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Amazing Things to Do in Almaty Kazakhstan: Snow-Capped Mountains, Lakes, Canyons and more!

Are you looking for information on what to do in Kazakhstan and need answers to the following questions?


⭐ WHY TRAVEL TO KAZAKHSTAN?
⭐ IS ALMATY WORTH VISITING?
⭐ WHAT ARE SOME BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO VISIT IN KAZAKHSTAN?
⭐ WHAT ARE SOME COOL THINGS TO DO IN ALMATY KAZAKHSTAN?
⭐ WHAT IS IT LIKE IN KAZAKHSTAN?

Map Of Kazakhstan in Asia You’ve come to the right place! We’re about to explore some beautiful Kazakhstan tourist attractions and run through some cool things to do in Almaty Kazakhstan.

Before we get into the second installment of our two-part Kazakhstan travel blog, (the first part details the adventure of a road trip from the Kazakhstan Border to Almaty), let’s answer a few questions.

Is Almaty Worth Visiting? Why Travel to Kazakhstan?

To answer the first question, YES! To answer the second, as the title suggests –

KAZAKHSTAN is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

The nature in Kazakhstan is mind-blowingly diverse. It only takes a couple of hours drive to feel like you’re in another world.

One of the best things to do in Almaty Kazakhstan is experience nature through hiking to lakes, desert canyons and snowy mountain peaks.

Are you wondering where to go in Kazakhstan to see some nature, history and Kazakh culture?

Here are just a few of the many awesome places to visit in Kazakhstan.

→→ First President’s Park
→→ Mountain villages
→→ Big Almaty Lake
→→ Tourist’s Peak in the Tyan Shan Mountains of the Ile-Alatau National Park
→→ Charyn Canyon Kazakhstan
→→ Kolsai Lakes

So let’s talk about how to get around Almaty and get a feel for what it is like in Kazakhstan.

Things to do in Almaty Kazakhstan – Utilise the Local Transport

Hannah, who I’d met in while travelling to Kazakhstan via Western China, and I had decided to make our way to the city centre using local transport.

We got on a bus, but was it the right one? We approached the driver. Our lack of knowledge of Kazakh or Russian was a slight problem. Mr Nice and Helpful bus driver didn’t see it as too much of a problem though.

Through a series hand gestures and a little help from a translation app, we verified that we were on the right bus. The driver even indicated our stop when we reached it.

Everyone in Kazakhstan is approachable, friendly and helpful.

Places to Visit in Kazakhstan for WiFi (When It’s Working)

Things to do in Almaty - Dostyk Plaza We figured a large shopping centre is a great place to get WiFi, so we made a pit stop at Dostyk Plaza.

As a bonus, all the staff there spoke English too!

Even the menus were even in English.

We settled in with our tea and WiFi, but then the WiFi stopped working.

Intercity Transport by Train in Kazakhstan

Things to Do in Almaty Kazakhstan - Almaty 2 Train Station We just thought that Almaty had terrible WiFi and moved onto the Almaty 2 Train Station.

As you might’ve guessed from the ‘2’ in the name of the station, there are different stations for different destinations.

Almaty 2 is for destinations in northern and western Kazakhstan, as well as Moscow and St Petersburg in Russia and Urumqi in Western China.

Almaty 1 is for destinations to the northeast of Almaty like Aktobe, Kostanay, Karaganda, Pavlodar and Novosibirsk in Siberia, Russia.

Slight Change of Plans

Hannah was heading off to the historic city of Turkestan and I was planning on going to the Kazakh capital, formerly known as Nur Sultan (2019-2022) and now officially Astana again.

I almost fell over when I heard the price for Astana train tickets. Even the ticketing staff said they were unusually high. Current prices can be found here

Locals always seemed perplexed when I told them I’d planned to go to Astana. They said Almaty was the historical capital and ‘soul’ of Kazakhstan. So, I decided not to go.

Ride the Metro – Things to Do in Almaty Kazakhstan

Places to Visit in Kazakhstan - Almaty Metro Hannah sorted her train ticket and we headed to the nearby Metro.

Although Almaty’s Metro opened in 2011, It’s coverage is quite lacking. There is only one line with 11 stops currently in use. It starts from the Bauyrjan Momyshuly Station (opened in 2022) near the city centre and finishes at Raiymbek Batyr near the Almaty 2 Train Station.

The Metro is lovely, clean, and cheap, at only 80 Tenge, or around US$0.20, for a ride. Almaty Metro information can be found at Ala Transit.

Unexpected Drama in the Almaty Region Kazakhstan

On the platform of a metro station, we were approached by a local who told us that we shouldn’t go outside after 6pm because of a meeting.

We were quite confused, so when we reached our destination, we tried to ask the staff about it.

They didn’t speak English, but found a passenger who did. He informed us of some anti-government protests set to take place in the city centre.

