Almaty is the city full of nice and old buildings, parks, attractions, and like-minded people. It’s easy to be lost in such a big city, that’s why WE decided to make a little city travel guide to easy your visiting, or make you want to visit Almaty.
You have to notice one of the main features of Almaty. Citizens and guests divide it to “up” and “down”. If it will be harder for you to walk, it means you are moving towards the mountains.
ALMATY TRANSPORT
Source: sprmax.kz
There is no one city center in Almaty, and it isn’t right to say that an exact district is the city center. However, people visiting the city for the first time, go to the “square”. It is a real square which includes such streets as Furmanov-Tole bi-Seifullin-Satpayev. It will take about 28 minutes. You can go by a taxi, but it will be better and cheaper if you call it. Never use the taxi services near the airport, if you don’t want to overpay for 1000 or even 2000 KZT. Use can download apps as Uber or Indriver.
Also you can use busses №3, 79, 86, and it takes about an hour to arrive to the “square”.
You can use metro, which has been working since 2011 and has 9 stations. It starts from Furmanov street (the first station is Raiymbek batyr) to Abay avenue (the last station is “Moskva”).
ACCOMODATION
Source: SkyView.kz
Hotels:
“Kazakhstan Hotel” (4 stars)
The hotel offers stylish rooms with great views, free Wi-Fi, a 24-hour restaurant serving European, Turkish cuisine. But also guests can enjoy regional and international food in the classical-style Kazakhstan restaurant.
Price:
economy family room (2 adults and 1 children) — from 24 000 KZT
standard double room — from 31 000 KZT
king suite — from 56 000 KZT
Address: 52/2, Dostyk ave.
Contacts: 8 7272 919 600, 8 7272 919 101
“Almaty Hotel” (3 stars)
The hotel is located in the heart of Almaty city, and has a restaurant, sauna and massage service. It features a 24-hour reception and free Wi-Fi. Guests can enjoy European, Italian and Japanese cuisines in the hotel restaurants.
Price:
standard single room — from 15 000 KZT
comfort suite — from 25 000 KZT
double room — from 16 000 KZT
superior standard — from 20 000 KZT
premium suite — from 25 000 KZT
Address: 85, Kabanbay batyr.
Contacts: 8 7272 720 070
Hostels:
“Hostel Nomad GH”
Hostel “Nomads GH” is located in Almaty, within a 2-minute walk of the pedestrian Zhibek Zholy avenue. Free Wi-Fi and free private parking are provided. Almaty Train Station is within a 10-minute walk, and Almaty International Airport is within a 25-minute drive.
You can use bus №79 from the airport.
Price:
bed in 6, 8, 10-bed dormitory room — from 2000 KZT
Address: 38/61, Tulebayev st.
Contacts: 8 7272 733 094
“Hello Hostel”
“Hello Hostel” is located in the center of Almaty, just a minute's walk from Kazakh Medical University. Guests can cook their meals in the shared fully equipped kitchen, complete with a dining area. At Hello Hostel you will find a 24-hour front desk, a bar and a snack bar.
You can use bus №92.
Price:
bed in 16-bed dormitory room — 1900 KZT
bed in 12-bed dormitory room — 2200 KZT
Address: 85, Maulenov st.
Contacts: 8 7272 724 743, 8 705 553 47 58
FOOD
Source: foodnetwork.sndimg.com
You have to visit the following restaurants and cafes and try traditional Kazakh cuisine.
“RUMI” Pilaf Center
Address: 63, Dostyk ave., cross of Shevchenko st.
Working hours: 12:00 — 03:00, every day
Average check: 2000KZT
Contacts: 8 7272 938 862, 8 701 808 01 11
“Alasha” Restaurant
Address: 20, Ospanov st., cross of Dostyk ave.
Working hours: 12:00 — 00:00, every day
Average check: 10 000 KZT
Contacts: 8 7272 540 700
“Madeni” Café
Address: 44, Abay ave., cross of Baitursinov st.
Working hours: 08:00 — 01:00, every day
Average check: 1000 — 1500 KZT
Contacts: 8 775 921 27 44, 8 701 808 01 11
“Basilik” Café
Address: 127, Shevchenko st.
Working hours: 24/7
Average check: 1700 KZT
Contacts: 8 7273 787878, 8 747 787 87 83
Almaty is well-known for its nice shashliks, and no one would come to one agreement about the best shashlik in the whole town, but we invite you to visit kebab house “Na Kirova”.
“Na Kirova” kebab house
Address: 72,Bogenbay batyrst.,cross of Karmisov st.
Working hours: 10:00 — 00:00, every day
Average check: 1000 KZT
Contacts: 8 747 754 54 81, 8 705 161 61 54
One of the first things you have to do in Almaty is to try homemade food in “Gorniy Gigant” micro district. It’s located up to Al-Farabi street. “Gorniy Gigant” is a private housing with small cafes almost in every house and you can try savory homemade food for only 600 KZT.
Almost every Almaty citizen advises you to drink one of the most delicious coffee — “Double a coffee”, which is located in the underground walkway on Abay streets.
