Visit Almaty: Tours, Guides, Drivers

I live in Almaty for the last 23 years and I truly believe that Almaty is a wonderful place to be in any season! You can’t be sad when you have Tian Shan mountains behind your back, cozy coffee shops at every corner and just right amount of cultural events so you don’t have to torture yourself what event to choose today.

However, if you ask me when is the best time to visit Almaty I would probably say its spring or autumn: from April to early June and from mid-September to October. I love the freshness and excitement of the spring season when apple, apricot, and cherry trees start to bloom and you feel that life is going back after long winter. In my opinion, Almaty is one of the greenest cities in the world so just imagine that bright show in autumn when all those trees are changing colors from shining saffron to deep burgundy!

I told my personal favorite time in Almaty but my friends-skiers would totally disagree: they are waiting for winter like western kids are waiting for Christmas! For them, blooming trees will never be compared to powder days at local ski resorts. Or if to think about my friends-hikers – they are waiting for hot summer days to do exciting multi-days trekking in celestial mountains around the city.    

So long story short – when to visit Almaty depends entirely on your preferences and on activities you like to have on your vacation:

Visiting Almaty in Spring

Spring comes early to Almaty – you already can enjoy warm sunny days in February! But as we are located close to the mountains weather can change drastically in a matter of hours! It is very unstable in March – it can be +15 by Celcius one day when all the summer terraces of city’ cafes are full of locals sipping cappuccino and -1 on another day with heavy clouds and snowfall for the whole day with locals sipping cappuccino inside of the cafes. I would say locals sipping cappuccino is the one rare constant phenomenon taking place in the ever-changing city of Almaty.

If you are pointing in March as your arrival time, then point at the second half of the month to see and experience Nauruz - the holiday of spring which marks the beginning of a new year. It was celebrated for thousands of years by numerous people of Central and Middle Asia. Its almost 100% guaranteed (1% is for an ugly pandemic that spoilt the holiday in 2020) that you will find yourself in massive celebration ceremony with national Kazakh dances, songs, colorful costumes and of course food! Your must-try dish for those days is a cold drink of nomads - Nauruz kozhe.

April is the time for pleasant walks discovering various parts of the city – would it be bustling food markets or peaceful parks, riversides (my favorite is Terrenkur area) or foothills of Ille Alatau.

May is always associated with enormously gorgeous poppy fields in the surroundings of Almaty! Just imagine bright scarlet carpet that covers steppe all the way to the horizon line! Its truly unforgettable moments!

Also, the time from late March to the beginning of June is the perfect time to explore semi-desert areas of the Almaty region such as Charyn Canyon or Altyn Emel National Park! Dry sunny days with mild temperatures – that’s something you will dream of in hot July.

Average Spring Temperatures in Almaty: +18 / +6 Celsius

Visiting Almaty in Summer

Almaty in summer is the ocean of green lush – you will almost never be exposed to the sun rays thanks to the shadow from old big trees planted basically everywhere. I would advise you to fill the first half of the day with tours in various museums and enjoy a pleasant evening promenade! You can gift yourself a sunset from Koktobe hill sipping a glass of local wine – sounds like a plan?

If you are in Almaty in summer you definitely should go hiking! Half-day, one-day or multi-days! Mountains are the best place to escape the city heat. Best time for camping nights and a starry sky! Talking about stars August is the month of shooting stars so if you plan a trip with your loved one keep it in mind! The best place for watching stars is, of course, steppes where the whole endless sky is only for you!

Average Summer Temperatures in Almaty: +30 / +18 Celsius

Visiting Almaty in Autumn

Fall in Almaty, if to be exact September & October, is a nice compromise between perfect weather, colorful landscapes, and abundance of fruits & vegetables. It is still an amazing time to enjoy outdoors but also it's nice just to walk in the city to discover hidden locations! Not to mention cozy cafes and restaurants with tapchans – a special type of furniture where you can eat and lie at the same time!

