Almaty Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Apr)
Big Almaty Lake Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Apr)
🇰🇿Off-the-beaten-path visa-free travel destination Kazakhstan (Part 2)
Almaty is located in the Alatau Mountains outside of Ili, and was once a territory of China during the Qing Dynasty. After the establishment of Kazakhstan, it was also the capital of the country for a period of time. Due to the abundant production of apples in the suburbs, Almaty is also known as the "Apple City". 🍎
As the largest member state of the former Soviet Union, here you can not only see modern skyscrapers and experience the ethnic customs of Central Asia, but also see many marks left by the Soviet era. 🏢
Recommended attractions are as follows, it is suggested to take two to three days for sightseeing. 📝
Day one, you can visit the following attractions, the first four are within walking distance. 🚶🏻
1️⃣Ascension Cathedral is an Eastern Orthodox church located in Panfilov Park in the city center. It is the second tallest wooden structure church in the world and the only surviving ground building after the 1911 Almaty earthquake. After the renovation of the interior a few years ago, visitors can now enter and visit the church. It is also recommended to visit the 28 Panfilov Heroes Memorial in the park.⛪️
2️⃣Green Bazzar is a traditional market where local residents purchase food and daily necessities. Various freshly squeezed fruit juices can be tasted in the market. 🍇
3️⃣️Central Mosque is a religious place where people worship, and female visitors are required to wear headscarves. 🕌️
4️⃣️Albert Street is a typical shopping street with music performances and shops selling oil paintings on the side of the street. It's a great place to stroll around and have a cup of coffee in your leisure time. 🏞️
5️⃣️Take the cable car from the foot of Kok Tobe Park to see the panoramic view of Almaty and the surrounding snow-capped mountains. It is also a great place to watch the sunset, and it is recommended to arrive around 4pm. If the cable car is not in operation, you can purchase a bus ticket at the front desk to go up the mountain. 🌄
6️⃣️The Kazakhstan Hotel is located near the entrance of Kok Tobe and has always been the most luxurious hotel in Kazakhstan during the Soviet era. The exterior design is very unique, and if you like the Soviet architectural style, you can take a walk and enjoy it. 🏨
On the second day, you can visit the following attractions 🚶🏻
1️⃣The National Museum of China mainly displays the ancient and modern history of China, with not many cultural relics but worth spending one or two hours to understand the culture of China. 🏛️
2️⃣️Independence Square, a memorial square built after the independence in 1999, is a ten-minute walk from the museum. 📷
3️⃣️The National Art Museum has unexpectedly diverse collections of paintings, sculptures, and crafts, including a Chinese porcelain exhibition hall. 🖼️
4️⃣️The National Opera House starts opera or ballet performances at 6pm, with ticket prices under 100 yuan. You can check the performance schedule in advance on gatob.kz. 💃🏻
Additional recommendations are as follows 📝
1️⃣Almaty Metro Station🚇
2️⃣️Various buildings left over from the Soviet era 🏠
3️⃣️National Circus🎪
4️⃣️Qiongubulake Ski Resort in the suburbs 🎿
5️⃣️Outside the city, the great Almaty Lake 🌊
Kazakhstan-Central Asia mysterious journey - partner recruitment in progress···
Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world, bordering Xinjiang, China. It has always been a familiar and unfamiliar presence in my heart. My understanding of it is not only based on the Central Asian history I read in books, and that it is one of the member states of the former Soviet Union, but also that some of its land used to belong to the historical territory of China.
As the largest member state of the former Soviet Union, here you can not only see modern skyscrapers and experience the ethnic customs of Central Asia, but also see many marks left by the Soviet Union.
Travel guide
1 Kazakhstan offers Chinese citizens visa-free entry for 14 days in Asia.
2 Phone cards can be purchased at Almaty Airport, Almaty International Airport.
3 Kazakhstan's overall consumption is not high, and the consumption in Almaty is equivalent to that of second-tier cities in China.
The public transportation system in Almaty is relatively developed. There is a subway line that does not go to the airport, but you can take a few stops to experience it.
5 Always use the app to call a taxi. Online payment and cash payment are supported.
6 Hotels can be booked in advance, it is recommended to book in the city center area.
7. Russian and Kazakh are commonly used in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
8. In Kazakhstan, besides tasting the characteristic cuisine of the Kazakh ethnic group, you can also enjoy many authentic Russian and Chinese dishes.
Itinerary plan
Dayl
Urumqi to Yining, Xinjiang - Yining, Ili, Xinjiang, 9:10-14:40, Yining to Horgos, Horgos, Ili.
Yining to Khorgos takes 2 hours. Buy tickets at the Dingmen Port Passenger Station for 35 yuan.
Day2
Khorgos Free Activities
Horgos International Passenger Terminal
Day3
You can visit the following attractions, the first four of which are within walking distance.