That explained the lack of WiFi earlier; the government had blocked everything but Twitter.

Waiting…

Places to Visit in Kazakhstan - Hannah and I
Hannah and I
The man didn’t think things would be unsafe. Nevertheless, he gave us a suggestion for somewhere a little bit out of the city centre where we could wait it out.

When the WiFi finally came back on again, I was able to contact my pre-arranged host in the Almaty Region Kazakhstan.

After Hannah left for the train station to catch the overnight train to Shymkent, I grabbed a 1000 Tenge/US$2.60 wrap for the road. Then I made my way to my host’s workplace.

Celebrating a Birthday in Beautiful Kazakhstan

Things to Do in Almaty Kazakhstan - Birthday Celebration When I arrived, I found out that it was my host’s birthday. I had gotten there just in time for a birthday celebration with her work colleagues.

Aika, my host, had to go back to work after the meal, so she arranged a golf cart tour of her work grounds for me.

The views were delightful, especially the snow-capped mountains in the background.

I also made a new friend. He was very inquisitive. He liked eating leaves and sniffing cameras. I called him Mr Deery Deerison and he was much smaller than I expected a deer would be.

Things to Do in Almaty Kazakhstan - See Fountains | Things to Do in Almaty Kazakhstan - Fountain and Mountains | Things to Do in Almaty Kazakhstan - Mountains | Things to Do in Almaty Kazakhstan - Inquisitive Deer

He looked at me with terribly sad eyes when I left.

Places to Visit in Kazakhstan – Snow-Tipped Mountains of Tyan Shan

Aika had organised an expedition to one of the snow-capped peaks of the Tyan Shan Mountains in the Ile-Alatau National Park near the Kyrgyzstan border. I’d been staring at them longingly since I’d arrived in the Almaty Region Kazakhstan.

They are literally, temperature wise, the coolest places to visit in Kazakhstan!

Unfortunately, the weather conspired against us.

The forecast was for heavy rain and storms, making it unsafe to attempt the hike.

Plan B – Head to a Mountain Village

Instead, we decided to go to a mountain village. Then Aika’s car decided that it didn’t want to make the trip when one of the tires went flat.

Luckily, Aika had invited some friends along and they were meeting us at the First President’s Park. We just had to get there without a car.

Thankfully, that is not a huge problem in Almaty. If you just stand on the side of the road with your hand out like you’re hailing a bus, it won’t be long before someone stops to pick you up.

These unofficial taxis should cost the same amount as official taxis.

It should never cost more than 1000 Tenge to get anywhere within the city.

First President’s Gate – Where to Go in Kazakhstan

Where to Go in Kazakhstan - First Presidents Gate

The First President’s Gate is at the First President’s Park, located at the intersection of Navoi Street and Al-Farabi Avenue, south of the city.

It is dedicated to Nursultan Nazarbayev. Yes, the Nursultan that Kazakhstan’s capital was named after from 2019-2022.

You can get there on the number 34 bus from the city, or take a taxi, if you don’t have a car.

The Wedding Gate

Once we got to the park, I noticed several women walking around in wedding dresses. Aika informed me that the Presidential Gate at the park is a popular place for people to get married in the Almaty Region of Kazakhstan.

While we were at the park, It started raining heavily. There wasn’t much in the way of shelter at the park and we hadn’t brought umbrellas!

Aika’s friend arrived just after the rain had started, so we didn’t have to spend long in it.

Places to Visit in Kazakhstan – A Quiet Mountain Village With Horses

Where to Go in Kazakhstan - Fake Yurts We drove for over an hour to get to a village east of Almaty, near a ski resort. Obviously, the ski resort was closed for the summer.

The village was full of fake Yurts. They looked exactly like Yurts, but they were permanent structures that weren’t made from the normal canvas materials used for Yurts.

Aika’s friend pointed out that there was a traditional Kazakh swing there. Several people could stand on it together and swing from side to side. Yep, you bet I tried it!

Things to Do in Almaty Kazakhstan - Traditional Kazakh Swing The reason we’d gone to the village was to ride horses to a nearby hill. But after a bit of waiting around, we got some bad news.

Due to the weather and the fact that there was a private function happening in the village, it wasn’t possible to get horses. It was still nice to see a mountain village in the Almaty Region Kazakhstan.

So as not to waste the trip, we went to a famous Shishlyk place in the city.

Things to do in Almaty Kazakhstan – Try Shishlyk

Things to Do in Almaty Kazakhstan -Shishlyk Eatery Shishlyk is a very popular type of food in Kazakhstan. It’s basically pieces of meat, sometimes with vegetables added, on skewers that are barbecued on an open grill.

At this particular place, all the available skewers were displayed in glass cases.

You chose the ones you wanted and they were put in the line to be freshly cooked by the man at the barbecue.

