9 Reasons to Visit Almaty, Kazakhstan

The Medeu skating rink is a huge outdoor rink at an altitude of 1700m. The freezing weather is itself an experience, adding to the spectacular views you can see from there.

You can further take a cable car ride to the ski resort of Shymbulak, the largest ski resort in Central Asia.

The Ascension Cathedral is a 56 meter tall Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Panfilov Parkin. The cathedral is fully made of wood without using nails. There are five domes, a bell tower, and three aisles with a library inside. The interiors of the building are filled with stunning artwork.

Almaty is heaven for food lovers! You get numerous cuisines like Russian, Uzbek, Georgian, and Tatar here. The local Kazakh cuisine has delicious meat dishes like Beshbarmak (noodles with meat and onion sauce), Baursak (a Kazakh doughnut), Qazy (sausage made of horse meat), and Shubat (fermented camel milk).

The people here love their coffee and you can notice that when you’ll have to choose from their numerous coffee options. The café culture here is exceptional! The places here are also affordable. There are various barista training schools here too.

Not only for its cafes, Almaty is also famous for its pubs. The city has a very active nightlife as the clubs are generally open for the entire night.

Most airlines fly to this airport, which is the biggest in the country. Also, the city is well connected to the neighboring cities and countries.

Inside the city, there are evidently marked bus stops and good traffic rules. Visitors to the city find the city a stepping stone to get used to Central Asia. Most importantly, people here are very friendly and are eager to help you out with everything.

The best thing about this city is that you can take a stroll anywhere to lift up your mood. The city has less crowded streets, lined with trees (except the Green Market area). The atmosphere is pretty laid back and you will feel at peace. The architecture here is also interesting!

There’s a pretty hill named Kök Töbe right in the middle of the city, from where you can see spectacular views of the city. You might encounter some rare bird species here.

Almaty is located near the Tian Shan mountain range hence you can find lot of options for hiking here. There are spectacular lakes like the Big Almaty Lake and Kolsai Lakes nearby.

Charyn Canyon is a beautiful site that’s similar to the Grand Canyon. The place is easily accessible from Almaty.

Arasan Baths complex was built in the 1980s. The complex offers Turkish steam baths, Finnish Sauna, Russian banya under one roof. It is one relaxing experience.

Until recently, tourists had to pay for an expensive Visa to travel to Kazakhstan.
But, now it is a Visa-free country for almost 20 countries. Do check the visa rules for your country.