# Things to do in Kazakhstan: best places to visit > Kazakhstan's highlights: Ascension Cathedral, the Green Bazaar and the Medeu rink in the mountains above Almaty; the Baiterek tower, Khan Shatyr and Nurzhol Boulevard in Astana; and in the south the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkestan and the old centre of Shymkent. Almaty and Astana are about 1,000 km apart, so most people fly. Web page: https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan ## Cities - [Astana](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana.md): 9 places with the YesGo score - [Almaty](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty.md): 10 places with the YesGo score - [Shymkent](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent.md): 10 places with the YesGo score - [Turkestan](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan.md): 10 places with the YesGo score ## Itineraries across the country - [Kazakhstan in 4 days: an itinerary city by city](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/in-4-days.md): Bayterek and Khan Shatyr in Astana, the Green Bazaar and Kok-Tobe in Almaty, the mosques of Shymkent and the Yasawi mausoleum in Turkestan, with flights. ## Top places across the country - [Ascension Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/almaty-ascension-cathedral.md), Almaty: YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free. Ascension Cathedral — better known as Zenkov Cathedral — is a working wooden Orthodox church built in 1904–1907 in Panfilov Park, right in… - [Bayterek Tower](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/bayterek-tower.md), Astana: YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · 2,500 KZT; kids 6–15 1,250 KZT. Bayterek is Astana’s landmark: a 105-metre white tower with a golden sphere on Nurzhol Boulevard. A lift takes you to the 97-metre deck… - [Ordabasy Square](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/ordabasy-square.md), Shymkent: YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free. Ordabasy Square is the historic main square of Shymkent, where Tole Bi, Kazybek Bi and Aiteke Bi streets meet. At its centre stands the… - [Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/khoja-ahmed-yasawi-mausoleum.md), Turkestan: YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 5,000 ₸ foreigners, 2,000 ₸ CIS. The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is Timur’s unfinished tomb for a 12th-century Sufi poet, the centrepiece of Turkestan in southern… - [Green Bazaar](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/almaty-green-bazaar.md), Almaty: YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free entry. The Green Bazaar (Kök Bazaar in Kazakh) is Almaty's big covered food market at 53 Zhibek Zholy Avenue, a 10-minute walk north of Panfilov… - [Nurzhol Boulevard](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/nurzhol-boulevard.md), Astana: YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free. Nurzhol Boulevard is Astana’s grand pedestrian axis on the Left Bank, running from the Akorda presidential palace past Bayterek Tower to… - [Abdulhamid Kattani Mosque](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/kattani-mosque.md), Shymkent: YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free. The Abdulhamid Kattani Mosque is a working gold-domed mosque in central Shymkent, two minutes’ walk from the Ordabasy Square monument… - [Mausoleum of Rabiya Sultan Begim](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/rabiya-sultan-begim-mausoleum.md), Turkestan: YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Yasawi zone ticket · 2,000–5,000 ₸. The Mausoleum of Rabiya Sultan Begim is a small octagonal tomb with a turquoise dome in Turkestan’s Hazret Sultan reserve, about 60 m… - [Almaty Arbat](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/almaty-arbat.md), Almaty: YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free, open 24/7. Arbat Street is the pedestrian stretch of Zhibek Zholy Avenue in central Almaty, between Abylai Khan and Nazarbayev avenues. It is **free… - [Independence Square and Kazakh Eli Monument](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/astana-independence-square.md), Astana: YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free. Independence Square is Astana’s main ceremonial square on the right bank of the Esil, built around the 91-metre white