Pick a Base You can sleep in Turkistan, in Shymkent about 160 km away, or arrive from Almaty by overnight train or flight. Each base changes how much driving you do. Itinerary A: Two Days from Turkistan Day 1. Morning at the Azret Sultan precinct, then lunch and an afternoon at the Karavansaray. Stay for the Parade of Boats show after dark. Day 2. Drive to Otrar and Arystan Bab, adding Sauran or Ukasha Ata by car if the heat allows.

What to Expect Walking in Turkistan means two compact circuits. One covers the shrine precinct by day and the other the canal complex by night. Between and beyond them there is not much else to see on foot, so this is a half-day activity, not a full-day tour. Walk independently, or ask the reserve ticket office about a guide. Daytime: The Azret Sultan Circuit Plan 2 to 3 hours including the queue.

A Kid-Friendly Base The Karavansaray complex is the easy choice for families. It is free to enter and has canals, shops, restaurants and a family hotel under the same name. Plan mornings for rides and evenings for the water show. Top Picks Flying Theatre (Altyn Samruk). A 30-minute 8D motion film for up to 40 people. Children from 4 to 12 pay a lower fare, about 5,200 to 6,300 KZT, and adults about 6,500 to 7,800 KZT.

A Short, Quiet Escape Turkistan suits couples who want an unhurried trip built around a good hotel, a dinner and an evening on the water. It is not a resort town. A long weekend covers what is on offer, and the daytime heritage sights are covered separately. Suites and Spa Karavansaray Turkistan Hotel (Harbour Hotel): harbour-view suites with balconies, the Anjana spa and breakfast at Kerege. Hampton by Hilton Turkistan: a mid-range choice about a 10-minute walk from the Azret Sultan precinct.

What a Day Looks Like Start early at the Azret Sultan reserve, the shrine district at the centre of Turkistan, while the heat is low. Move to the Karavansaray in the afternoon and stay for the evening show. Lunch fits between the two, and the bazaar is the place for snacks. If you have a second day, spend it outside the city at Otrar, Sauran or Arystan Bab. At the Reserve Yasawi Mausoleum: UNESCO listed since 2003 (reference 1103).

Distances at a Glance Destination Distance from Turkistan Notes Gauhar Ana mausoleum about 4 to 6 km edge of the city Sauran about 43 to 46 km north-west open steppe, no shade Ukasha Ata about 47 to 55 km north foot of the Karatau range Otrar about 50 km south allow about an hour by road Arystan Bab about 55 to 60 km beside Otrar Shymkent about 160 km south-east about 2 hours by road Sauran The reserve describes Sauran as a site of the 13th to 18th centuries, and its surviving feature is a ring of mudbrick walls.

At a Glance Sight Where Note Yasawi Mausoleum Azret Sultan reserve UNESCO 1103, 5,000 KZT for non-CIS foreigners Hilvet underground mosque about 150 m away semi-subterranean Eastern Bathhouse about 80 m south-west museum, c.1580 to 1590 Rabiga Sultan Begim about 60 m south-east late 15th century Friday Mosque old town museum inside Gauhar Ana about 4 to 6 km taxi Priority One: The Yasawi Mausoleum Timur ordered work to begin in 1389.

Tour Types at a Glance Reserve guide: arranged at the Azret Sultan ticket office. The guide fee is set there, so ask when you buy your ticket. Day tour: Turkistan plus Otrar and Arystan Bab, from Turkistan or Shymkent. Multi-day package: two or three days from Almaty. Driver and car: for Sauran or Otrar on your own timetable. Karavansaray evening: a canal show and a dinner show, with no booking needed for the free part.