Kazakhstan road trip: from Aral Sea towns to Almaty
A road route across the country with a length of more than, connecting the western regions of Kazakhstan with the city of Almaty. The route includes national parks with unique geological formations, mountain lakes, the lava mountains of Katutau and ski resorts at the foot of the Tien Shan.
- Mode
- Places
- Start
- Aktau Mountains and Night Adventures
- End
- Medeu Skating Rink
- Stops
- 14
- Video author
- travmap
- Updated
Stops on this route
- Aktau Mountains and Night Adventures — Colorful rock formations in western Kazakhstan, where layers of ancient sediments create a unique landscape, especially spectacular under the starry sky.
- Kok-Tobe is a symbol of Almaty — A picturesque mountain with a panoramic observation deck, overlooking the whole city and the Trans-Ili Alatau.
- Алматы облысы, Қазақстан — A mountain lake in the Tien Shan gorge, famous for its trunks of a flooded spruce grove sticking out of the water among the rocks.
- Aralsk. A port city without a sea — A former port city on the dried-up Aral Sea, which has become a symbol of environmental disaster and attempts to restore the region.
- Маңғыстау, Қазақстан
- Altyn-Emel National Park — One of Kazakhstan's wildest national parks, first location on the journey
- Katutau Mountains (Lava Mountains) — Ancient lava mountains frozen from a million years ago
- Almaty — Former capital of Soviet Kazakhstan, snow-capped mountains visible from city
- Chimbulak (Shymbulak) Ski Resort — Major ski resort with mountain peaks easily accessible from Almaty
- Big Almaty Lake — Mountain lake near Almaty with scenic alpine setting
- Charyn Canyon (Charynskiy Canyon) — Spectacular canyon located near Almaty, natural geological formation
- Turkestan — Spiritual capital of the Turkic world, cultural and historical hub
- Aktau Mountains (White Mountains) — White mountains located near Altyn-Emel, first major geographic landmark
- Medeu Skating Rink — Historic sports facility and cultural symbol of Almaty and Kazakhstan
Useful for your trip
- Tip
- It takes 2 days to visit two locations in the Altyn-Emel National Park. Bring plenty of water with you, as the park has no water sources at all.
- Timing
- The singing dune makes a sound only in dry weather. The sound is similar to the humming of an organ and arises due to the movement of grains of sand from the wind.
- Transport
- There is a metro in Almaty. The intervals between trains are about 10 minutes. The metro helps you get to most of the interesting locations in the city.
- Tip
- The upper highway to the Big Almaty Lake is closed to personal vehicles. Only taxis and rented mopeds are allowed. The ascent on foot along the serpentine takes about two hours.
- Timing
- Shymbulak is easily accessible by a modern cable car in 20 minutes. Treks to glaciers, passes and high-altitude lakes begin from here.
- Tip
- Medeu is the highest mountain skating rink in the world, located at an altitude of almost 1700 m. In summer, the skating rink is used for concerts.
- Tip
- Lake Kaindy was formed about 100 years ago after an earthquake blocked the stream with stones. Underwater is an underwater forest of silt trees.
- Tip
- The Kok-Tobe TV Tower is located at an altitude of about 1500 meters and is considered one of the highest TV towers in the world. It is visible from almost anywhere in the city.
- Food
- If you want to feed a giraffe at the Almaty Zoo, keep in mind that they love eucalyptus twigs.
- Tip
- The lava mountains of Katutau surprise with bizarre shapes. Lava solidified after powerful volcanic eruptions. It is recommended to take original photos as a souvenir.
Video on this route
Kazakhstan. The most beautiful country in Central Asia? Road trip across the country