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Kazakhstan

Steppe, the Tian Shan mountains and canyons: Central Asia in the raw.

Capital
Astana
Currency
Kazakhstani tenge (KZT) — ~488 KZT to 1 USD
Flight from Pékin
From Pékin (varies)
Time difference
UTC+5 (+4h vs Cameroon)

Kazakhstan is among the destinations a Chinese passport reaches without a visa. Steppe, the Tian Shan mountains and canyons: Central Asia in the raw. Here: visa, real budget, best seasons and what to do — departing from China.

In pictures

Formalities

The visa, step by step

Visa-free
Allowed stay
short stay
Cost
Free
Processing
Immediate on arrival

How to apply

No visa for a short tourist stay: show a valid passport and a return ticket on arrival.

Required documents

  • Passport valid 6 months
  • Return ticket
  • Yellow fever certificate

Good to know

  • •Visa-free tourist stay; confirm the exact allowed duration before departure.
How much it costs

A one-week budget

Backpacker
252 000 FCFA
/ week, excl. flight
Comfort
570 000 FCFA
/ week, excl. flight

Round-trip flight from Douala / Yaoundé

450 000 FCFA–840 000 FCFA

Flights from Pékin (Air France, Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, Brussels Airlines…), depending on the destination.

Indicative round-trip price: it varies widely by season, layover and how early you book.

Where the money goes (backpacker estimate)

🏨54 000 FCFA
🍽️42 000 FCFA
🚕24 000 FCFA
🎟️120 000 FCFA
Hostel
4 200 FCFA–15 000 FCFA
Mid-range
19 200 FCFA–48 000 FCFA
Nice hotel
59 400 FCFA–150 000 FCFA
Tailored

Budget simulator

Comfort level
Estimated total budget
702 000 FCFA
Must-sees

What to do there

1

Almaty: Medeu & Shymbulak

High-altitude Olympic ice rink (1,691 m) then a gondola up to the Shymbulak resort (~2,500 m).

2

Kok-Tobe (Almaty)

Cable-car hill with a panoramic city view, magical at night.

3

Charyn Canyon

The Kazakh 'Grand Canyon' and its Valley of Castles (~90 m deep), 200 km from Almaty.

4

Kolsai Lakes

A chain of three alpine Tian Shan lakes: the first as a day trip, hiking for the others.

5

Lake Kaindy

A sunken forest of tree trunks rising from turquoise water, formed by a 1911 earthquake.

6

Astana, the futuristic capital

Bayterek Tower, Khan Shatyr and the bold Left Bank architecture, via a domestic flight.

Itinerary

One week, day by day

  1. D1

    Arrival in Almaty, Panfilov Park, Zenkov Cathedral, Green Bazaar.

  2. D2

    Almaty mountains: Medeu, Shymbulak then Kok-Tobe at sunset.

  3. D3

    Big Almaty Lake (alpine lake) or city museums and shopping.

  4. D4

    Day trip to Charyn Canyon and its Valley of Castles.

  5. D5

    Drive to the Kolsai Lakes, hike and overnight in Saty village.

  6. D6

    Lake Kaindy (sunken forest) then back towards Almaty.

  7. D7

    Optional Astana day trip or relax in Almaty, return flight.

✓

Travel checklist

A printable list (or save as PDF) so you forget nothing.

Travel checklist — Kazakhstan

Before you leave

What to pack

Visa sources: en.wikipedia.org

Indicative data (June 2026), reliability moyenne. Visa rules, prices and timelines change: always confirm with official sources before booking.

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