Grand Tour of Kazakhstan: Almaty, Mangystau, Shymkent, Turkestan · 13 days

A walk through Panfilov Park, a shaded green space in the city center with the memorial to the 28 Panfilov guardsmen who fell near Moscow in 1941. Centuries-old oaks, quiet alleys, the sound of bells, and the atmosphere of old Alma-Ata, preserved inside a modern metropolis. In the first half of the day, visit the Zenkov Cathedral from 1907, one of the tallest wooden churches in the world, built without a single nail and surviving the earthquake that leveled half the city. Inside is an iconostasis from the late 19th century, outside are 56-meter golden domes. Near lunchtime, drive past the campus of the Kazakhstan-British Technical University, with modern architecture and an atrium, one of the symbols of new Almaty. In the second half of the day, stop for photos at the Kazakhstan Hotel, a 25-story building from the late 1970s with a huge smalt mosaic on the facade, a classic example of Almaty Soviet modernism. After lunch, walk through the Main Botanical Garden, founded in 1932, 108 hectares with a collection of more than 3000 plant species, a carp pond, and a corner of coniferous forest right in the city. By evening, take the cable car up to Kok-Tobe (1070 m), the city’s signature viewpoint. Almaty lies at your feet, with the Alatau mountains behind you, and the sunset is especially striking when the peaks turn pink and the lights of the metropolis begin to glow in the valley. Return to Almaty in the evening.

Visit the ruins of Otrar, a medieval Silk Road center destroyed by Genghis Khan in 1220. Walls standing in the steppe and history you can feel underfoot. In the first half of the day, stop at the Arystan-Bab Mausoleum, the teacher of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. An essential stop for pilgrims before visiting Turkestan. Near lunchtime, visit the 14th-century Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, a UNESCO site and the largest pilgrimage destination in the region’s Islamic world. The 39-meter dome with blue tiles can be seen for kilometers, and inside is the atmosphere of a shrine that has stood for six centuries. In the second half of the day, visit the Hilvet Mosque, the underground part of the Yasawi mausoleum complex, a place for solitary prayer by medieval Sufis. After lunch, visit the settlement of Kultobe, the cradle of Turkestan with a cultural layer 1500 years old. By evening, walk through the citadel of Turkestan, a reconstruction of the fortress walls from the era of Timur. The day ends with a look at the reconstructed caravanserai with workshops, spices, and a teahouse, evoking the age of trade caravans. Return to Almaty in the evening.

Walk through Alma-Arasan Gorge with its mineral hot spring, mountain stream, and trails running along cascades under a conifer canopy. In the first half of the day, stop at the Ayusai eco-park in the Maly Almaty gorge, with wooden boardwalks, alpine flowers, and a waterfall on the trail to Big Almaty Lake. Near lunchtime, see the famous bird show at Sunkar Center, the only regular performance of its kind in Kazakhstan. The berkut takes off from the falconer’s glove and returns precisely to the circle, bringing the ancient nomadic art of hunting to life. In the second half of the day, drive to Big Almaty Lake (2511 m), a turquoise reservoir just 15 km from the city center. The water shifts from aquamarine to deep turquoise depending on the clouds, and photo spots line both shores and the high viewpoint. Return to Almaty in the evening.

A deep dive into nomadic culture at Hunny Ethno-Village, a reconstruction of Kazakh daily life 70 km from the city. Yurts, beshbarmak cooked over an open fire, horse performances, and an introduction to the musical instruments of the nomads. In the first half of the day, visit the Green Bazaar, operating since 1875, a true eastern market with piles of dried apricots, apricots, and raisins, rows of kazy and shuzhuk (horse sausage), barrels of honey from the jailyau, and friendly sellers who let you taste everything before buying. Near lunchtime, a short stop at the signature store of “Rahat” chocolate, Kazakhstan’s oldest chocolate brand, with gift boxes designed in the style of the 1970s. An ideal place for souvenirs and gifts to take home. Return to Almaty in the evening.

Breakfast at the hotel, checkout at a convenient time, and transfer to the airport. The schedule is adjusted to your flight time.

Visit the Medeu ice rink at an altitude of 1691 meters, the highest mountain stadium 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. In the first half of the day, ride up to the Shymbulak mountain resort (2260 m) by a three-stage cable car that climbs to 3200 meters in 25 minutes and opens up a full panorama of the Zailiyskiy Alatau. In winter, this is for skiing and snowboarding, in summer, for hiking and cafés with views. Near lunchtime, visit the Kasteyev Museum of Arts, the country’s largest art collection, with halls dedicated to Kasteyev, Khludov, and the Soviet avant-garde. In the second half of the day, stroll along pedestrian Zhibek Zholy, Almaty’s “Arbat,” with street artists, guitarists at sunset, stalls selling local handmade goods, and coffee shops where you can catch your breath after an active day. Return to Almaty in the evening.

Descent into Charyn Canyon and a walk through the “Valley of Castles,” 154 kilometers of red sandstone, where the midday sun melts the cliffs into copper. The trail runs between jagged towers along the river, with the feeling that you have stepped onto a Western film set. In the first half of the day, take in the Moon Canyon, a neighboring valley of Charyn with gray and bluish rock formations. It is an otherworldly landscape where time and phones are easy to forget. Near lunchtime, visit Black Canyon with its volcanic walls and narrow passages, a dark contrast after Charyn’s red tones. In the second half of the day, walk around the first Kolsai Lake (1818 m), a turquoise surface surrounded by centuries-old Tien Shan spruces. The ringing silence of the mountains, a rare cry of a falcon, and trout biting right from the shore. After lunch, transfer to Saty village, a mountain aul in the Ile-Alatau National Park and the starting base for Kolsai and Kaindy. Guesthouses serve homemade beshbarmak, manti, and herbal tea. Overnight in a guesthouse in Saty village with home-style cooking.

