By far, Kazakhstan is the largest of the 5 ‘stans. In fact, the country is big enough to cover most of Europe! So as you can probably guess, it is a big challenge to name the top 5 tourist attract
ions in a country so large. Geographically diverse in many ways, this list will remain perpetually malleable. Five Stans Adventure offers tours to all of these locations, and a lot more. Be sure to contact us if you have any questions about our itineraries.

So, here we go!

Almaty
Almaty is a cosmopolitan city that walks with a purpose. It’s easy to get around on public transportation to see the things that appeal to you, and there are plenty of those! However, I highly recommend that you visit the Zenkov Cathedral of the Holy Ascension. Construction of the wooden church was completed in 1906 and amazingly done without nails. A few years later, its design was strong enough to survive the earthquake in 1911. Simply put, it is a beautiful example of Orthodox Church architecture.

 

Astana
Astana has been the capital of Kazakhstan since 1997. Located in the northern part of the country, the city has witnessed a huge construction boom over the years. One of the examples of this construction is the Bayterek Tower. This 105 meter-high monument and observation tower has become the symbol of the country and even appears on the Kazakh tenge (currency). The shape of the tower represents a poplar tree holding a golden egg, which comes from one of the popular folk tales of Turkic legend.

Taraz
The city of Taraz has been dated to be 2,000 years old, which is well before my time. Located near the border with Kyrgyzstan, the city arbitrarily celebrated its 2K anniversary in 2001. The city boasts of two architectural wonders that cannot be ignored. One is the Babaji-Khatun Mausoleum and the other is the Aisha-Bibi Mausoleum. They are masterpieces of ancient architecture and have been recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.

Babaji-Khantun Mausoleum circa. 11th-12th A.D.

 

Aisha-Bibi Mausoleum circa. 11th-12th A.D.

Chimbulak
Chimbulak is a ski resort located 25 km from Almaty in the breathtaking Zailiyskiy Alatau Mountains. While I’m not a skier, if I was I would certainly want to go here. If I went there, they have trainings and the slopes to accommodate the novice. On the other hand, if you can ski like a professional, there are plenty of slopes that can give you the “high” that only this sport can give. When you’re ready to take a break, the resort boasts of a hotel, restaurants, cafes, and a coffee shop. In the summer, it doubles as a place to go hiking and camping.

 
Baikanur Cosmodrome
The Baikanur Cosmodrome is the world’s first and largest operational space launch facility and is located about 124 miles east of the Aral Sea. This site is leased to the Russian Federation by the Kazakhs and is managed by the Russian Federal Space Agency and the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces.  It is used for all types of commercial, military, and scientific missions, and currently is the only space port that launches manned flights in the world. There are opportunities to travel to Baikanur to witness the lift-off of all types of rockets.