How to spend an amazing week in Kazakhstan with your family

Kazakhstan is a truly incredible place to visit! However, it is very big and if you’re planning on visiting for a week, it’s best to limit the scope of what you are going to do. This is especially true if you have kids with you. I’ve written up a one week itinerary that should let you and the family see the best of what Almaty, the biggest city in Kazakhstan, has to offer, as well as its surrounds. Enjoy!

Before you get there

There’s a few things to prepare before you arrive in Kazakhstan which will make your stay a lot more smooth.

Prepare your finances

Kazakhstan operates in a generally cash-free way but it does help to have cash sometimes. This is true for somewhere like the Green Bazaar. Kazakhstan uses the Tenge which is not a currency found in every foreign exchange. You’ll probably find it at the Forex desks in major airports though so do check that. You will generally not be able to use other currencies in Kazakhstan. So while you may bring USD or Euros as backup, it probably won’t be that useful.

Otherwise you are fine to use cards to pay for almost anything, and Apple Pay works well in most businesses.

Check if you need a visa

Many country nationals can enter Kazakhstan for a short period with no visa. Citizens from the US, Australia and the UK, for example, can visit for up to 30 days visa-free. Check your country’s official requirements when booking your travel as these things can change.

Decide on SIM card options

You can buy an e-sim which will give you the flexibility and convenience of having data as soon as you arrive in Almaty. The airport’s wifi is not the most reliable so it’s not a bad idea. However, to use Yandex (a taxi app listed below), you’ll need a number to receive the sms verification, something which e-sims generally don’t provide. Some people have trouble getting the verification to their foreign number, so you might want to download Yandex and attempt to register before traveling. If that doesn’t work then you can visit one of the many SIM card kiosks in the arrivals hall at Almaty Airport and get yourself a physical sim, after which you will be able to register with Yandex.

Download these Apps

Google Translate

You can download any translate app, but Google’s version is pretty good and very user friendly. My favourite element is the camera function where you can take a photo of a sign (or even just aim your phone’s camera at it) and it translates it super quickly.

Download Google Translate (IOS or Google).

2GIS

This is a mapping app that is very accurate and useful in Kazakhstan. I don’t think it’s that great anywhere else, but if you’re coming to Kazakhstan, use this over Google Maps. Also quite useful is that 2GIS integrates with Yandex Go, the local taxi app.

Download 2Gis (IOS and Google).

Yandex Go

Yandex is a taxi app that operates in much the same way as Uber. Yandex taxis are very affordable, and I would recommend booking Comfort or Comfort+. These classes of Yandex generally ensure you get working seatbelts. Seatbelts do appear to be optional here but I prefer them, especially with my children in the car. The app links in with Apple Pay if you’re on iPhone. It’s safe and usually much cheaper than private taxis. A Yandex trip I took in 2026 from the airport to a hotel near Dostyk Plaza cost me 3,400Tg (~US$7). A private taxi will usually try to charge you at least triple that.

Download Yandex Go (IOS and Google).

Book your accomodation

For a family with young kids, find somewhere in the south east of the city. If you can get a place near Dostyk Plaza you’re doing well. There are some lovely hotels elsewhere but for a group staying for just a week, your time is precious, and this city has a lot of traffic. Being close to the arterial roads heading out south and east from the city would be best. These are the directions of some great tourism spots like Shymbulak and Charyn Canyon. In February 2026 I stayed in Terrenkur Boutique Hotel which had a brilliant location. It was situated along the gorgeous Terrenkur river path (one of my favourite areas in the city!), located just downhill from a great shopping centre, Dostyk Plaza. Even better was the fabulous playground 50m away down the Terrenkur.

Here a couple of options you could consider.

Budget

I am not a budget traveller these days and I’m not sure if hostels in Almaty are the easiest or most comfortable places for families. I would look on Airbnb and aim for somewhere near Dostyk Plaza or Abay Theatre. If you’re arriving late at night and check in will be an issue, you can always find a regular hotel from the mid level hotels I’ve listed below with 24 hour check in for the first night.

Mid level

I would look at Novotel Almaty, Kazakhstan Hotel or Hotel Almaty. Novotel and Kazakhstan hotel have the benefit of being right by the base of the gondola to Kok Tobe. This means they are also very close to Abay Square, where there is a fantastic free ice skating rink in the winter. Hotel Almaty is a bit further down but it’s home to a spectacular view of Almaty. It’s located across the road from the magnificent Abay Theatre, and from the upper floors you can look southeast across the city towards the mountains.

Luxury

Families who want a little more lux in their accomodation can look at Ritz Carlton or Intercontinental Hotel. The Ritz Carlton is in a tall modern building probably as far west along the Al Farabi freeway as I would choose if I wanted to move easily around Almaty. The Intercon is more in town and next to Palace of the Republic. Both are stunning and have great locations.

Your 7 day itinerary

Day 1

Visit Abay Theatre to see what shows are on while you’re here and check if they have any tickets available. The theatre has lots of wonderful classical performances at very reasonable prices. Even if you and the family aren’t sure ballet or opera is really your thing, its not going to break the bank for you to take them out here. Check out my guide to Abay Theatre.

Then pop into Stolichny, the city’s oldest and prettiest modern-style supermarket, for snacks and fresh bread. Take a Yandex to Almaty Museum of Arts if you want to tick off a museum on your first day. The benefits of this museum are that it is filled with natural light and you can move through it fairly quickly with your jet-lagged kids.

