Kazakhstan itinerary: 7 and 10 days with a private driver

How should I split 7 or 10 days in Kazakhstan?

Kazakhstan is the ninth-largest country in the world, and the sights a first-time visitor actually wants sit in three clusters roughly 1,000–2,000 km apart: the Tian Shan mountains, canyons and lakes around Almaty in the south-east; the Silk Road mausoleums of Turkestan and Shymkent in the south; and the desert of Mangystau on the Caspian, flown into via Aktau. The capital, Astana, is a fourth, mostly architectural stop in the north. Driving between clusters is possible but wastes days: Almaty to Turkestan is roughly 700 km by air and well over 10 hours by road.

So the rule is simple: drive inside a cluster, fly between clusters. With 7 days, stay in the Almaty region, or do Almaty plus one other cluster. With 10 days, do Almaty plus two. A private driver is most useful in the Almaty region, where the best places — Charyn, Kolsai, Kaindy, Altyn-Emel — have no sensible public transport, and in Mangystau, where everything beyond the city is dirt track and you need a 4x4.

A 7-day Kazakhstan itinerary with a private driver

This is the version we recommend to most first-timers: one hotel base in Almaty for most nights, one night near the lakes, no domestic flights, and every day different.

1. Day 1 — Arrive in Almaty. Meet-and-greet at the airport, hotel, an evening on Panfilov Park and the Zenkov cathedral or the Green Bazaar. If you land early, take the cable car up Kok-Tobe for sunset.
2. Day 2 — Medeu, Shymbulak and the mountains. 25 km into the Zailiysky Alatau: the Medeu skating rink, then the gondola to Shymbulak at 2,260 m and the upper lifts toward the Talgar pass. Our Medeu and Shymbulak half-day starts from $80 per car; add Big Almaty Lake in the afternoon.
3. Day 3 — Charyn Canyon to Saty. About 200 km to Charyn, a morning walk through the Valley of Castles, then on to Saty village for the night.
4. Day 4 — Kaindy and Kolsai, back to Almaty. The sunken forest of Kaindy early, Kolsai Lake 1, then about 5 hours back. Days 3–4 are our Kolsai and Charyn 2-day trip, from $560 per minivan.
5. Day 5 — Altyn-Emel. The Singing Dune and the striped Aktau mountains in a Land Cruiser — a long but extraordinary day; see Altyn-Emel by Land Cruiser. Easier alternative: the UNESCO petroglyphs at Tamgaly, 170 km away on paved road.
6. Day 6 — Turgen or Assy, or a slow day. Waterfalls in the Turgen gorge, or the high summer pastures of the Assy plateau (June–September, 4x4). Or take the day off for museums, cafes and the Arasan baths.
7. Day 7 — Departure. Transfer to the airport.

If you want one driver for the whole week rather than separate trips, the Almaty region in 5 days package from $1,100 per minivan covers days 2–6, or hire a private driver for a multi-day trip from $180 per day.

7 days with Kyrgyzstan instead: many travellers add Lake Issyk-Kul, which is closer to Almaty than Turkestan is. Our Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan 7-day loop runs Charyn, Kolsai, Karakol, the south shore and Bishkek from $1,700 per car.

A 10-day Kazakhstan itinerary: Almaty, the Silk Road and Astana

Ten days lets you see three different Kazakhstans: mountains, the Islamic Silk Road and the new capital. The order below works best with flights from Almaty; reverse it if you arrive in Astana, which has more direct connections from Europe and the Gulf.

• Days 1–5: Almaty region — as days 1–5 of the 7-day plan above: city, Medeu and Shymbulak, Charyn and Kolsai with a night in Saty, and Altyn-Emel or Tamgaly.
• Day 6: Fly to Turkestan. About 1 h 20 min–1 h 40 min. Your driver meets you at the airport; the Turkestan airport transfer is from $35. Afternoon at the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi (UNESCO), and the floodlit citadel at night.
• Day 7: Arystan-Bab, Otrar and Sauran. The Turkestan, Arystan-Bab and Otrar day trip from $170 per car.
• Day 8: Turkestan to Shymkent, fly to Astana. About 165 km by road, then a flight north. Or extend into Uzbekistan instead: our Silk Road in 3 days ends in Tashkent.
• Day 9: Astana. Baiterek, the Khan Shatyr tent, the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation and the Hazret Sultan mosque — one long day with a private driver in Astana is enough for most people.
• Day 10: Burabay or departure. If your flight is late, the lakes and granite of Burabay are about 3 hours north; otherwise fly home.

