18 Amazing Things To Do In Amazing Almaty

Learn the best things to see and do in Almaty, Kazakhstan. From admiring its breathtaking snow-capped mountains, to visiting stunning, and unique, alpine lakes, lovely parks, and old Russian cathedrals, learning the history of its old frontiersman towns, and much more, the cosmopolitan and surprisingly European-like city of Almaty offers many things to see and do.

Almaty is the former capital, and most populated city of Kazakhstan. It in itself offers a lot, while also making an excellent base for day trips to explore the amazing natural beauty of Kazakhstan.

The name Almaty comes from the Kazakh name “Alma-Ata”, which means father of apples. Biologists have traced the genome of all current apples to the trees growing wild here. This means that all apple trees, around the world, originated here. Crazy, huh?

The apple theme is everywhere. In fact, Kazakhstan was celebrating its Independence Day when I visited. To celebrate, they were handing apples out in the street. I thought this was pretty cool!

About Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan, formerly part of the Mongolian empire (after being conquered by Genghis Khan), became part of the Soviet Union in 1936. Russian was made the official language and over 400,000 Russians emigrated here.

When the Soviet Union disbanded in the 20th century, Kazakhstan regained its independence and became a democracy. Today, the majority of the population is Kazakh (Russian is the minority).

Almaty is the former capital, located in southeastern Kyrgyzstan, where the dramatic snow-capped Tian Shan mountains, many stunning alpine lakes, and a canyon that looks like a mini Grand Canyon, all effortlessly beg for exploration. The new capital, as of 1997, is Nur-Sultan, located in northern central Kazakhstan.

Best Things To Do In Almaty

Ride The Gondola to Kök Töbe: The Best View In Almaty

Kök Töbe, a mountain in Almaty, popular with both locals and tourists, offers a stunning panoramic view of the Tian Shan mountains and has an entertainment center at its top. The name, Kök Töbe, means “green peak” in Kazakh.

The mountain is 3,600’ (1,100 m) above sea level, showcasing stellar views. The scenic cable car ride to the top is 2,000 tenge (round trip), which is under $5 (as of August 2023). There is also a bus option for about half this cost. The cable car runs at night as well, so you can check out the view of the city during the day, and its twinkling lights at night.

The entertainment aspect of Kök Töbe is honestly a bit touristic, with amusement park rides, including a ferris wheel and a roller coaster, an upside down house, karaoke, games, souvenirs, restaurants, and even a small petting zoo, but it still makes a fun afternoon or evening. This is also a popular place for selfies, with the city as a backdrop, especially at the “I Love Kök Töbe sign”.

The cable car starts at the station on Dostyk avenue, near Kazakhstan Hotel. Note that, like many touristy places, the restaurants prices are higher here than other restaurants in Almaty (and not really better), It’s all about the location here, not the food.

Visit Zenkov: A Russian Orthodox Cathedral

This colorful cathedral, located in Panfilov Park, was built of wood in 1907 using ancient techniques and almost no nails. Believe it or not, this is the 20th tallest building in the world constructed of wood.

Despite this, it survived an earthquake in 1910, that other buildings in the area did not. 

In 1927 this building was ordered closed under Soviet rule, where it was used for non-religious purposes as the Central Museum of Kazakhstan. It was restored in 1995 and now holds orthodox services again.

Walk The Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen

Panfilov Park, named after the 28 infantry men that lost their lives defending Moscow from German invasion in WWII, is one of the oldest parks in Almaty. This is a beautiful place for a walk.

You can also take a horse and carriage ride in the gorgeous get-up below. This park would be really spectacular in the fall when the leaves turn gold. They were just beginning to turn when I was here.

An eternal flame burns here by the war memorial as a reminder of all that lost their lives in the fight for freedom.

