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Shymkent Arboretum

A still lake in Shymkent Arboretum with weeping willows and autumn trees reflected in the water under a pale evening sky
Photo: Irina cont, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
≈ 100 KZT
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Hours
Daily 5:00–01:00
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
1 h 30 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Free entry
Schoolchildren, pensioners, people with disabilities, veterans
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Closed
Never — open every day
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Paying
Cash in small tenge notes; kiosks often take only Kaspi QR, which needs a local bank — foreign cards are hit-and-miss
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Rentals
Pedal boats and rowing boats on the lake, bikes and scooters
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Getting there
Taxi from Ordabasy Square ≈ 15–20 min, or a city bus along Baidibek Bi Avenue
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Address
108/10 Baidibek Bi Ave, Samal-2 microdistrict
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Coordinates
42.37030, 69.61708YesGo MapGoogleApple
Nearby
Shymkent Zoo — about 1 km

Key facts

1979planting began on the site of a former city landfill
3 sourcesKazakhstan.travelBES.mediaWe Project
≈ 117 hathe park's area according to the city administration; older sources say 120–151 ha
2 sourcesBES.media (Shymkent akimat)Wikidata Q25481791
≈ 100 KZTentry ticket; free for schoolchildren and pensioners
3 sourcesKazinformSxodim city guideDigital Business
3 hathe man-made lake, fed by irrigation canals
2 sourcesBES.mediaWe Project
Tulip treethe North American tree was first grown in Kazakhstan here
3 sourcesKazakhstan.travelWe ProjectSxodim city guide
Alley of Honourtrees planted by Dinmukhamed Kunayev, Nursultan Nazarbayev and writer Mukhtar Auezov
3 sourcesKazakhstan.travelWe ProjectSxodim city guide
Asanbai Askarovthe Soviet-era regional party leader the park is named after
2 sourcesKazakhstan.travelSxodim city guide
Protected areathe arboretum has specially protected status
2 sourcesBizmedia.kz (Shymkent mayor)Sxodim city guide
1980a children's railway opened, linking the north of the city with the park and zoo area
2 sourcesEnglish WikipediaSxodim city guide
≈ 1 kmto the entrance of Shymkent Zoo
Sourceour calculation from Wikidata and Wikipedia coordinates

Shymkent Arboretum entrance fee

Entry costs about 100 tenge — a token sum, well under a dollar. Kazinform reported the rise from 39 tenge, and Digital Business quoted the same 100 tenge in its 2026 city guide. Schoolchildren, pensioners, people with disabilities and veterans go in free.

The ticket desk is at the arched main gate on Baidibek Bi Avenue, with a price list in Kazakh and Russian. Boat, bike and scooter hire is paid separately at the rental points; we don't quote those prices because they change every season.

Opening hours

According to Kazinform and the Sxodim city guide, the park is open every day from 5:00 to 1:00 at night, with no closing day. The early start was introduced at residents' request: Shymkent summers are hot by mid-morning, so locals jog and walk here at dawn.

In 2024 Informburo reported 5:00 to midnight, and older travel listings still show 9:00–20:00. There is no official website, so treat the hours as unconfirmed — any time in daylight or early evening is safe. Boat and bike hire keep shorter, daytime hours.

How to get to Shymkent Arboretum

Step-by-step directions are below; the map shows where you arrive.

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Where are you starting from?

We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.

More tips

  1. Easiest: a taxi from Ordabasy Square to the main gate on Baidibek Bi Avenue takes about 15–20 minutes. Yandex Go and inDrive both work in Shymkent and show the fare up front.
  2. By bus: unofficial listings give routes 17, 45, 57, 70, 108, 171 and 171A. Check in the 2GIS app which one passes near Ordabasy — it has live routes in English. City buses may not take foreign cards, so keep small tenge notes or ask the driver how to pay.
  3. Get off at the arched main entrance in the Samal-2 microdistrict, where the ticket desk and a free car park are.
  4. Pay about 100 tenge and follow the main alley down to the lake.
  5. Afterwards walk about a kilometre to Shymkent Zoo and take a taxi back to the centre from there.

Is Shymkent Arboretum worth visiting?

Yes, if you want shade, quiet and a proper walk — it is the biggest green space in the city and a real escape from the summer heat. Don't expect a botanical garden with labels on every plant: it is closer to a city forest with a lake, alleys and bike paths.

If you have a single day in Shymkent, the centre, Ordabasy Square and the Shymkala citadel say more about the city. With two days, or with children, the arboretum and the zoo make an easy half-day.

A former landfill turned city forest

The park was started in 1979 on the site of a city dump, on the initiative of Asanbai Askarov, then the Communist Party leader of the South Kazakhstan region, whose name it now bears. Trees were brought in from across the Soviet Union, and the park's scientists studied which species could survive the hot, dry south.

It was the first place in Kazakhstan to grow the North American tulip tree. Today the arboretum has protected status, and locals call it “the lungs of Shymkent”.

Things to do and see

  • Hire a pedal boat or rowing boat on the 3-hectare lake — rare in a Kazakh city park.
  • Cross the footbridge over the lake, the park's classic photo spot.
  • Walk the Alley of Honour, where Kunayev, Nazarbayev, Auezov and visiting leaders planted trees.
  • Find the tulip tree, which flowers yellow-orange in spring.
  • Ride the long cycle path along the route of the old children's railway — at its best in yellow October.
  • Look out for squirrels, ducks and the tulip and camel-caravan sculptures.

