8-Day Kazakhstan Highlights: Almaty, Astana & Burabay

Begin with a walk through Panfilov Park, a shaded green space in the city center with the memorial to the 28 Panfilov heroes who fell near Moscow in 1941. Old oaks, quiet avenues and the sound of bells keep the feel of old Alma-Ata inside the modern city. Next, visit the Zenkov Cathedral of 1907, among the tallest wooden churches in the world, built without a single nail and standing after the earthquake that leveled half the city. Inside is an iconostasis from the late 19th century; outside, golden domes rise 56 meters. Around lunchtime, stop by the Eternal Flame in Panfilov Park, a memorial of granite, fire and silence for the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War. In the afternoon, visit the Green Bazaar, operating since 1875, a true Eastern market with heaps of dried apricots and raisins, rows of kazy and shuzhuk (horse sausage), barrels of mountain honey from the jailyau, and friendly vendors who let you taste before buying. Finish with a short stop at a Rahat chocolate store, the oldest Kazakh brand, with gift boxes in 1970s design, a good place to pick up gifts. Return to your hotel in Almaty by evening.

Leave Almaty early for the long drive to the Kolsai Lakes area (about 290 km). Walk around the first Kolsai Lake (1818 m), surrounded by centuries-old Tien Shan spruces and so quiet you hear birds and water. In the afternoon, visit Kaindy Lake, formed by the 1911 earthquake, where spruce trunks rise from the water like the masts of a sunken fleet and make one of Kazakhstan’s most recognizable images. Then settle into Saty village, a mountain aul in Kolsai Lakes National Park and the base for the lakes. Overnight in a guesthouse in Saty, breakfast included.

Leave Saty and drive to Charyn Canyon, which stretches for 154 km. Walk through the Valley of Castles, a 2–3 km section where the trail runs along the river between jagged red towers and the sun melts the cliffs into copper. Late in the morning, see Moon Canyon, a neighboring valley of gray and bluish rock with bare, sculpted slopes. Around lunchtime, visit Black Canyon, with volcanic walls and narrow passages, darker than the red cliffs of Charyn. In the afternoon, drive on to Basshi village, the gateway to Altyn-Emel, a quiet aul at the foot of the ridge where the air smells of steppe and burned straw; guesthouses serve a simple, hearty dinner. Overnight in a guesthouse in Basshi, at the park’s entrance.

Explore Altyn-Emel National Park, 4600 km² of desert landscapes with herds of kulans and goitered gazelles; the sheer scale is something you feel physically. In the morning, visit the Aktau chalk mountains, bands of pink, green and blue rock from the Paleocene, 66 to 56 million years ago, a colorful trace of an ancient sea. Around lunchtime, stop at the colored mountains of Katutau, volcanic rocks sculpted by the wind into dramatic forms. In the afternoon, climb Singing Dune, a 150-meter dune 1.5 kilometers long. As you descend, the dry sand emits a deep hum, like the engine of a warming car, and the sound really does come from beneath your feet. On the way out, make a short stop at the 700-year-old willow in Basshi village, a living tree whose trunk remembers the era of the Golden Horde. Return to Almaty by evening.

Visit the Medeu ice rink at 1691 meters, one of the highest mountain ice rinks in the world. In winter the ice is perfectly smooth; in summer it is a cool mountain amphitheater with a walk along the dam and views of the gorge. Late in the morning, ride up to the Shymbulak mountain resort (2260 m) on the cable cars; the upper section reaches the top station at Talgar Pass (3200 m) and opens a full panorama of the Ile Alatau. The resort is for skiing and snowboarding in winter and hiking in summer, with cafés that have views. In the late afternoon, ride up Kok-Tobe by cable car (about 1,100 m), the city’s signature viewpoint. Almaty lies spread out below with the Alatau mountains behind it; around sunset the peaks turn pink and the lights of the metropolis come on in the valley. Return to your hotel in Almaty by evening.

Fly to Astana in the morning (the flight is not included), then explore the capital, a mix of futuristic architecture and steppe open space. The order and number of stops depend on your arrival time. Visit the National Museum of Kazakhstan, the largest museum complex in the region, with the Gold Hall of Saka finds, Bronze Age archaeology and halls of contemporary art. Then see Hazret Sultan Mosque, one of the largest in Central Asia, with a 51-meter dome and space for 10,000 worshippers; the filigree ornament and acoustics carry every breath. In the afternoon, climb Baiterek Tower (97 m, a nod to 1997, the year the capital was moved), with an observation deck at 86 meters and a panorama from Foster’s tent to the presidential residences. Walk along the Ishim embankment, Astana’s main promenade, with skyline views and cool river air, and cross Atyrau Bridge, the pedestrian link between the two banks. In the evening, see the Grand Mosque of Kazakhstan (2022), one of the largest in Central Asia, whose four 130-meter minarets define the capital’s new silhouette. Next is Khan Shatyr by Norman Foster, the world’s largest tensile tent at 150 meters high, with a tropical beach under its roof, and finally Mega Silk Way, the largest shopping mall in Kazakhstan, with an oceanarium, IMAX cinema and food court. Overnight in an Astana hotel.

Drive into Burabay National Park, the “Kazakh Switzerland”, where pine forests, granite cliffs and fresh-water lakes begin right beyond the steppe. In the morning, stroll along Abylai Khan Avenue, through shady pines and past the monument to the khan who united the Kazakh zhuzes. Around lunchtime, visit a maral farm, a farm for Siberian deer, and see these antlered animals from very close. In the afternoon, walk along the shore of Lake Borovoye, the heart of Burabay, with crystal water and fractured rocks, then stop at Big Chebachye Lake (24 km²), the largest in Burabay, with beaches and room for sailing. Make a short ascent of Bolektau Mountain, a viewpoint over the main lakes. Toward evening, photograph Okzhetpes Rock, a granite massif by Lake Borovoye whose fantastic shapes were carved by wind over millions of years, a symbol of Burabay on every postcard, and Zhumbaktas, the “Sphinx” rock, an island in Lake Borovoye with the silhouette of a woman whose profile changes from every angle; local legends tell of a khan’s daughter waiting for her beloved. Overnight in Burabay.