Visit Kazakh Museum of Folk Instruments

Also located in Panfilov park, near its eastern side, is the Kazakh Museum of Folk Musical Instruments. There are more than 1,000 instruments in this quirky museum. It is named after Ykylas, a well-known musician in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Explore The Green Bazaar

If you plan to do any trekking here, buy some to take on your hike with you.

This visit is an easy, laid back item on your list of things to do in Almaty, but don’t forget to bargain. The Green Bazaar is located about a 5-minute walk north of the war memorial in Panfilov Park.

Experience A Banya

Wellness spas are a big thing here. Arasan Baths is one of the more popular spas in the city center and has been around for many decades. You can come here for bathing, swimming, massages, and a variety of other treatments. There’s even a option for a Finnish, Russian, or Turkish sauna.

I’ve heard the treatments can be quite vigorous, so don’t expect a gentle massage. In fact, at first I thought the herbal bouquets above were just for fragrance, but I learned they swat you with them as a form of massage. And I’m pretty sure I saw a malicious twinkle in their eyes when they explained this.

There are mixed reviews on the treatments here. People either love or hate them. Make sure to read some reviews to get an idea what to expect.

Visit First President’s Park

First President’s Park, built in honor of Kazakhstan’s first President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, opened in 2011. It’s a lovely, formal park with great views of the nearby mountains. There’s also a musical fountain, an observation deck to admire the mountains, a Japanese garden, and a coffee shop for refreshments.

This park is about 6 miles (9 km) southeast of the Almaty city center. To get here, take a taxi, or bus 34. This is also a great place to catch a taxi to head up to Big Almaty Lake (below).

This post may use affiliate links. This means I may make a small commission if you choose to make a booking or purchase through one of these links. This is at no additional cost to you. If you find my content helpful, please consider booking through me as it is completely win win!

See Big Almaty Lake

Big Almaty Lake, an alpine reservoir, up over 8,200’ (2511 m) above sea level, is a must-see in Almaty. It’s one of 3 must-see alpine lakes in the Tian Shan mountain area. Unfortunately, the road up to Big Almaty Lake is closed for at least another year, so the only way up is a long hike.

Looking even more poignant in the fall, when glacial sediment turns the color of the lake a brilliant turquoise, its picture-perfect image is completed by snow-capped mountains. Even the drive up the mountain is stunning.

This reservoir was created about 2,000 years ago when an earthquake created a landslide that blocked the gorge, creating a lake. The water is so pure, it’s pumped down to the city for drinking water! This also means there’s no swimming in this lake.

See my post on Big Almaty Lake for more information and the best way to get there.

I recommend stopping at the tourist information center in Almaty before finalizing plans as the main road here is still reported as being closed. You can also take a tour. I recommend this one: Private Tour To Big Almaty Lake.

As the situation changes daily/weekly, I recommend called the number listed on the page of this tour before booking anything or visiting the tourist center noted above. Big Almaty Lake: A Natural Gem for Tourists: Small group day tour is another option.

Explore Ile-Alatau National Park

In addition to being the home of Big Almaty Lake, you can also trek in Ile-Alatau National Park. Located on the northern slope of the Zailiysky Alastair range, it covers 772 miles² (2,000 km²) of stunning terrain.

You can find easy trails, and trails that last for days. Please do this with a professional guide, however, as permits may be required and there are also bears, snow leopards, and other wild animals in this park.

Turgen Gorge is a well-known trail here, with alpine meadows, forests, views of mountain peaks and several waterfalls. I did not do this, but it looks stunning. For more information and an organized trek here, visit Trekking-Club.com. Or ask at the tourist information center in Almaty.

Visit An Old Cossack Village

The Cossacks were Russian frontiersmen, semi-independent military men sent to expand Russian territory here in the 16th-18th centuries.

I visited the old Cossack town of Malaya Stanitsa on a walking tour and was fascinated by its architecture and history.

The old wooden homes are colorful and charming. Many are log cabins hidden under a smooth finish. You can tell by looking at the corners. The place where the logs overlap outside are covered, so they just look like traditional homes (below right). The old windows are double paned for warmth in winter.