They were then served on a plate, with onion added, and brought to your table. The food was awesome.

Kazakhstan Tourist Attractions – The Snow-Capped Tyan Shan Mountains

Things to Do in Almaty Kazakhstan - Hike a Snow-Capped Mountain When the weather cleared, the expedition to the snow-capped mountains was back on!

We got a super early start and met some of Aika’s friends at the First President’s Park. From there we made our way to the Ile-Alatau National Park, which was around 20 kilometres away.

On the way up to those mountains, there is a special lake. Big Almaty Lake.

There’s no public transport to the lake, but you can take a taxi, (around 4000 Tenge each way), from the First President’s Park.

Experiencing Nature in Kazakhstan at Big Almaty Lake

Things to Do in Almaty Kazakhstan - See Big Almaty Lake What makes Big Almaty Lake unique? Firstly, it is fed by glaciers, giving it a beautiful blue hue.

Aika told me that the lake wasn’t at its best as it was only half full. It was still pretty impressive though.

Secondly, it is the main water supply for the whole city of Almaty. That means there is no swimming allowed in Big Almaty Lake. If you do feel the urge to swim in what is sure to be freezing water, there will be security to stop you.

⭐2022 UPDATE: Is Big Almaty Lake Closed?⭐

At this point, you may have heard rumours and might be wondering, is Big Almaty Lake closed?

Unfortunately, the road leading to the lake will be closed for three years, from January 2021, for landslide infrastructure upgrades.

That totally sucks, but you can still hike to Big Almaty Lake from Kokshoky Village (take bus number 28 from the city to HPP-2) and access hiking trails to some of the snow-tipped mountains from Alma Arasan (bus number 108 from the city).

Experiencing Nature in Kazakhstan on a Hike in the Tyan Shan Mountains

Nature in Kazakhstan - Beginning of the Tourist Peak Hike The Tyan Shan mountains straddle the Kazakh border with Kyrgyzstan in the southernmost part of the Ile-Alatau National Park in the Almaty Region Kazakhstan.

We were scaling Пик Туриста or Tourist Peak, which stands at 3954 metres.

Such a lovely sounding name, but it was far from a lovely hike.

The beginning of the hike, which started around 3350 metres, wasn’t too bad. Snow cover was quite thin.

We could even see some dirt in places.

Where to go in Kazakhstan - Snow-Capped Mountains As we got further into our hike, the gradient increased very quickly, the snow cover got thicker and we started to encounter huge rocky patches.

There was no discernable trail to follow. Not that I could see anyway. Maybe there was one underneath all that snow.

Given that it was the middle of summer, I’d have to guess that the ground at that altitude, never sees the light of day.

Speaking of light, the light from the sun was super intense.

The snow was so bright in some areas, that even with sunglasses on, I had to close my eyes sometimes. You could say it wasn’t the easiest hike I’d ever done.

I came back with a slightly sunburnt face too. Who knew hiking in the snow cold give you sunburn?

The Tyan Shan Mountains – Things to See in Kazakhstan

Things to See in Kazakhstan - Tyan Shan Mountains Bordering Kyrgyzstan

I probably worked harder for these pictures than I have for any others in my life!

Things to Do in Almaty Kazakhstan - Stand on the Snowy peaks of the Tyan Shan Mountains You would think we did all the hard work on the way up, right?

Nope. It started snowing while we were up the top, which made it all the more treacherous on the way down.

Who would’ve thought that one of the things to do in Almaty Kazakhstan was challenge your physical limits by hiking while it snowed in the middle of summer?

There wasn’t one person in our group that didn’t slip and slide at least 5 times on the way down.

K in Motion Travel Blog. Almaty Kazakhstan. Tyan Shan Mountains. Standing with Friends Near the Border With Kyrgyzstan I actually ended up deliberately sliding down on my butt for a while, because it just seemed easier than trying to walk down.

To be honest, it was quite fun as well.

The unfortunate thing was that I had to wait for quite a while back at the car.

Everyone else walked down carefully, and therefore took a lot more time to get back to the road.

Where to Go in Kazakhstan – Charyn Canyon Kazakhstan

I’d decided to follow up my cold snowy mountain hike with something that was almost the complete opposite; a walk through a hot, desert-like canyon.

If you’re still wondering – why travel to Kazakhstan? Where else in the world could you hike a snowy mountain one day, then a desert canyon the next?

Nowhere, you say? That’s why you should travel to Kazakhstan!

Charyn Canyon Kazakhstan is about a 3-4 hour drive east of Almaty, on mostly good roads.

There was some absolutely gorgeous mountain scenery on the way too!

Getting to Charyn Canyon Kazakhstan

On the Drive to Charyn Canyon Kazakhstan I joined some people that had hired a car with a driver for a day trip to the canyon.

