When to go
Since there is no month that can be safe from either the cold or the heat, it's hard to find the
best time to visit Kazakhstan.
In the north and in Nur-Sultan, in
summer, from June to August, the average temperature is pleasantly warm, but you cannot rule out a few heat waves with peaks around 40 °C (104 °F).
In the central and southern areas, where the heat is more common in summer, and it's scorching often enough, you may prefer
spring and autumn, in particular, from mid-April to mid-May, and the second half of September.
Around
mid-April and mid-September, you can usually find acceptable weather conditions throughout the country.
What to pack
In
winter: for Nur-Sultan and the north, bring cold weather clothing, synthetic, thermal long underwear, a fleece, a parka, a wind jacket, gloves, and warm boots.
In the southernmost cities, like Shymkent and Aktau, you can wear lighter clothes during mild days, but it's useful to bring a scarf for the wind.
In
summer: for Nur-Sultan and the north, bring light clothing, T-shirts, but also long pants, a light jacket and a sweater for the evening and for cooler days; a raincoat or umbrella.
For the vast southern plains (Ustjurt Plateau, Turkestan, Shardara), lightweight clothes, loose-fitting and made of natural fabric, a scarf or desert turban, and a sweatshirt for the evening.
For Almaty, Shymkent, the Caspian Sea, Baikonur, the Aral Sea, and Lake Balkash, bring light clothes, a sun hat, a scarf, and a sweatshirt for the evening.
In the southern mountains (Tian Shan), at middle altitudes, light clothes for the day, a sun hat, a sweatshirt and a jacket for the evening, and hiking shoes; above 3,000 meters (10,000 ft), a sweater and a warm jacket for the evening; above 4,000 meters (13,000 ft), a down jacket, a hat, gloves, and a scarf.
In the mountains of the north-east (Altai), the cold starts at lower altitudes: at 1,500 meters (5,000 feet) you already need clothes for spring and autumn, like a sweater and a jacket.
It's better for women to avoid shorts and miniskirts, especially outside the big cities.
Back to the climate of
Kazakhstan