Where is Almaty?

Almaty is the most populous city in Kazakhstan, and it is a commercial, financial and cultural center of the country. The city is located in a mountainous area of southern Kazakhstan, near the border with Kyrgyzstan, in the foothills of the Trans Ile-Alatau, where the Big Almaty River flows into the plain.

Situated between Europe and Asia, Almaty is Kazakhstan’s largest city and is both literally and culturally rich. The city first gained worldwide fame as one of the many stops on the Silk Road, where merchants crossed countries and continents to trade. Almaty is known as Kazakhstan’s ‘Golden Triangle’ due to its three main natural attractions – the Kolsai Lakes, the Charyn Canyon and the Altyn-Emel National Park. Located next to the massive Tien Shan mountain range, Almaty has been described as “a Majestic city full of surprises, from charming scenery to luxury shopping”.

Altitude: 700 -900 meters s/l

Coordination: 43.2380*N /76.8826* E

Time Zone: GMT +5

Population: 2,2 million

How to get to Almaty?

You can visit Almaty via many ways, including international flights to drive from neighboring countries by land transportation. The nearest airport to Almaty is Almaty International Airport, located 15 kilometres north-east of the city center. The Sairan Bus Terminal provides intercity bus services within Kazakhstan and international services to Kyrgyzstan and China, as well as regional bus services to the west of the city. Sayakhat Bus Terminal provides regional bus services to the northern and eastern parts of the city. Kazakhstan Temir Zholy has two stations, Almaty-1 (located 20 minutes from Almaty and mainly for freight) and Almaty-2, located within the city limits and mainly for passengers. The Almaty Metro opened in 2011 and a light rail line was built in 2011.

Weather Almaty

Almaty has a humid continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. It is characterised by the influence of the mountain-valley circulation. It is particularly pronounced in the northern part of the city, which is located in the transition zone between mountain slopes and plains.

The average annual temperature is 10 °C (50 °F), the coldest month is January, -4.7 °C (24 °F) (average), the warmest month (July) 23.8 °C (75 °F) (average).

Almaty was formerly the capital of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (1929-91) and of independent Kazakhstan (1991-97).

In 1997, President Nursultan Nazarbayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan approved a decree to move the capital from Almaty to Astana in the north of the country. On 1 July 1998, a law was passed to establish Almaty’s special status as a scientific, cultural, historical, financial and industrial centre.

The name Almaty has its roots in the medieval settlement of Almatau, which existed not far from the modern city. According to a controversial version, the name comes from the Kazakh word for apple (alma), and is often translated as “full of apples”. The name was originally Almatau, meaning “Apple Mountain”.

The city is home to the Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan and many affiliated research institutes, numerous museums, an opera house, theatres offering performances in Russian and Kazakh, and the State Public Library named after A.S. Pushkin. Almaty also has a botanical garden, a zoo and several stadiums.

Almaty extends about 12.5 miles (20 km) in all directions from the center and is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Kazakhstan, with a regular layout, wide tree-lined streets, numerous parks and gardens, and a mountain backdrop. The Zenkovsky Cathedral, built in 1907, is the second tallest wooden building in the world. The majority of the population are Kazakhs and Russians, with the remainder being Ukrainians, Uighurs, Tatars and Germans.

Tourism is a key sector of Almaty’s economy, being the main source of foreign exchange earnings and employment for low-skilled workers. The main interest of foreign tourists is ecotourism – mountain hiking and river rafting in summer and skiing in winter.

Our Almaty Expeditions team is happy to meet you in Almaty and guide you to the unforgettable journey. Please feel free to get it touch with us!