Almaty
Almaty in Almaty Province is the largest city and the financial and cultural centre of Kazakhstan, with a population in 2024 of 2,250,000. It's a sprawling modern city on a grid pattern, with snow-capped mountains just south marking the border with Kyrgyzstan. It's practical rather than beautiful, but has lots to see and do.
Understand
[edit]The riches of the Silk Road plodded through on camel-back and never embellished these steppes. The few inhabitants were nomadic herdsmen, with no town until the Russians colonised and built a wooden fort in 1854. An industrial town grew around the fort, although twice flattened by earthquakes. The Soviets named it Alma-Ata; "Alma" may mean "apple" and modern apples originated in this region. The city became the capital of the Kazakh SSR (or equivalent entities), and a railway and highway connected it to Russia. Trotsky was in exile here for a year before fleeing to Turkey then Mexico, where his communist comrades finally caught up with him and put a pick-axe through his head.
The city was laid out on a low-rise grid pattern, with broad boulevards and parks, and has never had an organic "old town". During World War II Soviet industries relocated here beyond Nazi attack, along with hospitals, universities, cultural institutes and workers from elsewhere (especially Slavs, Uyghurs and Koreans) so it became quite cosmopolitan. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the city became capital of independent Kazakhstan and was renamed Almaty.
For a capital Almaty was off-centre in a vast country, hard up against lofty mountains on the borders just south; the northern Kazakh city of Petropavl was astride the Trans-Siberian railway and closer to Moscow than to Almaty. In 1997 President Nursultan Nazarbayev shifted the capital to Akmola and renamed this as Astana. In 2019 he thought it would be even better if that was renamed after himself, but this didn't outlast him stepping down as president in 2022 amid violent unrest, so the capital is again called Astana while Almaty is the largest city.
Climate is continental, influenced by the mountains. Winter daytime temperature is about -2 to −5 °C, while June-Aug is around 30 °C. The best times to visit are April-May (though these can be wet) and Sep-Oct.
Talk: Russian is the lingua franca, as elsewhere in the "Stans". Kazakh is the official language (akin to Turkish) and uses western script. Many people in the service sector speak English.
Visitor information: Visit Almaty is the online portal and gives details of its eight locations: the airport, Zenkov 24A, Panfilov 84, Dostyk 56/3, Timiryazev 40/2, Orbita 2, and Omarov 2 foot of the cable-car. The Kerey-Zhanibek Khandar location is next to Medeu ice rink in the mountain resort of Chimbulak.
The city government website is in Russian and Kazakh.
Get in
[edit]
See Kazakhstan#Get in for entry requirements. Most westerners may enter without a visa for up to 30 days.
By plane
[edit]1 Almaty International Airport (ALA IATA), Maylina 2 (15 km northeast of city centre), ☏ +7 727 270 3333. Most westerners fly in via Istanbul, the Gulf states, Frankfurt or London Heathrow. Other international flights are from Russia (Moscow Sheremetyevo, Kazan, Novosibirsk and Saint Petersburg), Ashgabat, Bishkek, Dushanbe, Tashkent and Tbilisi, and from Delhi, Beijing, Ürümqi, Xian, Hong Kong and Seoul. The flag-carrier Air Astana operates these and most domestic routes, with competition from budget carriers. Kazakhstan is a very big country, so most cities have regular flights to Almaty, eg from Astana, Aktau, Aktobe, Atyrau, Karaganda, Kokshetau, Kyzylorda, Kostanay, Oral, Pavlodar, Petropavlovsk, Semey, Shymkent, Taraz, Uralsk, Urdjar, Ust-Kamenogorsk and Zhezkazgan. Arrivals is ground floor, Departures is upper floor, with a good selection of ground-side cafes and shops. The check-in area is nominally security-controlled but this is laxly enforced; however this area has no other facilities so there's no point entering till your desk is open. Passport control follows, then security, then you enter the air-side international lounge with shops, cafes and seating. 
Ground transport
[edit]Buses run from the airport 05:30 to 23:00, every 30 mins or better, and take 30 min to the centre. Every taxi tout will assure you that they're not running, which of course they are, otherwise he wouldn't be so insistent. See Get around below for fares and ticket options, but a ride into town is 150 tenge - pay the driver or conductor.
