks and what to do
• Registering in Kazakhstan as a foreigner: who does it and by when
• SIM cards and eSIM in Kazakhstan: biometrics, IMEI, operators
• The MCI: the figure behind most prices in Kazakhstan
• Ticks, snakes and bears in Kazakhstan: the real risks on the trail
• Trains to Kazakhstan's lakes: Alakol, Balkhash, Burabay, Konaev
• Visiting mausoleums and underground mosques in Kazakhstan: etiquette and rules
• What language do they speak in Kazakhstan? Census data and useful phrases
• What permits exist and when you actually need them
• What to buy in Kazakhstan: souvenirs and export rules
• What to check before visiting a national park
• Winter in Kazakhstan's mountains: avalanches, gear and reporting your route

Research 23

• Almaty in winter by numbers: smog, snow and cold days
• Aral Sea before and after: area and volume from 1960 to 2026
• Direct flights to Kazakhstan: where they come from and how long they take
• Earthquakes in Almaty: 50 years of seismic data around the city
• Gulag in Kazakhstan: 20 camps by region and year, 1930–1959
• Hotel occupancy in Kazakhstan by region and resort area, 2025–2026
• How foreign visitors spend money in Kazakhstan: survey data by country
• How many people visit Kazakhstan's national parks: visitor statistics
• Kazakhstan lakes in summer: when the whole country searches for them
• Kazakhstan vs Uzbekistan vs Kyrgyzstan: a data comparison for travellers
• Mangystau month by month: heat, wind and when people go
• Sacred map of Kazakhstan: the 100 listed sites and how to use them
• Skiing in Kazakhstan: how long the ski season really lasts
• Top 200 places in Kazakhstan by search demand: open ranking and dataset
• Tourism index of Kazakhstan's regions: places, demand and protected areas
• UNESCO sites in Kazakhstan: how to reach them and what entry costs
• What a national park trip costs: 29 protected areas, three scenarios
• What entry to Kazakhstan's national parks cost: MCI and tariffs, 2015–2026
• What foreigners search for in Kazakhstan vs what locals search for
• When Kazakhstan searches for nature: monthly search seasonality
• Where Kazakhstan hits −40°C: cold days in 20 cities over 35 years
• Which nature sites in Kazakhstan people search for most
• Who travels to Kazakhstan: arrivals by country, 2024–2026

