City: Almaty
Top Things to do in Almaty
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10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Almaty That You Shouldn't Miss
Almaty /ˈælməti/ (Kazakh: Алматы, Almaty [ɑlmɑˈtə]; Russian: Алматы), formerly known as Alma-Ata /ˌælmə.əˈtɑː/ (Russian: Алма-Ата) and Verny (Russian: Верный Vernyy), is the largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of 1,797,431 people, about 8% of the country's total population. It served as capital of the Kazakh state in its various forms from 1929 to 1997, under the influence of the then Soviet Union and its appointees. Alma-Ata was the host city for a 1978 international conference on Primary Health Care where the Alma Ata Declaration was adopted, marking a paradigm shift in global public health. In 1997, the government relocated the capital to Astana in the north of the country, which is about 12 hours away by train.
Restaurants in Almaty
1. Outfitters KZ
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 88 reviews
Outfitter KZ has a professional experience in carrying out outdoor 4WD tours. We focus on our own author’s routes and develop new interesting tours for our guests.
2. Walking Almaty
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 205 reviews
Take a fun and affordable tour with Almaty expert and professional guide Dennis Keen. Originally from California, Dennis is the founder of Walking Almaty, an online guide to the urban landscape of Kazakhstan's "southern capital." Walking Almaty now offers sightseeing tours, food tours, and guided walks that will take you off the beaten path destinations, like Almaty's charming Cossack villages or its fascinating Stalinist quarter. Almaty can be confusing at first, but Walking Almaty can show you a side of the city you'll never forget.
3. Friendly Tours - Dostar Trips
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 88 reviews
It all started back in 2016 when we printed out our first edition of Friendly Map for guests of Almaty and offered our tours at the back side of the map. Suddenly we started to have a good amount of calls and messages and we decided to start a tour company. We didn’t think a lot about the name – Friendly Tours as a next step after Friendly Map! 2020 brought a lot of time to think and reflect, we loved our name and our guests did too but we always wanted to add a bit of authenticity and here we go – our name changed a bit: Dostar Trips! “Dostar” means friends from Kazakh language, so our main idea didn’t change at all – we always meet our guests as our best future friends! Honestly, we think what can be better than to meet people from all over the world and show them best places of our country? Best job ever! We would do it for free but if we are paid – wohoo, even better!
4. Kolsai Tour
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 108 reviews
Our team of professionals is pleased to offer fascinating outdoor activities such: a private tours, hiking & SUV tours of Kazakhstan. Our team will opening of new horizons for exploring! You can get acquainted with different routes and programs of adventures tours and choose a multi-day tour! Visit a historical attractions under the open sky, see the pristine nature, flora and fauna of this big country of Kazakhstan! Welcome to Kazakhstan!
5. Park Named After Panfilov’s 28 Guardsmen
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 654 reviews
Reviewed By yns_10 - Sydney, Australia
This impressive memorial is to the 28 guardsmen of the Panfilov division who were said to have sacrificed themselves destroying 18 German tanks outside Moscow. The truth of this has been questioned. This is only a portion of the park, which also has parklands, amusement park and the Zenkov Cathedral.
6. Ascension Cathedral
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 873 reviews
Reviewed By ptyduke8 - Pinecrest, United States
This was high on my list of must sees in Almaty. It did not disappoint. The colors on the outside are just perfect. It is so incredible that this wooden church was built without a single nail and survived a powerful earthquake a few years after completion. The inside was lovely, but I felt it was not appropriate to take photos with people in the midst of their prayers and rituals. I have included photos from all four sides.
7. Kok-Tobe Hill
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,387 reviews
Reviewed By EditorsChoice2014 - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Take the cable car ride up. Enjoy the many attractions that include the 'upside down house', ferris wheel, bungee jumping, luge, car rides for kids, escape room, mini zoo, house of pets, bumper cars, and many more!! All well maintained and relatively well-priced. When hungry, there are several restaurants to select from including a casual burger place, a grilled food restaurant, a japanese restaurant and a kazakh restaurant. Food at Abay restaurant is excellent and the view of the city from the restaurant is breathtaking.
8. Gorky Central Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 321 reviews
Reviewed By JesSal4 - Italy, null
This is a very nice park. There are a lot of entertainment especially for the kids. It is a perfect place where to spend some hours.
9. Big Almaty Lake
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 781 reviews
Reviewed By 57mackiel - Ottawa, Canada
This is a gorgeous lake that is not so easy to get to unless you take a Yandex or have a friend with a car. High up in a winding road, you can see our gorgeous water supply for the city of Almaty! It is gorgeous, but do not go in it or drink from it. There are guards and since this is the local drinking water, you cannot take a boat, fish or touch the water. The ice freezes over the top in the winter months and it thaws out around the end of April. A beautiful site not to be missed. Usually there is also a man with a falcon up there too for you to take photos with.
10. Medeu Skating Rink and Ski resort
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 735 reviews
Medeu Alpine Sports Complex is located in picturesque canyon Ile Alatau on 1691 metres high above the sea level. The highest ice skating rink in the world. • Working schedule: whole year • Activities in winter: ice skating • Activities in summer: skating, bicycles, skateboarding, streetball and volleyball. • Ice field area: 10 500 sq.m • Average temperature: summer time +20 C, winter -10 C •
Reviewed By jokokendal - Singapore, Singapore
Very nice and huge. First time to such a large skating rink. Its easily accessible by public bus from Kazakhstan Hotel. It costs us KZT150 (sgd1=kzt280) per pax but the 45minutes ride leading to Medeu was beautiful.
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