Experience the best of Almaty
Almaty is Kazakhstan's largest city, set beneath the snow peaks of the Tian Shan, with leafy parks, Soviet-era monuments, cafés and mountain lakes nearby.
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Almaty lies on a plain at the foot of the Trans-Ili Alatau, a range of the Tian Shan mountains, whose snowy peaks rise to the south. It was the capital of Kazakhstan until 1997, when the title passed to Astana, and it remains the largest city and the cultural centre. Wide avenues are shaded by poplars and elms, and Panfilov Park holds the brightly painted wooden Ascension Cathedral and a memorial to soldiers of the Second World War.
The Kok Tobe hill, reached by cable car, looks over the city, and the Central State Museum covers the history of the steppe. Medeu, an outdoor ice rink in a mountain valley, and the Shymbulak ski area above it lie within an hour's drive. Big Almaty Lake, a turquoise mountain lake at around 2,500 metres, and Charyn Canyon, a gorge of red rock about 200 kilometres east, are popular excursions.
Apples are the city's emblem, since the name is often said to mean place of apples, and the wild apple's ancestors still grow on the mountain slopes. Beshbarmak, boiled meat on flat noodles, manti dumplings, horse-meat sausage and kumis, fermented mare's milk, are traditional, and the Green Bazaar sells fruit, spices and dried apricots. The ski season above the city runs from November into spring.
- 4 skip-the-line tickets
- Free cancellation on 88% of experiences
- 4.7 across the top 24
Top experiences in Almaty
Go beyond Almaty
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Kashgar · 423 kmKarakul Lake
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Kashgar · 423 kmAbakh Hoja Tomb
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Tashkent · 662 kmUzbekistan State Museum of Applied Art
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Tashkent · 662 kmBroadway Alley
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Urumqi · 870 kmHeavenly Lake of Tianshan (Tianchi)
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Urumqi · 870 kmXinjiang Autonomous Region Museum
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Samarkand · 915 kmRegistan Square
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Samarkand · 915 kmGur-e-Emir Mausoleum
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Leh · 1,011 kmPangong Lake (Pangong Tso)
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Leh · 1,011 kmThiksey Monastery
Questions about Almaty
- What is there to do in Almaty?
- We list 317 experiences in Almaty. The largest groups are day trips (82), city tours (43).
- What is the most popular experience in Almaty?
- By number of traveller reviews it is "Kolsai, Kaindy Lakes and Charyn Canyon Small Group Tour", rated 4.9 out of 5 from 1,070 reviews.
- How long do tours and tickets in Almaty take?
- The typical experience in Almaty lasts about 10 hours; the middle half run between 6 hours and 48 hours.
- Can I cancel a booking in Almaty?
- The operator lists free cancellation on 88% of the 317 experiences we hold for Almaty. The cut-off differs by experience and is shown on each product page before you choose a date.
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