1 Altyn Emel Cathedral is an Eastern Orthodox church located in Panfilov Park in the city center.
2 Green Bazzar. Greenbrier Valley Airport.
3 Central Mosque is a religious place where people worship, and female visitors are required to wear headscarves.
4 Albert Street
5 Koko Tobi Park.
6 National Museum of China, National Museum of Kazakhstan
7 Independent Square
8 National Opera House, opera or ballet starts at 6pm, tickets are less than 100 yuan, and performance schedules can be checked in advance.
Day4
In the early morning, depart for the Qiongbrak Ski Resort in the suburbs and experience the largest ski resort in Central Asia. Ski equipment can be rented. Take a bus in the afternoon.
Outside the city lies the beautiful Lake Almaty, the most beautiful lake in the Ili River Valley.
Day5
Carpool to the breathtaking Aljin Ayimu'er Desert Park, a stunning desert geological park! Day6
Return trip - Charter to the port - Khorgos - Urumqi
One of most interesting places in Cent-asia
The big Almaty lake is one of the most wonderful lakes I’ve seen in Central Asia . Kazakhstan is really wonderful country #lakes #falltrip
Kazakhstan Almaty Glimpses
The scenery of the Medeo Shymbulak Ski Resort in Almaty, Kazakhstan is magnificent. Here, the Tianshan Mountains are towering, covered in white snow, stretching for hundreds of miles with a majestic momentum. The sky is clear blue, with white clouds floating leisurely, and the sunshine is gentle, shining with a silver light. It is truly spectacular and picturesque.
Show More
Shymbulak Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Apr)
🇰🇿Off-the-beaten-path visa-free travel destination Kazakhstan (Part 2)
Almaty is located in the Alatau Mountains outside of Ili, and was once a territory of China during the Qing Dynasty. After the establishment of Kazakhstan, it was also the capital of the country for a period of time. Due to the abundant production of apples in the suburbs, Almaty is also known as the "Apple City". 🍎
As the largest member state of the former Soviet Union, here you can not only see modern skyscrapers and experience the ethnic customs of Central Asia, but also see many marks left by the Soviet era. 🏢
Recommended attractions are as follows, it is suggested to take two to three days for sightseeing. 📝
Day one, you can visit the following attractions, the first four are within walking distance. 🚶🏻
1️⃣Ascension Cathedral is an Eastern Orthodox church located in Panfilov Park in the city center. It is the second tallest wooden structure church in the world and the only surviving ground building after the 1911 Almaty earthquake. After the renovation of the interior a few years ago, visitors can now enter and visit the church. It is also recommended to visit the 28 Panfilov Heroes Memorial in the park.⛪️
2️⃣Green Bazzar is a traditional market where local residents purchase food and daily necessities. Various freshly squeezed fruit juices can be tasted in the market. 🍇
3️⃣️Central Mosque is a religious place where people worship, and female visitors are required to wear headscarves. 🕌️
4️⃣️Albert Street is a typical shopping street with music performances and shops selling oil paintings on the side of the street. It's a great place to stroll around and have a cup of coffee in your leisure time. 🏞️
5️⃣️Take the cable car from the foot of Kok Tobe Park to see the panoramic view of Almaty and the surrounding snow-capped mountains. It is also a great place to watch the sunset, and it is recommended to arrive around 4pm. If the cable car is not in operation, you can purchase a bus ticket at the front desk to go up the mountain. 🌄
6️⃣️The Kazakhstan Hotel is located near the entrance of Kok Tobe and has always been the most luxurious hotel in Kazakhstan during the Soviet era. The exterior design is very unique, and if you like the Soviet architectural style, you can take a walk and enjoy it. 🏨
On the second day, you can visit the following attractions 🚶🏻
1️⃣The National Museum of China mainly displays the ancient and modern history of China, with not many cultural relics but worth spending one or two hours to understand the culture of China. 🏛️
2️⃣️Independence Square, a memorial square built after the independence in 1999, is a ten-minute walk from the museum. 📷
3️⃣️The National Art Museum has unexpectedly diverse collections of paintings, sculptures, and crafts, including a Chinese porcelain exhibition hall. 🖼️
4️⃣️The National Opera House starts opera or ballet performances at 6pm, with ticket prices under 100 yuan. You can check the performance schedule in advance on gatob.kz. 💃🏻
Additional recommendations are as follows 📝
1️⃣Almaty Metro Station🚇
2️⃣️Various buildings left over from the Soviet era 🏠
3️⃣️National Circus🎪
4️⃣️Qiongubulake Ski Resort in the suburbs 🎿
5️⃣️Outside the city, the great Almaty Lake 🌊
Kazakhstan-Central Asia mysterious journey - partner recruitment in progress···
Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world, bordering Xinjiang, China. It has always been a familiar and unfamiliar presence in my heart. My understanding of it is not only based on the Central Asian history I read in books, and that it is one of the member states of the former Soviet Union, but also that some of its land used to belong to the historical territory of China.
