# Things to do in Shymkent: top sights and where to go > Shymkent keeps its oldest sights in one block: Ordabasy Square with the Independence Monument, the rebuilt citadel on the ancient hillfort, Independence Park and the Kattani Mosque, with the regional museum and the pedestrian Arbat a short walk away and the arboretum and zoo to the north. Walk the centre on day one; give day two to the arboretum and zoo, or half a day to the mausoleums of Sayram, 13 km east. Web page: https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent ## Ready itineraries - [One day in Shymkent: an itinerary in the best order](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/in-1-day.md): The gold-domed Kattani mosque, Ordabasy Square, Independence Park on its hill, the rebuilt citadel walls, the Arbat and the white mosque with four minarets. ## All 10 places with the YesGo score - [Ordabasy Square](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/ordabasy-square.md): 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… - [Abdulhamid Kattani Mosque](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/kattani-mosque.md): 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… - [Independence Park](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-independence-park.md): 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… - [Shymkent Citadel](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-citadel.md): 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… - [Shymkent Arbat](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-arbat.md): 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… - [Regional History Museum](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-regional-museum.md): 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… - [Shymkent Central Mosque](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-central-mosque.md): YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free. Shymkent Central Mosque, locally Aq Meshit or “the white mosque”, honours Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and opened in 2013 on the… - [Shymkent Arboretum](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-arboretum.md): YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ 100 KZT, schoolchildren free. Shymkent Arboretum, locally called the Dendropark, is a 117-hectare park in the north of the city, planted from 1979 on a former landfill… - [Shymkent Zoo](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-zoo.md): YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · 800 KZT, children 6–17 400 KZT. Shymkent Zoo is one of the largest in Kazakhstan: about 30 hectares in the north of the city with an Africa zone, tigers, lions, hippos… - [Sayram](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/sayram.md): YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Shrines free; museum fee not published. Sayram is medieval Isfijab, one of the oldest towns in Kazakhstan and now a suburb of Shymkent **about 15 km from Ordabasy Square**. Allow… ## Shymkent travel guide Before you go: Ordabasy Square and the citadel, parks and the arboretum, ancient Sayram, weather by month. ## Trip essentials - How long: One day; another for Turkestan - When to go: April–May and September–October - To Turkestan: Train or car ≈ 2–2.5 h - Visa: Visa-free for many passports, often 30 days - Time zone: UTC+5 ## Key facts - **3rd** — largest city in Kazakhstan (source: Wikipedia, “Shymkent”) - **Sayram** — 12 km away — one of the oldest towns in Kazakhstan (source: Wikipedia, “Sayram”) - **The south** — Shymkent is Kazakhstan’s southernmost big city, where spring comes early (source: Wikipedia, “Shymkent”) ## Things to do in Shymkent Shymkent’s highlights are Ordabasy Square, the rebuilt citadel, Independence Park and the Arbat, its mosques and the arboretum. Twelve kilometres away is ancient Sayram. Every place with its YesGo score is in the list above; the “Map” button shows them on a map. | Where | What to see | Time | | --- | --- | --- | | **Centre** | [Ordabasy](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/ordabasy-square), [Citadel](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-citadel), [Arbat](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-arbat) | ½ day | | **Mosques** | [Kattani](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/kattani-mosque), [Central Mosque](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-central-mosque) | 1 h | | **Parks** | [Independence Park](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-independence-park), [Arboretum](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-arboretum), [Zoo](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-zoo) | ½ day | | **Museum & nearby** | [Regional Museum](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-regional-museum), [Sayram](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/sayram) | ½ day | Rather not plan it yourself? The list above has a ready itinerary, with places in a sensible order. ## Shymkent weather by month Shymkent is in southern Kazakhstan: hot summers up to 35 °C and mild winters. April–May and September–October are best. - **January in Shymkent**: day ≈ 5°C, night ≈ -4°C, rainy days: 9. Cool. - **February in Shymkent**: day ≈ 7°C, night ≈ -3°C, rainy days: 10. Cool. - **March in Shymkent**: day ≈ 13°C, night ≈ 3°C, rainy days: 12. Spring, Nauryz. - **April in Shymkent** (best time): day ≈ 21°C, night ≈ 9°C, rainy days: 11. Warm, orchards in bloom. - **May in Shymkent** (best time): day ≈ 26°C, night ≈ 13°C, rainy days: 10. Warm — the best month. - **June in Shymkent**: day ≈ 32°C, night ≈ 18°C, rainy days: 4. Hot. - **July in Shymkent**: day ≈ 35°C, night ≈ 20°C, rainy days: 2. Peak heat. - **August in Shymkent**: day ≈ 34°C, night ≈ 18°C, rainy days: 1. Hot. - **September in Shymkent** (best time): day ≈ 28°C, night ≈ 12°C, rainy days: 2. Warm. - **October in Shymkent** (best time): day ≈ 20°C, night ≈ 6°C, rainy days: 6. About 20°. - **November in Shymkent**: day ≈ 12°C, night ≈ 1°C, rainy days: 8. Cool. - **December in Shymkent**: day ≈ 6°C, night ≈ -3°C, rainy days: 9. Cool. Summers are hot and dry — walk in the morning and evening. ## Shymkent ticket prices The squares, parks and mosques are free. You pay for museums, the zoo and the arboretum. - [Ordabasy Square](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/ordabasy-square) — Free - [Abdulhamid Kattani Mosque](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/kattani-mosque) — Free - [Independence Park](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-independence-park) — Free - [Shymkent Citadel](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-citadel) — 1,000 ₸ for foreign visitors - [Shymkent Arbat](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-arbat) — Free, open 24/7 - [Regional History Museum](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-regional-museum) — ≈ 400 ₸, students ≈ 200 ₸ - [Shymkent Central Mosque](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-central-mosque) — Free - [Shymkent Arboretum](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-arboretum) — ≈ 100 KZT, schoolchildren free - [Shymkent Zoo](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/shymkent-zoo) — 800 KZT, children 6–17 400 KZT - [Sayram](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/shymkent/sayram) — Shrines free; museum fee not published ## Tips - Combine Shymkent with Turkestan, about 2 hours to the north. ## Questions ### What to do in Shymkent in one day? Ordabasy Square, the citadel, Independence Park, the mosques and the arboretum; nearby, ancient Sayram. ## Sources - Wikipedia, “Shymkent”; “Sayram” 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.