At the top of the list of destinations to visit in Kazakhstan is Almaty, the largest city and cultural and commercial center, was the country's capital until 1997. As a result, the area has an affluent and sophisticated air, with a plethora of stylish restaurants and pubs to try.

There is a lot to see and do here, with some fantastic museums and ancient sites strewn about, and many people use it as a base from which to explore the region.

Almaty is exceptionally lucky in terms of the great natural beauty that it has right on its doorstep. Its picturesque situation at the foot of the stunning Tian Shan mountain range makes it extremely beautiful. The mountains have a multitude of great things to visit, including Medeu, the highest skating rink in the world, Shymbulak, a superb ski resort, and the gorgeous Big Almaty Lake. A week or two might easily be spent viewing everything Almaty and its surroundings have to offer.

• Best time to visit: May and September
• Best place to visit: Zenkov Cathedral, Green Bazaar, Republican Museum Of Folk Musical Instruments , Museum Of History Of Almaty, Hotel Kazakhstan, Hotel Kazakhstan, Skating Rink, Ski Resort, etc.
• Location: south-eastern Kazakhstan

Second on the list of destinations to visit in Kazakhstan is Aksu-Zhabagly is the oldest nature reserve in Central Asia, having been established in 1926. Aksu-Zhabagly is a delight to explore, with everything from towering, snow-capped mountain peaks and glaciers to flowing rivers, wide valleys, and, of course, limitless grassland.

The natural reserve is full with stunning panoramas and a profusion of beautiful fauna.
It is home to 48 percent of regional bird species, 72.5 percent of vertebrates, 221 out of 254 fungal species, 63 out of 80 moss species, 15 out of 180 plant formations found in the West Tien Shan. On the reserve, around 2,500 insect species have been identified.

Agriculture is the primary land use in the region, with cereal cultures (such as wheat and barley) growing on rain-fed regions and forage cultures (such as maize, clover, and alfalfa) planted on irrigated arable lands. Cattle, sheep (South-Kazakh Merino), goats, horses (trotters and Donskaya breed), and poultry are raised by the locals (chicken and turkey).

• Acreage: 357,734 ha
• Best things to do: Hiking and horse riding, Birdwatching and botanizing, Rock climbing
• Location: southern province of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Astana, as many Kazakhs still call it, is the nation's ever-changing capital. It was recently renamed Nur-Sultan in early 2019. Every year, massive iconic structures rise up, each one more stunning than the previous. Astana, located in the country's featureless northern steppe, is one of Central Asia's most contemporary and futuristic towns, with several tall skyscrapers.

Wandering around its huge boulevards is an interesting experience, with Soviet, Kazakh, and Western influences visible everywhere. The majestic Bayterek Tower at its center is without a doubt the primary attraction.

In addition, the massive Khan Shatyr is well worth a visit for its abundance of stores, restaurants, and unusual style - as is the city's magnificent national museum.

As Astana continues to expand and thrive, a large number of young people from around the nation are flocking to the city, giving it a very lively and youthful vibe.

• Best time to visit: June – August
• Best place to visit: Bayterek, Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Hazrat Sultan Mosque, Khan Shatyr, Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, Nur-Astana Mosque, etc.
• Location: north-central portion of Kazakhstan

Kolsai Lake, located around 250 kilometers from Almaty, offers three lakes to visit. The dazzling lakes are sometimes referred to as the 'Pearls of Tian Shan,' since they are strung out along the Kolsay River, which winds its way through the forest-covered Tian Shan Mountains. There is a beautiful but challenging trek that takes you all the way from the lower to the higher lake.

The region surrounding Kolsai Lake is a famous tourist attraction among local Kazakhs, with several wonderful campsites and homestays to stay at, and many people go horseback riding between the lakes. The lakes, which have some of the most stunning scenery in the nation, are well worth a visit if you get the chance.

• Acreage:
  • Lower Kolsay Lake: 1km long, 599 meters wide, and 80 meters deep
  • Middle Kolsay Lake: 1276 meters long, 400 meters wide, and 50 meters deep
  • Upper Kolsay Lake: 455 meters long, 309 meters wide
• Best things to do: Hike To The Second Lake, Take A Boat Ride, Drink Chai And Stay In A Yurt, etc.
• Location: Kolsai Lakes national park, southeast Kazakhstan

Karkaraly National Park, established in 1998, is located in the Karaganda Province's east. As one of best destinations to visit in Kazakhstan, the splendor of the park's lakes, rivers, and woodlands is breathtaking. The reserve covers an area of more than 90 hectares. Airtau, Buguly, Kent, Maten, and Shankoz are the five largest mountain ranges. The tallest peaks of the Kent Mountains are around 1,400 meters (4500 feet) high. The park's most well-known lakes are Baseyn and Shaitankol. Tourists love the trekking trails that go to them.

The park is a remarkable ecology teeming with hundreds of animal species. Endangered species include argali, golden eagles, black storks, and steppe vipers. The park's flora includes relict trees as well as several unusual species. There's even a sphagnum bog with a thick coating of moss covering it.

Karkaraly National Park is an excellent location for trekking. Clean mountain air and healing water are also extremely beneficial to your health.