- Bus 92 is the only one from within the airport, the stop is just outside Arrivals. This zigzags through the northern Turksib district to Sayakhat junction, then west along Raiymbek Batyr (for Almaty-2 railway station and city metro), along Nauryzbai (southbound) or Zheltoksan (returning northbound) to Abai Bvd, then out to the western suburbs. Occasionally this bus can't enter the airport precinct because of construction works, in which case join it at Mailin St.
- Other buses all run from Mailin Street, the boulevard just outside the airport. From Arrivals follow the traffic flow through the barriers onto the street, keeping right for traffic heading into town. You cross Zakarpatskaya the side-street that your bus will emerge from, pass the Favorit Hotel and a small supermarket, to find the bus stop where folk as cheapskate as yourself are waiting. Say 400 m, 10 mins walk. Bus 79 runs to Nazarbayev Ave (formerly Furmanov), and Bus 86 also runs downtown. Bus 106 bypasses downtown and runs to Sayran inter-city bus station, say 50 min.
Taxis can be ordered at the booth in the arrivals hall, or arranged via your accommodation, or booked via Yandex. It may take 10 min to arrive, but it will be a sensible price, around 1500 tenge in 2024. At least, that will be the price quoted to you, the taxi driver may have other ideas. It's a common scam that at the end of your journey the driver claims that 1500 tenge was per kilometre, so you owe 35,000 tenge. It's difficult to argue as they soon turn violent, and as with all lucrative scams the police may be in on it.
By train
[edit]
2 Almaty-2 Railway Station, Ablai Khan (north end of downtown). All mainline trains run to this station. These are from Astana via Karaganda (6 per day, the quickest taking 13 hr), and from Tashkent every second day (16 hr via Taraz and Shymkent). From Russia you usually change in Astana, Saratov or Petropavl, but a direct service (on odd dates) runs from Novosibirsk via Aktogai and Semei. Trains from China were cancelled during covid and have not yet resumed. Almaty-2 is a medium sized station with ticket kiosks, waiting rooms, two cafes, small shops, ATMs and left luggage facilities, but no currency exchange. Outside in the square is a small retail mall with cafes. Trolleybus 5 starts here and runs south up Abylai Khan, but for most buses walk to Raiyimbek the cross-boulevard one block south; turn east along it for the Metro. Raiyimbek and Abylai Khan have eating places and currency exchange booths.
3 Almaty-1 Railway Station, Richard Sorge (4 km northeast of centre in Turksib district, towards the airport). Trains from the north (eg Astana) also stop at this station.
By bus
[edit]Sayakhat the former bus station (corner of Rayimbek and Suyumbai) has been demolished, but an inter-city taxi or marshruta might deposit you here rather than out at Sayran. It's not intended to build a replacement downtown station, but in 2024 there is corporate babble about a "hub", which looks to mean the present line of bus stops along Rayimbek plus more retail.
4 Sayran Bus Station, Tole Bi 29 (8 km west of centre). This is the station for long distance routes. Buses run from Tashkent (2 a day, 14 hr), Bishkek (5 a day, 4 hr), Yining (six all early morning, 12 hr), Urumqi (3 a day, 19 hr), Khorgos on the Chinese border (7 hr), Astana (overnight, 21 hr) and all other major Kazakh cities. The website gives times and sells tickets.
Get around
[edit]
The city is laid out on a modern grid-pattern, and "up" usually means south, towards the mountains. However it's a gentle gradient, and in places the gradient east is similar. By day you can reality-check against the position of the sun, but at night or on dull days you could do with a compass to avoid tramping the wrong way. The other difficulty for visitors is the changed street names. Ask a local, who'll remember the old name that's in your guidebook.
By Metro
[edit]The Metro has a single line. The northern terminus is on Raiymbek Batyr east of Almaty-2 railway station. The line runs south to Abay, then turns west along Abay to Bauyrjan Momyshuly.
The Metro is open from 06:00-00:00, and is safe and guarded by police at all times. A single trip costs 150 tenge, regardless of length of trip. The tickets are plastic yellow tokens, buy them at machines or booths ("kassa") within the stations. Contactless payment at the gates is also possible by Mastercard, Visa or Union Pay. There are no day tickets or similar deals for visitors, but for frequent travellers there are rechargeable multi-trip smart cards.