September and the first half of October are still good for camping and extremely comfortable for hiking cause you don’t have that killing summer heat. The worst month to visit our region I would honestly say is November, when it becomes gloomy, all the trees suddenly are naked and black and there is no snow yet. However, if you are lucky to have friends here then you can come at any month of the year – warm home parties and delicious food will make up any bad weather, right? 

Average Autumn Temperatures in Almaty: +24 / +11 Celsius

Visiting Almaty in Winter

If you love skiing winter is a no-brainer choice for sure. The prices will please you compared to Europe or Japan and beautiful slopes will make you the happiest human in the world. Almaty is surrounded by several ski-resorts but you can also try free-ride and heli-ski – all depends on your budget! Also, it is a unique chance to literally walk at the iced surface of mountain lakes and enjoy the stunning view of snowy spruce tree forests.  And for general information eagle hunting takes place only in wintertime.

You can also experience our New Year parties at homes of locals – we don’t celebrate Christmas but we do celebrate New Year night and its usually big family dinners followed by President’s speech on TV, spectacular fireworks & all-night parties at the numerous bars and clubs of the city.

I would say the perfect winter day would look like this: early morning breakfast, active half-day hike at the foothills, a steaming room at local Hamam (we have a giant spa place Arasan left from Soviet times), savory dinner at good restaurants followed by a cocktail or two in a nice bar. Sounds good, hmm?

Talking about this tab with average temperatures sourced from Google – I would say the temperatures can be much lower, at some of the days in January-February we can have days with negative 15-20 degrees of Celsius! So you will need the real winter wardrobe if you arriving in winter.

Average Winter Temperatures in Almaty: 0 / -9 Celsius

This article was written by Gaukhar.

Almaty is one of the most beautiful cities in Central Asia immersed in green hills and surrounded by majestic mountains of Tien Shan. There is always something to do for any guest of the city and in this article, I’ll share just a few of the places you can visit while you are in Almaty!

Museum of Almaty

To start your introduction to the city I would highly advise you to visit this little museum located in a historical part of the city. The wooden building itself is an amazing architectural monument from the XIXth century built by French architect Paul Gourdet. It used to be an orphanage, later it was used for medical college and recently it became a city museum. Inside you will move through several historical epochs the city was going through with important archeological findings from those times. My favorite rooms are the “Medieval Almaty” with the real-size model of the typical house of the local person who lived in times of Silk Road functioning; “Ethnography of Zhetisu” where you can see Kazakh national costumes and jewelry;  I also love the reproduction of typical room of the house in XIXth century when Russian fortress was built on the place of modern Almaty. The museum is not big – enough to get an idea about the rich historical background of the city and not be bored to death. FYI: it’s closed on Mondays.

Golden Room in the Central Museum

If you are ready for more museums I would advise visiting the Golden Room in the Central Museum. If you have time check out the whole museum but if not then this little room guarded by police and protected by the thick iron door is a must-visit: you will be presented to the golden masterpieces dated back to 8th century BC. You will never understand how could these masters create such micro-detailed pieces of jewelry but you will be amazed I promise. All these jewelry were found in the area around Almaty inside of mysterious Scythian burial mounds.

Medeo skating rink & Chimbulak ski resort

Each city has must-visit landmarks and for Almaty, they are Medeo, the Dam and Chimbulak. Medeo skating rink located at the altitude of 1,691.2 meters above sea level is an engineering and architectural miracle built in 1972. It is used as a spectacular arena for ice skating, ice hockey, and figure skating. Medeo skating rink is a unique sports facility for ski-runners because of its pure glacial water, low atmospheric pressure and a gentle breeze – all together these conditions help sportsmen to achieve unimaginable results and break world records. There were 123 world records set at Medeo. Behind the rink, you will see the legendary dam that saved the city from devastating mudflow. And the final destination is Chimbulak ski resort which is a popular destination for locals even offseason. If you reach the final stop point, even in the hottest summer days you will see the Bogdanovich’ glacier just in front of you. Also from Medeo skating rink and Chimbulak ski resort you can do extremely pleasant day-hikes. 

