Journey through Kazakhstan

Odyssey offers easy, convenient, and relaxed escorted small group tours across Kazakhstan and beyond. We explore Kazakhstan's natural beauty, its ancient heritage, its World Heritage Sites, and cities, all with some truly spectacular scenery along the way. This and more is all waiting to be explored on one of Odyssey’s small group tours of Kazakhstan, designed for the senior traveller, and led by experienced, and enthusiastic like minded people.

Join Odyssey Traveller as we visit the largest landlocked country in the world, Kazakhstan. Once part of the Mongol and Russian Empires, Kazakhstan is where man first tamed wild horses on the vast Kazakh Steppe, the dry grassland that dominates its landscape and connects it with Europe and the rest of Asia. Expect to have your fill of Kazakhstan's rich history and diverse sights in a small group setting, especially designed for active mature and senior travellers. On this tour, we will spend multiple nights in the glittering cities of Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan's capital, previously called Astana) and Almaty, and explore all the exciting places in between.

Highlights of the tour include:

• Altyn-Emel National Park - a 4,600-kilometre natural reserve, comparable to four times the size of Hong Kong, featuring Bronze Age petroglyphs and a sand dune that “sings”. A safari destination, Altyn-Emel is a good place to spot Kazakhstan's wildlife.
• Kolsai Lake System - Kazakhstan’s most beautiful water formations, sitting in the midst of mountain ridges and fir trees. The lakes are so crystal-clear that they reflect their surroundings like a mirror.
• Charyn Canyon - Carved by the wind and the Charyn River, the canyon is 150 to 300 metres deep and is often compared to the Grand Canyon.
• The National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan - housed inside an eye-catching building of blue glass and white marble. The biggest museum in Central Asia, it contains permanent collections telling the narrative of Kazakhstan’s history from ancient to contemporary times.
• “KarLag” (i.e. Karaganda Corrective Labour Camp) - one of the largest labour camps organised by Joseph Stalin, now a memorial to the victims and a reminder of the country's politically repressive past
• Ulytau - "the great mountains" believed to be the capital of the Golden Horde, one of the territories of the Mongol Empire; and the ancient capital of the Kazakh khanate.

For more details, click the ‘Top 5’ or ‘Itinerary’ buttons above! If you’re keen to experience this tour, please call or send an email. Or, to book, simply fill in the form on the right-hand side of this page.

Odyssey Traveller regularly offers tours designed for the active senior or mature traveller to enjoy in a small group holiday and learning environment. We also publish articles to provide more information to our loyal and prospective participants. Check out this article for a brief overview of Kazakhstan's history and must-see sites, or visit the country profile of Kazakhstan.

Other articles of possible interest is this two-part post filled with travelling tips for seniors, an article on the many nifty gizmos and gadgets you can bring on your trips, and an important article about practising responsible travel.

If you want to go beyond Kazakhstan and explore the rest of the Central Asian countries, consider signing up for Odyssey Traveller's Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan tour and Silk Road tour.

• Discovery
• Level 2 - Moderate