Hotels in Almaty

Almaty: Kazakhstan's Commercial Capital at the Tian Shan Foothills

Almaty sits at 900 metres above sea level in southeastern Kazakhstan, backed by the Zailiysky Alatau range — peaks that exceed 4,900 m and are visible from almost every street. Founded as a Russian fort in 1854 and called Alma-Ata until 1993, the city served as Kazakhstan's capital until Astana took that role in 1997. With a population of roughly 2.2 million, it remains the country's financial and cultural centre.

Visitors arrive for the Kok-Tobe hill (1,100 m, accessible by cable car from Dostyk Avenue), the Soviet-era Zenkov Cathedral in Panfilov Park, and the Green Bazaar — a covered market selling dried fruits, spices, and kumiss on Zhibek Zholy Street. Skiers use Shymbulak resort, 25 km from the city centre at 2,230 m base elevation, which hosted 2011 Asian Winter Games events. The Medeu speed-skating oval at 1,691 m is 15 km from downtown.

Practical Tips

• Getting there: Almaty International Airport (ALA) handles direct flights from Istanbul, Dubai, Moscow, and Beijing; the city centre is 13 km northeast.
• Getting around: The metro runs one line through central districts; taxis via the Yandex Go app are inexpensive.
• Climate: Summers reach 30 °C; winters drop below −15 °C. Pack layers for mountain day trips year-round.
• Currency: Kazakhstani tenge (KZT); ATMs are widely available in the Almaly and Bostandyk districts.