Shymkent, Turkestan and the Silk Road by private car

Shymkent is Kazakhstan's third city and its warmest: a busy, green, distinctly southern place of bazaars, tea houses and plov, much closer in feel to Tashkent than to Astana. Few foreign visitors stay long in the city itself. They use it as the base for the most important historical sites in the country, strung along the old Silk Road towards the Syr Darya: Sayram, Arystan-Bab, the ruins of Otrar, the walled city of Sauran and, above all, the 14th-century mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkestan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

When to go

April to May and September to October. Spring brings green steppe and poppies; autumn brings melons and soft light on the brick domes. July and August regularly pass 40 °C, which makes exposed sites like Otrar and Sauran hard going after 10:00. Winters are mild by Kazakh standards and the sites are quiet, though days are short.

Arriving

Shymkent airport opened a new terminal in December 2024 and many international flights land between midnight and dawn. A Shymkent airport transfer is from $40 per car, with flight tracking and 90 minutes of free waiting. Flying directly to Turkestan instead? The Turkestan airport transfer is from $35, and the airport is only about 20 minutes from the old town.

Turkestan and the sites

The Shymkent to Turkestan transfer takes about 2 hours on a four-lane highway, from $120 per car, with up to an hour of stops included: enough for a first look at Arystan-Bab. From Turkestan, the Turkestan, Arystan-Bab and Otrar day trip (from $170) links the three main sites in 7–9 hours at your pace; photographers can end at Sauran in the golden hour.

Into Uzbekistan

Tashkent is closer to Shymkent than most Kazakh cities. Cars do not cross the Kazakh–Uzbek border on our routes: your Kazakh driver drops you at the pedestrian entrance, you walk through both posts, and your second driver meets you on the Uzbek side with a name sign. One price covers both cars: Shymkent to Tashkent and Tashkent to Shymkent are from $110. The old Zhibek Zholy post has been under reconstruction since February 2025; check the current status on our Zhibek Zholy border page before you travel.

The Silk Road in three days

For the whole region without planning it yourself, the Silk Road by car in 3 days runs Shymkent, Sayram, Turkestan, Otrar and on to Tashkent, from $600 per car with the driver's lodging and meals included. Coming from Almaty instead? The 800 km Almaty to Tashkent drive passes through Shymkent and can include an overnight there.

Practical notes

• Dress modestly at the mausoleums: shoulders and knees covered, a scarf for women inside Yasawi and Arystan-Bab.
• Site tickets are paid on the spot and are not included in our prices.
• English is rare in the south, which is exactly where an English-speaking driver earns their keep.