If everyone is still awake at this point, it’s best to keep them outside in the light. I would highly recommend taking the family on a walk along one of the city’s river paths, my favourite being the Terrenkur, where the featured image of this post is from. There’s some great mural art along the way, and playgrounds and exercise equipment every few hundred metres. There are also a load of cafes if you need a caffeine fix to get you to sundown.

If you fancy using the bus while you’re here, you’ll want to find one of the Caravan kiosks and buy an Onay bus card. There’s a Caravan kiosk near the corner of Dostyk Avenue and Shevchenko Street. You can also download their app though you need a local number to make it work. Children under 7 years old travel free on city buses, and there is a discount rate for older children.

Day 2-3

Visit Charyn Canyon, and Kaindy and Kolsai Lakes. I would recommend you hire a guide for this as they make life very easy. Just the fact they can navigate the entry and parking to the sites makes everything a lot smoother. We hired horses to walk us to Kaindy Lake which was a lot easier than walking. We walked down Charyn Canyon which was a small challenge in the July heat, and might be a little difficult for little legs. There is a taxi which can take you down to the bottom and back. We chose to walk down and taxi back up.

Stay overnight in one of the modest hotels located in the region, or perhaps you can get a yurt! Read more in my guide to Charyn Canyon and the lakes.

Day 4

Spend a day up at Shymbulak, get a Yandex up to the base station of the gondola. If you have a car you can park right next to the base station for about 500T for the day in the outdoor carpark. Buy return tickets for everyone aged 6 and over to take you to the very top. If there is a line and you have a baby in your arms, you may be able to cut to the front of the line. I was helped by a kind man once when I was holding my son and managed to move to the front of a VERY long line at the ticket office. Check out my guide to Shymbulak Mountain Resort.

That evening have dinner at Auyl, a wonderful restaurant near the base station of the Shymbulak gondola. Your kids will enjoy the right hand side of the restaurant where you are seated on the floor on cushions for dining. There is also regular seated dining on the left hand side of the restaurant for those of you not willing to get down to floor level.

Day 5

Visit the Arasan bathhouse. After all your travel the last few days then you deserve a trip to the city’s bathhouse. On arrival pop into the treatment room to check if you can book a coffee scrub while you’re there. Children from age 4 can attend the bath house with their parents, and note that it’s segregated by sex (girls may attend with their mother and boys with their father). Check my guide to visiting Arasan for more info.

Afterwards cross the road and wander through Panfilov Park to marvel at the beautiful Orthodox cathedral and the magnificent war memorial. Check out more in my guide to Panfilov Park.

You can then head to Kok Tobe late afternoon via the gondola from Abay square, and finish with dinner at Abay Restaurant. I recommend the lagman noodles. There are more details in my guide to Kok Tobe.

Day 6

I suggest a visit to the Almaty Zoo today, it’s a very small city zoo but has all the usual favourites. Then consider heading to Dostyk Plaza for a trip to the cinema. It’s highly unlikely you’ll find anything in English but you can find out most international films here – they’ll just be in Russian or Kazakh. Consider it as a good cultural experience.

Day 7

Finish off your stay with a trip to the iconic Green Bazaar, aka Zelony Bazar or Kok Bazar. Start off with a trip to one of the cafes located in the main hall up each of the central pillars – my personal favourite is Bowlers Coffee with their incredible coffee and delicious pancakes. If you pop out to the side of the main hall you will find some tourist shops which will fulfil your souvenir requirements. Stock up on some Kazakhstan chocolate and apple biscuits from the Rakhat shop on the ground floor, near the flower section. See more in my guide to the Green Bazaar.

Restaurants to try

Navat is a great all rounder central asian restaurant with lots of colour. It’s also really popular with locals so you know it’s good. They’ve got many locations around Almaty but my favourite is the Dostyk Ave restaurant.

Auyl is a fabulous central asian restaurant located near the base station of the Shymbulak gondola. It feels a bit more authentic with its darker mood lighting and on-the-floor seating (they also have regular seated dining).

If you take a walk along the beautiful Terrenkur river path, stop in at Cream, a riverside cafe belonging to our friend, Dima.

How to get your family to Kazakhstan

Your destination options when flying into Kazakhstan are generally Almaty or Astana (the capital). I’d opt for Almaty as most of what you want to see as a tourist is here. Almaty also has the best weather the whole year round – it does get cold in winter but never as cold as Astana!

For North American folks, if you can get to London Heathrow then you can take Kazakhstan’s national carrier, Air Astana, on its direct flight into Almaty from London. Otherwise you can go with one of the middle east carriers, such as Etihad.

Folks in the UK are recommended to opt for Air Astana, and continental Europeans can choose from Scat Airlines, Lufthansa and Neos for direct flights or Turkish Airways or any of the middle eastern airlines for flights with connections. And they can also now go with Air Astana on a direct flight from Frankfurt.

For Australians and those in our neighbouring countries, Air Asia is a fantastic budget choice flying into Almaty from Kuala Lumpur several times per week. My only recommendation is to download some movies onto your phone so you’ve go something to entertain yourself with on this budget carrier, and pre-order your meals as these get served first. Otherwise you can also take Air Astana from Thailand.

If you’re flying in from South Asia, you have multiple options such as Air Astana, IndiGo and Fly Arystan.

What do I know about Kazakhstan?

I lived here from 2021 till 2025 with my young family and we had the time of our lives! Visit my About Me page to understand more about my perspective.