Classic Kazakhstan Tour
Tour to Kazakhstan 2024: The Main Tourist Attractions and Nomad Traditions
| Country: | Kazakhstan | View route map »» |
| Tour length: | 8 days / 7 nights | |
| Itinerary: | Almaty – Charyn Canyon – Huns ethno village – Turkestan – Otrar – Shymkent – Astana | |
The itinerary of this classical tour of Kazakhstan includes visits to the country’s main cities, remarkable historical and cultural places and the most beautiful natural attractions.
The travellers will explore the south and north of Kazakhstan, visit the country’s two capitals – the phenomenal modern city of Astana and the ‘southern capital’ Almaty – and discover Kazakh nomadic culture in a traditional Ethno village, where they acquaint themselves closely with the local lifestyle and customs and partake of some authentic Kazakh food.
This Kazakhstan tour will contain elements of a jeep tour and outdoor activities, as the only possible means to get to the Charyn National Park is in an off-road vehicle, while a walk amidst the grandiose canyons in the Valley of Castles will grant you with plenty of unforgettable impressions. The historical cities of Turkestan, Otrar and Shymkent in the south of Kazakhstan are famous for their ancient fortresses and archaeological sites, old mausoleums, medieval architecture and sacred religious places, while Tian Shan mountains around Almaty are rich in most beautiful natural objects and unique panoramas.
This optimally designed itinerary comprises the most significant things to see in Kazakhstan for 10 days!- Itinerary
Services & Cost - Useful Information
| Tour itinerary 2024: | ||
| Day 1. | Arrival in Almaty Arrival in Almaty early in the morning. After passing border control and collecting luggage, you will meet local guide holding your nameplate. Transfer to a hotel and check-in. Rest after the flight. Breakfast at the hotel. 11:00 Start of the sightseeing tour in Almaty. This day you will visit the city’s old center and cover one of the main sites that best highlight Almaty’s history. The first stop is Park of 28 Panfilov soldiers – named after the division during WWII, formed of men from the Almaty region under command of General Ivan Panfilov. The park itself is popular among locals and guests of the city. Inside the park visitors will find the eternal flame, memorials of different heroic characters, the Ascension Cathedral – Orthodox wooden church that magically withstood a strong earthquake in XX century, and Museum of musical instruments, where you can admire the collection over 1000 exhibits including rare exhibits dating back to the XVII century. Just in a walking distance, you could enjoy another touristic attraction of Almaty – “Green Bazaar” or Green market. This is a perfect way to experience the true Eastern market. Here you might taste the food, bargain and, obviously, buy local tasty goods for a very nice price. Then we stop for lunch at local restaurant. After lunch, you are going to visit the city’s main attraction – the Ili Alatau mountains. The National Park of Ili Alatau was founded in 1996, the park is spreading for 120km, and the total area is 202,292 hectares. The altitude varies from 600 to 5,000 meters. Medeo is an essential part of the Ili Alatau Park, and it is a historical object of Almaty’s development as a city. Located at the height of 1,690 meters, the Medeo skating rink is the highest rink location in the world. However, our main purpose of visit is Shymbulak – a mountain resort located at the elevation of 2,260 meters above sea level. In 1950s, ski lovers used to climb the mountain for 3 hours for a 15 minutes’ descent. Today’s last stop is Kok Tobe Park – located at an altitude of 1100 meters on the green hill, this place is very popular among locals and tourists. Take a ride on comfortable cable car and within 10 minutes, you are admiring the magnificent panoramic view of the city. Once we come down from the hill, we are going back to the hotel. Meals: breakfast. |
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| Day 2. | Almaty, day trip to Charyn National Park Breakfast at the hotel. Today you will have early breakfast as we are taking a long ride to the “must-see” place when visiting Kazakhstan and Almaty, in particular. 08.00 We will meet our guide and driver and make a transfer to the canyon (lunch boxes are included). Charyn canyon is one of the popular and magnificent natural attractions of Kazakhstan, located 220 kilometers from Almaty city. Charyn is also called a “small brother” of Grand Canyon in the USA, as, comparably, the length of Kazakhstan canyon is only 154 kilometers, but beauty of Charyn is unique and cannot be compared to any in the world. Besides, the canyon has many mysteries related to legends about “witches”, “red wolves” or “road to hell”. Nobody knows why local people made all these stories, but indeed, the place is very extraordinary: you can feel it once you approach majestic rocks of the canyon and when walking inside of it. After leaving the hotel in Almaty, within 3-4 hours of driving, we turn from the main road to the road that leads to “Valley of castles” – the main touristic point of Charyn. Panoramic site – Valley of Castles at Charyn Canyon. We leave the cars in the parking lot at the descent into the canyon Valley of Castles. Take a bottle of drinking water and let’s walk down into the gorge. It is a leisurely trek with some stops (50 min) to the Charyn River (2 km one-way). On the way, tour guide tells you about the differences of Charyn. After enjoying the lunch by the river and watching fascinating panoramic views of the canyon, we are ready to drive back to the city. Meals: breakfast, lunch. |
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| Day 3. | Almaty, trip to Huns ethno village. Almaty – Turkestan by a night train Breakfast at the hotel. Check out. Departure to Kazakh Ethno Village “Huns”. The ethno-village is a perfect place for those willing to plunge into and experience the nomadic past of ethnic Kazakhs. The village, about 35 km from Almaty in the Talgar district, is also a great way to escape to the mountains for fresh air, horseback riding and to discover Kazakh traditional games and rituals. From the moment of entrance and welcome ritual “shashu” to the horseback riding in the mountains, you will be surrounded by the Kazakh’s culture, hospitality and traditions. You will enjoy the entertaining program. This includes:
