Ultimate 2 Week Kazakhstan Itinerary
Kazakhstan isn’t usually the first country that comes to mind for travellers, but those who make it here are rewarded with wide open steppes, futuristic cities, and some of Central Asia’s most spectacular mountain scenery. With two weeks, you can travel much of the country, balancing history, nature, and modern culture.
This 2 week Kazakhstan itinerary takes you from the sleek architecture of Astana, through alpine lakes and canyons near Almaty, and down to the Silk Road treasures of Turkestan.
Kazakhstan Itinerary in Short
- Day 1-3: Astana (2 nights)
- Day 3-5: Burabay National Park (2 night + sleeper train)
- Day 6-11: Almaty (5 nights)
- Day 12-14: Shymkent + Turkestan Day Trip (2 nights)
How to use this 2 week Kazakhstan itinerary: This itinerary covers a route from north to south of Kazakhstan. You don’t have to do everything – swap, shorten, or extend stops depending on your time. If you’ve got longer, I’ve added more options at the end.
Kazakhstan Itinerary Map
2 Week Kazakhstan Itinerary
How long to spend in Kazakhstan
7 days in Kazakhstan gives you a taste. 14 days lets you really see the country’s variety.
Most people spend less than 10 days in Kazakhstan. Usually this involves a stop in Almaty, visiting the nearby lakes and canyon. For most, this is usually okay. But Kazakhstan is the 9th biggest country in the world, so seeing just one corner of this country seems like cheating to me.
With 2 weeks in Kazakhstan, you’ll cover the futuristic capital, the iconic steppe, and the ancient Silk Road south, with plenty of mountains too!
When to visit Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan has a varied climate with extremely hot summers and freezing cold winters! Plus it has big temperature swings between day and night. The long distances between Astana in the north and Almaty in the south, also mean there’s variation here too!
Therefore, it really depends what you’re visiting Kazakhstan for! If you’re backpacking and want to see the sights, late-spring into early-summer is the best time to go as temperatures start to increase but aren’t too hot yet.
- Best time: April–June and September–October. Warm days, cooler nights, fewer crowds.
- Summer (July–August): Hot, especially in the south (35–40°C). Fine for Almaty’s mountains, less pleasant for Turkestan.
- Winter (Nov–Mar): Very cold (-20°C possible in Astana). Doable, but best if you’re into skiing and snow sports.
How to get to Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is a largely land-locked country, with the only water being located in the far west beside the Caspian Sea.
It has two large international airports, Astana, the capital in the north and then Almaty in the south. There are several smaller airports around the country (e.g. Aktau), but Astana and Almaty will generally offer the cheapest flights and are great starting points for your trip. There were no direct flights into Kazakhstan from the UK, so Istanbul is a popular changing point.
If you are overlanding from Europe, a popular route is the Caspian Sea ferry to Aktau from Azerbaijan.
Whilst if you are travelling in the region, there are several land border crossings, from China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan. Check the government websites for the most up to date information about which borders are open, and VISA requirements.
As a British citizen, I could enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days without a VISA. Depending on where you are from, you can check your Kazakhstan VISA requirements here.
For your arrival, I recommend an eSIM in advance since Astana airport doesn’t have many facilities. I also recommend that you carry a small amount of USD since it could help you out until you can withdraw local currency.
Day 1-3: Astana
If you are flying into Kazakhstan, I recommend starting in Astana (formerly Nur-Sultan), Kazakhstan’s futuristic capital. This planned-out city, full of glass towers, wide boulevards and surreal monuments is a truly unique place to begin your journey through Kazakhstan! Plus it means you’ll avoid doing the long train journey between north to south, twice.
With 2 weeks in Kazakhstan, you don’t have to hurry. Spend a couple of night in Astana to recover from your journey, and start getting a taste of what this country has to offer.
- Day 1: Arrive at your accommodation, explore the city centre. After touching down, go for a few steps around the city! Baiterek Tower and the Khan Shatyr are at the heart of the capital and are great spots to explore – especially around sunset!
- Day 2: Learn some more about Kazakhstan by visiting the National Museum, Independence Square and some of the other bonkers architecture in the area.
- Day 3: Leave early to get to Burabay National Park
NOTE: Starting your Kazakhstan trip in Almaty is also very common, and arguably makes an easier starting point as its western feel offers less of a culture shock. If you do this you can easily fly/train up to Astana.
Day 3-5: Burabay National Park
Now you can head even further north in Kazakhstan! Just 2.5 hours north of Astana, Burabay is a national park of lakes, forests, and bizarre rock formations. It’s a local favourite and is probably as close to the Russian border as you’ll get!
It’s a simple train from Astana to Burabay, which you can easily book online. Trains run from Astana to Burabay (Borovoe Kurort station). Tickets from 2,000 KZT, I bought mine for 2388 KZT ($4.50). Then a taxi from the station to town is ~1,000 KZT.
Here’s how I would spend 1 night in Burabay:
- Day 3: Arrive at Burabay Station, before getting a taxi to the main town. Drop your belongings off at your accommodation and then head straight towards the lake. Rent a bicycle or walk towards Zhumbaktas Rock and Okzhetpes.
- Day 4: Go for a longer hike up to one of the viewpoints. Bolektau is one of the shorter options, while Starshaya Sestra takes a bit longer.
