The country offers everything on a grand scale, mountain tops, sparkling shine of glaciers, soft twilling of coniferous woods, substantial rocky canyons with coloured rainbows, emerald mountain lakes, noisy rivers, the poetry of sunrises, uniqueness of flora and fauna, etc. In Kazakhstan, tourists can find recreation opportunities all around the year. With a large number of pleasant surprises, a trip to Kazakhstan will remain an unforgettable trip for the rest of your life.
Kazakhstan is divided into 14 provinces. The cities of Almaty and Nur-Sultan have the status of State importance and do not relate to any province.
A tour to Kazakhstan can be divided into major seven parts: Almaty city, Nur-Sultan city, Central Kazakhstan, Eastern Kazakhstan, Northern Kazakhstan, Southern Kazakhstan, and Western Kazakhstan.
The city is situated in southeast Kazakhstan in a beautiful setting between mountains and plains. This country's largest city boasts modern architecture, wide streets, cool fountains, parks and squares, and spectacular mountain views, particularly in spring and autumn. The city has plenty of business centres, theatres, museums, art galleries, exhibition halls, and a wide selection of modern entertainment complexes that include movie theatres, casinos, nightclubs, parks, restaurants, cafes etc.
The Medeu is an outdoor speed skating and bandy rink. It is a high-altitude sports complex located in Medeu Valley or the valley of Malaya Almatinka River on the south-eastern outskirts of Almaty. Medeu sits 1,691 metres above sea level. It consists of 10.5 thousand sq.m. of ice and utilises a sophisticated freezing and watering system to ensure the quality of the ice. The world's top skaters come here to test their skills.
Chimbulak is a skiing resort in Almaty situated 2,200 metres above sea level. Skiers can reach the Talgar Pass (3,163 metres above sea level) and a 3,000 metres long downhill piste by a cable car. Further, you can go mountain climbing and hiking which offers some breathtaking views of Alpine routes.
A 154km (96-miles) Canyon located on the Charyn River, Charyn Canyon is also famous as the "little brother of the Grand Canyon". It is the second-largest Canyon in the world. One part of the Canyon is covered with unusual rock formations known as the Valley of Castles. The Sharyn River engraves the Canyon into a flat, barren steppe that stretches 200km (124-miles) east of Almaty.
Made of wood and constructed without nails, the Zenkov Cathedral is one of the bare Tzarist-era buildings to endure the 1911 earthquake. A unique wooden building of cathedral is a beautiful example of Orthodox Church architecture. The walls of this multi-domed church have been painted with sharp colours, and the main chapel walls are covered with murals and gilt-edged icons.
Central Mosque is the biggest mosque in Kazakhstan. This blue turquoise dome mosque has become the central building of Islam in Almaty. It is built with the style of Central Asian mosques and has five graceful minarets, all with blue domes. The famous Green Bazaar and Almaty's Arbat are located near this mosque.
Nur-Sultan is the capital and second-largest city (behind Almaty) of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Located in the north-central portion of Kazakhstan, the city is experiencing an economic boom with some of the most significant building projects. Once a tiny mining town, today, the city of Nur-Sultan is lined with many stores, coffee houses, restaurants, discotheques, and even some casinos. Some modern buildings have become attractions for visitors.
This 105m-high monument and the observation tower has become the symbol of the capital of Kazakhstan. It has an observation deck at 97m height, symbolising the year when the country's capital was moved from Almaty to Nur-Sultan. This popular venue hosts an art gallery, a large aquarium, and a restaurant too.
Independence Square (also referred to as Kazakh Eli Square) is the main square in Nur-Sultan, created in October 2009. The square transformed into a historic village in 2015.
The Nurjol Boulevard (formerly called as Green Water Boulevard) is a pedestrian zone in Nur-Sultan. The Boulevard is one of the main attractions was designed by renowned architect Kisho Kurokawa. The boulevard runs from the President's residence Ak Orda to the marquee-shaped Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center.
The luminous, blue-domed building of the President's Culture Centre is one of the most iconic buildings in Kazakhstan. It hosts a high-quality national museum inside. Traditional Kazakh items are exhibited on the ground floor, while the archaeological section is situated on the upper floor. Kazakhstan's history from the 14th century is covered on the 3rd floor.
This Palace is a 77m high pyramid type building in Nur-Sultan. This beautifully structured building located in Presidential Park is visible from both coasts of Ishim. It is constructed to host the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. Also, it hosts a 1,500-seat opera house built on the lower levels.