Metro stations from the north are:
- 1 Raiymbek batyr (Russian: Райымбек батыра, Kazakh: Райымбек). North terminus, for Almaty-2 railway station & buses around Sayakhat.
- 2 Zhibek Zholy-Dostyk (Russian: Жибек Жолы). For Ascension Cathedral, Panfilov Park, Green Bazaar, Museum of Kazakh Musical Instruments and Kazakh-British Technical University.
- 3 Almaly (Russian: Алмалы). For Hotel Almaty, Opera & Ballet House, Kunayev Museum and Republican Book Museum.
- 4 Abay (Russian:Абая, Kazakh:Абай). For Central State Museum, Kazakh National Agrarian University, State Academic Russian Drama Theatre, and Kok-Tobe cable-car.
Here the line turns west and runs beneath Abay Avenue to:
- 5 Baikonur (Russian:Байконур, Kazakh: Байқоңыр). For Sport Palace and Central Stadium.
- 6 Auezov Theater (Russian: Театр имени Мухтара Ауэзова, Kazakh: Мұхтар Әуезов атындағы театры). For Auezov Theatre, Circus, Rahat Palace Hotel & Kusteyev Fine Arts Museum.
- 7 Alatau (Russian: Алатау). For Mahatma Gandhi Park.
- 8 Sayran. This is a 2.5-km walk to Sayran bus station, as the lake lies between.
- 9 Moskva. This station is nearer to Sayran bus station, though it's still a 1.5-km hike north up Utegen Batyr.
- 10 Bauyrjan Momyshuly. Opened in 2022, this is beneath the intersection with Abay.
- Qalqaman further west is the next extension, due to open in 2027.
By bus
[edit]
The city has some 170 bus routes and 9 trolleybus routes, see Alatransit for network details and journey planner. In 2024 the cash fare is 150 tenge, pay the driver or conductor on boarding. You don't need exact change but you'll be unpopular if you offer a large note. Younger conductors speak a bit of English and will point out your stop.
If you have a local sim card, you can also pay via the Onay app or transport card, obtained from Alatransit. This brings the fare down to 80 tenge so local frequent travellers pay this way. For a visitor taking only occasional buses, it's hardly worth the bother to reduce a fare of 30 US cents down to 15.
By taxi
[edit]There are both official and informal taxis. Official taxis can be booked in advance and normally show up rapidly. The fare difference between official and unofficial taxis may vary up to 3 times. Just raise your hand and a car will eventually stop. You should negotiate the price and direction in advance. Normally the fare varies from 200-1,000 tenge depending on the remoteness of the area. These are really efficient, and, although it takes a bit of getting used to, it is the perfect solution to getting around. Nevertheless, single travellers should be aware of muggings late at night. Avoid cars with more than one male occupant at night. Usually a car will stop within 30 seconds to 3 minutes of having your hand out. If the driver does not wish to drive to your destination, no problem. The next one will stop a minute or two after. You will need the name of your destination street and the nearest cross street, in Russian, in order to get to where you want to go. Very few people speak or understand even basic English. It is necessary to have small money. Usually drivers avoid giving change, so it is better to have the exact amount in hand.
Yandex Go is available, works the same way as Uber, taxi can be ordered using it's smartphone app.
By bike
[edit]There is a city bike scheme, with pick-up/drop-off stations dotted around. Almost every bike store rents bikes, thus just ask in your hotel for a bike store. The prices are 2,000 tenge for a day and 2,500 tenge for 24 hr.
By scooters
[edit]You can find a vast network of various scooters (samokats) spread around the town, which you can rent using their respective applications, and easily travel around the city with them, for example to/from metro stations to your accomodation. If you know Bolt scooters in Europe - that's the same thing.
The more popular ones are Yandex Go (yellow colored) and Whoosh (orange colored).
At 2024, if we take Yandex Go scooters as an example. the cost of renting them is approximately 50 tenge per minute, but you can but a packages of minutes which will make minutes much cheaper, like 700 tenge for 30 minutes for 1 day (23 tenge per minute), or 660 tenge for 50 minutes for 1 week (13 tenge per minute). So overall, if you buy packages the cost of using scooters to roam around the city are really low.
