Where to spend New Year holidays in Kazakhstan: a winter tourism guide

Tengrinews.kz - The New Year holidays are just around the corner, and Kazakhstanis are actively planning their winter vacation. If you decide to spend the holidays in domestic resorts, this guide will help you discover the best destinations for winter tourism in Kazakhstan.

In January 2025, Kazakhstanis will rest according to the following schedule:

• January 1-4: Public holidays for New Year.
• January 5 (Sunday) and January 6: Workdays.
• January 7: Public holiday for Orthodox Christmas.
• January 8-10: Workdays.
• January 11-12: Weekend.

New Year holidays will give Kazakhstanis a few days for rest and travel. This is a great opportunity to spend time with family, enjoy winter sports or just change the scenery.

Burabay

Photo: Instagram/@witedynamite

Known as the "Pearl of Kazakhstan," Burabay is the country’s premier tourist destination, offering a perfect blend of natural beauty and winter activities. In winter, the resort is especially appealing to lovers of active recreation, offering activities such as skiing, skating, sledding, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and horseback riding — activities for everyone. For children and their parents, a special entertainment will be a visit to the “Kazakhstan Residence of Santa Claus,” which is open during the height of the New Year holidays.

If you prefer a more relaxed holiday, winter is the ideal time to visit Burabay, as accommodation is more affordable and prices are often lower than in the busy summer months. From cosy guesthouses to local guest houses, there are options to suit all budgets.

Shymbulak

Photo: Visit Almaty

The southern capital has a rich choice for winter recreation. However, guests and residents of the city, without leaving Almaty, can visit the mountain resort of Shymbulak, which is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest of the ski resorts operating at night in the world.

Thanks to the work of snow cannons, the winter season at the resort begins in November and runs until April. But Shymbulak isn’t just about skiing. In winter, visitors have the opportunity to ride a snowmobile or ATV, climb the mountains and ride horses. There is a rope park for children's entertainment. Additionally, The cable car Medeu - Shymbulak, a popular attraction for tourists, operates at the ski resort. The cable car has a length of 4.5 km from the Medeu sports complex to the Shymbulak ski resort.

Bayanaul

The Bayanaul National Park, located in the heart of the Pavlodar region, will be an excellent choice for those tired of the noisy Burabay. On the shore of Lake Sabyndykol there is the village of Bayanaul and several holiday homes, and the main tourist area is considered to be the coast of Lake Zhasybay. In winter, there are also a number of activities suitable for family recreation. Private holiday homes operate there all year round, so finding accommodation in winter will not be a problem.

For tourists in winter, such entertainment as skiing, skating and ice slides are provided. On the territory of the ski resort "Myrzashoky" you can ride snowboards and tubing. The length of the large ski lift is 800 meters, the small one - 320 meters.

Altai

The year-round Altai Alps Ski Resort in Eastern Kazakhstan offers tourists a lot of opportunities during the New Year holidays, as with the first snowflakes, the Altai Alps transform into one of the most popular ski resorts in Kazakhstan. The slopes for skiing are open on the territory of the complex from November to April. For lovers of alpine skiing and snowboarding, a 950 m long chairlift is offered.

This year, the popular ski resort opens the season on November 16.

Almaty Region

Photo: ©Shutterstock

Winter entertainment in the Almaty Region is more about aesthetic pleasure. In general, you can visit all the beauties of the southern part of Kazakhstan both independently and on a special tour. Travel companies often offer the following route - Kolsay Lake, Kaindy and the Charyn Canyon, since you can ride in just one day.

You can go ice skating on Kolsay (but you need to bring your skates with you) and horseback riding along Lake Kaindy, and even diving at certain times - despite the fact that the reservoir freezes, this does not stop divers, because it is at this time of year that the water here is the most transparent.

Balkhash

Photo: drive2.ru

For lovers of winter fishing, this lake in the southeast of Kazakhstan will be the best solution. The thickness of the ice can reach a meter, and the air temperature can drop to -20° C. About 20 species of fish live in Balkhash, including catfish, carp, pike perch, roach, perch, carp and crucian carp. Many guest houses and tourist recreation centers located on the shores of the lake accept tourists all year round.

In addition, as in other tourist destinations, in winter people go ice skating, skiing, snowmobiling, and windsurfing on ice.

What else you need to know

Before your trip, it is important to consider that in certain regions there is extremely bad weather that can last for several days. In this case, the road can be closed, and the movement of trains and electric trains can be cancelled. We advise you to listen to the weather forecast before your trip and not risk setting off on a trip in bad weather.

If you want to celebrate New Year abroad, we asked a travel agent to find out how much a holiday abroad would cost during the holidays. Read the full article for more details.

Author: Nuray Kapen

With the holidays approaching, Kazakhstanis are increasingly planning their New Year celebrations. Tengrinews.kz spoke with a travel agent to find out how much a vacation abroad will cost during the festive days. Read more in the full article.

Read also: How foreigners celebrate New Year in Kazakhstan