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How many days in Kazakhstan? 7 days for Almaty's mountains, canyons and the new capital
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Kazakhstan is the ninth-largest country on earth, so the trick is not to try to see it. Spend five days around Almaty, where the snowy Tian Shan rise straight behind the city and the canyons and mountain lakes of the south-east are a long day's drive away, then fly 1h40 to Astana for two days of futuristic capital. Seven days, one flight, and a hired driver for the lakes: that is the plan that works.
Short answer
Five days covers Almaty, the mountains above it and the Charyn-Kolsai-Kaindy loop. Two more add Astana, which is a completely different country in look and climate.
The 7-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Almaty: Panfilov Park, the Green Bazaar and Arbat
Morning. Start in Panfilov Park at the Ascension (Zenkov) Cathedral, a painted wooden church from 1907 built without nails and one of the few buildings to survive the 1911 earthquake. Entry is free. Walk 5 minutes to the Green Bazaar (Zelyony Bazaar) for dried fruit, nuts and horse-meat sausage.
Afternoon. Walk 10 minutes to Zhibek Zholy pedestrian street, the local 'Arbat', with buskers and cafes, then take a taxi (about ₸1,000-1,500 by Yandex Go) to the Central State Museum near Republic Square (about ₸1,000) for the Golden Man replica and nomad yurts. Republic Square and the Independence Monument are next door.
Evening. Ride the cable car or road up Kok-Tobe hill (about ₸2,500-3,000 return), 1,100 metres above sea level, for sunset over the city. Eat beshbarmak at a Kazakh restaurant on Dostyk Avenue for ₸4,000-6,000.
Locals give directions as 'up' (towards the mountains) or 'down'.
Day 2: Medeu and Shymbulak
Morning. Take bus 12 from Dostyk Avenue (about ₸200, 40 minutes) or a taxi (₸3,000-4,000) up the gorge to Medeu, the giant high-altitude skating rink at 1,691 metres, open for public skating from roughly November to March. In summer, climb the 800-odd steps of the dam above it for the view.
Afternoon. From Medeu, the Shymbulak gondola climbs in three stages to the Talgar Pass at about 3,200 metres (a full ticket to the top costs roughly ₸10,000-12,000; check current prices). In winter Shymbulak is a full ski resort.
Evening. Back in the centre, eat at one of the Uyghur restaurants for lagman (hand-pulled noodles) and samsa from a tandoor oven. Expect about ₸2,500-3,500 a meal.
The top of the gondola can be 15-20°C colder than the city.
Day 3: Big Almaty Lake and the Ile-Alatau
Morning. Leave early for Big Almaty Lake (BAO), a turquoise reservoir at 2,511 metres in Ile-Alatau National Park, about 1 hour by car from the city. Park entry is roughly ₸1,500-2,000 per person plus a vehicle fee. The lake is a protected water supply: you look and photograph, but swimming is forbidden.
Afternoon. Walk the gravel road above the lake towards the Tian Shan Astronomical Observatory at about 2,700 metres for a wider view of the peaks around Bolshoi Almatinsky (3,681 m).
Evening. Return by 17:00 for the Kasteev State Museum of Arts, or eat at a terrace on Abay Avenue, where many new cafes and wine bars have opened.
The road is sometimes closed to taxis; a shared tour (about ₸8,000-12,000) is reliable.
Day 4: Charyn Canyon and the drive to Saty
Morning. Leave Almaty at 7:00 with a hired driver or a two-day tour for Charyn Canyon, about 200 km and 3-3.5 hours east. Walk the Valley of Castles, a 2-3 km trail between red sandstone towers up to 150 metres high, down to the Charyn River (park fee about ₸1,500).
Afternoon. Eat lunch at the eco-park by the river, then continue about 2.5 hours south to the village of Saty, the base for the mountain lakes. The last stretch climbs through the Black Canyon of the Shelek river.
Evening. Stay in a guesthouse in Saty (about ₸15,000-25,000 for a double with dinner and breakfast). Dinner is usually home-cooked plov.
A two-day Charyn-Kolsai-Kaindy tour from Almaty costs roughly ₸60,000-90,000 per person with transport, guesthouse and meals; a private driver is about ₸80,000-110,000 per day for the car.
Day 5: Kolsai and Kaindy lakes
Morning. Drive 20 minutes to the first Kolsai Lake at 1,818 metres, a dark-green mountain lake ringed by spruce forest. The trail to the second lake is about 8 km and 3-4 hours return through forest; rowing boats rent on the first lake for about ₸3,000 an hour.
Afternoon. Switch to a 4x4 for the rough 12 km track to Lake Kaindy, the 'sunken forest', where dead spruce trunks rise straight out of cold blue water after a 1911 earthquake landslide dammed the valley. The walk down from the car park takes about 20 minutes.
Evening. Drive back to Almaty, about 5-6 hours. You arrive late, so book a room near the centre.
There is little mobile signal; carry cash and offline maps.
Day 6: Fly to Astana: Baiterek and the Left Bank
Morning. Fly from Almaty to Astana (about 1h40; one-way fares around ₸25,000-45,000 on Air Astana, FlyArystan or SCAT). The overnight Talgo train takes about 12-13 hours if you prefer to save a hotel night.
Afternoon. Head to the Left Bank's main axis, Nurzhol Boulevard. Ride up the Baiterek tower (about ₸2,000), 97 metres high, topped by a golden sphere: the egg of the mythical Samruk bird.
