Almaty landscapes: mountains close, steppe nearby

The mountains are close, and it's true. There is no more “mountainous” metropolis in the world in which you can reach the real mountains in less than 15 minutes. For example, from one of Almaty's central hotels, the Hotel Kazakhstan, you can reach Mount Kok-Tobe, which towers above the city, topped by a television tower, in 5 to 6 minutes by cable car. The unique 1727-meter-long cable car was built back in 1967 and was reconstructed in 2016. It takes no more than 20 minutes by public transport from the city center to reach the world-famous Medeo high-altitude ice rink.

The mountains of Almaty are the northernmost Tien Shan, the variegated Zailiyskiy Alatau. The word “Alatau” itself translates as “motley mountains”. They get their name from the abundance of the most diverse vegetation. In the Zailiisky Alatau mountains, one can find coniferous forests of the famous blue Tien Shan firs, birch and maple groves, mixed forests, and mountain zhailau meadows, which are not inferior in beauty to the famous Alpine meadows. Just above the forests are real glaciers, whose meltwater gives life to Almaty's rivers: the Big and Small Almaty Rivers and the Esentai River. By the way, Almaty's water supply system also receives glacier water.

However, Almaty is not just mountains. Just drive the other way, to the north, and after half an hour you find yourself in the real Kazakh steppe, with low, gentle hills covered in feather grass or poppies in bloom. A little further on you can find a real semi-desert. And all this variety of natural landscapes can be covered in one day.

The special geographical location provides ample opportunities for all kinds of tourism. Fans of extreme sports will discover mountain climbing, one-day and multi-day hikes in the mountains of the Zailiyskiy Alatau. Lovers of winter recreation will find ski resorts and recreation centers, including the famous Shymbulak resort with its unique slopes for mountain skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts. Those who are not keen on extreme sports also have plenty to do: various ethnic festivals, automobile, walking, and horseback riding tours to historical places and natural gems of Zailiyskiy Alatau, tours along the Great Silk Road will not leave anyone indifferent.

Cultural life in the southern capital

Almaty is a multicultural city. Historically, people of many different nationalities have flocked to Semirechye, particularly Almaty. There are five national theatres in Almaty alone: Kazakh, Russian, and German drama theatres, Uighur, and Korean theatres of musical comedy. This is not counting the State Opera and Ballet Theatre, the Russian and Kazakh theatres for young spectators, the Puppet Theatre, and many modern theatres and theatrical associations.

In addition to classical art, Almaty has many contemporary art venues. Every summer, the ArtBatFest international festival of contemporary art is held here, bringing together talented artists, performers, and artists not only from Kazakhstan and neighboring countries but also from Eastern and Western Europe. However, in other seasons Almaty's art scene is rich with events also, so there is plenty to see for art lovers. There is a lot of street art going on: there are many buildings in the city center and on the outskirts, which have been decorated by masters of modern mural painting.

Gastronomic tourism 

A special place in Almaty is occupied by gastronomic tourism: in multinational and multicultural Almaty, the culinary traditions of many nations are closely intertwined. Here you can taste national Kazakh cuisine, as well as Uigur, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Uzbek, Russian, Dungan, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Armenian, and Georgian cuisines and get completely new gastronomic insights. The intertwining and interpenetration of cultures result in dishes that are quite unique and you won't taste them anywhere else.  

Almaty - the capital of youth and nightlife

Almaty ranks first in Kazakhstan and throughout Central Asia for the number of higher and secondary educational institutions. There are 48 higher educational institutions and 105 colleges and lyceums that train specialists for all sectors of the economy. Every third Kazakh student today studies in Almaty.

Naturally, such a youthful city has plenty of places geared towards the right audience. There are more than 30 nightclubs, dozens of restaurants, hundreds of cafés, bars, and other eating and drinking establishments where both local performers and foreign stars perform every day. Their number is growing day by day. Spending time in such places is considered one of the most popular forms of leisure among Almaty citizens.

Shopping in Almaty

Naturally, like any megalopolis, Almaty is the capital of shopping, with huge malls, shopping and entertainment centers, and pavilions. There are stores for every taste and wallet: from boutiques of high European fashion to big chain stores. The choice is at the level of the largest metropolitan areas of the CIS and Europe, but the prices for the same brands are much lower. If you happen to run out of Kazakhstani Tenge while shopping, currency exchange offices and banks are here to help. You can read more about Kazakhstani tenge, prices, and exchange to foreign currencies here.

In addition to shopping centers, tourists may be interested in Almaty markets - a mixture of Eastern exoticism and modern realities. In the markets, you can buy everything from antiques to everyday goods, from food to clothes and shoes.

Almaty sights

Many books, articles, and stories have been written about the sights of Almaty. Nevertheless, it is better to see for yourself once and have an unforgettable experience than to read a hundred times.

List of the main attractions of the city of Almaty:

•  Zailiisky Alatau Range
•  Big Almaty Lake (BAO in Russian)
• Medeo natural boundary
• Shymbulak ski resort
• Butakovsky waterfall
• Kok-Zhailau mountain plateau
• Park named after. 28 Panfilov Guardsmen Park
• Ascension Cathedral
• Panfilov and Zhibek Zholy Pedestrian Streets
• Almaty City Terrenkur
• "Sunkar" Family Recreation Center and Bird Center
• Central Park of Culture and Recreation
• Almaty Zoo
• Baum Grove
• Botanic garden
• Almaty Aport
• Almaty Metro
• "Green Bazaar" market
• Central Stadium and Sports Center
• Golden Square - Historical Center of the City
• Abay Square
• "Astana" Square
• New Square and Independence Monument

Circus and theaters in Almaty

• State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after Abai (GATOB)
• Lermontov State Academic Russian Drama Theater
• Kazakh State Academic Drama Theater named after Mukhtar Auezov 
• Kazakh State Circus

Almaty museums

• Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Almaty Museum
• Museum of folk musical instruments n.a. Ykylas
• Kasteev State Art Museum
• Museum of Kazakh Academic Drama Theater
• Republican Museum of Sports and Olympic Glory
• Scientific and Cultural Center House of M.O.Auezov
• D.A. Kunayev Museum
• House-museum n. a. Ahmet Baitursynov
• House-museum n. a. Abylkhan Kasteev
• Literary and Memorial Museum Complex of S. Mukanov and G. Musrepov
• Nurgisa Tlendieva Memorial Museum
• Central Museum of Railway Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Museum of the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Military-Historical Museum of Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Geological Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Museum of Archeology (in the building of the Academy of Sciences)
• Museum of Nature (on the building of Academy of Sciences)
• Academician K.I. Satpayev Memorial Museum (on the building of Academy of Sciences)
• Museum of Rare Books (Academy of Sciences Building)
• Museum of the History of Kazakhstan Science (Academy of Sciences building)

Almaty region sights

In addition to those places that are in the city, in the vicinity of the Almaty region is a huge selection of historical, cultural, and natural sites for all tastes. Some of them must be seen by every tourist:
 "Charyn" National Nature Park

• "Altyn Emel" National Nature Park
• "Kolsay Lakes" National Nature Park
• Petroglyphs of Tanbaly (Tamgaly) (UNESCO)
• Tamgaly Tas on the Ili River
• Hot springs in Chunga
• Lake Issyk
• Turgen Gorge
• Lake Tuzkol
• Khan-Tengry Peak
• Dzungarian Alatau
• Taban Karagai Plateau