See
[edit]Religious
[edit]
- 1 Ascension Cathedral (Zenkov Cathedral), Gogol 40 (Panfilov Park, Metro Zhibek Zholy), toll-free: Daily 07:00-18:00. Completed in 1907 and renovated in the 2020s - new saints were painted in, though presumably they were known to the hagiographers. The iconostasis is spectacular. At 56 m this among the tallest wooden buildings in the world, which you wouldn't guess from the smoothly-painted exterior hues of custard, icing sugar and coloured marzipan - it's more like a trap for Hansel & Gretel. Free.
- Heroes Memorial Park surrounds Ascension Cathedral, bounded by Kunaev, Gogol, Zenkov and Kazybek Bi streets. This honors the men and women from Kazakhstan who died in World War II. There's an eternal flame by the war memorial.
- 2 St Nicholas Cathedral, Baytursynov 56 (Metro Baykonur), ☏ +7 727 267 5910. Russian Orthodox church built in 1909. It was used as stables for Soviet cavalry horses but reopened as a church in 1980. Main entrance is west side from Baytursnov, but there's also a little gate from the park just south.
- 3 Central Mosque, Pushkin 16 (Metro Raiymbek Batyr), ☏ +7 727 397 6390. Daily 05:00-22:00. Grand mosque with marble walls and spacious decorated interior. Free.
- 4 Sophia Cathedral, Latifa Hamidi 30, ☏ +7 727 397 4105. Daily 07:00-19:00. Built 1893-95 after its predecessor was destroyed by an earthquake, the church became the centrepiece of a monastery, but the complex was crushed by the communists. Only in 2007 were both restored. The tranquil monastery compound has a few other chapels you can look in on. Free.
- 5 Holy Kazan Cathedral (Svyato-Kazanskiy Sobor), Khaliullina 45a. Small, brightly painted Russian Orthodox Church.
Museums
[edit]
- 6 Museum House of Akhmet Baytursynov, Baytursynov 60 (Metro Baikonur), ☏ +7 727 292 1089. M-Sa 10:00-17:30. Akhmet Baytursynov (1873-1937) was a Kazakh intellectual active in politics, poetry, linguistics and education, so inevitably he was shot during Stalin's "Great Purge". His house museum is becoming crumbly.
- 7 Museum of Almaty, Kabanbay Batyr 132, ☏ +7 727 267 5905. Tu-Su 10:00-19:00. Small museum of the history of the city, mountaineering and the Republic, housed in a former orphanage. Audioguide available on your own mobile device. Adult 1500 tenge.
- Natural History Museum, Shevchenko 28. Temporarily closed. Mammoths, dinosaurs and similar.
- 8 Kasteyev Art Museum, Satpaev (Metro Auezov Theater), ☏ +7 727 394 5715. Tu-Su 10:00-18:00. Huge collection spanning Oriental, Russian and Kazakh arts, the Stakhanovite scenes from Stalin's era are fascinating. Abilkhan Kasteev (1904-1973) was a prolific and highly decorated artist. Adult 500 tenge.
- 9 Central State Museum, Nazarbaeva (formerly Furmanov) (Metro Abay), ☏ +7 727 264 2680. W-M 09:00-18:00. Displays of Kazakh history, from prehistoric times through the Mongol periods to the present. Guided tours in English and other languages are available if you call ahead, and the Hall of Anthropology (1000 tenge extra) can only be seen this way. Adult 500 tenge.
- 10 Independence Square is the large but unimpressive square outside City Hall. It lost much of its significance when the capital moved to Astana. The Presidential Palace also stood here but was wrecked by riots in 2022, and has since been demolished.
- 11 Museum of Musical Instruments, Zenkov 24, ☏ +7 727 291 6337. Tu-Su 10:00-19:00. Small museum with fine traditional wooden facade, exhibits have signage in Kazakh, Russian and English. Adult 1500 tenge.
- Military History Museum, Zenkov 24 (100 m south of Museum of Musical Instruments), ☏ +7 727 291 0619. Tu-F 10:00-17:00, Sa 10:00-16:00. Military history museum with an emphasis on Panfilov's division and Kazakhstan's involvement in the Great Patriotic War (WWII) and the Soviet War in Afghanistan. Signage is in Russian, but guided tours in English, French, Kazakh and Russian may be available. The entrance is unstaffed, turn right from lobby. Free.