Koktobe

Koktobe is the best place to enjoy the panoramic view of the city but make sure that you go there in the morning or the evening for the spectacular sunset. In the middle of the day its also a nice place but it’s a bit too hot there. You can take a cable car from Palace of the Republic or (if you want to save money) you can also to take a bus number 95 or 99, their final stop is foothills of Koktobe and then from there you can take another shuttle bus that will take you to the top of the hill. If you go at the sunset take a coffee or have dinner at Abay restaurant’s summer terrace – the dinner will not be cheap but the view will be unforgettable! 

Green Market & Panfilov Park

Green Market and Panfilov Park are like bread and peanut butter – match each other perfectly! Firstly I advise you to go to the market, be brave & try all the national cuisines presented there – Kazakh, Korean, Russian, Uighur, and many others! You can also have a nice lunch at one of the café’s at the main building of the market (try Uighur dish called Lagman – noodles with meat and vegetables), the best view is from cafes located at the columns on the second floor. If you need anything it’s a great place to buy it cause the market is not only about the food but also you can find all kinds of other things you can imagine: clothes, shoes, construction materials, furniture, electronics, cosmetics, perfumery, souvenirs, and many many more things. After you had a nice meal and bought everything you need (I hope its not something big and heavy) its time to have a pleasant walk in the oldest park in the city. It is a very beautiful area with beautiful monuments of the past: Orthodox Cathedral and Victory Monument dedicated to the heroes of the Second World War. When entering the cathedral all women should cover their hairs with a scarf, there are free scarfs in the cathedral on the left side near the door, don’t forget to hang it back when leaving. Park is majestic, it has its atmosphere and in summer days it is always a little bit cooler than the city, you feel it from the first step.

Big Almaty Lake

Are you up for an outdoor activity? Big Almaty Lake is one of the closest natural beauty to the city located just in an hour of driving from the center. However, if you’re up for active hiking you can try to move along a big tube that will bring you directly to the lake in about two or three hours (I would say three or even four if you’re hiking beginner). The lake is one of the sources of drinking water and electricity for the city, it is located in Ile Alatau National Park at the height of 2511 meters above sea level. Because of the strategical significance of the lake its not allowed to come too close to the water, so it's better to enjoy the view on a distance. Take a jacket with you cause even on the hottest day it can be quite chilly or even rainy – it’s mountains, you know. Also, don’t forget a blanket and some food, then find some nice place in front of the lake and enjoy the view! 

Charyn Canyon

Would you like to be Indiana Jones for a day? Why the heck not! Take a one-day trip to the Charyn Canyon National Park – a kingdom of strange cliffs and mysterious sand figures. Water, wind, and gravity worked hard to create this masterpiece, you will suddenly see a one-eyed old turtle, a giant ship entering the harbor, a king’s throne and beautiful castles of course! That’s why the most visited part of the canyon is called Valley of Castles, on the way to the Charyn river you will see numerous lines of layers of clay, stones, and sand that were washed down when this whole area was a lake millions of years ago. You will find yourself in an open-air museum of the geological past of this region. Don’t forget to explore the canyon from the top side too! An amazing panoramic view for photographers! But please be careful and don’t step to the very edge – the stones can crumble right under your legs! The canyon is giant, it stretches for 154 km, so you can easily spend there 2-3 days camping or staying in beautiful yurts! The yurt is the best option for a group of friends cause its big (5-7 people) and the price is like for the room at the city hotels. 