Best time to go

April–May and October are the best months. Spring brings fresh green and the tulip tree in flower; in autumn the alleys and the lake turn yellow and orange.

In summer go early in the morning or after 18:00 — the midday heat in Shymkent is fierce. Evenings are lively with local families, while weekday mornings are quiet.

Before you go: checklist

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Arboretum, zoo or Independence Park?

Arboretumyou are hereCity forest with a lakeNorth, Samal-2≈ 100 KZT1.5 hWalks, bikes, shade
ZooCity zooAbout 1 km from the arboretumSeparate ticket1.5–2 hFamilies with kids
Independence ParkFormal park in the centreBy Ordabasy Square, over a footbridge—30–40 minA short stroll in the centre

The arboretum and the zoo are one half-day trip. Independence Park is right by the centre — no separate trip needed.

Half a day in northern Shymkent

The arboretum and the zoo in the morning, then back to Independence Park and Ordabasy Square in the centre. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Shymkent Arboretumyou are here1 h 30 min · ≈ 100 KZT, schoolchildren free
  2. 19 min walk from the previous stopShymkent Zoo2 h · 800 KZT, children 6–17 400 KZT
  3. 143 min walk from the previous stopIndependence Park1 h · Free
  4. 4 min walk from the previous stopOrdabasy Square20 min · Free

4 places · about 7 h 36 min with walks · 166 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Shymkent Zoo

Shymkent, Kazakhstan

2 h · 800 KZT, children 6–17 400 KZT · 19 min walk

Regional History Museum

Shymkent, Kazakhstan

1 h · ≈ 400 ₸, students ≈ 200 ₸ · 29 min walk

How to do it right

  • Pair the park with Shymkent Zoo — about a kilometre away, an easy half-day.
  • The cycle path is long: hire a bike rather than walking it.
  • There are more than 40 steps down to the lake — with a pushchair, look for the side path.
  • In summer arrive before 10:00 or after 18:00.
  • Say “Dendropark” to taxi drivers — the English name means little locally.

Questions

How much is the entrance fee to Shymkent Arboretum?

About 100 tenge per adult. Schoolchildren, pensioners, people with disabilities and veterans enter free.

What are Shymkent Arboretum opening hours?

Unofficially, daily from 5:00 to 1:00 at night with no closing day. A 2024 report gave 5:00 to midnight, so plan to visit in daylight.

How do I get to Shymkent Arboretum?

A taxi from Ordabasy Square takes about 15–20 minutes. Unofficial bus routes are 17, 45, 57, 70, 108, 171 and 171A — check them in 2GIS.

Can I pay by card at the arboretum?

Don't count on it. Carry small tenge notes: kiosks often take only cash or Kaspi QR, a local app most visitors can't use.

Is Shymkent Arboretum worth visiting?

Yes for shade, a lake and a long walk or bike ride. With only one day in Shymkent, the centre and Shymkala citadel come first.

How long do you need at the arboretum?

About 1.5 hours for the lake, alleys and cycle path; half a day if you add the zoo.

Can you rent boats or bikes?

Yes — pedal boats and rowing boats on the lake, and bikes and scooters near the entrance, paid separately.

Is the arboretum near Shymkent Zoo?

Yes, the zoo entrance is about a kilometre away, so the two make one trip.

When is the arboretum most beautiful?

In April–May, when the tulip tree flowers, and in October, when the leaves turn yellow and orange.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Kazinform: report on the new hours and entrance fee of the Shymkent Dendropark
  • Sxodim city guide (sxodim.com): Asanbai Askarov Dendropark listing and autumn walk article
  • Digital Business, 23.03.2026: guide to the best places in Shymkent
  • Informburo, 16.05.2024: the park switching to a 5 a.m. opening
  • BES.media, 27.10.2026: Shymkent akimat's reply on the state of the arboretum
  • Kazakhstan.travel (Kazakh Tourism): Asanbai Askarov Arboretum
  • We Project, 2017: interview with the park's scientific staff
  • Bizmedia.kz, 2023: Shymkent mayor on the park's protected status
  • Wikidata Q25481791; English Wikipedia: Shymkent Children's Railway, Shymkent Zoo
  • Kaspi.kz and Alipay+ announcement, 2025; travel money guides for Kazakhstan — on paying as a visitor
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 02.11.2026 ·
How we checkedThe park has no official website, so the fee, hours, free categories, rentals and bus routes are marked “verifying”. About 100 tenge is given by Kazinform, Sxodim and Digital Business; a 2017 article quoting 21 tenge is out of date. Hours differ: 5:00–01:00 (Kazinform, Sxodim), 5:00–24:00 (Informburo, 2024), 6:00–21:00 and 9:00–20:00 in travel listings — we show the first as unofficial. Free early-morning and late-night hours appear in one listing only, so we leave them out. The area follows the city administration (117.04 ha, also in Wikidata); other sources say 120, about 140 or 151 ha. Tree and species counts change with each survey and are not shown. We calculated the distance to the zoo ourselves from coordinates. Payment advice comes from travel money guides and the Kaspi/Alipay+ announcement, not from the park.

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