- 12 Central Museum of Railway Transport, Nazarbaeyev 127 (Metro Almaly), ☏ +7 727 296 4949. M-F 10:00-18:00. Small museum about the railways in Kazakhstan. Free.
- Konaev House Museum, Tolebaev 117 (Metro Almaly), ☏ +7 727 261 4269. Tu-Su 10:00-19:00. Dinmukhamed Kunaev (1912-1993) was First Secretary of the Kazakh Communist Party 1964-1983, then fell from grace after the death of Brezhnev. This is his apartment. Free.
- Memorial Museum of Nurgisa Tlendiev, Kunaev 96 (Metro Almaly), ☏ +7 727 291 6341. Tu-Sa 10:00-18:00. Nurgisa Tlendiev (1925-1998) was a composer who lived here in his later years.
- M Auezov Literature Memorial House, Tulebaev 187 (Opposite Abay metro), ☏ +7 727 261 2227. Tu-Sa 10:00-17:00. Mukhtar Auezov (1897-1961) was a distinguished Soviet-Kazakh playwright and novelist; he lived here for his last ten years. Atmospheric, but you'll need decent Russian to glean much. He's also commemorated further down the boulevard by the Auezov Theatre. Adult 1500 tenge.
Do
[edit]
- Artishock is an experimental theatre at Kunaev 9.
- La Boheme is a theatre at Valikhanov 43, Metro Zhibek Zholy.
- Abay Kazakh State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater is at Kabanbay Batyr 110, Metro Almaly.
- M Lermontov State Academic Russian Drama Theater is at Abay 43, Metro Abay.
- KELT is an English language theatre within KIMEP University, Metro Abay.
- Uyghur Theatre is at Nauryzbai Batyr 83.
- Almaty Theatre is on Halyk Square off Al-Farabi.
- Saunas or banyas are where folk relax and socialise during the miserable cold months. These have different styles eg Moroccan, Nordic or Russian (where half the fun is flagellating yourself with veniki leaves). A two hour session with various extras might be 5000 tenge in 2024. There's some 30 saunas across the city, not including private hotel facilities or seedy "gentlemen's clubs", and many are part of large leisure complexes. A good example is Arasan at Tolebaev 78 near Ascension Cathedral, open daily 07:00-22:30.
- 1 Kok-Tobe Park. Small Soviet-esque fun fair perched on a hilltop, where the highlight is getting there on the cable car. (The base station is at Luganskiy 2, east end of Abay.) Up top is a series of overpriced rides, games and attractions, and two restaurants; the wildest beasts in the "mini-zoo" are some hens and goats. The park is fenced in with no access to the nearby mountains, but you can walk to or from town via the service road. Not to be confused with Kök Töbe hill further south. Adult return by cable car 6000 tenge, by minibus 3500 tenge.
- Football: FC Kairat play soccer in the Premier League, Kazakhstan's top tier, which plays April-Nov. Their home ground is Central Stadium, capacity 24,000, on Abay Ave (Metro Baikonur / Stadion). International games are played in Astana.
Events
[edit]- Nauryz Myrami is the spring festival, on or about 21 March each year.
- Indie Film Festival is held in September.
- Almaty Marathon is run in September.
Mountains
[edit]
- Route P22 (Dulati Street, becomes Svezhest) runs south up the valley of River Bolshaya Almatinka. Along this route are Kok-Tobe (the hill not the funfair), Tau Spa, Alma-Arasan gorge and Big Almaty Lake.
- 2 Tau Spa, Alma-Arasan Gorge 1/3, ☏ +7 701 733 4565. Year-round mountain spa with pools and cabin accommodation. Mixed reviews.
- 3 Big Almaty Lake is a scenic lake at 2510 m altitude, surrounded by high mountains. It glistens like a mirror, changing colour with the season (a deep turquoise in autumn), and freezing in winter. Towering over it to the south east is Soviet Peak (4317 m), to the south Ozerniy (4110 m), and to the southwest Tourist Peak (3954 m). Great for hiking and climbing. Getting here and back is obviously simplest by car, otherwise:
- Bus 28 runs from the roundabout at Al-Farabi and Navoi up Dulati and ends at the last left turn before Alma-Arasan. Taxis here will take you to within 4 km of the lake for around 2000 tenge. Otherwise it's a 15 km hike and 1000 m rise of altitude: think about the weather and the coming back. Follow the road about 8 km until you reach a big water pipe, and then follow the steep trail next to the pipe.