Visit to Kaindy Lake, formed after the 1911 earthquake. Spruce trunks rise from the water like the masts of a sunken fleet, and the turquoise surface between them creates a place outside time, one of Kazakhstan’s most recognizable images. In the first half of the day, transfer and overnight in Basshi village, the gateway to Altyn-Emel. A quiet aul at the foot of the ridge, where the air smells of steppe and burnt straw, with guesthouses serving a simple but hearty dinner. Overnight in a guesthouse in Basshi village at the gate to Altyn-Emel.

Exploration of Altyn-Emel National Park, 4600 km² of desert landscapes with herds of kulans and goitered gazelles. The scale here is felt physically, as in Arizona. In the first half of the day, visit the Aktau chalk mountains, pink, green, and blue bands of Paleocene rock. A colored echo of an ancient sea that disappeared 50 million years ago. Near lunchtime, stop at the colored Katutau mountains, volcanic formations sculpted by wind. Here, geology seems to have taken up handwork. In the second half of the day, climb Singing Dune, a 150-meter dune 1.5 kilometers long. On the way down, the dry sand gives off a deep hum, like the engine of a warming car, and the sound really comes from under your feet. After lunch, 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 in the evening.

Arrival in Aktau, a port city on the Caspian Sea and the gateway to Mangystau. Check in at the hotel, a walk along the seafront, and dinner with a sea view. In the first half of the day, descend into Ybykty Canyon with vertical walls reaching up to 120 meters, a narrow fissure in the plateau with the feel of a natural temple. Near lunchtime, visit the Karaman-Ata underground mosque from the 12th century, a pilgrimage site carved directly into the rock. Cool air, silence, and a distinct atmosphere of prayer that has endured for six centuries. In the second half of the day, the upper Bozjyra viewpoint offers the best angle on the chalk cliffs. After lunch, the lower Bozjyra viewpoint, a walk closer to the foot of the “Fangs.” By evening, depart for the “Fangs of Bozjyra”, white chalk cliffs rising to 200 meters. One of Kazakhstan’s most photogenic landscapes, it resembles a set from Dune. The day ends with a stop at the Mars Panorama above Bozjyra, red earth, eroded ridges, and a horizon with no sign of human presence. The day ends with a view of the Dragon Ridge, a jagged chalk range whose sharp silhouette against the sky resembles the back of a giant creature. Overnight in an Aktau hotel on the Caspian shore.

Depart for the “Fangs of Bozjyra”, white chalk cliffs rising to 200 meters. One of Kazakhstan’s most photogenic landscapes, it resembles a set from Dune. In the first half of the day, stop at the Mars Panorama above Bozjyra, red earth, eroded ridges, and a horizon with no sign of human presence. Near lunchtime, take in the Dragon Ridge, a jagged chalk range whose sharp silhouette against the sky resembles the back of a giant creature. In the second half of the day, stop for photos in Tiramisu Canyon, where layered beige and brown rock really does resemble the dessert. A desert “cake” under bright sun. After lunch, climb Mount Bokty, an isolated chalk peak with three-colored striped strata. The trail is easy, and the ascent takes about an hour. By evening, walk along the Caspian shore with its empty beach and flat horizon. The sunset drops straight into the water, a rare shot without resort crowds. The day ends with arrival in Aktau, a port city on the Caspian Sea and the gateway to Mangystau. Check in at the hotel, a walk along the seafront, and dinner with a sea view. Overnight in an Aktau hotel on the Caspian shore.

Walk along the Caspian shore with its empty beach and flat horizon. The sunset drops straight into the water, a rare shot without resort crowds. In the first half of the day, arrive in Aktau, a port city on the Caspian Sea and the gateway to Mangystau. Check in at the hotel, a walk along the seafront, and dinner with a sea view. Near lunchtime, take a sightseeing tour of Shymkent, Kazakhstan’s third-largest city, with southern hospitality, teahouses, and bazaars that remember the Silk Road. Overnight in an Aktau hotel on the Caspian shore.

Stop in Sairam, one of the oldest cities in Kazakhstan, more than 2500 years older than Shymkent. Minarets, mausoleums, and the silence of the outskirts. In the first half of the day, climb Mount Kemekalgan, a viewpoint over the surroundings of Shymkent. Near lunchtime, descend into Ak-Meshit Cave, a karst chamber 30×80 meters with a dome-shaped opening to the sky. The underground “White Mosque” is considered a place of power by locals. In the second half of the day, visit the Domalak-Ana Mausoleum, a place of reverence for the legendary mother-ancestor of Kazakh clans. After lunch, visit the Ibrahim-Ata Mausoleum, one of the ancient shrines of southern Kazakhstan. By evening, stop at the Karashash-Ana Mausoleum, the place of reverence for Khoja Ahmed Yasawi’s mother. The day ends with a look at the medieval minaret of Shymkent, a remnant of the region’s early Islamic architecture. The day ends with a visit to the Shymkent local history museum, tracing the evolution of southern Kazakhstan from the Bronze Age to the present, with a focus on the Silk Road. Return to Almaty in the evening.