Where to go in Kazakhstan 90

• Aktobe Kazakhstan: four remote steppe places and the weather that decides when to go
• Alakol, Balkhash or Kapshagay: where to spend a holiday by the water
• Almaty cable cars: which lines run, where they go and what to check first
• Ancient cities of Kazakhstan: nine sites and what is left to see
• Beach lakes in Kazakhstan: which lake suits a summer swim
• Burabay or Bayanaul: which to choose for a northern summer
• Canyons near Almaty: what actually fits into one day
• Caves and underground mosques of Kazakhstan: which one fits your trip
• Charyn Canyon and the other canyons of Kazakhstan: which one to choose
• Charyn or Kolsai with Kaindy: where to go if you have one day
• Choosing a desert in Kazakhstan: dunes, chalk cliffs and a vanished sea
• Day trips from Almaty, Kazakhstan: lakes, peaks, kurgans and ski slopes within a day
• Eagle hunting in Kazakhstan: where to see Kazakh eagle hunters
• From the Kaindy Lake underwater forest to Altai taiga: choosing a forest trip in Kazakhstan
• Glamping in Kazakhstan and near Almaty: Night Temperatures, Park Rules, What to Ask
• Hiking in Kazakhstan: where to walk, from Almaty's day trails to the Altai
• Horse riding in Kazakhstan: where to ride and what to expect
• Hot springs in Kazakhstan: how to choose between six thermal spas
• Ice skating in Almaty: free city rinks and what is known about the 2026/27 season
• Kazakhstan in April: where the season peaks and what can wait until May
• Kazakhstan in August: where the weather and the season line up
• Kazakhstan in July: which mountains, lakes and cities suit the month
• Kazakhstan in June: weather, lakes and where to go this month
• Kazakhstan in March: where to go while the mountains hold snow and the south warms up
• Kazakhstan in May: the places our guide rates at their best this month
• Kazakhstan mountains: ranges, peaks and where to go
• Kazakhstan nature in 20 places: lakes, peaks, canyons and hot springs
• Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan: which to choose for a mountain trip
• Kazakhstan tourist attractions: 50 places to visit
• Kazakhstan travel in February: ski slopes, hot springs and warm indoor sights
• Kazakhstan travel in January: ski slopes, hot springs and warm indoor sights
• Kazakhstan without a car: places you can reach by city bus, cable car and on foot
• Lakes near Almaty: how Big Almaty Lake, Kaindy, Issyk and the reservoirs compare
• Lakes of Kazakhstan: 15 places to visit
• Mangystau region: choosing between chalk cliffs, rock mosques and the Caspian coast
• Mosques in Kazakhstan: which to visit and how to behave inside
• Mountains in Almaty and around it: how to pick the right one for your trip
• Museums in Kazakhstan: which to pick by theme, and what to check first
• Places in Kazakhstan without the crowds, and how to choose between them
• Reservoirs in Kazakhstan: the largest, and the few worth a trip
• Sacred places of Kazakhstan and how to choose which to visit
• Seven Wonders of Kazakhstan: two lists and no confirmed result
• Shymbulak or Oi-Qaragai: which resort near Almaty to choose
• Skiing in Kazakhstan: how Shymbulak compares with the other ski resorts near Almaty and in the Altai
• Stargazing in Kazakhstan: meteor shower calendar 2026–2027 and dark skies near Almaty
• Tamgaly petroglyphs and the other rock art sites of Kazakhstan
• The Kazakh steppe: where to see it, and where you are allowed in
• The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi and the other shrines and Silk Road cities of Kazakhstan
• The most photogenic places in Kazakhstan, and the month each one looks its part
• The Silk Road in Kazakhstan: three corridors and where to see them
• Tian Shan in Kazakhstan: where the range runs and which part to visit
• Top 10 nature destinations in Kazakhstan
• Trips from Aktau, Kazakhstan: the coast, the desert and the Mangystau hills
• Trips from Karaganda, Kazakhstan: Gulag memorials, granite hills and steppe lakes
• Trips from Kyzylorda: the cosmodrome, the Turkistan shrines and the Syr Darya ruins
• Trips from Oskemen: nine places in East Kazakhstan and when each one works
• Trips from Pavlodar: where to go and how far each place is
• Trips from Taldykorgan: where to go in the Dzungarian Alatau, Altyn-Emel and beyond
• Trips from Taraz: what to see in the city, nearby and further across the south
• Trips from Turkistan, Kazakhstan: ruined cities, shrines and the Karatau hills
• Turgen waterfall, Burkhan-Bulak and Butakovka: choosing a waterfall in Kazakhstan
• Waterfalls near Almaty: how to choose between Turgen and Butakovka
• Weekend trips from Astana: 5 places in nature
• What to do in Almaty in winter, from ski slopes to hot springs
• What to see around Karaganda, Kazakhstan: Gulag memory, granite hills and steppe lakes
• What to see in Akmola Region: lakes, steppe hills and a Gulag memorial
• What to see in Almaty Region: lakes, canyons and mountains around Almaty
• What to see in East Kazakhstan Region and when to go
• What to see in Kyzylorda Region: a spaceport, a shrunken sea and a singing monument
• What to see in Turkistan, Kazakhstan: shrines, ruined cities and spas of the Turkistan Region
• What to see in Zhambyl Region: Taraz's old tombs and the Moiynkum sands
• What to see in Zhetysu Region, and which trip suits you
• Where to go from Almaty for a day or a weekend
• Where to go from Kokshetau: four lakes nearby, and the capital further out
• Where to go from Konaev: the Ili River, Saka kurgans and Almaty's mountains
• Where to go from Semey: eight trips, from the Abai Museum to the Bayanaul lakes
• Where to go from Shymkent: shrines, Silk Road ruins, canyons and spas
• Where to go in Kazakhstan for Nauryz: nature on the 21–23 March holiday
• Where to go in Kazakhstan in autumn
• Where to go in Kazakhstan in December: ski slopes, hot springs and warm indoor sights
• Where to go in Kazakhstan in November, when the weather favours hot springs and indoor sights
• Where to go in Kazakhstan in October: mountain trails near Almaty and the southern shrines
• Where to go in Kazakhstan in September, and what the weather allows
• Where to go in Kazakhstan in spring
• Where to go in Kazakhstan in summer
• Where to go in Kazakhstan in winter
• Where to go in Kazakhstan with kids, and which month suits each place
• Where to go on Kazakhstan's Caspian Sea coast, and when
• Where to see Kazakhstan wildlife: eight places compared
• Which peaks in Kazakhstan suit a hiker's first summit

charyn.kz

• About this project
• Charyn National Park: reference facts
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• How we verify data
• Open data: tariffs, protected areas register, border zone