Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Best time to visit: May to September for mountains and lakes; December to March for skiing at Shymbulak.
About Kazakhstan
Highlights
What Kazakhstan costs
Per person, twin-sharing, for 6 days. Flights are live fares; ground costs are typical ranges, not quotes.
| Component | Budget | Mid-range |
|---|---|---|
|
Return flights
DEL–ALA
Compare prices →
|
₹38,436 | ₹51,889 |
|
Hotels
5 nights, twin-sharing
Compare prices →
|
₹12,500 | ₹35,000 |
|
Food
6 days
|
₹7,200 | ₹16,800 |
|
Local transport
Airport transfers, intercity travel
|
₹5,000 | ₹11,000 |
|
Sightseeing & activities
Entry fees, tours, day trips
Compare prices →
|
₹5,000 | ₹12,000 |
| Total per person | ₹68,136 | ₹126,689 |
Budget assumes guesthouses, local food and public transport. Mid-range assumes 3–4 star hotels, a mix of restaurants and private transfers. Shopping and travel insurance are not included. Airfare checked 23 Aug 2026 and changes daily.
When to fly to Kazakhstan
Cheapest return fare found for each month. Picking your month carefully saves up to ₹1,314 per person.
Cheapest is not always best. May to September for mountains and lakes; December to March for skiing at Shymbulak.
Fares are the cheapest return tickets found from DEL and refresh through the day. Months with no data are not shown.
How many days do you have?
Pick a trip length — the itinerary and the cost both change to match.
Almaty and the mountains — 4 days
Arrive in Almaty
Panfilov Park, Zenkov Cathedral and the Green Bazaar.
Kok Tobe and Medeu
Cable car up Kok Tobe, the Medeu rink and the Arbat street.
Big Almaty Lake
Day trip to the turquoise lake at 2,500 metres.
Departure
Souvenirs and the airport.
Where you'll stay
3 nights across 2 places.
- Almaty · 2 nights Compare hotels →
- Big Almaty Lake · 1 night Compare hotels →
The full trip — 6 days
Arrive in Almaty
Panfilov Park and the wooden Zenkov Cathedral. Green Bazaar for dried fruit and horse sausage.
City and Kok Tobe
Cable car up Kok Tobe hill, the Medeu skating rink, and the Arbat pedestrian street.
Big Almaty Lake
Day trip to the turquoise alpine lake at 2,500 metres, ringed by snow peaks.
Charyn Canyon
A long day out to the Valley of Castles and the relict ash grove. Kolsai lakes if you start early.
Shymbulak
Ski in winter or ride the gondola for the views. Spa afternoon back in town.
Departure
Souvenirs and the airport.
Where you'll stay
5 nights across 4 places.
- Almaty · 2 nights Compare hotels →
- Big Almaty Lake · 1 night Compare hotels →
- Charyn · 1 night Compare hotels →
- Shymbulak · 1 night Compare hotels →
Things to do in Kazakhstan
Our picks, with what each one costs and how long it takes.
₹2,500 taxi · half day
Big Almaty Lake
A turquoise glacial lake at 2,510 metres, forty minutes from the city into the Tian Shan. Swimming is banned — it is the city's drinking water — but the drive is the point.
Check tickets & tours →
₹4,000 tour · full day
Charyn Canyon
The Valley of Castles: 150-metre red sandstone towers above a river, often called a smaller Grand Canyon. Three and a half hours each way, so start early.
Check tickets & tours →Kok Tobe hill
Cable car to a hilltop park with city views, a small zoo and a statue of the Beatles. Simple, cheap and the easiest orientation to Almaty.
Check tickets & tours →
Free · 1 hour
Green Bazaar
Kazakh food culture in one hall: horse sausage, dried fruit, honey and pickles, with vendors pressing samples on you. Cash, and haggle gently.
Check tickets & tours →Shymbulak ski resort
A gondola from Medeu to 3,200 metres — skiing December to March, hiking and views the rest of the year. Twenty minutes from central Almaty.
Check tickets & tours →📍 Where to Go
- Almaty — the mountain-backed former capital; the base for most trips.
- Big Almaty Lake and Shymbulak — alpine day trips.
- Charyn Canyon and Kolsai lakes — a long day or overnight east.
- Astana — the futuristic capital, a separate flight.
🎯 Things to Do
- Big Almaty Lake at 2,500 m
- Charyn Canyon's Valley of Castles
- Cable car up Kok Tobe hill
- Green Bazaar for horse sausage and dried fruit
- Shymbulak gondola or skiing in winter
🚌 Transportation
Almaty has buses and a small metro, but Yandex Go is so cheap (₹150–₹300 across town) that most visitors use it exclusively. Mountain trips require a hired car or an organised tour — Charyn is a 3.5-hour drive each way. Domestic flights link Almaty and Astana in under two hours. Roads to the lakes deteriorate in spring melt; a 4x4 is worth having.
🍽️ Best Restaurants
Beshbarmak, plov, lagman and manti dominate, with mains at ₹350–₹700. This is a meat-heavy cuisine — horse and mutton are staples — and vegetarians will find it hard outside Almaty's international cafés, which are plentiful and good. Uzbek and Georgian restaurants offer more vegetable options. Kumis (fermented mare's milk) is an acquired taste worth attempting once.
🏨 Best Hotels
Almaty's Medeu and Bostandyk districts for mountain proximity, the centre near Panfilov Park for walkability. Good hotels run ₹3,500–₹7,000, apartments less. Mountain guesthouses near Kolsai are basic but well-placed for early starts.
🛡️ Safety & Travel Tips
Generally safe, with low violent crime against tourists. Watch for taxi overcharging (use the app instead), and occasional police document checks — carry a passport copy and your migration card. Altitude affects visitors at Big Almaty Lake and Shymbulak; ascend gradually. Winter temperatures drop below −20°C and mountain weather turns fast. Indians get 14 days visa-free; overstaying carries fines and a ban.
Trip snapshot
- Flights from
- ₹38,436
- Suggested length
- 6 days
- Visa for Indian passports
- Visa-free entry for Indian passport holders for up to 14 days under the current scheme; longer stays require an e-visa. Verify before booking.
- Best time to go
- May to September for mountains and lakes; December to March for skiing at Shymbulak.
Cheapest return airfare found from Delhi, refreshed from live fare data. Trip cost depends on hotels and activities you book.