What to Do and What to See in Almaty, Kazakhstan? :: Travel Blog

What to Do and What to See in Almaty, Kazakhstan?

Almaty is a former capital and the largest city of Kazakhstan and it's definitely a spectacular place to visit. If you want to know what to visit and see here, learn my travel article.

Few words about the city of Almaty

Kazakhstan was founded in the Bronze Age, but the Almaty city was first mentioned in the 13th century, while it was one of the stations in the Silk Route. But if you will decide to visit the city, you will see that there are not many remains from the past.

Zenkov Cathedral in Almaty, Kazakhstan

An almost whole city is an example of Soviet architecture, so it's all grey, but if you like Socialist climate, you won't be disappointed. You can find here a lot of block buildings as well as beautiful wooden houses. For me, that kind of mix had its own climate.

So, what's really interesting in the Almaty city of Kazakhstan? Let's find out!

Zenkov Cathedral

Full name is Zenkov Cathedral of Holy Ascension in Almaty and it's located at Panfilov Park. You will easily recognize it, as it's a beautiful and full of colors Orthodox Church built in 1904.

Central Mosque of Almaty in Kazakhstan

It's not only nice outside, so make sure to get inside and see some of its frescoes. The entrance is free. While being here you can also wander a bit in the Panfilov Park.

Central Mosque

Central Mosque is one of the largest mosques in whole Kazakhstan. It's designed for more than 7000 people and it was built in 1999 on the place where the old mosque was burned in 1987.

It can be visited every day except for Fridays and the entrance is free. Warning: women must cover their heads, hair, arms, and legs to be able to get inside.

 

Almaty lake in Kazakhstan

Almaty Lake (called also Ozero Bolshoe Almatinskoe)

This beautiful lake is placed just 30 minutes (about 15 kilometers) by car south of Almaty city. It's the natural alpine reservoir located in the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains at the height of 2511 meters above sea level. If you want, there are a lot of hiking opportunities here. Almaty Lake has a beautiful green and turquoise color of water and there is also a forest, so it's an awesome place to get some fresh air.

To get here, you can get a bus number 28, which goes from the Navoi up Dulati street or from the roundabout at Al-Farabi. From here, you can get to the Almaty Lake by taxi, but you can also get here by private vehicle, which will be probably cheaper. If you going here by your own car, you will have to pay a parking fee (as far as I remember it was a 200 KZT).

Kok-Tobe hill and tower in Almaty, Kazakhstan

Kok-Tobe Hill and Tower

This is the place for all fans of beautiful city panoramas. The top of the tower placed on the hill is at 1100 meters above the sea, so as you can imagine you can see whole Almaty city. You can find here a restaurant, souvenir shops or even the Beatles statue.

If you want to get here, take one of the buses number 95 or 99 or use a cable car from Dostyk and Abay Aves. The cable car (about 2000KZT) is much more expensive than the bus (about 600KZT).

Zhybek-Zholy (Silk Road) Pedestrian Street

Zhybek-Zholy Pedestrian, called also a Silk Road, is the main tourist street in Almaty. If you want to try local cuisine, buy some goods from the street sellers or hear some musicians, this is the best place for that. The big advantage of that street is that there are no cars allowed here.

Conclusion

Almaty is a very nice and a bit exotic city. Kazakhstan has a lot of profits from selling the oil and it is visible when you wondering through the city streets. I hope this article helped you discover what to do and see in this beautiful Kazakhstan city. If you have some questions or just want to say something about Almaty, leave me a message in the comment section below.

Wojciech Kuźma

Hey there! My name is Wojtek and I am very happy that you came to my travel blog. I've been traveling the world for a few good years now and I still want more.

On my website I describe the adventures that have happened to me, you will also find here a collection of valuable tips for tourists and travelers. If you liked this article, be sure to leave a comment and read some more!


4.86 | 7 votes
Comments: 10
  •   13th November 2017, 15:39

    Kazakhstan and Almaty city is an awesome place with a lot of things to see and to. Thanks for this travel guide, really nice blog!

    •   28th September 2018, 11:47

      You are right Kazak, in Almaty, there is always something new to do, and this travel guide Ive tried to show the best tourist attractions and interesting places in Kazakhstan :-)

  •   17th February 2018, 15:18

    Howdy! Im at work browsing your blog from my new iphone! Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts! Keep up the superb work!

    •   28th September 2018, 11:48

      Thanks mate, I hope you also enjoyed my Almaty travel guide :-)

  •   24th July 2018, 11:11

    A very interesting tourist guide, as well as interesting places and tourist attractions in the city of Almaty. There is and what to see and what to see. I really liked my own trip to Kazakhstan, three years ago! This text was translated automatically. Original text is below: Bardzo ciekawy poradnik turystyczny, jak też ciekawe miejsca i atrakcje turystyczne w mieście Ałmaty. Jest i co zobaczyć, i co zwiedzyć. Bardzo mi się podobała moja własna podróż do Kazachstanu, trzy lata temu!

    •   28th September 2018, 11:45

      This text was translated automatically. Original text is below: Dzięki za kilka miłych słów. Rzeczywiście Almaty w Kazachstanie to świetne miasto, warto tu zobaczyć mnóstwo atrakcji turystycznych,

  •   28th September 2018, 11:46

    In Almaty, Kazakhstan, it is worth seeing mainly the city itself and the life of local people, so different from ours :) This text was translated automatically. Original text is below: W Ałmaty w Kazachstanie warto zobaczyć głównie samo miasto i życie tutejszych ludzi, tak rózniące się od naszego :)

  •   31th December 2019, 09:48

    This text was translated automatically. Original text is below: Ja tu bede przez pol roku. Moze jakis przewodnik po knajpkach i okolicach Almaty?

  •   17th February 2020, 20:50

    Entry requirements section - updated information and advice to reflect changes in immigration rules for visas, registration, passport validity and use of UK Emergency Travel Documents; Safety and security section (Air travel) - addition of information on suspension of Bek Air flights by the Kazakhstan civil aviation authority Most visits to Kazakhstan are trouble-free, but crime against foreigners does sometimes occur. See Crime

  •   10th June 2020, 12:26

    This text was translated automatically. Original text is below: wybieram sie w tamte rejony.jestem fanatykiem gor.licze na cudowne plenery wysokie szczyty. tylko czy tam dotre... wylot mam ze stolicy 9-ego sierpnia br. a wracam 31 -ego sierpnia.

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