- Or take a taxi all the way from Al-Farabi and Navoi.
- Dostyk south becomes Gornaya which climbs the valley of River Pravy Esentai. Along this valley are Medeu Ice Rink, Ile-Alatau National Park and Chimbulak Ski resort. A bus runs up the valley from the corner of Satpaev and Baitursynuly daily at 08:00.
Buy
[edit]
- Money: exchange kiosks give reasonable rates. Those at the airport are open 24 hours, and there's several on Rayimbek Batyr south of the main railway station. Most businesses take card payment, the problem for westerners is that Kazakh traders (as elsewhere in the "Stans") may be supported by the Russian banking system, and therefore embargoed by sanctions.
- Local specialties: Handmade carpets, felted goods such as dolls, rugs, and slippers made with boiled lamb's wool and natural dyes, handcrafted metal jewelry, including a "tumar" (a pendant that opens like a locket) and leather chess sets.
- Food: check your own country's import regulations, and those of any other country you'll pass through, before buying "souvenir food". Most prohibit fresh food, they may be okay with dry goods and preserves.
- 1 Trading House Passage is a shopping mall on Zhibek Zholy.
- "Arbat" is the nickname for the pedestrianised section of Zhybek Zholy, an artists' row.
- TsUM is the big department store a little further west, corner of Ablay Khan, open M-Sa 09:00-19:00, Su 09:00-15:00.
- 2 Green Bazaar (Zelyoni Bazaar), Zenkov 53 (Metro Zhibek Zholy), ☏ +7 727 273 6282. Tu-Su 09:00-19:00. A city institution, an extensive market in a lime-green concrete building. Fresh vegetables, dairy products, and meat, as well as clothing and other non-food household items. Fruit and vegetables are on the lower level. On the upper level you will find dried fruits, nuts, spices, honey and plants, as well as cheese and meat; you'll smell the meat counters long before you see them. Seasonal prices, relatively expensive by Central Asia standards.
- Mega Park is a large mall at Makataev 127, corner with Seyfullin, open daily 10:00-22:00.
- Ramstore was the largest small in the city when built in the 1990s but is now nothing unusual. It's at Furmanov 226, open daily 09:00-23:00.
- 3 Mega Alma-Ata is a large mall at Rozybakiev 247A, open daily 10:00-22:00.
- 4 Barakholka is a vast bazaar in ramshackle metal sheds, 5 km northwest of downtown on A350, trading Tu-Su 09:00-17:00. It's mostly daily necessities and not touristy, but locals likewise appreciate occasional luxuries. You want to find a US$500 winter coat for US$50? It's possible after vigorous haggling, and it will be worth most of US$30.
Eat
[edit]
- Kazakh cheap places are plentiful, selling shashlik, soup, salad and so on.
- Burgers are popular fast food, typically with sliced kebab meat on a hamburger bun with pickles and garlic sauce.
- Bahandi is a burger chain with 8 city locations, the most central is at Baytursynova 61, two blocks south of Tole Bi.
- Alasha, Ostpanova 20, ☏ +7 707 7463 489. Daily 12:00-00:00. Uzbeki restaurant. Brace yourself for being sung at, danced at, and horse meat.
- Basilic, Shevchenko 127, ☏ +7 778 344 9000. 24 hours. Sit-down canteen with an English menu. Low prices and offers local specialties such as horsemeat.
- China Town, Mametova 47 (corner with Abylai Khan), ☏ +7 727 233 2152. Daily 10:00-00:00. Inexpensive Chinese eatery, large servings. Plenty of vegetarian dishes such as tofu.
- Crudo Steakhouse, Abaya 17, ☏ +7 777 279 0717. Daily 12:00-01:00. Steakhouse, mixed reviews on food quality and value for money. Good if you would like to try horse.
- Mamma Mia, Panfilov 109, ☏ +7 747 128 1457. Su-Th 10:00-23:00, F Sa 10:00-00:00. Chain pizzeria with filling portions, veggies won't starve.
- Namaste, Gogol 155, ☏ +7 707 790 0956. Daily 11:00-22:30. Good Indian food.
