Kazakhstan
Where to stay in Shymkent
Shymkent is a city in Kazakhstan, home to about 1,192,000 people.
- Best months
- April, May, September and October
- Nearest airport
- CIT13 km · Shymkent International Airport
- Currency
- KZTKazakhstani tenge
- Time zone
- Asia/Almaty
- Language
- Kazakh, Russian
About
About Shymkent
Shymkent is a city in southern Kazakhstan, close to the border with Uzbekistan. Shymkent is the third-largest city in Kazakhstan, and serves as a regional cultural and economic center.
Shym - means clay or adobe, and kent means city. Place around Shymkent hillfort was settled millennia ago due to proper relief and water source. Recent excavations on Hillfort discovered ash from thick layer of ash from arias and their fire worshiping around the 5th century BC. Place was always a nice oasis next to Sayram but got a big expansion after the railway was built in late Russian Empire. During World War II, many factories were moved to Shymkent and placed near the railway and compact blocks of apartments were built nearby.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Shymkent
See
- Shymkent hillfort Shym-Qala
- Museum of Turkestan Region
- Art museum
- Private Carpet Museum
- Shymkent Zoo
- Old mosque in Old town
- Park Ken-Baba
- Abay Park
- The big Tulip Fountain
- Block with dozens of murals
- Soviet mosaic with fairy tale motif
- Soviet mosaic with educational motif
Do
- Russian Drama theatre
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Shymkent
11 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Rixos Khadisha Shymkent | 2014 | 2.8 km |
| Aidana Plaza Hotel | 2.8 km | |
| Altair Hotel | 3.4 km | |
| Canvas Hotel Shymkent | 3.3 km | |
| Dostyk Hotel | 1.7 km | |
| Kainar Hotel | 9.9 km | |
| Orbita Boutique Hotel | 3.7 km | |
| Promenade Park Hotel | 2.3 km | |
| Sapar Standart Hotel | 2.6 km | |
| Sary Arka Hotel | 1.2 km | |
| Shymkent Grand Hotel | 2.6 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Shymkent
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Shymkent are April, May, September and October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 34 °C; March is the wettest, with about 86 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Shymkent: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Shymkent International Airport (CIT), about 13 km from the city centre in a straight line; Tashkent-Khumo International Airport (TVT, 111 km) and Tashkent International Airport (TAS, 119 km) are also within reach.
Getting around
You can take "gypsy cabs" for 300-400 tenge anywhere in the city. Bargain if they try to overcharge. Buses run to and from the center and all of the microdistricts. They cost 100 tenge as of 2026 which for short distances is frustrating. Routes are marked at some bus stations and locals know where most of them go. "Marshrutkas" are mini-buses that run largely the same routes as the buses. If you plan on walking remember that the districs are broken into "microryons" which look like city blocks on the map but are often four times the size.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
CIT · Shymkent International Airport
TVT · Tashkent-Khumo International Airport
TAS · Tashkent International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Shymkent
Eat
Shymkent is all about eating and drinking. Among local Kazakhstani people Shymkent has a reputation of a gastronomic center. It is relatively easy to find proper place to eat just check if it is crowded or not. It is crowded so people like it and food is fresh. Generally every market has huge pedestrian traffic and many places to eat cheap and good food.
Drink
Traditional drinks like kumys, kozhe and others are available mostly on bazaars. Try it on your own risk but better taste drinks in crowded place where demand is high.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Shymkent: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Shymkent?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Shymkent are April, May, September and October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 34 °C; March is the wettest, with about 86 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Shymkent?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Shymkent International Airport (CIT), about 13 km from the city centre in a straight line; Tashkent-Khumo International Airport (TVT, 111 km) and Tashkent International Airport (TAS, 119 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Shymkent?
Kazakhstani tenge (KZT).
Nearby
Destinations near Shymkent
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.