Not efficient by today’s standards, they will probably be torn down one day. It’s sad as they’re a beautiful and unique part of history here.

The brown building (below left) is an old banya, or sauna, once used as a backyard bathhouse. Another historical relic.

Our Lady Of Kazhan

The church below, an old Cossack Russian Orthodox Church, is still in use. It’s Our Lady of Kazhan, built in the 1890s. It sits in the center of the old town, a place that also denotes it’s importance.

Dennis Keen, our tour guide, is a US citizen who met his wife in Kazakhstan. He now lives in Kazakhstan and offers several other interesting walking tours, called Walking Almaty. Look for the Malaya Stanitsa tour.

Although this is not typical on lists of the top things to do in Almaty, the history is unique, so I definitely recommend this.

Take A Trip To Beautiful Alpine Kolsay Lakes

The Kolsay Lakes, also called the blue necklace, or “Pearls of the Tian Shan”, in Kolsay Lakes National Park, are stunning. You’ll also see it spelled Kolsai Lakes National Park.

The stunning lower lake (below) is at an altitude of 5,900’ (1,800 m). This area is popular for boating, swimming, trekking, horseback riding, picnicking, and just admiring the view.

You can also hike 6.25 miles (10 km) to the middle lake, which is at an elevation of 7,380’ (2,250 m). Due to the elevation, there are fewer people up there, but it’s definitely worth the hike as it’s the more beautiful of the two (below right).

If you prefer to ride up on an horse you can do that too. Honestly, the path is steep, often full of twisted tree roots, and sometimes muddy, which actually seemed frightening to do via horseback.

There’s a third lake too, but it’s too close to the the border, so generally off limits.

This park is about 3.5 hours southeast of Almaty and it’s not easy to get to these lakes. See my my post on Visiting Kolsay And Kaindy Lakes for more details.

I hiked around the lower lake and up to the middle lake before stopping for a super yummy barbecue the rest area below. You can also explore the yurts, or stay overnight in one, which are still used today by nomads.

Visit Kaindy Lake With Its Sunken Forest

Also in Kolsay Lakes National Park, but more remote, is Kaindy Lake, another gem of Kazakhstan and one of the top day trips from Almaty. It’s unique as a sunken forest 6,600’ (2,000 m) above sea level.

The lake was created by a landslide of limestone, triggered by an earthquake in 1911. The Tian Shan furs, which were trapped in the water, are dried out and preserved due to the extremely cold water (never less than 42 F (6 C).

The limestone content gives this lake its unique blue-green color. When I was here, the lake became a brilliant green as the afternoon sun hit.

There are no paved roads to Kaindy Lake. It requires a 4 x 4 vehicle, or old Soviet mini buses like we used, to scramble over rocky mountain passes. This is fun, but not if you get motion sickness easily. Read more about this adventure in my post on Kolsay and Kaindy Lakes.

Tours to The Kolsay Lakes And Kaindy Lake

This post may use affiliate links. This means I may make a small commission if you choose to make a booking or purchase through one of these links. This is at no additional cost to you. If you find my content helpful, please consider booking through me as it is completely win win!

The easiest way to get to a Kolsay Lakes National Park is to take a tour. There are two options here. You can either day a day tour, which is pretty tight and doesn’t leave much time to explore the sites, or you can stay overnight in the area and enjoy both the lakes and Charyn Canoyn more fully (which I recommend).

If you’re really set on the day trip, I recommend this tour: Kolsai Kaindy Lakes and Charyn Canyon small-group tour. It stops at the Black Canyon part of Charyn Canyon first, then spends an hour and a half at Kaindy Lake, an hour at the lower Kolsay Lake and another short stop at a different part of Charyn Canyon on the way back.

The other tour, Kolsai Kaindy Lakes with Charyn Canyon 2-day small-group tour, provides more time plus an overnight stay.