Despite being one of the major Kazakhstan tourist attractions, there’s no public transport to the canyon.

From the Saiakhat Bus Station you can get a mashrutka (minivan) to Kegen for around 4000 Tenge (US$8.60).

But the ‘Charyn povorot’, (turn off) is 11 kilometres from the Charyn Canyon National Park entrance.

While this option would cost around US$20-25, we paid just under 12,000 Tenge (US$26) each, (35,000 Tenge between three people), for our car.

Things to Do in Almaty Kazakhstan – Explore the Charyn Canyon National Park

Charyn Canyon Kazakhstan National Park Entrance When we got to the Charyn Canyon National Park entrance we had to exit our car to pay the entrance fee.

The attendant told us it was 750 Tenge or US$2, which was about 250 Tenge more than we thought it would be.

You should expect to pay around 700 Tenge these days.

Our driver spoke to the attendant and then we didn’t have to pay. Score!

Things to Do in Almaty Kazakhstan - Charyn Canyon Rim We spent hours in the national park.

First we walked above the canyon.

Then we made our way down to the canyon floor.

It was pretty impressive from above, but it was somehow more impressive from the bottom.

Walking the floor of Charyn Canyon Kazakhstan The added bonus of walking the canyon floor was that we got to see an infinite amount of different rock formations that could be seen from the top.

As you would expect from a dry looking place, the weather was quite warm.

That made it so much nicer to find and nice cool river at the end of our four kilometre walk through the canyon.

It was, unimaginatively, called the Charyn River.

Where to Go in Kazakhstan - Charyn Canyon

We spent quite a while at the river, cooling down and soaking up the wonders of nature in Kazakhstan before heading back.

Things to do in Almaty Kazakhstan – Lakes, Mountains, Canyons & More!

By now, I’m sure you have a pretty good idea of where to go in Kazakhstan and what some of the best Kazakhstan tourist attractions are. The Almaty Region Kazakhstan is totally worth visiting, especially if you’re a nature lover.

Just to recap, some of the best things to do in Almaty Kazakhstan include –
→→ utilising local transport
→→ eating shishlyk
→→ experiencing nature
→→ hiking

For natural beauty, I highly recommend –
⭐ Big Almaty Lake in the Ile-Alatau National Park
⭐ Tyan Shan Mountains
⭐ Charyn Canyon
and mountain villages as the top places to visit in Kazakhstan.

The weather may get in the way, but if you plan around it, you’ll find yourself awestruck by the nature in Kazakhstan!

→→ Visit the Kazakhstan Travel website to plan your trip to beautiful Kazakhstan!

Follow the whole adventure from Hong Kong to Baku, Azerbaijan!
Travelling to Western China
Journey to Kazakhstan via Western China
Kazakhstan Border to Almaty
Amazing Things to Do in Almaty Kazakhstan
The Quirks of Eastern Kyrgyzstan
Silk Road to Southwestern Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan via the Dostyk Border Crossing
Unbelievable Uzbekistan
Underrated Uzbekistan
Travel to Tajikistan
Turkmenistan – Frontier to Fire
South Turkmenistan – Overly Impressive Capital to Caspian Sea Port
Turkmenbashi to Baku – 3 Days on the Caspian Sea
Beautiful Baku

20 Replies to “Amazing Things to Do in Almaty Kazakhstan: Snow-Capped Mountains, Lakes, Canyons and more!”

    1. Thanks for the comment Nina :o)
      Central Asia is awesome! And much cheaper than I expected. I’d highly recommend it.

      Reply

  6. This sounds like an incredible adventure, and the views are absolutely stunning! I never considered wanting to check out Kazakhstan, but now I think it needs to be added to our ‘to visit’ list lol

    Reply

    1. I’ve always wanted to explore Central Asia and now that I’m here it’s even more awesome than I imagined!
      You should definitely visit! :o)

      Reply

  7. Thanks for sharing Kez, one Filipina was there recently on these countries you’ve been currently embarking. Yes me too I started to get jealous and thanks for sharing the information during your travels! The road and country that less traveled only the brave ones do.

    Reply

    1. Thanks for your comment April :o)
      Central Asia is more awesome than I ever could have imagined! I think everyone should visit!

      Reply

    1. Yup. Mind you, I didn’t do them both in the same day. We spent 5 hours trekking in the snow! So that was a whole day thing by itself. As was the Canyon, because of the driving distance.

      It was pretty amazing to be freezing on a snowy peak one day, then boiling in a canyon the next!

      Reply

    1. It is beautiful! I loved the diversity of landscapes as well. I’m not sure where else in the world you can hike a snowy mountain one day, then a dry desert canyon the next! There are also some ridiculously beautiful lakes in the region too.

      Reply

  10. I visit everyday a few websites and information sites to read content, except this website offers feature based articles.

    Reply

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