The Best Cities to Visit in Kazakhstan

Why visit Kazakhstan?

The world's ninth-largest country mixes futuristic skylines, Silk Road history and endless steppe. Distances are huge, so most travellers focus on a handful of standout cities. Here are the ones worth your time.

Almaty

The former capital and Kazakhstan's cultural heart sits below the snow-capped Tian Shan mountains. It is green, walkable and full of cafes.

• Highlight: Ride the cable car up Kok-Tobe hill, then take a day trip to the turquoise Big Almaty Lake.

Astana

The purpose-built capital is a showcase of bold architecture rising straight from the steppe.

• Highlight: The Bayterek tower, where you can place your hand in a golden imprint and see the city laid out below.

Shymkent

Kazakhstan's third city is warmer, slower and closer to Central Asian tradition, with a buzzing bazaar culture.

• Highlight: The lively Shymkent Bazaar, perfect for spices, dried fruit and people-watching.

Turkestan

The spiritual capital of the Turkic world and the country's most important pilgrimage site.

• Highlight: The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, a UNESCO-listed masterpiece commissioned by Timur.

Karaganda

A gritty industrial city in the central steppe with a sobering Soviet history.

• Highlight: The KarLag museum, a former Gulag administration building telling the story of the labour camps.

Aktau

The only Kazakh city on the Caspian Sea, with curious street addresses made of numbers instead of names.

• Highlight: Sunset on the Caspian seafront, plus excursions to the otherworldly canyons and underground mosques of Mangystau.

Practical tips

• Domestic flights save days over trains for long hops like Almaty to Aktau.
• Spring and autumn bring the most comfortable weather.
• Cash is handy at bazaars, but cards work widely in big cities.

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