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Nomadic Horsemen, Kazakhstan
Home Destinations North and Central Asia Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is a mineral-rich country with a tiny population in relation to its size, and yet it has built itself a new capital, Nur Sultan (formerly Astana).

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Kazakhstan offers the visitor remarkable sand dunes, ancient burial grounds and fortresses, incredible scenery and a profusion of wildlife.

Due to the vast spaces and limited intrusion from people, the varied fauna and flora exist unaffected by the usual pressures of human expansion.

Spires of Zenkov Cathedral, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Spires of Zenkov Cathedral in Almaty

Highlights of a holiday to Kazakhstan

The old capital of Almaty, meaning valley of apples, sits nestled under the snowy peaks of the mighty Tien Shan (Celestial) Mountains. The markets are a delight and there is a fine museum of musical instruments as well as the splendid Zenkov Cathedral, made entirely of wood, interlocked with such skill that no nails have been used in the construction.

The cosmodrome at Baikonur, whose location was once the most highly classified secret, is now open to visitors so you can explore the world’s largest operational space launch facility, from where the first manned spaceflight was launched.

Balkhash Lake, which stretches from the Kazakh Hills in the northeast to desert steppes in the southwest, is half fresh water and half saline and home to many species of birds, including flamingos.

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Inner courtyard of the Kalyan Mosque, part of the Po-i-Kalyan Complex in Bukhara
Kalyan Mosque, Bukhara, Uzbekistan

A multi country adventure

Most visitors combine a holiday to Kazakhstan with one of its neighbouring stans. With various access points, the mountains, lakes and nomadic families of Kyrgyzstan is the most obvious choice. Alternatively couple with the stunning Islamic architecture of Uzbekistan or cross the whole of Central Asia taking the five stans.

Idea
Kyrgyzstan
Journey through Central Asia
Travel through five very different countries, crossing desert, mountains and grasslands, seeing the finest architecture in Central Asia and mingling with the many different ethnic groups that inhabit the region.
21 days from £5,200pp
Men, Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia by Paul Craven
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Group tour
Kyrgyzstan
Five Stans
Travelling through Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, this is a journey full of remarkable contrasts to a region that is still largely undiscovered and explored. 
Departing 26th August 2020
17 days from £4,995pp
Ala Archa, Kyrgyzstan
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Idea
Kyrgyzstan
Highlights of Kyrgyzstan
This holiday is designed to showcase Kyrgyzstan’s stunning scenery, from alpine forests to snow-capped peaks and high altitude lakes.
11 days from £2,250pp
Herd of horses grazing in picturesque mountains in Kyrgyzstan
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Need inspiration? Here’s a great place to start.

Booking a tailor-made holiday gives you the flexibility to customise your journey, travelling when and where suits you. Although Kazakhstan can be visited as a stand alone destination it is often combined with either Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan.

Idea
Kyrgyzstan
Journey through Central Asia
Travel through five very different countries, crossing desert, mountains and grasslands, seeing the finest architecture in…
21 days from £5,200pp
Men, Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia by Paul Craven
View Holiday Idea
Group tour
Kyrgyzstan
Five Stans
Travelling through Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, this is a journey full of remarkable contrasts…
Departing 26th August 2020
17 days from £4,995pp
Ala Archa, Kyrgyzstan
View Group Tour
Idea
Kyrgyzstan
Highlights of Kyrgyzstan
This holiday is designed to showcase Kyrgyzstan’s stunning scenery, from alpine forests to snow-capped peaks and…
11 days from £2,250pp
Herd of horses grazing in picturesque mountains in Kyrgyzstan
View Holiday Idea
View all holiday ideas

Explore Kazakhstan

  • Nur Sultan
  • Almaty
  • Charyn Canyon
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Uzbekistan

Experiences

A selection of activities and experiences you could consider including in your holiday to Kazakhstan and beyond.

 

Altai Mountains Adventure

Spend a few nights surrounded by the beauty of the Altai Mountains, camping in a traditional yurt for a taste of the traditional way of life.

 

Explore Almaty

Visit the countries old capital Almaty including the beautiful Zenkov Cathedral, made entirely of wood, vibrant local markets and the Museum of Musical Instruments.

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Charyn Canyon

Visit the magnificent Charyn Canyon, Kazakhstan’s own Grand Canyon. Access by 4WD or on foot and keep an eye out for mountain goats.

 

Aral Sea

See the stranded ships dating from the Soviet occupation, left in the desert landscape where the Aral Sea once was.

 

Kazakh Eagle Hunters

Join the famed Kazakh Eagle Hunters in all their finery for a hunting expedition – meet their families and their birds, and learn about the skills involved in the capture, training and use of eagles as hunters.

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Discover more experiences

Meet our experts

A passion for travel runs right through every one of our experts - meaning they're always ready with first-hand insight about their specialist countries.

Paul at DMZ border, South Korea
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Paul Craven

Paul is the Conde Nast Traveler chosen Specialist for Central Asia and the Silk Route. Being from a family with Army connections I can from an early age remember travelling. From camping in Europe and then later being sent to boarding school when we lived in Germany at the age of eight, complete with shorts, long socks, a cap and my suitcase. In appearance not too dissimilar to the children evacuated to the countryside during the blitz. Later, my father’s postings took us to Nepal where we had to transit Delhi and Kathmandu where we were sometimes stranded for days and Hong Kong from where I travelled in 1983 through China for two months.
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Deborah Brock-Doyle, Vietnam
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Deborah Brock-Doyle

My first journey for Steppes was in 1999 when I set off to explore Thailand to gather those little details that constitute Steppes Travel’s trademark knowledge. I have since been lucky enough to travel extensively in Southeast Asia, China, the Middle East and India. A few special memories include being joined at dinner by an otter in Laos, proudly being shown an illicit picture of the Dalai Lama in Tibet and diving with manta rays on Christmas day in Indonesia. I’m pretty sure I always leave a country wishing I had done more, seen more, learned more ….. but I also always hope to return …
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  • 01285 601 784

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Paul is very knowledgeable about all the destinations we book with him. Always organised to a high standard and a great help, he gives us confidence in our trip.

Central Asia

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