A to Z Travel Blog - Kazakhstan
Happy Magical Monday, everyone!
If you have been following my photography journeys for a while, you will know how much I love uncovering destinations that blend rich history with dramatic natural landscapes. My latest adventure took me all the way to Central Asia for the incredible TBEX Almaty 2026 conference, and finally, my K! Yes, it was my last letter to finish off the A to Z Travel Blog series! More on that coming soon.
Between catching up with old friends, meeting fellow creators, and soaking up actionable takeaways, I had my mobile phone camera firmly glued to my hand. Almaty completely blew me away. From dramatic ridges of canyons to pristine mountain lakes and vibrant city life, it is an absolute dream for travel photography.
Whether you are packing your bags for the next TBEX or planning a solo photography expedition to Kazakhstan, here is everything you need to know for the ultimate trip with visual highlights from my time in Almaty in the A to Z Travel Blog - Kazakhstan.
A to Z Travel Blog - Kazakhstan
ABOUT KAZAKHSTAN
Kazakhstan is the world’s largest landlocked country and the ninth-largest nation by area, spanning a vast region between Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Covering more than 2.7 million square kilometers, sharing a massive northern border with Russia and borders with China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
With a population of approx 20 million people, comprising a diverse mix of ethnic groups led by the Kazakh majority alongside Russian, Uzbek, and other communities.
Kazakh is the state language, while Russian enjoys official equal status. Islam is the majority religion, followed by Christianity.
The region has a deep history of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes, forming the Kazakh Khanate in the 15th century. Did you know that in the 13th century, the famous Mongolian ruthless warrior, Genghis Khan, marched west and absorbed the local nomadic tribes inhabiting the territory of present-day Kazakhstan (such as the Naimans and Merkits) into his vast empire? The terrifying figure in Western and Middle Eastern history stabilised a massive territory, opening the Silk Road for safe travel and global trade between Europe and Asia.
Kazakhstan was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1920 then full union republic December 1936. The last constituent republic to declare independence December 16, 1991.
Today, the world's ninth-largest country is the largest producer and exporter of uranium. The economic powerhouse of Central Asia is also rich in natural wealth - oil, natural gas, chromium, lead, zinc, and coal.
Did you know that Kazakhstan also has a foot in space? The historic and iconic Baikonur Cosmodrome is located within its territory, leased and operated by Russia for orbital and space launches (Did you know you can book a specialised tour to the active spaceport to see the legendary launchpads and the Museum of Baikonur Cosmodrome History?).
You can also find the major aerospace centre - National Space Centre (open air museum) featuring giant life-sized rocket models and a replica of the Buran space shuttle in Astana, while in Almaty, don't miss the informative exhibition in the largest museum -The Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Located in one of the permanent halls, it covers modern Kazakhstan history, which includes a dedicated section showcasing the country's space program history, photographs, and artifacts related to famous Kazakh cosmonauts who flew to the International Space Station.
If you are visiting the iconic Kok-Tobe Hill to see the incredible views out over the city, pause to look closely at the base walls of the massive Almaty TV Tower. The outer wall features an impressive, large Soviet-era mosaic intricately dedicated to the Soyuz T-12 spacecraft and early cosmonautics.
There is also Abilkhan Kasteev State Art Museum with an extensive collection of Soviet-era realist art, sculptures, and avant-garde designs dedicated to early cosmonauts, the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and humankind's journey into the universe. It offers a fascinating cultural look at how the space age shaped Kazakh and Soviet history, and the Fesenkov Astrophysical Institute & Tian Shan Observatory where you can experience the active, scientific side of space exploration in this historic institute (founded in 1941) with evening tours where you can check out historic astronomy equipment, learn about Kazakhstan's current space research programs, and participate in a guided stargazing experience to view planets like Saturn and Jupiter through massive telescopes. They even have real extraterrestrial meteorites that visitors can touch.
The futuristic capital of Astana is known for its modern architecture, including the Bayterek Tower and Palace of Peace and Reconciliation. While the largest city of Almaty is the cultural and financial hub, nestled near the Tian Shan Mountains and famous for its green spaces, cafes, and proximity to nature. The incredible natural wonders not to be missed include the dramatic landscapes like Charyn Canyon, the Altyn-Emel National Park, and alpine lakes such as Kolsai and Kaindy.
One of the safest countries in the world, so much so that the U.S. Department of State classify it under their lowest risk tier (Level 1: Exercise normal precautions), making it statistically safer than several major Western European destinations!