Kolsay Lakes

In a lot of trips Charyn Canyon is a stop on the way to the Kolsay – splendid chain of mountain lakes surrounded by amazing spruce tree forests. I would say it’s a perfect spot for hiking lovers: 3-4 hours of moving up and down through diverse terrain with a steep rise at the end topped with a well-deserved picnic at the second lake (please don’t forget your stuff there) and 2 hours for the road back. Another beautiful part of the trip to the lakes is the opportunity to stay in the homes of local people and see the real-life away from big cities. Mostly none of the locals do speak English so a dictionary, sign language or English-speaking guide would help. Tbh my favorite part of the trip is food! Dinners at the homestay are served like you are from the royal family, cause in Kazakh traditions guest is sent by God, so he or she needs to be met with the highest level of respect which in real life means putting all available food on the table. And I’m not joking by the word ALL. It's a full big table with food suitable for ten people even if it's only you are two. So, food, real life, and hiking – what can be better?! 

Altyn Emel National Park

Almaty region is an awesome place in terms of the presence of all nature zones: desserts, semi-desserts, steppes, canyons, mountains, glaciers! And all of them can be experienced in a matter of five-six days! This multi-day trip is better to start from Altyn Emel National Park, cause it's not very far away from Almaty – three hours of driving, and after - all other interesting places (canyons, lakes) are right on the way. Usually, we spend at the AE two days staying at Aigay Kum mini-hotel. The first day we drive to see Singing Dune – dessert in the middle of the steppe, so the best time to go there is early morning or late afternoon. If you hike at the top of the dune (it’s not so easy with the sand moving down at each your step) you will be awarded a stunning view of the Ile river, endless steppes, and Tien Shan mountains at the very south. Try to catch a sunset at the top of the dune – it will be one of the unforgettable moments in your jar of precious memories. In the end, do not bother going down by the rim, just sit and ride down! It’s much faster and much much funnier! And who knows maybe you will hear the mysterious song of the Dune! On a second day, we drive to my most favorite place in the region – Aktau mountains. It’s not high mountains, of course, it is maximum is 1 km high but you will not think about height when you see the structure – crazy colorful clay formations aged for millions of years will leave you speechless! I dream that one day I will go only to Aktau for 2-3 days to explore terrain more deeply cause it seems endless and calls you to follow into the narrow labyrinths. Be careful – it's easy to get lost in some places! On the way to Aktau, it’s worth visiting Kattytau mountains – remains of the ancient giant volcano with lava fixed into the stones for thousands of years. 

In this article, I’ve mentioned just some of the most popular and most visited places in and around Almaty, but please be curious, talk to locals, check other articles and discover other hidden gems of the region! Adventures are waiting!

This article was written by Gaukhar.

Almaty is a charming city sunk at the ocean of green lush and framed by the celestial mountains of Tian Shan. I love beautiful parks and streets decorated with cafes and galleries in the city center but I also adore all the hidden gems of the city – places I know from childhood and always enjoy being there. Unfortunately, most of the tour agencies show their guests only centrally located obvious places without going a bit deeper. Here is the list of some of the not-obvious places to see in Almaty I advise my guest to visit.

Tulebaika alley

This is the DNA of Almaty city, the tiny little street in the city center with gorgeous lines of spruce trees on both sides. Even if you just take a little stroll here –I’m sure it will be one of the most enjoyable walks you take. Starting from Abay avenue, it placed between Nazarbayev (old name Furmanov) and Kunayev streets and ends at Gogol street (it goes further but IMHO it's not so beautiful after Gogol str). So if you start from Gogol street you will see first the enormously big building of legendary Arasan spa complex with best sauna treatments – I will tell more about it later in the article. After Bogenbay batyr street you will enter into one of the most prestigious neighborhoods of the city where most of the Communist politicians, artists, scientists, and writers lived. You can even see the flat of the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan – Dinmukhamed Kunaev. He was a leader of the country for many years and his family flat is a unique example of how Soviet flat looked like. Also, there are several other beautiful flats-museums of prominent Kazakh writers and poets. It is a calm peaceful area but at the same time, you are in the very center of the city! As you reach Kabanbay batyr street on the right side you will see Coffeedelia café – it was the first coffee shop in the city serving fancy coffee drinks like caramel latte or macchiato. The coffee is still good there so I would highly advise doing a short stop there. In addition, you can do people-watching – who said that you can do it only in Paris, right?