• Acreage: 90,323 ha, 40,341 hectares are forested
• Best things to do: Hiking to the Zhiren Sakal peak, Birdwatching and botanizing, Enjoying the flora and fauna exhibit shows in the nature museum, etc.
• Location: Karkalay, Karaganda district, Kazakhstan

The Baikonur Cosmodrome is one of the few sites in the world where you can see a rocket launch into space, and it is definitely worth a visit if you are interested in the universe. Even if you aren't, witnessing a spaceship take off is a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Baikonur, the world's biggest space launch complex, is jointly managed by the Kazakh and Russian governments. Sputnik 1 and Vostok 1 - the first crewed spaceflight – were launched from here. As a result, there is a lot of history on display. Visitors may take a tour of the building as well as the adjoining museum, which features a variety of intriguing displays, models, and memorabilia.

• Acreage: covers an area of 6,717 km2, 75 km from north to south, 90 km from west to east, the range of azimuths launch vehicles ranges from 35 to 92
• Way to get in: Join guided tour ($700- $5000), permits are necessary and must be arranged at least 45 days in advance, no Kazakh visa is needed if you fly in directly from Moscow
• Location: in the Kyzyl-Orda region of Kazakhstan

Turkestan, located in southern Kazakhstan and bordered by the Kazakh Desert, is a one-of-a-kind metropolis that effortlessly blends traditional nomadic culture with the sedentary city life of neighboring Uzbekistan. This makes it an enthralling site to visit.

The stunning 14th-century tomb of Kozha Akhmed Yasaui, which seems more at home in one of Uzbekistan's historic Silk Road capitals than in Kazakhstan, is without a doubt the centerpiece.

The tomb, built by Timur to honor the famous Sufi Sheikh, is one of the most spectacular and significant historical sites in the nation. Aside from that, the remains of the ancient towns of Otrar and Sauran that lay in the adjacent desert are the primary attractions for tourists to the city. Aside from these ancient sites, there isn't much to do in Turkestan besides meander about its major market and soak up the bustling atmosphere.

• Best time to visit: May - September
• Best place to visit: The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, The Intimate Ruins of Sauran, Hilvet Semi-Underground Mosque, Mausoleum of Rabigi Sultan Begim, Esim Khan Mausoleum, etc.
• Location: southern Kazakhstan

The breathtakingly magnificent Charyn Canyon in Kazakhstan's southeast is well worth a visit. It's difficult to comprehend the magnificent scene that awaits you as you approach from over the boundless, featureless plain. The canyon snaking its way through the rock is around 90 kilometers long, with some sections reaching depths of up to 300 meters.

Its reddish walls and rock formations are similar to those found in Utah and Arizona in the United States. Many visitors to Charyn Canyon claim it is just as beautiful as the world-famous Grand Canyon.

Walking through the Valley of Castles, the canyon's most stunning part, is an awe-inspiring experience, with its massive walls towering above you. From above, Charyn Canyon is as enthralling as it drops steeply. Hardy explorers may go whitewater rafting or canoeing down the Sharyn River, which passes through a portion of it.

• Entrance fee: 730KZT (pastpost is needed and driving document if driving in)
• Offers: Camping - 350 KZT / tent
• Best time to visit: June-September
• Location: Charyn National Park, Kazakhstan

The Aral Sea, a man-made ecological disaster of the greatest kind, has shrunk substantially in size since 1960. Due to disastrous Soviet-era state planning, its waters were redirected to cotton fields in the desert, where they quickly evaporated or seeped underground.

The Aral Sea, formerly the world's fourth-largest body of fresh water, is now barely a fraction of its previous size, and a gradual recovery has only begun in recent years.

Aral is an interesting site to visit as a result of all of this. The old fishing port, known across the Soviet Union for its big catches, now sits adjacent to limitless desert, since the sea's waves have long since receded beyond the horizon.

For those interested in viewing what remains of the Aral Sea, the town of the same name serves as an excellent base from which to tour 'one of the planet's biggest environmental disasters' and learn about the successful government effort that is progressively raising its water levels year after year.

• Best time to visit: March-May, September-November
• Location: Central Asia

The last of the top destinations to visit in Kazakhstan that we recommend is Tamgaly Petroglyphs. Thousands of Bronze Age petroglyphs mark this ancient location, according to reports on the 3,500-year-old rock art in Kazakhstan's Tamgaly canyon, which reveals information about the civilisation that created it.

In Kazakhstan's extreme south, grassy steppes stretch to the horizon. The protection and shade of the Tamgaly canyon, some 100 miles northwest of the former Kazakh capital, Almaty, has been a particular location for humans for millennia in a region blasted by summer heat and winter cold. They have left their imprint in the shape of 5,000 colourful rock sculptures, the oldest of which date back to the middle of the Bronze Age, 3,500 years ago.

Some of these engravings are buried, while others are strategically placed to maximize exposure. The petroglyphs show out against the black rock, exposing a plethora of drawings: Sun deities with rays emanating from their heads, soldiers on horseback, shamans dancing, and herds of animals

All tell the story of the many peoples that resided here: Their topics trace the changes felt throughout the region from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age, and even far later: Kazakh shepherds of the twentieth century also made their mark, depicting the region's recent conquerors with images of Soviet-era cars.

The Tamgaly gorge is one of numerous petroglyph-rich locations in Kazakhstan. Tamgaly means "marked" or "painted site" in Kazakh, and as evidenced by 20th-century shepherd carvings, Tamgaly's rock art was well known to Kazakhs for many years.

• Entrance fees:
  • Locals :500 KZT
  • Foreigners: 1,000 KZT
• Tips:
  • Bring your own snacks and drinks.
  • Drink lots of water. There’s almost no place to get shade.
  • Bring cash. Nowhere takes credit cards.
  • Bring a bathing suit if you want to swim.
  • If you want to go with a group tour, check with multiple tour companies. Not every company runs this tour consistently.
• Location: southeastern Kazakhstan