Everyone was very welcoming and friendly, but to ensure an entirely smooth photography or leisure trip, keep these practical safety guidelines in mind:
Pickpocketing/Minor theft is the most common risk you will face, particularly in crowded areas like Almaty's Green Bazaar, public buses, or overnight trains. Keep your camera gear secure and valuables hidden.
While Almaty and Astana are highly modern, walkable, and calm, normal street smarts apply late at night. Be cautious of drink-spiking in crowded bars or nightclubs, and try not to walk alone through unlit areas late at night.
Avoid unmarked cars (taxis) and aggressive private airport taxi drivers! Always use Yandex Go (similar to UBER) for fixed and transparent pricing. This was something most of the conference attendees experienced, including myself, at Almaty Airport. Don't be fooled by the Yandex Go badge! Download the Yandex Go app before you travel to Kazakhstan, and then on arrival within the airport terminal building, you can select the payment type in the app.
Carry your passport with you, do not photograph any military buildings, airport secure areas, border crossings, or sensitive government buildings. If you plan to hire a car, there is a strict 0.00% blood-alcohol limit.
Do be prepared for extreme weather swings, and if you are heading out to shoot the singing sand dunes or high-altitude mountain passes, remember that infrastructure drops off quickly. Always travel with a professional guide or 4x4 driver, carry plenty of fuel and water, and download robust offline maps (like Maps.me or 2GIS), as mobile signal can disappear entirely.
I never once felt unsafe, and although the private taxi drivers at Almaty airport were persistent, they were not as aggressive as I have experienced in other countries I have visited.
A — Almaty & Altyn-Emel
Almaty: The cultural heartbeat of the country. Framed by the massive, snow-covered Tian Shan mountains, it offers a vibrant mix of leafy avenues, Soviet modernist architecture, and an exceptional café culture.
Altyn-Emel National Park: A desert national park located north of Almaty. It is highly prized for its colourful, layered clay hills (Aktau and Katutau mountains) that look like a vibrant Mars scape at sunset.
B — Baikonur Cosmodrome & Beshbarmak
Baikonur Cosmodrome: The world's oldest and largest operational space launch facility. Booking a specialized tour allows you to witness live orbital rocket launches.
Beshbarmak: The national dish. Translating to "five fingers" because it is traditionally eaten by hand, it consists of boiled flat pasta sheets topped with tender horse meat or mutton and a rich onion broth
C — Charyn Canyon
A breathtaking 12-million-year-old canyon system carved out of deep red sedimentary rock. The most visually stunning section is the Valley of Castles, where towers and pillars create a dramatic labyrinth perfect for wide-angle landscape shots.
D — Dombra
Dombra: The soul of traditional music. This long-necked, two-stringed wooden lute is central to Kazakh folklore. Capturing a local musician playing it inside a yurt adds deep storytelling value to a portrait collection. You can see over 1,000 musical instruments, including more than 60 varieties of traditional Kazakh folk instruments such as the dombra, kobyz, and zhetygen at the Museum of Musical Instruments. Located in Panfilov Park, behind the Zenkov Cathedral. Open each day between 10am - 12noon (closed Monday).
E — Eurasian Steppe
Eurasian Steppe: One of the largest continuous grasslands in the world. This vast, lonely prairie offers minimalist horizons, dramatic skies, and occasional encounters with herds of wild horses or rare Saiga antelopes.
F — Futuristic Astana
Futuristic Astana: The country's ultra-modern capital city. Rising out of the flat northern plains, it serves as a visual playground for architectural photography, filled with avant-garde structures designed by global architects.
G — Green Bazaar
Located in Almaty, this historic, high-roofed indoor market dates back to 1868. It offers a high-energy sensory experience filled with rows of colorful spices, piles of dried fruits, and stalls selling traditional Central Asian delicacies.
H — Hazret Sultan Mosque
A stunning architectural landmark in Astana. Housed in a massive brilliant-white structure featuring classic Islamic geometry, it is the largest mosque in the country and photographs beautifully at twilight.
I — Ile-Alatau National Park
A massive alpine reserve sitting right on Almaty's mountain backyard. It features deep pine forests, glaciers, and jagged peaks reaching over 3,500 meters.
J — Jochi Khan Mausoleum
Located in the remote Ulytau region, this ancient blue-domed brick monument holds the remains of Genghis Khan’s eldest son, whose descendants founded the first official Kazakh state.