The four provinces, namely Almaty, Zhambyl, Kyzylorda, and South Kazakhstan, are in the country's southern area. Almaty is the centre for all types of activities in this area. Some of the main cities in the southern part include Almaty, Taldy-Kurgan city, Taraz, Shymkent, Baikonur, Kyzylorda (formerly known as Kzyl-Orda), Kokshetau, etc.
Baikonur Cosmodrome is a centre of space exploration. It is the world's oldest and largest operational space launch facility centrally located in the desert steppes of Kazakhstan. Russian space explorations are launched from here. One needs to give 45 days prior notice before visiting the Cosmodrome. Some special tourist agencies also arrange the visits.
The city of Taraz is well known as an ancient city which is more than 2000 years old. Located in Zhambyl Province near the border with Kyrgyzstan, the city celebrated its official 2000 anniversary (recognised by UNESCO) in 2001. The Babaji-Khatun Mausoleum (10-11th centuries) and Aisha-Bibi Mausoleum (11-12th centuries) located just outside the town are masterpieces of ancient architecture. UNESCO has listed those ancient venues as the world architectural rarities.
The fantastic Aksu-Zhabagly state natural reserve is listed in the UNESCO biosphere. It is home to species of vascular and primitive plants and rare endangered species plants.
The regions of Mangystau, Atyrau, West Kazakhstan, and Mangystau are part of Western Kazakhstan. The province of West Kazakhstan is located in the country's northwest region, which lies partly in both Europe and Asia. This part of the country has developed economic links with many Russian cities and other countries.
The chalk-cliffed preserve of Ustiurt is one of the largest preserves in Kazakhstan. It is situated in the Karagie Depression, 132m (433ft) below sea level
The Mangystau province is rich in oil, gas, construction materials, various ores, and minerals. People call it the land of tourism, which has several recreation resources and rich cultural heritage.
The capital of the Atyrau region, Atyrau, is a port on the Caspian Sea and the pier on the Ural River. The city on the right bank of the Ural River is in Europe, and the city on the left bank of the river is in Asia.
Some ancient burial sites that date back to the 4th-5th centuries B.C. can be watched on the bank of the Dead Kultuk to the north of Kizan. Historical sites of ancient Kizil-Kala, the picturesque canyons Samal and Sazanbay, Hanga-Baba Tract, attract a large number of tourists every year.
The capital of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan, is situated in the northern region of Kazakhstan which is less earthquake-prone than the former capital, Almaty.
Famous as the pearl of Kazakhstan, Burabay (Borovoe) National Nature Park is situated in the north of the Aqmola region. The park has several small lakes and 14 big lakes, each of which has an area of more than one sq.km. It is home to flora and vertebrate animal species.
It is one of the largest lakes in Burabay (Borovoe) National Nature Park. The Borovoye Lake and the surrounding area are famous for various sanitariums, camping sites, and resorts.
Located in northern Kazakhstan, the fantastic natural preserve Naurzum has a rich landscape of geographical contrasts - salt lakes ringed by forests. Also, rare animals like white herons, jack-bustards, hisser swans, and grave eagles are found in this preserve.
This superb nature reserve has international importance. Kurgaldjino is home to different types of plants, and most of the northerly settlements of pink flamingoes in the world can be found in this natural reserve.
This part of Kazakhstan is famous for its colourful landscape of snow-capped mountain peaks, plunging forested canyons and picturesque cedar forests. The 35km (22-miles) long and 19km (12-miles) wide lake of Marakol offers scenic beauty.
Located in the easternmost part of the country, along both sides of the Irtysh River and Lake Zaysan, East Kazakhstan Province offers plenty of tourism opportunities. Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk) is the capital and largest city in Province.
The unique and largest lake of Balkhash (half saline and half freshwater) is situated in central Kazakhstan. The central Kazakhstan region hosts archaeological and ethnographic sites that date back to the Bronze Age, Early Iron Age, and New Stone Age. The national park of Bayan-Aul is famous for rock drawings, stone sculptures, clean, sparkling lakes, and pines clinging to the rocks.
Karaganda is the largest province in Kazakhstan. The capital and administrative centre of this Province is Karaganda city, situated at the centre of the Karaganda coal basin.
This park is located in the south-eastern Pavlodar Province of Kazakhstan. It is a top-rated vacation destination for residents of Pavlodar. Three freshwater lakes, namely Toraygir, Sabyndykol, and Jasybay, are situated in the park. The first one, Toraygir, was named after a Kazakh poet, Sultanmahmut Toraygirov.