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Kazakhstan in 4 days: an itinerary city by city

Hazrat Sultan Mosque in Astana: white marble façade, four tall minarets and a wide staircase with visitorsThe pedestrian Arbat on Zhibek Zholy Street in Almaty with fountains, white street lamps, trees and people strolling on a sunny dayAbdulhamid Kattani Mosque in Shymkent: a light stone building with a green-gold dome, two slim minarets and an arched door

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
14 of 23 free; 9 paid — see “Cost”
Duration
4 days, 9:30 to 16:59 each day
Start and finish
Hazrat Sultan Mosque → Keruen Saray
On foot
≈ 1 h 26 min in total
Transport
6 rides, ≈ 2 h 20 min; 3 transfers between cities
Lunch
around 13:15
With kids
fine: short walks
Best time
Spring and autumn: Astana is not freezing and the south is not too hot.

Cities in order

  1. Astana1 day · 6 places
  2. ≈ 1.5–2 hflight
  3. Almaty1 day · 5 places
  4. ≈ 1.5 hflight
  5. Shymkent1 day · 6 places
  6. ≈ 2–3 htrain or car
  7. Turkestan1 day · 6 places

Day-by-day plan

Times include walking and lunch. Drag a stop by ≡, remove it with the cross or add one nearby — the plan updates.

Day 1 · Astana09:30–16:59 · 6 places · 7 h 30 min

  1. Hazrat Sultan Mosque

    · 40 min · Free

  2. 6 min on foot

  3. Independence Square and Kazakh Eli Monument

    · 30 min · Free

  4. 8 min on foot

  5. Palace of Peace and Reconciliation

    · 1 h · 2,000 ₸ incl. guided tour

  6. 21 min · transport or taxi

  7. Nurzhol Boulevard

    · 1 h · Free

  8. Lunch · 1 h
  9. 8 min on foot

  10. Bayterek Tower

    · 45 min · 2,500 KZT; kids 6–15 1,250 KZT

  11. 21 min · transport or taxi

  12. Khan Shatyr

    · 1 h 30 min · Free

Day 2 · Almaty09:30–16:41 · 5 places · 7 h 10 min

Morning transfer: flight · ≈ 1.5–2 h

  1. Almaty Arbat

    · 45 min · Free

  2. 16 min on foot

  3. Green Bazaar

    · 1 h · Free

  4. 10 min on foot

  5. Ascension Cathedral

    · 45 min · Free

  6. Lunch · 1 h
  7. 22 min · transport or taxi

  8. Republic Square

    · 30 min · Free

  9. 23 min · transport or taxi

  10. Kok-Tobe

    · 2 h · Cable car 10,000 KZT return

Day 3 · Shymkent09:30–15:32 · 6 places · 6 h

Morning transfer: flight · ≈ 1.5 h

  1. Abdulhamid Kattani Mosque

    · 20 min · Free

  2. 3 min on foot

  3. Ordabasy Square

    · 20 min · Free

  4. 4 min on foot

  5. Independence Park

    · 1 h · Free

  6. 7 min on foot

  7. Shymkent Citadel

    · 1 h · 1,000 ₸ for foreign visitors

  8. Lunch · 1 h
  9. 20 min · transport or taxi

  10. Shymkent Arbat

    · 45 min · Free

  11. 33 min · transport or taxi

  12. Shymkent Central Mosque

    · 30 min · Free

Day 4 · Turkestan09:30–15:04 · 6 places · 5 h 30 min

Morning transfer: train or car · ≈ 2–3 h

  1. Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi

    · 1 h · 5,000 ₸ foreigners, 2,000 ₸ CIS

  2. 3 min on foot

  3. Hilvet Underground Mosque

    · 20 min · 5,000 ₸ foreigners · 2,000 ₸ CIS

  4. 3 min on foot

  5. Turkestan Oriental Bathhouse

    · 20 min · 5,000 ₸ foreigners · 2,000 ₸ CIS

  6. 3 min on foot

  7. Mausoleum of Rabiya Sultan Begim

    · 15 min · Yasawi zone ticket · 2,000–5,000 ₸

  8. 3 min on foot

  9. Turkestan Citadel Walls

    · 45 min · Reserve ticket: 5,000 ₸ for foreigners

  10. Lunch · 1 h
  11. 12 min on foot

  12. Keruen Saray

    · 1 h 30 min · Free

Go · start

Add nearby

Places near the plan — Yes puts one into the day and the times update.

