Shymkent — Gateway to the Silk Road

Kazakhstan's third-largest city, Shymkent is a vibrant, bustling hub that serves as the main gateway to the country's Silk Road heritage. With over a million residents, it has a distinctly Central Asian atmosphere — warmer, greener, and more colourful than Almaty or Astana. The city sits along the ancient trade routes and has been an important stop for caravans for centuries.

Shymkent's highlights include the beautifully renovated Central Park, the lively Upper and Lower bazaars where you can taste fresh dried fruits, nuts, and local delicacies, and the Kaldayakov Street pedestrian zone. The city's Regional History Museum provides excellent context for the surrounding Silk Road sites. The recently built ethno-park recreates traditional Kazakh nomadic life.

As a modern city with international-standard hotels, restaurants, and an international airport with direct flights from many European cities, Shymkent is the ideal starting point for a Silk Road tour. From here, day trips to Turkestan (2 hours), Otrar (1.5 hours), and Sayram (20 minutes) — one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in Central Asia — are easily arranged.