- Day 5: Travel back to Astana and spend the afternoon seeing any more sights ahead of your sleeper train to Almaty. If you don’t fancy the sleeper train, you could leave earlier and enjoy watching the Kazakh steppe out of the window!
Check out my full Burabay guide if you want even more detail for your stay here!
Day 6-11: Almaty
Almaty is potentially the highlight of most Kazakhstan trips. It’s Kazakhstan’s cultural capital – a leafy city with parks, fountains, and a backdrop of snow-capped peaks. It’s a wonderful balance of city life (very comparable to Europe), which is surrounded by incredible nature.
Here is what a few nights in Almaty might look like:
- Day 6: Arriving from Astana on the sleeper train. Depending on your booking, this will arrive late-morning or early afternoon. Most hostels usually allow for either early check-in or at least dropping your bags. If (like me) you struggle to sleep on transport, you might want a chill rest of the day. Perhaps walk into town to see Panfilov Park and the famous Zenkov Cathedral or get a massage or hamam at Arasan Wellness Spa.
- Day 7: Head up to Kok Tobe via the cable car for a view over the city. Perhaps even go for a short hike to Big Almaty Lake just outside of the city.
- Day 8-9: Visit Kaindy and Kolsai Lakes and Charyn Canyon. You can do this is a couple of days (especially with a tour). However, I recommend three days if you are doing this independently. This means you can stay in nature and see more of the Kolsai Lakes.
- Tours from 40,000–60,000 KZT ($90–130) including transport + meals.
- Independent: rent a car (from 20,000 KZT/day) and stay in Saty village guesthouses (5,000–8,000 KZT/night with meals).
- Day 10: Day trip to the Altyn Emel National Park to see the Singing Dunes.
- Day 11: Travel from Almaty to Shymkent. Not the most exciting day, but a train will take around 13 hours. There are sleeper options if you prefer to spend an extra day in Almaty.
Check out my full Almaty guide if you want even more detail for your stay here!
Day 12-14: Shymkent
Shymkent is another big, well-developed city in Kazakhstan, but feels very different to Astana and Almaty.
You can stay near Turkestan, but given how easy it is to explore Turkestan in one day, I recommend a day trip instead. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be pleased to not have to pack your bag again and shift accommodation!
Here is what 2 nights in Shymkent might look like:
- Day 12: Explore the city, its leafy parks and many museums.
- Day 13: Day trip to Turkestan to see some beautiful architecture.
- Day 14: Travel back to Almaty to fly onwards. Or cross the land border into Uzbekistan, heading towards Tashkent.
Check out my full Turkestan guide if you want even more detail for your stay here!
2 Weeks in Kazakhstan Budget
How much does 2 weeks in Kazakhstan cost? It depends on your travel style, but here’s a rough estimate:
- Budget: $30-50 per day (hostels, local transport, street food, budget activities)
- Mid-range: $50-70 per day (guesthouses, a mix of local and tourist transport, mid-range restaurants, more paid tours)
- Luxury: $70+ per day (resorts, private transport, high-end dining, exclusive tours)
One of the biggest expenses in Kazakhstan is tours and activities to more isolated areas. Tours like the Charyn Canyon and Kaindy/Kolsai Lakes are cheaper, but other activities like Altyn Emel singing dunes are a bit more pricey. Finding a group to split car rental costs is the most cost-effective way to do this.
Aside from this, accommodation in Kazakhstan starts from $5 per night, meals average $3-7 and transport varies significantly. Almaty felt more expensive than other regions of Kazakhstan, but there are ways to minimise spending.
If you’re on a strict budget, you can save money by taking public transport, cooking your own meals (most hostels have kitchens), and choosing fewer guided activities.
How to get around Kazakhstan
Despite its size, the main hotspots of Kazakhstan are relatively easy to travel between given it’s extensive rail network.
That being said, if you want to truly see Kazakhstan and have the freedom to explore more, a car would be very beneficial. Particularly in Almaty, car rentals can be expensive so it’s better with a larger group of people to split costs if possible.
During my time here, I predominantly used slow sleeper trains and supplemented that with local travel using Yandex (the taxi hailing app like Uber) and the occasional local bus.
More than 2 weeks in Kazakhstan
Whilst two weeks in Kazakhstan is amazing, it’s such a huge country to explore, which means there are plenty more things that didn’t make the itinerary! Here are a few more suggestions if you want to extend further or want to swap out any other stops.
- Karaganda: Not many visitors, but home to one of the largest gulags you will ever see!
- Aksu-Zhabagly: Many people use Shymkent as a stepping stone to the beautiful scenery of Aksu-Zhabagle. This is a great stop if you’re not in a rush as it takes time to organise.
- Mangystau: The otherworldly landscapes of Mangystau are located in the far west of the country. It’s a long way from the rest of Kazakhstan’s attractions so consider if this is something you’re keen to see. Otherwise, it’s convenient if you’re over-landing from the west of the country after Aktau.
Before you go
Thank you for reading my ultimate 2 week Kazakhstan itinerary. If guides, itineraries and travel content like this interest you, head over to my Homepage to find out more.
If you are new to Matt’s Next Steps, check out my About page to find out a bit more about who I am, my travel adventures, and why I wanted to become a travel writer.
Please comment below and let me know your thoughts and experiences, or if there is anything else you want information on.
Happy travelling!