Kazakhstan Complete Guide 2026: Almaty, Astana, Charyn Canyon, Kolsai Lakes, Yasawi Mausoleum & Baikonur Cosmodrome
Browse more guides: Kazakhstan travel | Asia destinations Kazakhstan Complete Guide 2026: Almaty, Astana, Charyn Canyon, Kolsai Lakes, Yasawi Mausoleum & Baikonur Cosmodrome TL;DR Kazakhstan was the surprise of my Central Asian travels. In one trip I walked under the wooden domes of Zenkov Cathedral built in 1907, skated at Medeu (the outdoor rink at 1,691m), stood at the lip of Charyn Canyon (154 km long, up to 300m deep), trekked between three turquoise Kolsai Lakes at 1,800m, 2,250m and 2,650m, prayed in the Hazret Sultan Mosque in Astana (capacity 17,000) and stared up at the 38m main dome of the Yasawi Mausoleum in Turkistan, a UNESCO site since 2003. Add Baikonur Cosmodrome (founded 1955, the launch pad for Sputnik on 4 October 1957 and Yuri Gagarin on 12 April 1961) and you get a country that mixes Silk Road heritage, steppe nomad culture and Soviet space history on a 2.7 million km² canvas. Indian passports get visa-free entry for 14 days, with a simple 30-day e-visa f...