Kazakh Eli column… - [Independence Park](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-independence-park.md), Shymkent: YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free. Independence Park is Shymkent’s ceremonial park, opened in 2011 on a hilltop a 3–5-minute walk from Ordabasy Square over a footbridge… - [Turkestan Citadel Walls](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-citadel.md), Turkestan: YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Reserve ticket: 5,000 ₸ for foreigners. The Turkestan Citadel Walls are the 16th–19th-century mud-brick fortifications, with crenellations, a round tower and the East Gate, two… - [Republic Square](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/almaty-republic-square.md), Almaty: YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, open 24/7. Republic Square is Almaty’s main square, and at its centre stands the **Independence Monument** — a column about 28 m tall topped by the… - [Hazrat Sultan Mosque](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/hazrat-sultan-mosque.md), Astana: YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free. Hazrat Sultan is Astana’s big white working mosque, opened in 2012 on the right bank of the Ishim (Yesil) next to the Palace of Peace… - [Shymkent Citadel](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-citadel.md), Shymkent: YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 1,000 ₸ for foreign visitors. Shymkent Citadel is the ancient town mound in the centre of Shymkent, up to 25 m high and a 10-minute walk from Ordabasy Square. Since… - [Keruen Saray](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/keruen-saray.md), Turkestan: YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free entry; rides and shows extra. Keruen Saray — signposted as Karavansaray Turkistan — is a new Silk Road–style complex of canals, bridges, shops and hotels, a… - [Medeu](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/medeu.md), Almaty: YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; rink closed for reconstruction. Medeu is Almaty’s famous high-altitude skating rink, 1,691 m up a mountain gorge. Key point: **the rink is closed for reconstruction**… - [Khan Shatyr](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/khan-shatyr.md), Astana: YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free entry; beach ≈ 20,000 ₸. Khan Shatyr is a free-to-enter shopping and entertainment centre in Astana, housed in a 150 m see-through tent designed by Norman Foster… - [Shymkent Arbat](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-arbat.md), Shymkent: YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free, open 24/7. Shymkent Arbat is a car-free promenade in the city centre on Beibitshilik Avenue, running from Al-Farabi Square to Respublika Avenue. It… - [Hilvet Underground Mosque](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-hilvet.md), Turkestan: YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · 5,000 ₸ foreigners · 2,000 ₸ CIS. The Hilvet is a semi-underground Sufi mosque and retreat inside the Hazret Sultan reserve, a 2–3-minute walk south of the Yasawi… - [Kok-Tobe](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/kok-tobe.md), Almaty: YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Cable car 10,000 KZT return. Kok-Tobe is a 1,100 m hill on Almaty’s south-eastern edge with the TV tower on its slope and a park on top: viewing terraces, a Beatles… - [Palace of Peace and Reconciliation](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana/palace-of-peace-and-reconciliation.md), Astana: YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 2,000 ₸ incl. guided tour. Norman Foster’s 62-metre pyramid on the right bank of the Esil, just behind Independence Square. You go in on a guided tour that comes… - [Regional History Museum](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-regional-museum.md), Shymkent: YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ 400 ₸, students ≈ 200 ₸. Southern Kazakhstan’s oldest regional museum, founded in 1920: about 88,000 objects and four halls, from Karatau fossils to a furnished… - [Turkestan Oriental Bathhouse](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-bathhouse.md), Turkestan: YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · 5,000 ₸ foreigners · 2,000 ₸ CIS. The Oriental Bathhouse is a half-buried late-16th-century hammam in