Alternative 10 days: Almaty and the Mangystau desert

For landscapes over monuments, swap Turkestan and Astana for the far west. Spend days 1–6 in the Almaty region (adding Assy or Turgen), then fly Almaty–Aktau (about 3 h 10 min–3 h 35 min, several flights a day as of October 2026). Days 7–9 are our Mangystau 3-day Land Cruiser trip ($1,350 per 4x4 for up to four): Sherkala and the stone balls of Torysh, the underground mosque of Beket-Ata, and sunrise over the white cliffs of Bozzhyra. Day 10 is the flight home from Aktau, usually via Almaty or Astana. Book Mangystau for April–June or September–October: July and August reach 40 °C or more on the plateau, and the yurt camps near Bozzhyra fill early.

When is the best time to visit Kazakhstan, month by month?

If you can choose only one window for a 7- or 10-day trip covering several regions, pick mid-May to mid-June or September to early October. Weekends from late June to August bring Almaty families to the same lakes and canyons; plan Kolsai and Big Almaty Lake for weekdays.

Internal flights: Almaty to Turkestan, Aktau and Astana

Domestic flying is cheap, frequent and the only sensible way to join the clusters. As of October 2026, from public schedule data:

Practical notes: FlyArystan is the low-cost arm of Air Astana and charges for checked bags; Air Astana is the full-service option. Turkestan's airport is small and a few kilometres from the old town, and Shymkent's airport is a useful alternative with more flights. Schedules change by season, so check before you build the trip around a specific day. Your driver tracks the flight and waits 90 minutes free after landing at every airport, including Almaty airport and Astana airport. Night trains such as Almaty–Astana exist and are comfortable in first class, but take around 12–20 hours depending on the train; on a 10-day trip they cost you a day.

What should I skip on a short Kazakhstan trip?

• Charyn, Kolsai and Kaindy in one day from Almaty. It is sold everywhere and it works — we offer it too — but it means about 14 hours in the car with little time at each place. With 7 days, sleep in Saty instead.
• Driving between regions. Almaty to Turkestan or Astana by road is a full day each way. Fly.
• More than one day in Astana unless you love architecture. One full day plus Burabay covers it.
• Baikonur. Launch visits need permits arranged well in advance through specialist operators and fall outside a 7- or 10-day plan for most people.
• Border-zone treks such as Khan Tengri base or Katon-Karagai without planning: they need a border-zone permit, which operators say usually takes 10–30 days.
• Mangystau in July and August, and Kolsai's upper lakes in a single afternoon — Kolsai 2 is a 2–3 hour hike each way.
• Swimming in Big Almaty Lake. It is a reservoir supplying the city; swimming and drones are not allowed.

Private driver or self-planned transport: what does the week cost?

A private driver costs more than buses and taxi apps, and far less than an all-inclusive package. Prices below are ours, per car, not per person. For a full list see prices and all our tours.

• 7 days in the Almaty region: the 5-day package from $1,100 per minivan, plus two airport transfers from $40 each.
• Day-by-day instead: a driver in Almaty from $160 per day in a sedan, Charyn from $160, Kolsai 2 days from $560, Altyn-Emel $450 by Land Cruiser.
• Silk Road: 3 days by car from $600; Turkestan–Otrar as a single day from $170.
• Mangystau: 3 days by Land Cruiser $1,350.
• Astana: driver from $160 per day; Burabay day trip from $220.

Every price includes an English-speaking driver, fuel, tolls and parking; on multi-day trips the driver's room and meals are included too. Park tickets, your hotels and meals are extra. Day trips and multi-day trips need a 30% deposit by card link; transfers are paid to the driver at the end. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. For how drivers compare with Yandex Go, inDrive and trains, see getting around Kazakhstan.

Day by day

1. Day 1 · Arrive in Almaty

   Airport meet-and-greet, hotel, evening in Panfilov Park or up Kok-Tobe.

2. Day 2 · Medeu, Shymbulak, Big Almaty Lake

   Gondola to 2,260 m in the morning, the turquoise reservoir in the afternoon.

3. Day 3 · Charyn Canyon → Saty

   Valley of Castles walk in the cool morning, night in a Saty guesthouse.

4. Day 4 · Kaindy and Kolsai → Almaty

   Sunken forest at dawn, Kolsai Lake 1, about 5 hours back to Almaty.

5. Day 5 · Altyn-Emel or Tamgaly

   Singing Dune and Aktau mountains by Land Cruiser, or UNESCO petroglyphs on paved road.

6. Day 6 · Fly to Turkestan

   About 1.5 hours; afternoon at the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi mausoleum.

7. Day 7 · Arystan-Bab, Otrar, Sauran

   Silk Road day trip by car from Turkestan.

8. Day 8 · To Shymkent, fly to Astana

   165 km by road, then an evening flight north.

9. Day 9 · Astana

   Baiterek, Khan Shatyr, Palace of Peace, Hazret Sultan mosque with a driver.

10. Day 10 · Burabay or fly home

    Lakes and granite 3 hours north if your flight allows; otherwise the airport.

Ways to do it, compared

Questions