What the route costs

14 of 23 are free; 9 charge entry — prices below, check them on site.

3Palace of Peace and Reconciliation391 h2,000 ₸ incl. guided tour
5Bayterek Tower4645 min2,500 KZT; kids 6–15 1,250 KZT
11Kok-Tobe322 hCable car 10,000 KZT return
15Shymkent Citadel431 h1,000 ₸ for foreign visitors
18Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi451 h5,000 ₸ foreigners, 2,000 ₸ CIS
19Hilvet Underground Mosque4020 min5,000 ₸ foreigners · 2,000 ₸ CIS
20Turkestan Oriental Bathhouse4020 min5,000 ₸ foreigners · 2,000 ₸ CIS
21Mausoleum of Rabiya Sultan Begim4515 minYasawi zone ticket · 2,000–5,000 ₸
22Turkestan Citadel Walls4445 minReserve ticket: 5,000 ₸ for foreigners
Other 14 places11 hFree
Total18 h 30 min14 of 23 free

Who this route is for

Good for
  • First trip to Kazakhstan
  • You want both the new capital and the ancient south
  • Evening flights between cities
Not for
  • The mountains near Almaty — Medeu, Shymbulak, Big Almaty Lake and Charyn — need extra days
  • Burabay near Astana is not included
Best time

Spring and autumn: Astana is not freezing and the south is not too hot.

Kazakhstan itinerary: how the four days work

Kazakhstan is huge, so between Astana and Almaty and on to the south you fly — best in the evening, so you wake up in the next city. Shymkent and Turkestan are close: 2–3 hours by train or car.

Each day is a YesGo one-day city itinerary: the main places, the order with the least walking, lunch.

The cities on the route

Astana — architecture on both banks of the Yesil: Bayterek with its deck at 97 metres and the 150-metre Khan Shatyr tent. Almaty — a city below the mountains: the Green Bazaar, the wooden Ascension Cathedral and the cable car up Kok-Tobe. Shymkent — the gold-domed Kattani mosque and the citadel. Turkestan — the Azret-Sultan reserve with the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi mausoleum.

Can I do it in reverse?

Yes: start in Turkestan or Shymkent and finish in Astana. Mind the closing days: the Green Bazaar in Almaty and the Shymkent citadel are closed on Mondays.

Kazakhstan in 7 days

Add a mountain day near Almaty (Medeu and Shymbulak) and a day for Charyn Canyon. From Astana — Burabay, a resort 250 km away.

How to do it right

  • Fly in the evening: see the city by day and start the next one in the morning.
  • The Green Bazaar in Almaty and the Shymkent citadel are closed on Mondays.
  • Ride up Kok-Tobe towards sunset; the cable car runs until 22:00.
  • Kazakhstan uses the tenge (₸). Cards are accepted almost everywhere; bazaars are easier with cash.
  • Summer in the south is very hot — walk in the morning and evening.

Questions

What is a good Kazakhstan itinerary?

For 4 days: Astana, Almaty, Shymkent and Turkestan, a day each, with flights between them.

Where should I start?

In Astana or Almaty — they have the most flights. You can also start in the south.

How do I get from Shymkent to Turkestan?

By train or car, 2–3 hours.

Can I travel around Kazakhstan independently?

Yes: flights and trains between cities, walking and taxis in town.

How much does this itinerary cost?

Many sights are free; you pay for the Bayterek deck, the Kok-Tobe cable car and museums. Flights and hotels are the main costs.

What is the best time to go?

Spring and autumn. Astana is very cold in winter, the south is hot in summer.

Is it good with kids?

Yes: Khan Shatyr, Kok-Tobe and the Shymkent citadel are popular with children.

What else is there to see near Almaty?

Medeu, Shymbulak, Big Almaty Lake and Charyn Canyon — a day each.

Can I change the itinerary?

Yes: in any day remove a stop or add another — the times recalculate.

What currency is used?

Kazakhstan uses the tenge (₸). Cards are accepted almost everywhere; bazaars are easier with cash.

Sources and fact-check

  • Prices, opening hours and time on site come from each place's page, with its own sources and check date
  • Wikipedia: Bayterek, Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, Kok Tobe
YesGo editorial team ·
How we checkedEach day is a YesGo city itinerary for 1–2 days: the main places, the order with the least walking, lunch. Transfers are rough travel times; check train and flight schedules before you go.

Cities on this route