The mountain city
Most trips start in Almaty, the largest city, with leafy avenues, the Green Bazaar, excellent museums and food, and snowy mountains you can reach by cable car. Medeu, Shymbulak and Big Almaty Lake are all short trips from the centre.
Canyons and mountain lakes
East of Almaty, Charyn Canyon and the Kolsai lakes make the classic two to three day nature loop: red rock canyon walls, spruce fringed lakes and the sunken forest of Kaindy Lake, with village guesthouses in Saty.
The capital
Astana rises from the northern steppe with gold towers, a glass pyramid and a giant tent of a shopping centre. It has the country's grandest museum and opera house, and the flamingo lakes of Korgalzhyn nearby.
The Silk Road south
Turkistan is home to the turquoise domed mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, the holiest site in Kazakhstan, with the ruins of Otrar and Sauran on the plains around it. Shymkent, the lively southern city, is a good base nearby.
The wild west
Mangystau, around the Caspian port of Aktau, is a desert of white chalk cliffs, striped hills and underground mosques, best explored on a guided 4x4 trip.
Putting it together
Distances are huge, so fly between regions and use trains for shorter or overnight hops. A classic ten day route is Almaty with the Charyn and Kolsai loop, then Astana or Turkistan. Add Mangystau if you have extra days. Use the free trip planner to shape your route, and browse places to visit for food, culture and stays.