Stop In Charyn Canyon National Park

This canyon, considered a mini Grand Canyon, is in Charyn National Park. It spans over 30 miles (50 km) with unique areas based on different rock formations. One of the most visited parts of this canyon is the Valley of Castles, but there’s so much more.

I visited the Black Canyon as part of a stop on the tour to Kolsay and Kaindy Lakes, however I would have loved to have seen more. Like the lakes, it’s about a 3.5 hour drive from Almaty, so best to combine the three into a multi-days adventure.

If you want to visit Charyn Canyon as a separate tour, I recommend this one: Charyn Canyon A place where time stood still.

See The Sand Dunes of Altyn-Emel National Park

Another great adventure here is exploring the sand dunes of Altyn-Emil Park. They’re known as the ‘singing dunes’ as they make musical sounds in the wind.

This park, which covers 4,600 miles² of mostly desert and rocky terrain, is about a 3 hour drive northeast of Almaty.

To see the singing dunes via tour, I recommend this one: Altyn Emel. Singing dune. 1 day tour.

See Street Art

Make time to notice the street art in Almaty. This one below was my favorite. It’s pertinent to the culture of Kazakhstan as it’s a snow leopard. Although Kazakhstan’s national animal is the golden eagle, from the famous Kazakh nomads that hunt with eagles, the snow leopard is the official country symbol.

The Tian Shan mountains and other alpine areas are a habitat for them. The snow leopard was made the official symbol to help preserve and protect this rare animal.

Visit The Medeu Ice Arena

Medeu is the world’s highest ice area. This outdoor arena, which is open year round, is located about a 25-minute drive southeast of the Kok Tobe Gondola area. Built during the Soviet era, it was once one of the top speed skating venues, with around 120 world records set here. It has recently been renovated and makes a fun day away from the city. To get here, take bus number 12.

In additional to ice skating, there are a number if trails going up to the Tian Shan Mountains here.

After skating, you can take a gondola to Shymbulak Ski Resort (below).

Ski, Or Hike, At Shymbulak (Chimbulak) Ski Resort

Shymbulak, discovered by amateur skiers in the 40’s, became one of the Soviet Union’s first downhill ski areas. Today, this is the biggest ski resort in Central Asia with over 12 miles (20 km) of slopes.

You can come here to ski in winter, or trek the rest of the year.

Where To Stay In Almaty

Shoestring

Art Hostel is a 6-bedroom very basic mixed dorm, but located within walking distance of some of the main sites here, including the tourist center noted above. This is where I stayed and for the price, I enjoyed it, liked the people, and felt safe. 

Budget

Apartment on Abylai Khan is also centrally located. It’s near the Zhibek Zholy metro station, and within walking distance to Zankov’s Cathedral. This budget accommodation gets very high reviews.

The Soviet Union Apartment in the Heart of the Old City is also centrally located and gets good reviews in addition to being a little historic. It’s located near the Almaly metro station. 

Moderate

If you want something more grand, but want to avoid the international chain hotels here, try the Kazakhstan Hotel (I always try to choose local over big chains). This historic Soviet era hotel, located by Kök Töbe Gondola, is a 4-star hotel. Reviewers note it’s a little dated, but renovation seems to be going on. It’s known for its views of the Zailiyskiy Alatau snow peaks.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there is no shortage of amazing things to do in Almaty. This destination may not be high on many travelers lists, but that’s part of what makes Kazakhstan so special.

After visiting 60 countries, seeing the less touristy ones have become a major joy to me. And not being overrun by tourists, the locals here still love meeting them, so not only is the country beautiful, but so are the people in it!

To learn more about Kazakhstan, see my detailed posts on getting to Big Almaty Lake and visiting Kolsay and Kaindy Lakes.

To see more detail on planning an independent trip to Kazakhstan, including how to get around, money matters, safety, scams, and more, see my Kazakhstan Travel Guide.

Safe Travels!

Julie