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Almaty

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Gold onion domes on turquoise St. Nicholas church (Nikolsky Sobor) on Baytursynuly street.

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Overview

The leafy city of Almaty (Alma-Ata; Алматы), with a backdrop of the snowcapped Zailiysky Alatau, has always been among the more appealing Russian creations in Central Asia. Today Almaty's new rich have expensive suburban apartments, large SUVs, glitzy shopping malls, Western-style coffee lounges, expensive restaurants, dance-till-dawn nightclubs and new ski resorts to help them enjoy life to the full. Meanwhile, others from the city's outer districts and the countryside squeeze into packed buses and rickety marshrutkas around the Green Market (Zelyony Bazar) or Sayakhat bus station.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • (GERMANY OUT) Teppiche mit traditionellen Mustern - Kunsthandwerk auf dem Basar im Zentralen Staatsmuseum der Republik Kasachstan in Almaty (Photo by snapshot-photography/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

    Central State Museum

    Almaty

    Almaty’s best museum takes you through Kazakhstan’s history from Bronze Age burials and nomadic culture to WWII sacrifices, telecommunications and the…

  • Kök-Töbe

    Kök-Töbe

    Almaty

    This 1100m hill on the city’s southeast edge is crowned by a 372m-high TV tower visible from far and wide, and affords great views over the city and the…

  • Kazakhstan Museum of Arts

    Kazakhstan Museum of Arts

    Almaty

    This is the best art collection in the country, with Kazakh, Russian and some Western European art and a room of top-class modern Kazakh handicrafts, with…

  • Kazakh Museum of Folk Musical Instruments

    Kazakh Museum of Folk Musical Instruments

    Almaty

    In a striking 1908 wooden building (designed by cathedral architect Zenkov) at the east end of Panfilov Park, the city’s most original museum is a must…

  • Panfilov Park

    Panfilov Park

    Almaty

    This large and attractive rectangle of greenery is one of central Almaty's most popular strolling and hangout places for all ages. At its heart stands the…

  • Zenkov Cathedral

    Zenkov Cathedral

    Almaty

    Candy-coloured Zenkov Cathedral is Kazakhstan's nearest (albeit distant) relative to St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow and one of Almaty’s few surviving…

  • Respublika Alany

    Respublika Alany

    Almaty

    This broad, Soviet-created ceremonial square provides a panoramic view of the snowcapped mountains on a clear morning and is surrounded by several…

  • Green Market

    Green Market

    Almaty

    This large, two-level market has a true flavour of Central Asia, and is worth putting on your itinerary even if you're not really food shopping. It's been…

View more attractions

Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

A perfect start to your Central Asian adventure, Almaty, Kazakhstan has something for every traveler! Here's our round-up of things to do in this vibrant city.

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Day Trips

Explore beyond Almaty with these top day trips into the wilderness of the Tian Shan mountains.

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