The route that gives Kazakhstan its argument as the largest landlocked country in the world — the country that is simultaneously Central Asian and European and Soviet and newly wealthy (the Tengiz and the Kashagan oil fields having changed the infrastructure since the 1990s at the rate that a country with a very small population and a very large oil wealth can change things): two days in Almaty for the Green Bazaar (the Zelyony Bazaar — the specific Kazakhstan food market, the kurt (the dried yoghurt balls), the kazy (the horse sausage, the specific Kazakhstan delicacy), and the Central Asian fruit (the apricot, the melon, the specific Central Asian summer produce at the market price)), the Zenkov Cathedral (the 1907 Russian Orthodox wooden cathedral, the second-largest wooden building in the world, constructed without nails, visible in the Panfilov Park), and the Medeu skating rink (the highest-altitude outdoor skating rink in the world at 1,691m, the 1972 Soviet construction visible in the specific Cold War sporting infrastructure), two days at the Charyn Canyon (the 90km canyon in the Tian Shan foothills — the Valley of Castles (the specific canyon section where the 200m limestone formations visible from the valley floor give the name)), and three days on the steppe (the Kazakhstani steppe — the 804,500 square kilometres of grassland, the largest steppe in the world, the specific geography that gives the country 58% of its land area and that the visitor who stays in Almaty misses entirely).
Reading time: 9 minutes | Last updated: 2026
Before You Leave
Getting there: Fly London-Almaty (Air Astana direct, 7 hours; also via Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), via Frankfurt (Lufthansa with connection)). UK citizens: Kazakhstan e-Visa at evisa.mfa.gov.kz (USD 30-80 / £23.62-63 depending on the processing speed; verify current visa-free arrangements — the policy has changed multiple times).
Currency: Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT). 1 GBP ≈ 570 KZT (2025). Almaty is more expensive than the other Central Asian capitals — mid-range daily budget: KZT 15,000-30,000 / £26-53.
The Route
Almaty (2 nights) → Charyn Canyon (2 nights, 4 hours by shared taxi) → Steppe / Balkhash base (3 nights, 5 hours from Charyn)
DAYS 1-2 — Almaty
Day 1: The Green Bazaar and the Zenkov Cathedral
The Green Bazaar:
The Zelyony Bazaar (the central Almaty market — the largest food market in Kazakhstan):
The kazy (the horse sausage — the Kazakh national delicacy, the cold smoked horse meat visible in the hanging loops at the meat stall, the specific Central Asian horse culture visible in the specific Central Asian food): KZT 2,000-4,000 / £3.51-7.02 per 200g.
The kurt (the dried salty yoghurt ball — the nomadic preserved dairy, the specific steppe food that the Central Asian traveller learns to value or doesn’t): KZT 200-500 / £0.35-0.88 per bag.
The samsa at the bazaar bakery (the baked pastry with the pumpkin or the lamb — the Central Asian bakery product visible throughout the region, the specific Almaty version using the pumpkin in season): KZT 300-500 / £0.53-0.88 each.
The Zenkov Cathedral:
The Zenkov Cathedral (Voznesensky Cathedral — the 1907 Russian Orthodox cathedral in the Panfilov Park, the timber construction without nails, the 54m height visible above the Almaty treeline):
Free entry outside services.
Day 2: The Medeu and the Shymbulak
The Medeu:
The Medeu (the 1,691m altitude outdoor speed skating rink — the Soviet high-altitude training facility, the dam wall (the mudflow protection dam built in 1973) visible behind the rink, the specific Cold War sporting infrastructure in the Tian Shan foothills):
The Shymbulak:
The Shymbulak Ski Resort (the ski resort above the Medeu, accessible by the cable car — the Almaty mountain backdrop visible from the top station at 2,260m, the Tian Shan peaks at 3,000-4,000m visible to the south):
Cable car: KZT 5,000 / £8.77 return.
DAYS 3-4 — The Charyn Canyon
The Charyn Canyon:
The Charyn Canyon (the 90km canyon on the Charyn River, 4 hours east of Almaty — the limestone formations at 150-300m height, the Valley of Castles section (the 2km central section where the formations give the castellated skyline)):
At 6am: the valley floor before the heat — the canyon in the first light, the shadow visible across the limestone, the specific morning canyon that the 11am visit (at 35°C) does not give.
The campsite:
The Charyn National Park campsite (the park campsite at the valley floor — the tent at the canyon base, the stars visible overhead from the 4,300m Charyn plateau air above the canyon): KZT 3,000-5,000 / £5.26-8.77/night. The Charyn eco-guesthouse (the 12-bed guesthouse at the canyon rim): KZT 8,000-12,000 / £14.04-21.05/night.
DAYS 5-7 — The Kazakhstani Steppe
The steppe:
The Kazakhstani steppe (the grassland biome — the world’s largest steppe ecosystem at 804,500 square kilometres):
The Lake Balkhash:
The Lake Balkhash (the unique lake — the western half is freshwater, the eastern half is saline (the Ili River provides the freshwater to the west, the salinity increasing eastward with no outflow, the specific limnological phenomenon of the freshwater-saltwater lake without a physical barrier between them)):
The pelican colony (the Pelecanus crispus — the Dalmatian pelican, the world’s largest pelican species, the colony visible on the Balkhash islands from the boat): the guided boat tour from the Balkhash town.
The Saksaulsky Nature Reserve:
The Saksaul forest (the Haloxylon ammodendron — the Central Asian desert tree that stores water in its bark rather than its leaves, the specific steppe tree that the nomadic culture used for the fuel and the construction material):
The saker falcon (Falco cherrug — the Kazakhstan national bird, the steppe raptor visible throughout the region, the species that the traditional Kazakh falconry (berkutchi) has used for 4,000 years):
The berkutchi encounter (the golden eagle hunter — the Kazakh falconer and the trained golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), the specific Central Asian cultural tradition visible when the eagle is hunting or demonstration-perched on the falconer’s arm): the specific encounter available through the steppe guide (KZT 15,000-25,000 / £26-44 for the berkutchi demonstration).
What It Costs
| Category | Budget | Mid-Range |
|---|---|---|
| Return flights (UK-Almaty) | £400-750 | £600-1,000 |
| e-Visa | £24-63 | £24-63 |
| 7 nights accommodation | £50-140 | £140-420 |
| Food (7 days) | £25-65 | £65-170 |
| Shared taxi (Almaty-Charyn-Balkhash) | £25-50 | £25-50 |
| Charyn Canyon park entry | £5 | £5 |
| Steppe guide + berkutchi | £26-44 | £44-70 |
| Total | £555-1,117 | £898-1,778 |