- Restaurant Princess, Tolebayeva 53 (corner with Gogol), ☏ +7 727 261 0627. Daily 12:00-00:00. Popular Chinese restaurant.
- Tandoor, Tole Bi 102, ☏ +7 707 388 9933. Daily 11:00-23:00. Good-value Indian and other Asian food.
- Tarih, Abylai Khan 104 (corner of Shevchenko), ☏ +7 778 146 5566. Daily 12:00-00:00. Great Kazakh food with an interesting modern touch.
- Tyubeteika, Satpaeva 32, ☏ +7 701 589 7619. Daily 12:00-00:00. Uzbek restaurant, good food with grumpy service. They also have outlets at Abylai Khan125 and Dostyk Ave.
- Venezia, Kairbekov 61 (corner of Tole Bi), ☏ +7 727 293 8167. Daily 10:00-01:00. Good selection of meat, veggies may struggle,
- Grand Zina, Kabanbay Batyr 85 (within Almaty Hotel), ☏ +7 700 437 0000. Daily 08:00-00:00. A cool restaurant with great mosaics.
Drink
[edit]- Barmaglot Bar, Satpaev 3, ☏ +7 777 825 3030. Tu-Su 17:00-03:00. For evening drinks, gets lively after 23:00.
- Black Market at Timiryazev 42/16 is open Su-Th 14:00-00:00, F Sa 14:00-02:00.
- Irish pubs: 8 of these, Harat's is a chain with the most central outlet at Panfilov 110.
Sleep
[edit]
Budget
[edit]- Apelsin Hostel, Zheltoksan St 1B (by Almaty-2 railway station), ☏ +7 777 008 4001. Very basic, only if you're stuck. B&B double US$50.
- Tahar Hotel is simple but clean, better than the grubby exterior suggests. It's at Abylai Khan 27, 300 m south of the main railway station.
Mid-range
[edit]- 1 Astra Hotel, Zheltoksan 12, ☏ +7 7272 46 8688. Mid-range business hotel, clean, friendly and close to main railway station. B&B double US$80.
- Grand Aiser, Pozharskogo 1 (By Central Stadium, Metro Baikonur), ☏ +7 727 396 9999. Mostly positive reviews for this mid-price hotel. B&B double US$70.
- Hotel Almaty, Kabanbai Batyr 85 (Metro Almaty), ☏ +7 727 272 0047. Pleasant hotel facing the Opera House. Not to be confused with the place of the same name at Kuanyshbayev 38а, way out beyond Sayran bus station. B&B double US$90.
- Hotel Ambassador, Zheltoksan 121, ☏ +7 727 250 8989. Creaky old place but clean, and good value for what you pay. B&B double US$70.
- 2 Hotel Berkana, Aiteke Bi 83, ☏ +7 727 279 8866. Central but in a quiet area, good value for money. B&B double US$60.
- 3 Kazakhstan Hotel, Dostyk 52 (Metro Abay), ☏ +7 727 291 9101. In a 1977 Soviet block but smart and clean. B&B double US$100.
- 4 Hotel Kazzhol Almaty, Gogol 127/1 (Metro Zhibek Zholy), ☏ +7 727 338 3898. Clean, comfy place with restaurant and pool. B&B double US$100.
- Ibis, Abylai Khan 55 (opposite Mercure), ☏ +7 727 355 0355. Great value central Accor hotel. B&B double US$100.
Splurge
[edit]
- Mercure, Abylai Khan 53, ☏ +7 727 344 2850. Accor chain hotel, central, oasis of calm clean efficiency. B&B double US$200.
- 5 Holiday Inn Almaty, Timiryazev 2D, ☏ +7 727 244 0255. Smart hotel near the government sector. B&B double US$150.
- Hotel Dostyk, Kurmankazy 36 (200 m north of Metro Abay), ☏ +7 727 333 0000, reservation@dostyk.kz. Showing its age with crumbly fittings and indifferent service. B&B double US$180.
- 6 Intercontinental Almaty, Zheltoksan 181 (Metro Baikonur), ☏ +7 727 250 5000. Upmarket hotel with 4 restaurants and indoor pool. B&B double US$300.
- 7 Rahat Palace Hotel, Satbaev 29/6 (Metro Auezov Theatre), ☏ +7 727 250 1234. Grand exterior, poor scores for comfort and service. B&B double US$150.