Just after you leave the café and across the street, you will see a real-height monument to the famous rock artist of the USSR – Victor Tsoy. He was a front-man of the KINO music band and the reason why his monument is taking place specifically on this street is the movie called “Needle” – the first story about the drug addiction in the Soviet Union accompanied by cool rock music of KINO band with Tsoy as the main hero. The highlight of the movie is the final scene which was shot right on that street on a winter night. These are just some secrets of the Tulebaika street – pick the right guide to tell you all of them!   

Arasan spa complex

Most of the travelers come to Almaty in order to enjoy the outdoor activities and I absolutely agree with that idea. So after you did your adventurous multi-day hiking trip around the city I would suggest having a day or two just to relax and pamper yourself in one of the numerous spa centers. And if you choose one, it definitely should be the historical Arasan spa house located right between Kunaev and Tulebayev streets. This SPA complex was built during the Soviet Union period and since then it’s the best bath in Kazakhstan. Prices start from 10 bucks so its really affordable for any pocket. The word “Arasan” translates as a warm spring, and that’s the exact place to enjoy the steam, sauna, pool, and massage. You will find there a Turkish Hammam, a Russian Banya, and a Finnish Sauna. It is totally segregated in terms of sexes. The one thing you should keep in mind is that you will see a lot of naked people around, so if you are used to a more private spa experience it's better if you use another spa complex. You can rent towels and slippers or bring it with you so you can control the extent of your exposure. Overall I think it’s the best way to feel glowing and replenished.

Old districts with historical little homes

If you move a bit further from the Green Market you will suddenly find yourself in a time machine: the whole district consists of old one-level houses and some of them are built during XIXth century – times when Almaty as a Russian fortress was built. Rickety windows with traditional Russian shutters, delicate wooden decorations on the roof and bright colors will turn you into a curious photographer for a long time. The area around the market was mostly populated by merchants so you can imagine beautiful luxury dressed noble families walking on these streets. Its nothing specific at these streets but just relax and let yourself be lost – isn’t it a true way of discovering new place?

Flea markets with Soviet stuff

On one of the exits from the city there is a big market where you can mostly find everything but why I go there sometimes is a flea market! You can find everything there from iron cast pots to Lenin statues: soviet coins, old postcards, retro pins, silver spoons and forks, magazines, books, porcelain cups and plates, teapots, samovars, old TVs, videotapes, shoes, clothes, toys and many many many more. Just don’t forget – all of that is used. Used by generations of people who lived here before, it's also some kind of a museum of everyday life of usual local people. If you’re into antics I’m sure you will spend there quite a lot of time cause the stalls are full of little gems which are btw perfect for little souvenirs for you friends and family.

Inner yards of big houses – Orbita districts

If you want to see how locals live I would strongly advise you to take a stroll at one of the residential areas of Almaty located far away from central streets. So if you go to explore First President’s Park I would advise to continue walking into the closest districts called Orbita – Orbita-1, Orbita-2 and so on. Its mostly apartment blocks mixed with all-winning greenery of poplar and oak trees. Choose a summer evening (5-6 pm) and move from one yard into another and forget about any plan. Just watch how kids are playing, old babushkas (grandmothers) are discussing last news (rumors), women are hanging freshly washed clothes to dry, young people walking dogs – its interesting to observe usual life abroad, isn’t it? Buy a snack in little shops or have a proper dinner in one of the little cafes on the way and enjoy the idea that you may be the rarest tourist who saw these hidden neighborhoods!

There are a lot of other hidden gems in the city but I won’t uncover all of them – let them be hidden so you could discover them one day! 

This article was written by Gaukhar.