“Double a coffee” takeaway-coffeehouse
Address: Abay ave., cross of Dostyk st., underground walkway/ Gogol st., cross of Panfilov st., on “Zhibek Zholy” metro station/ 65, Tole bi st., cross of Mira-Zheltoksan, entrance from Tole bi st.
Working hours: MO-FR 08:00 — 20:00, SA-SU 09:00 — 07:00/ MO-FR 08:00 — 20:00, SA 09:00 — 20:00, SU 10:00 — 19:00/ MO-FR 08:00 — 00:00, SA-SU 09:00 — 00:00
Average check: 600-700 KZT
Contacts: 8 705 176 82 44
ENTERTAINMENT
Source: SkyView.kz
Classic places to see in Almaty are the famous ice skating rink “Medeu”, a mountain “Kok-Tobe”, ski resort “Shymbulak”.
“Medeu” ice skating rink
There are two season in ice skating rink “Medeu”— summer (April —September) and winter (October—April). You can rollerblade on summer.
Address: 465, Gornaya st.
Working hours: winter —MO — day off, TU-SU daytime session 10:00 — 16:00, evening session 18:00 — 23:00, every day/ summer — 10:00—20:00, every day
Price: adult — 1800 KZT, youngsters (13-23 y.o.) — 800 KZT, child (7-12 y.o.) — 400 KZT, children under 7 years old — free/ on summer the entrance is free
Skates rental (2 hours) — adult — 1000 KZT, children (up to the 33rd size) — 500 KZT
Bus: 12
Contacts: 8 7272 326 848
“Kok-Tobe” mountain
Kok-Tobe is the highest point of the city of Almaty at 1100 meters and the mast itself is 350 meters tall. There is a recreational area that has a variety of amusement park type attractions and restaurants. It is connected to downtown Almaty by a cable car line. The starting point is the station located on Dostyk avenue, near “Kazakhstan” Hotel. The upper station is located in “Kok-Tobe Park”. Also, there is a 372 meters tall TV Tower at the foot of the mountain.
Amusement rides: from 700 KZT
Cable way: one way ticket — 1000 KZT, children under 5 years old — free
Working hours (cable way): MO-TH 10:00 — 00:00, TU 11:00 — 00:00, FR-SU 10:00 — 01:00
Address: 41, Omarov st.
Working hours: MO-FR 10:00 — 00:00, SA-SU 10:00 — 01:00
Bus: 99
Contacts: 8 7273 937 003
Information is given on koktobe.com
“Shymbulak” ski resort
Address: 640 B, Gornaya st.
Contacts: 8 7273 308 500, 8 7273 317 777
If you are going by car, you have to ride 13 km on the South by Dostyk avenue from Al-Farabi street, and then 9 km from Medeu right to Shymbulak. You have to pay only for the road and equipment, if it necessary.
Note that there are two cable ways, which are called Kombi1 and Kombi2. Kombi 1 is the last station of the first cable way. It’s the tallest part of the cable way on Shymbulak. “Kombi2” is the second cable way, which goes to the pass “Bol’shoi Talgarskiy”.
You can go there on gondola Medeu-Shymbulak using eco-bus or eco-taxi.
Gondola “Medeu-Shymbulak”
Working hours: MO-FR 10:00 — 18:00, SA-SU 10:00 — 20:00/
Price: there and back — 2500 KZT, youngsters and kids to 10 y.o. — 1500 KZT
one way — 1500 KZT, youngsters and kids to 10 y.o. — 1000 KZT
Gondola Medeu-Shymbulak+Kombi 1+Kombi 2
Working hours: Kombi1—MO-FR 10:00 — 17:00, SA-SU 10:00 — 18:00, Kombi2 —MO-FR 10:30—16:30, SA-SU 10:30 — 17:30
Price: 3500 KZT, youngsters and kids to 10 y.o. — 2000 KZT
Kombi1+Kombi2
Price: 2500 KZT, youngsters and kids to 10 y.o. — 1500 KZT
Eco-bus
Working hours: 09:00 — 20:00, with 30 min interval
Price: one way — 200 KZT
Eco-taxi “Tau Line”
Working hours: 08:00 — 20:00, 20:00 — 08:00
Price: one way — 1400 KZT
Contacts: 8 7272 777 733, 8 747 377 77 73
Eco-taxi “Green Ride”
Working hours: all day
Price: one way — 3000 KZT
Contacts: 8 7272 223 311
You have to visit the greatest park of Kazakhstan — “The First President’s Park”. It has a spectacular mountain backdrop, and located on the cross of Al-Farabi-Dulati avenues. You can go there on buses№27, №28, №32, №63, №67, №86, №93, №98, №121, №125, №135, №136.
Almaty is also known as a city with the great number of fountains. There are more than 120 fountains. The 25th of May has been celebrating as the Fountains Day since 2005. We advise you to see the fountain which is called “Nedel’ka”, or “The Week”, which is devoted to every day of the weekend located on Kabanbay batyr street.
