Kazakhstan National Parks 2026: All 14 with Fees & Data

Kazakhstan has 14 national parks as of 2026 covering 2.6+ million hectares, with entry fees standardized to the MRP (Monthly Calculation Index) base of 4,325 KZT. Standard 2026 tariffs: 738 KZT per person per day (sanitary fee), 3,027 KZT for a passenger car (0.7 MRP), 9,968 KZT for a minibus up to 16 seats, 18,460 KZT for a tour bus. Fees increased by 8-12% from 2025 due to MRP indexation. The newest park is Kalbinsky National Park in East Kazakhstan, established 2025. This article and dataset cover all 14 inscribed national parks plus the major nature reserve (Aksu-Zhabagly).

Quick Facts

• 14 national parks in Kazakhstan as of 2026
• Total protected area: ~2,650,000 hectares (~26,500 km²)
• Standard per-person entry fee 2026: 738 KZT (~$1.59) per day
• Passenger car fee 2026: 3,027 KZT (~$6.51)
• 2026 MRP base: 4,325 KZT (all fees indexed to this)
• Fee increase from 2025: +8-12% (automatic MRP indexation)
• Newest park: Kalbinsky NP (East Kazakhstan, established 2025)
• Largest park: Katon-Karagay NP (643,000 ha, Altai region)
• Most-visited near Almaty: Ile-Alatau NP, Charyn NP, Kolsai Lakes NP
• Source: Government of Kazakhstan resolutions + tengrinews.kz reporting

Primary source: Kazakh national park entry fee tariffs from tengrinews.kz (January 2026 reporting), centralmedia24.kz, and Government of Kazakhstan resolutions on protected areas. Park areas verified against UNDP-Kazakhstan ecosystem documentation.

- Tengrinews.kz, January 2026 reporting

Headline Numbers

Metric	Value
Total national parks	14
Total area protected (national parks)	~2,650,000 hectares
Newest park	Kalbinsky NP (2025)
Oldest equivalent reserve	Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve (1926)
Largest park	Katon-Karagay (643,000 ha)
Standard fee per person/day 2026	738 KZT (~$1.59)
Fee increase from 2025	+8-12% (MRP indexation)

Standard Entry Fees 2026 (All Parks)

Effective 1 January 2026, indexed to MRP = 4,325 KZT. Same tariff applies to all national parks unless specified.

Vehicle / Person	MRP units	KZT 2026	USD ~
Per person per day (sanitary fee)	0.2	738	$1.59
Motorcycle / moped / quad	0.4	1,730	$3.72
Passenger car	0.7	3,027	$6.51
Minibus up to 16 seats	2.3	9,968	$21.45
Bus	4.3	18,460	$39.72
Parking light vehicle	0.05	221	$0.48

Critical practical note: Most park eco-posts accept cash only or have unreliable card terminals. Bring KZT cash for park entry. ATMs are usually not available within or near park entrances.

All 14 National Parks (Detail)

Almaty Region (4 parks - most accessible to international visitors)

1. Ile-Alatau National Park (1996)

Field	Value
Area	199,703 ha
Region	Almaty Region (north slope of Ile-Alatau range)
Distance from Almaty	0-50 km (park edge starts at city's southern boundary)
Key features	Almaty mountain backdrop, Medeu, Shymbulak, Big Almaty Lake, Kok-Zhailau

The mountain park surrounding Almaty city. Includes the Medeu skating rink (under reconstruction until late 2027), Shymbulak ski resort, Big Almaty Lake, Kok-Tobe surroundings, and dozens of trekking trails. Most-visited Kazakh national park by both locals and tourists.

2. Altyn-Emel National Park (1996)

Field	Value
Area	520,000 ha
Region	Almaty Region (north of Ile River)
Distance from Almaty	250-300 km
Key features	Singing Dunes (Поющий бархан), Aktau Mountains, Katutau Mountains, Saka kurgans

Famous for the Singing Dunes - sand that emits a low droning hum in dry conditions when wind blows correctly. Also home to Aktau Mountains with banded chalk layers. Best as 2-day trip from Almaty with overnight in Basshi village.

3. Kolsai Lakes National Park (2007)

Field	Value
Area	161,045 ha
Region	Almaty Region (Kungey Alatau range, near Kyrgyzstan border)
Distance from Almaty	300 km
Key features	Three Kolsai lakes cascade, Kaindy submerged forest, snow leopards

Includes the famous Kolsai Lakes (Lower at 1,818m, Middle at 2,252m, Upper at 2,850m) and the surreal Kaindy Lake with submerged spruce forest from the 1911 earthquake. Most-photographed Kazakh nature destination.

4. Charyn National Park (2004)

Field	Value
Area	127,050 ha
Region	Almaty Region (east)
Distance from Almaty	200 km
Key features	Valley of Castles canyon, Ash Tree Grove, Black Canyon, Charyn River

The "Grand Canyon of Kazakhstan." Five major canyon sections, with the Valley of Castles being the iconic photographed area. Day-trip accessible from Almaty.

Akmola Region (2 parks - accessible from Astana)

5. Burabay National Park (2000)

Field	Value
Area	129,935 ha
Region	Akmola Region
Distance from Astana	250 km
Key features	Lake Burabay (Aulieköl), Okzhetpes rock, Zhumbaktas island, pine forest, Mount Kokshe

Astana's "lake escape." Russian name Borovoye. Lake resort with pine forest and rocky outcrops. Most popular weekend destination for Astana residents.

6. Buyratau National Park (2011)

Field	Value
Area	88,968 ha
Region	Akmola Region
Distance from Astana	130 km
Key features	Steppe and forest, lakes, granite outcrops

Smaller park near Astana with steppe and forest landscape, less developed for tourism than Burabay.