- Rixos Hotel Almaty, Seyfullina 506/99 (by Almaty Museum), ☏ +7 727 300 3300. Pleasant hotel near Dynamo stadium, pricey for what you get. B&B double US$450.
- Park Hotel (formerly Saltanat), Furmanov 164 (aka Nazarbayev) (opposite Metro Abay), ☏ +7 727 259 0935. Modern business hotel. B&B double US$110.
- 8 Ritz-Carlton, Esentai Tower, Al Farabi 77/7, ☏ +7 727 332 8888. Plush hotel with 3 restaurants, spa and pool. The 30th-floor bar has a good view of the mountains. Service not always at the standard you expect for these prices. B&B double US$680.
Connect
[edit]As of Dec 2024, Almaty has 4G from Beeline and 5G from Kcell (under the brand "activ") and Airtel. The signal is patchy on the approach highways.
You can buy sim cards in convenience stores, which you activate by sending your passport number and full name by SMS.
At the airport, Airtel has a store, and Kcell and Beeline have reseller locations charging ~40% markup.
Stay safe
[edit]
Beware traffic, safeguard valuables and don't get drunk, same as anywhere else.
Emergency numbers are 101 Fire, 102 Police and 103 Ambulance.
Cope
[edit]Registration
[edit]You have to register your arrival, but your hotel or host will do this for you. They may give you a card confirming they've done so, but this is a hangover from paper-based days and is no longer necessary. In case you need to do it yourself, this is via the online portal; see also Uzbekistan#Get in. It's the same system for staying beyond 30 days visa-free.
An unlucky few might need to attend OVIR, the Migration Police. They're at Dosmukhamedov 109, near the corner of Baytursynov and Karasay Batyr, 200 m northwest of St Nicholas Cathedral. The website will tell you how to set up the appointment. Frankly it might be simplest just to take a weekend jaunt to Bishkek then re-enter Kazakhstan: this re-starts your 30 days visa-free, though you're still against the limit of 90 days within any 180.
Consulates
[edit]- Always check the consulate website first. Problems like a stolen passport might be managed by the embassy in Astana or from the home country.
India, Al Farabi.
United States, Zholdasbekov 97, ☏ +7 727 250 7612. M-F 09:00-18:00.
Uzbekistan, Zhakarov 360, ☏ +7 727 390 2616. Hours, prices & procedures all seem makeshift, best phone ahead to check they're still there.- Others: as of Dec 2024, Almaty also has consulates or visa centres for Hungary, Lithuania and Tajikstan.
Go next
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- Winter sports & hiking at Chimbulak, Ak-Bulak and Tabagan ski resorts, within a day-trip.
- Astana is the new showcase capital, with more of a mixture of cultures than Almaty.
- Lake Balkhash is along the road to Astana, so you could break the long journey here. Balkhash village (12 hours by bus) has a few hotels. The lake is salty east of here, but fresh to the west where rivers enter. It's the closest you'll get to beach action in this very land-locked country.
- Bishkek the capital of Kyrgyzstan is a 5 hr drive. From there see Lake Issyk-Kul.
- Tamgaly Petroglyphs ("Temple of The Sun"): This UNESCO site is 2-3 hours away by car (170 km west, 30 km past Copa off the road to Bishkek). The petroglyphs range from ancient (3,000 years) to "modern" (75 years), and feature pictures of the Sunman and hunting nomad tribes. There are also several grave sites. Watch out for snakes when it's hot.
- Turgen Gorge. In the national preserve or Ile-Alatau, 90 km east of Almaty. The gorge is some 44 m deep, with hot springs, waterfalls, and forests: these include the last stands of Chim-Turgen moss fir woods that once carpeted the area.
- Lake Issyk, not to be confused with Issyk-Kul, is a 90-min drive from Almaty, offers a largely overlooked clear picturesque lake surrounded by mountains.
- Charyn Canyon is 80 km long and as much as 300 m deep, eroded into fantastical shapes, especially along the 3 km stretch known as "Valley of the Castles". It's 200 km east of Almaty towards the Chinese border (follow A351) and often done as a day-trip, but longer tours of the area are recommended. Not far from the "Singing Dunes".
- Urumqi in China can be reached by bus. It's on the Chinese high-speed railway towards Lanzhou, Xian and Beijing.