Evening. Walk 15 minutes to Khan Shatyr, a tilted transparent tent 150 metres high designed by Norman Foster, with a shopping centre and an indoor beach inside. Dinner nearby costs ₸5,000-9,000 at a mid-range restaurant.
January in Astana can drop below -30°C; plan indoor sights in winter.
Day 7: Astana: mosques, museums and Expo
Morning. Visit the Hazrat Sultan Mosque, one of the largest in Central Asia, white with turquoise domes (free; women cover their hair). Then walk to the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, Foster's glass pyramid, and the National Museum of Kazakhstan on Independence Square (about ₸1,500-2,000), with its Gold Hall.
Afternoon. Take a taxi 15 minutes to Nur Alem, the 80-metre glass sphere left from Expo 2017, now a museum of future energy over eight floors (about ₸2,000-3,000).
Evening. End on the Ishim River embankment for the lights of the Left Bank, then dinner on the older Right Bank. Fly out the next morning.
Yandex Go rides in the centre rarely cost over ₸2,500.
Only have 5 days?
With 5 days, skip Astana: do Days 1-5 and fly out of Almaty. With only 3, combine Days 1-2 and take a one-day Charyn tour (about 10-12 hours return) instead of the lakes.
Got extra days?
Extra days go to Altyn-Emel National Park and its 'singing' sand dune (about 4 hours from Almaty), to Turkistan in the south for the turquoise Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi (a UNESCO site, reached by fast train or flight), or across the border to Bishkek and Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan.
Where to stay in Kazakhstan
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Almaty: around the Green Bazaar / Zhibek Zholy | Hostels and guesthouses within walking distance of the old centre and buses. | ₸12,000-22,000 |
| Mid-range | Almaty: Dostyk and Abay Avenues | Close to the bus up to Medeu, cafes and the mountain view. | ₸30,000-50,000 |
| Mid-range | Astana: Left Bank near Nurzhol Boulevard | Walk to Baiterek, Khan Shatyr and the main sights. | ₸30,000-55,000 |
| Comfort | Almaty foothills / Astana Left Bank towers | International five-star hotels with mountain or skyline views. | ₸70,000-150,000 |
Getting around
In Almaty, the single metro line runs along Abay Avenue (a ride is about ₸120 with an Onay card or a bank card), buses cost about ₸200, and Yandex Go taxis are cheap. Almaty airport is about 25-30 minutes from the centre by taxi (₸3,000-5,000). For Charyn, Kolsai and Kaindy, public transport is impractical: book a tour or a car with driver. Between Almaty and Astana, fly (1h40) or take the overnight Talgo train (about 12-13 hours). Many nationalities can enter visa-free for 30 days; check your passport's rules.
What to eat in Kazakhstan
Kazakh food is built on meat and dough. Beshbarmak (boiled horse or lamb on wide noodles) is the festive dish, kazy is horse-meat sausage, and baursak are puffy fried dough served with tea. Thanks to Almaty's Uyghur and Korean communities, the best everyday meals are often lagman, manty (large steamed dumplings, about ₸1,500 for five) and spicy Korean carrot salad. Try kumys (fermented mare's milk) once. A canteen lunch costs ₸2,000-3,000, a mid-range dinner ₸5,000-9,000, and a 10% service charge is often added.
Best time to visit
Late May to June and September to early October are best for Almaty and the lakes, with city highs of 20-28°C and clear mountain air. July and August are hotter (30-35°C in Almaty) but the high roads and trails are fully open. Kolsai and Kaindy can be snowbound from November to April. Astana is pleasant only from June to early September; winters there are among the harshest of any capital.
Month-by-month weather for Kazakhstan →
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | ₸9,000 | ₸20,000 | ₸50,000 |
| Food & drink | ₸7,000 | ₸14,000 | ₸28,000 |
| Sights & tickets | ₸3,000 | ₸8,000 | ₸15,000 |
| Local transport | ₸3,000 | ₸12,000 | ₸40,000 |
| Total per person, per day | about ₸22,000 | about ₸54,000 | about ₸133,000 |
Approximate 2026 prices in Kazakh tenge (very roughly ₸500 to US$1, but the rate moves); transport includes a share of tours and the Almaty-Astana flight spread over the week, and some hotels add a small tourist fee.
Before you go
Common questions
Can I visit Charyn Canyon as a day trip from Almaty?
Yes. Day tours leave around 7:00 and return around 19:00-20:00, with about 3-3.5 hours of driving each way and 2-3 hours in the Valley of Castles. If you also want the Kolsai and Kaindy lakes, take a two-day tour with a night in Saty; doing all three in one day means 10 hours in a car.
Is Almaty or Astana the capital?
Astana has been the capital since 1997 and holds the government, ministries and new architecture. Almaty, the former capital, is still the largest city and the commercial and cultural centre, with the mountains, old parks, bazaars and most of the restaurants. For travellers, Almaty is the base and Astana a two-day addition.
Do I need cash in Kazakhstan?
In Almaty and Astana, cards and phone payments work almost everywhere, including taxis through the Yandex Go app. Carry tenge for bazaars, park fees, guesthouses in Saty and the 4x4 drivers at Kaindy. ATMs of Halyk Bank and Kaspi accept foreign cards; change money only at banks or official exchange booths.
Do people speak English?
Less than in Western Europe. Russian is the common language in Almaty and Astana, with Kazakh increasingly used. Younger people in cafes and hotels often speak some English, translation apps fill the gap, and English-speaking guides can be booked.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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