Turkestan Region (2 parks - Western Tien-Shan)

7. Sairam-Ugam National Park (2006)

Field	Value
Area	149,053 ha
Region	Turkestan Region (south, near Uzbekistan/Kyrgyzstan borders)
Key features	Part of Western Tien-Shan UNESCO site, alpine ecosystems

Mountain park containing Western Tien-Shan ecosystems inscribed by UNESCO. Less developed for tourism, requires advance permit.

8. Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve (1926) - note: technically Reserve not Park

Field	Value
Area	131,934 ha
Year	1926 (oldest in Central Asia)
Region	Turkestan/Jambyl Regions border
Key features	Western Tien-Shan UNESCO core, snow leopards, Karatau argali

Oldest protected area in Kazakhstan (1926). Strict-regime nature reserve (заповедник, not "park") with limited public access. Ranger-guided tours required.

East Kazakhstan / Abay Region (3 parks - Altai range)

9. Katon-Karagay National Park (2001)

Field	Value
Area	643,000 ha (largest in Kazakhstan)
Region	East Kazakhstan (border Russia, Mongolia, China)
Key features	Belukha Mountain (border peak), eagle hunters' homeland, Markakol Lake nearby

Kazakhstan's largest national park, in the Altai range. Historical homeland of authentic eagle hunters (берkutchi). Limited tourist infrastructure but high natural value.

10. Tarbagatay National Park (2018)

Field	Value
Area	143,550 ha
Region	Abay Region (eastern Kazakhstan)
Key features	Mountain steppe, Tarbagatay range

Newer park in eastern Kazakhstan's Tarbagatay Mountains.

11. Kalbinsky National Park (2025) - newest

Field	Value
Area	160,000 ha
Region	East Kazakhstan
Established	2025
Key features	Kalba Range, mountain steppe

The newest Kazakhstan national park, established in 2025 in the Kalba range. Tourism infrastructure still developing.

Karagandy / Pavlodar Regions (2 parks - central steppe)

12. Karkaraly National Park (1998)

Field	Value
Area	112,120 ha
Region	Karagandy Region
Key features	Mountain forest oasis in central steppe, granite formations

A "forest oasis" in the otherwise treeless central Kazakh steppe. Historical importance as gathering place of Kazakh khans.

13. Bayanaul National Park (1985)

Field	Value
Area	68,453 ha
Region	Pavlodar Region
Established	1985 (oldest national park, predates independence)
Key features	Lake Sabyndykol, granite rock formations, Soviet-era resort heritage

Oldest national park status (1985). Lake-and-rocks landscape popular with northern Kazakh holiday-makers.

Ulytau Region (1 park - central historical)

14. Ulytau Nature Park (2022)

Field	Value
Area	144,000 ha
Region	Ulytau Region
Established	2022
Key features	Sacred Ulytau mountains, mausoleums of Kazakh khans, Karakhanid history

Newer park covering the spiritually-significant Ulytau Mountains, traditional gathering place of all three Kazakh zhuzes (clan unions) and burial site of medieval Kazakh khans. Tentative UNESCO Cultural Landscape nomination.

Saryarka UNESCO Reserves (Special Status)

In addition to national parks, Kazakhstan has dedicated state nature reserves (заповедники, more strictly protected than parks). Two of these - Korgalzhyn (Akmola Region) and Naurzum (Kostanay Region) - together form the Saryarka UNESCO World Heritage site (inscribed 2008).

Reserve	Region	Area (ha)	Inscription
Korgalzhyn	Akmola	543,170	UNESCO 2008
Naurzum	Kostanay	191,381	UNESCO 2008

Both reserves protect the steppe-and-lake ecosystem critical for migratory birds along the Central Asian flyway.

Tourist Recommendations: Which Parks to Prioritize

Visit time	Recommended park
1 day from Almaty	Charyn Canyon
2 days from Almaty	Kolsai + Kaindy + Charyn loop
1 day from Almaty (mountain)	Ile-Alatau (Shymbulak, BAO, hikes)
1-2 days from Astana	Burabay
2-3 days from Almaty (deeper)	Altyn-Emel (Singing Dunes)
Multi-day expedition	Katon-Karagay (Altai) or Sairam-Ugam

Downloadable Dataset

📥 Download kazakhstan-national-parks-2026.csv (3 KB)

Schema (columns):

Column	Description
name_en, name_ru	Park name
year_established	Year of national park status
region	Kazakhstan region
area_ha	Area in hectares
fee_2026_kzt_*	Entry fee per category (per person, car, minibus, bus)
key_feature	Primary attraction

License: Open access for journalistic, academic, tourism and commercial use with attribution.

Methodology and Verification

Data compiled from:

1. Kazakh government tariff orders (effective 1 January 2026)
2. Kazakhstan Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources park database
3. UNDP-Kazakhstan Protected Areas of Kazakhstan documentation
4. Tengrinews January 2026 reporting on fee changes
5. Central Media January 2026 coverage of MRP-linked tariff updates

Update commitment: Reviewed annually after the January MRP update (when entry fees recalculate). Material changes captured in interim updates.

Known limitations:

• Some special-use fees (helicopter landing, scientific research, boat rental) not included in standard table
• Tourist activities at specific park sites (e.g., Burabay boat rental, Kolsai horse rental) charged separately
• Children, pensioners, persons with disabilities receive 50% discount per most park regulations

Sources

Source cross-checks used for this dataset: Kazakhstan Travel official tourism portal, Government of Kazakhstan portal, Tripadvisor Kazakhstan nature attractions.

Related guides

For planning context, use Kazakhstan national parks, Kolsai Lakes, Charyn Canyon, Things to do in Kazakhstan.

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Last verified: 27 April 2026. Annual refresh after January MRP update.

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Originally published on about-kazakhstan.com