Lunch in national way. |
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| Day 4. | Turkestan. 11:10 Arrival in Turkestan and breakfast. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. Leave your luggage (check in after 14:00). Start of the sightseeing tour on arrival. This day you visit the main historical site of the region: the Mausoleum of Khodja Ahmet Yassawi, which is part of UNESCO Heritage and one of the main historical sites in Central Asia. The mausoleum was built in the end of XIV century by initiative of Amir Timur, in memory of great philosopher Yassawi, and since then it has become one of the main places of worship in Islam. Visit new complex Karavansaray and enjoy wide variety of options: from shows to activities, from exciting experiences to events, from historical venues to modern entertainment units await you to discover the Kazakh culture. Meals: breakfast. Overnight at the hotel. |
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| Day 5. | Turkestan – Otrar – Shymkent by road, 270 km. After breakfast at the hotel, check out and Transfer to Otrar, an ancient city. Otrar (also known as Farab) was an important trading center in the history of Central Asia, situated at the intersection of the caravan ways of the Great Silk Road. En route to Shymkent city, you will get acquainted with another great historical figure of the region – Arystan-Bab, the spiritual mentor of Khodja Akhmet Yassawi. He was saint religious preacher and teacher, his legacy is invaluable, especially in Sufi philosophy. You can judge his greatness by the fact that his mausoleum is a special place for worship and pilgrimage. Arrival in Shymkent city and transfer for lunch. Short city tour after that. Check in at the hotel and free time. Meals: breakfast. Overnight at the hotel. |
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| Day 6. | Shymkent – Astana by morning flight. After breakfast, check out. 11:15 Transfer to the airport for flight to Astana. 13.00 Arrival in Astana. Transfer to the restaurant for lunch. After lunch start the sightseeing tour in Astana. The tour includes visit of the fabulous work of Mr. Foster, the Baiterek Monument. This is a main symbol of the capital. The height of the tower is 97 meters and visitors can go up by lift and experience the panoramic view of the city. After the tour, we visit Khan Shatyr – one of the new symbols of capital, the first and only lifestyle center of Astana. The center unites shopping and entertainment under one roof. The building itself is the world’s biggest tent – shaped installation, which makes it unique. Walking along Ishym river. Transfer to the hotel. Meals: breakfast. Overnight at the hotel. |
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| Day 7. | Astana. Breakfast at the hotel. 10:00 Continue exploring Astana. Our first stop is Palace of Peace and Reconciliation – a pyramid that was designed by a famous architect Norman Foster. The uniqueness of this building is its golden section proportion: 62 meters of length and 62 meters of height. Proceed to the National Museum – opened in 2014, currently the museum is the biggest in Kazakhstan and consists of 10 thematic halls, including ancient and medieval history, ethnography, history of Kazakhs and other. We continue our tour by visiting “Nur Alem” center, the world's largest spherical building, 80m in diameter and 100m tall, it is the first scientific/ hi-tech museum in Kazakhstan. The complex is a legacy of EXPO 2017, which was held during summer 2017 in Astana. It takes around 3 hours or even more to cover all eight floors of the Museum of Future, where the basic types of energy will be demonstrated: those of the space, sun, biomass, wind, water, and kinetics. After that we will visit Astana Grand Mosque - a magnificent attraction in the capital of Kazakhstan that is worth a visit. As the largest mosque in the country and in all Central Asia, it ranks among the top ten largest mosques in the world. Transfer back to the hotel in the evening. Overnight. Meals: breakfast. |
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| Day 8. | Astana, departure. Breakfast at the hotel. Check out before 12:00. Transfer to the International airport for departure. Meals: breakfast. |
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Tour price includes:
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Tour price does not include:
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Hotels
We choose the most conveniently located and reputable hotels for our customers to stay at. The list of the hotels we offer is below. However, due to seasonal conditions and group size this list is subject to change.
- Hotels 3* - cozy private hotels, with traditional national interiors in many of them, providing all the necessary facilities for comfortable stays; notable for very warm hosting and home-like atmosphere.
- Hotels 4* - very comfortable hotels providing excellent facilities and services; mainly located in or near city centers.
The tour comes with the following accommodation:
| City | Hotels 3* | Hotels 4* |
| Almaty | Kazakhstan Hotel 3* or similar | Kazzhol Hotel 4* or similar |
| Turkestan | Khanaka 3* or similar | Ramada by Wyndham 4* or similar |
| Shymkent | Grand 3* or similar | Aidana Plaza 4* or similar |
| Astana | Ibis Hotel 3* or similar | Wyndham Garden 4* or similar |
Transportation
On this route will be used the following type of transport (depending on the number of people in a group):
| Group | Type of transport |
| Group of 1–2 pax | Sedan car for 3 seats |
| Group of 3–7 pax | Minivan for 10 seats |
| Group of 8–14 pax | Minivan for 18 seats |
| Group of 15+ pax | Coach for 45 seats |
Photos of the tour:
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