Complete Guide to Kazakhstan

The ninth largest country in the world by area, Kazakhstan spans nearly 2,700,000 km², stretching from the Caspian Sea in the west to the foothills of the Tian Shan in the east. From our office in Almaty, we see travelers arrive each season amazed by this diversity: the golden steppes of the Akmola region, the red canyons of Charyn, the turquoise lakes of Kolsai at 1,800 meters altitude, and the Mangystau desert with its chalky formations along the Caspian shore.

Four regions structure a coherent journey. The southeast, around Almaty, concentrates accessible mountains, wild apple trees (where the apple finds its genetic origin) and alpine lakes. The center, around Astana, blends bold contemporary architecture with the Sary-Arka plateaus. The south, near Turkestan and Chimkent, preserves the memory of the Silk Road through its Timurid mausoleums. The west, more mineral-rich, opens onto the Caspian Sea and the lunar landscapes of Mangystau.

Two distinctive features strongly characterize a journey here: the still-living nomadic culture, reflected in the yurt, koumiss (fermented mare's milk), eagle hunting practiced by Kazakhs of the Altai, and the scale of distances, which requires combining domestic flights and long stages. Plan a minimum of 12 days for a first trip, 3 weeks to combine south and west without rushing.