K — Kaindy Lake
Famous for its eerie "sunken forest". Formed by a landslide in 1911, the freezing, lime-turquoise mountain water submerged a spruce forest, leaving the dead tree trunks rising straight out of the water like the masts of ghost ships.
L — Long-Exposure Waterfalls
Turgen Gorge located east of Almaty, this lush mountain fracture features spectacular cascades like the Bear Waterfall. It provides the perfect backdrop for long-exposure water photography amidst dense alpine foliage.
M — Mangistau & Medeu
Mangistau Region: A remote, otherworldly desert territory bordering the Caspian Sea. It features massive chalk-white canyons, limestone towers (Bozzhyra), and underground stone mosques.
Medeu Skating Rink: Perched at 1,691 meters in the mountains above Almaty, this is the highest outdoor speed-skating rink in the world, flanked by dramatic alpine views.
N — Nauryz Celebrations
The traditional Persian New Year is celebrated across Central Asia in late March. The festival brings out vibrant street parades, traditional dress, yurt villages erected in city squares, and intense horseback games.
O — Otrar Oasis Ruins
Otrar: A legendary ghost city along the ancient Silk Road. Once a thriving merchant metropolis, it was infamously besieged and destroyed by Genghis Khan's armies in 1219, leaving behind atmospheric mud-brick ruins.
P — Palace of Peace and Reconciliation
The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation is a striking 62-meter-tall glass and steel pyramid designed by Norman Foster in Astana. Built to host global congresses, its apex features stained-glass windows depicting soaring white doves.
Q — Qazaq Cuisine Details
Culinary Details: Beyond large platters of meat, capturing the textures of traditional snacks adds great depth to a travel log. Keep an eye out for Baursaks (puffy, golden fried dough bubbles) and bowls of Kumys (fermented mare's milk).
R — Rixos Aktau & Caspian Coast
Aktau: A unique maritime city built directly on the rugged edge of the Caspian Sea. It offers dramatic coastal sunset vistas and acts as the perfect base camp for 4x4 expeditions into the deep desert.
S — Singing Dune
The Singing Dune: A massive, 3-kilometer-long sand mountain in Altyn-Emel National Park. When the weather is perfectly dry and windy, the shifting grains of sand emit a deep, vibrating hum that sounds exactly like a low aircraft engine.
T — Turkistan & Tamgaly Petroglyphs
Turkistan: The spiritual capital of the country, home to the magnificent Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. This 14th-century UNESCO World Heritage site features some of the finest turquoise tilework and Timurid architecture in Central Asia.
Tamgaly Gorge: A UNESCO site featuring over 5,000 ancient rock carvings (petroglyphs) dating back to the Bronze Age, depicting sun-head deities, dancers, and wild animals.
U — Ulytau Mountain Trekking
Ulytau: The cradle of the Kazakh nation. This historic, mountainous region in central Kazakhstan is highly sacred, containing ancient burial mounds, pagan stone figures (balbals), and untouched wilderness ridges.
V — Valley of Castles
The Iconic Gorge Corridor: The crown jewel trail inside Charyn Canyon. Walking along the dry riverbed floor allows you to look straight up at towering red rock formations that frame the sky beautifully.
W — Wild Apple Forests
The Origin of Apples: The mountains surrounding Almaty are the genetic birthplace of the modern domestic apple (Malus sieversii). Trekking through the protected wild orchards in spring reveals beautiful white blossoms clinging to ancient mountain slopes.
X — X-Factor Horseback Sports
Kokpar: A thrilling, high-velocity traditional nomadic sport played on horseback. Capturing the intense motion, flying turf, and sheer strength of the riders competing for a goat carcass makes for spectacular, high-action documentary photography.
Y — Yurt Hospitality
The Nomadic Home: Traditional circular tents made of woven wood lattice and thick felt layers. The rich, colorful woven bands (baskur) and vibrant textiles lining the interior provide an incredible look into nomadic art styles.
Z — Zenkov Ascension Cathedral
Zenkov Cathedral: A breathtaking cathedral located in Almaty's Panfilov Park. Completed in 1907, this pastel-yellow structure stands 56 meters tall and is made entirely of wood assembled completely, without using a single metal nail. It famously survived a catastrophic earthquake in 1911 intact.
I hope you have enjoyed reading the A to Z Travel Blog - Kazakhstan and feel inspired to visit. I loved it so much, we are planning a return visit! Would you like to travel with us? Comment below.
Until next time..
Happy Travels,
Michelle x
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