Almaty sits under a wall of snow peaks — Soviet-era boulevards, apple orchards, and world-class mountains 25 minutes from downtown.
Things to do
Shymbulak & Medeu
Cable car from the city to 3,200m — skiing in winter, hiking in summer.
Big Almaty Lake
A turquoise alpine bowl at 2,500m.
Green Bazaar
Horse sausage, kurt and mountains of dried fruit.
Zenkov Cathedral
A candy-coloured wooden church built without nails.
Best time to visit
Jun–Sep (hiking) and Dec–Mar (ski)
Good to know
- • Visa-free for Indians (14 days)
- • Yandex Go is the local ride-hailing app
- • Charyn Canyon makes a spectacular day trip