the Hazret Sultan reserve, a 2–3-minute walk south-west of the Yasawi… ## Kazakhstan travel guide Before you go: Almaty and the mountains, Astana, Turkestan and the south — visa, money, distances and weather. ## Trip essentials - Visa: Visa-free for many passports, often 30 days - Currency: Kazakhstani tenge (KZT); cards widely accepted - First trip: Almaty with the mountains and Charyn Canyon - When to go: May–June and September; winter for Shymbulak skiing - Distances: Huge — fly between cities - Time zone: UTC+5 ## Key facts - **9th** — largest country in the world by area, and the largest landlocked one (source: Wikipedia, “Kazakhstan”) - **1997** — the capital moved from Almaty to Astana (source: Wikipedia, “Astana”) - **Baikonur** — the world’s first spaceport is in Kazakhstan (source: Wikipedia, “Baikonur Cosmodrome”) - **The apple** — the wild Sievers apple of the Almaty mountains is the ancestor of the domestic apple (source: Wikipedia, “Malus sieversii”) ## Best places to visit in Kazakhstan For a first trip, spend 3–4 days in Almaty with the mountains, lakes and Charyn Canyon. Astana, the futuristic capital, is worth 1–2 days. In the south are Turkestan with the Yasawi mausoleum and Shymkent. Every place with its YesGo score is in the list above; the “Map” button shows them on a map. | City | Why go | Time | | --- | --- | --- | | [Almaty](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty) | Mountains, Medeu, lakes, Charyn | 3–4 days | | [Astana](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/astana) | Bayterek, Khan Shatyr, Burabay | 1–2 days | | [Turkestan](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan) | Yasawi mausoleum — UNESCO | 1–2 days | | [Shymkent](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent) | The south, parks, ancient Sayram | 1 day | Ready trips around the country — “Kazakhstan in 4 days” and city itineraries — are above on this page. ## Kazakhstan visa and currency Citizens of many countries — including the EU, UK and US — can visit Kazakhstan visa-free, often for up to 30 days. The currency is the Kazakhstani tenge (KZT); cards are widely accepted in cities. Check the current entry rule for your passport before you travel. ## Kazakhstan weather by month The best time to visit Kazakhstan is May–June and September — warm in the south, green in the mountains. Summers are hot in the south and mild in Astana; winters are very cold in the north. Below is Almaty. - **January in Almaty**: day ≈ 0°C, night ≈ -9°C, rainy days: 7. Frost, skiing. - **February in Almaty**: day ≈ 2°C, night ≈ -8°C, rainy days: 8. Cold, skiing. - **March in Almaty**: day ≈ 9°C, night ≈ -1°C, rainy days: 11. Spring, Nauryz. - **April in Almaty**: day ≈ 18°C, night ≈ 6°C, rainy days: 12. Warm, orchards in bloom. - **May in Almaty** (best time): day ≈ 23°C, night ≈ 11°C, rainy days: 13. Warm — one of the best months. - **June in Almaty** (best time): day ≈ 28°C, night ≈ 15°C, rainy days: 10. Warm, the mountains open. - **July in Almaty**: day ≈ 31°C, night ≈ 18°C, rainy days: 8. Hot — head for the hills. - **August in Almaty**: day ≈ 30°C, night ≈ 17°C, rainy days: 6. Hot. - **September in Almaty** (best time): day ≈ 25°C, night ≈ 11°C, rainy days: 5. Warm — a great month. - **October in Almaty**: day ≈ 16°C, night ≈ 4°C, rainy days: 8. Golden autumn. - **November in Almaty**: day ≈ 7°C, night ≈ -3°C, rainy days: 8. Cool. - **December in Almaty**: day ≈ 2°C, night ≈ -7°C, rainy days: 8. Frost. Each city page has its own weather: Astana is very cold in winter, Turkestan hot in summer. ## Tips - Fly between Almaty and Astana — the train takes almost a day. - Bring warm layers for the Almaty mountains even in summer. ## Questions ### Do I need a visa for Kazakhstan? Citizens of many countries can visit visa-free, often for up to 30 days. Check the rule for your passport before you travel. ### Is Kazakhstan safe for tourists? Kazakhstan is generally considered safe for visitors; take the usual precautions and check your government’s travel advice. ### What are the best places to visit in Kazakhstan? Almaty with Medeu, Big Almaty Lake and Charyn Canyon, futuristic Astana and Burabay, and Turkestan with the UNESCO-listed Yasawi mausoleum. ## Sources - Wikipedia, “Kazakhstan”; “Astana”; “Baikonur Cosmodrome”; “Malus sieversii”; Almaty climate (1991–2020 normals) Facts checked: 09.11.2026 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.