As the largest member state of the former Soviet Union, here you can not only see modern skyscrapers and experience the ethnic customs of Central Asia, but also see many marks left by the Soviet Union.
Travel guide
1 Kazakhstan offers Chinese citizens visa-free entry for 14 days in Asia.
2 Phone cards can be purchased at Almaty Airport, Almaty International Airport.
3 Kazakhstan's overall consumption is not high, and the consumption in Almaty is equivalent to that of second-tier cities in China.
The public transportation system in Almaty is relatively developed. There is a subway line that does not go to the airport, but you can take a few stops to experience it.
5 Always use the app to call a taxi. Online payment and cash payment are supported.
6 Hotels can be booked in advance, it is recommended to book in the city center area.
7. Russian and Kazakh are commonly used in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
8. In Kazakhstan, besides tasting the characteristic cuisine of the Kazakh ethnic group, you can also enjoy many authentic Russian and Chinese dishes.
Itinerary plan
Dayl
Urumqi to Yining, Xinjiang - Yining, Ili, Xinjiang, 9:10-14:40, Yining to Horgos, Horgos, Ili.
Yining to Khorgos takes 2 hours. Buy tickets at the Dingmen Port Passenger Station for 35 yuan.
Day2
Khorgos Free Activities
Horgos International Passenger Terminal
Day3
You can visit the following attractions, the first four of which are within walking distance.
1 Altyn Emel Cathedral is an Eastern Orthodox church located in Panfilov Park in the city center.
2 Green Bazzar. Greenbrier Valley Airport.
3 Central Mosque is a religious place where people worship, and female visitors are required to wear headscarves.
4 Albert Street
5 Koko Tobi Park.
6 National Museum of China, National Museum of Kazakhstan
7 Independent Square
8 National Opera House, opera or ballet starts at 6pm, tickets are less than 100 yuan, and performance schedules can be checked in advance.
Day4
In the early morning, depart for the Qiongbrak Ski Resort in the suburbs and experience the largest ski resort in Central Asia. Ski equipment can be rented. Take a bus in the afternoon.
Outside the city lies the beautiful Lake Almaty, the most beautiful lake in the Ili River Valley.
Day5
Carpool to the breathtaking Aljin Ayimu'er Desert Park, a stunning desert geological park! Day6
Return trip - Charter to the port - Khorgos - Urumqi
Shymbulak Ski Experience
It takes only 30 minutes from Almaty city center to reach the ski resort, Shymbulak Ski Resort, which is very convenient and not crowded. I highly recommend everyone to go. Here is my experience
After arriving at the ski resort, the first thing to do is to go to the ticket office to buy tickets, including snow field tickets and cable car tickets. If you are a beginner and want to find a coach, it is best to book in advance, because there are fewer coaches and more people, and there may not be enough coaches, so you may have to queue up; after buying the tickets, you can go to the snow field to rent ski equipment, but it is a bit more expensive than the city's snow equipment shop, but it is not as exaggerated as in China, but overall it is very convenient.
After buying the tickets at the ticket office, you can go to the beginner's field - children's field from the back door; the beginner's field, the slope is very, very gentle, and the coach even disdains to take you to this field for practice; after the beginner's field, the quasi-intermediate field, the slope is slightly steep, it is best not to go directly without a coach for beginners, it is easy to hit confidence.
Note that there is another place for ski enthusiasts to go up the mountain, near the beginner's trail, no need to squeeze the cable car with others.
Chimbulak Ski Resort | Benefits of Skiing in Almaty
| Benefits of Skiing in Almaty. The Chimbulak Ski Resort, located a few kilometers from Almaty city, is a place worth visiting. You can spend most of the day playing there, with no admission fee 😁🚌Bus No. 12 can reach there, the penultimate stop Medeu cableway is the cable car station, the terminal Medeu Sports Complex is the mountain entrance on foot, the interval between the two stations is about ten minutes walk🚶
⚠The unified bus fare in Almaty is 200 Tenge, get on the bus from the front door, give the driver and get a paper ticket, you can get change, it is best to prepare change in advance🪙
⚠In winter, the ground is covered with snow and ice, which is quite slippery. It is recommended to choose to climb the mountain on foot in other seasons🥾
🚡The cable car has several sections, and the fare is also very complicated. The round trip for the whole journey on weekdays is 5000 Tenge, holidays 6000 Tenge, 11-23 years old on weekdays 3000 Tenge, no discount on holidays, and there are various combinations of only the first half or only the second half
The cable car time is very long, the whole journey takes more than an hour, the scenery along the way is very beautiful, worth the fare. There are some restaurants and coffee shops at the place where the cable car is changed midway☕.💡When the cable car is not busy, it will not require full people, two or even one person can have a car🚡
❗Please keep the cable car ticket, both up and down are scanned to enter❗
Almaty International Airport Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Apr)
321NEO LR Business class
The Airbus A321neo LR is a long-range version of A321neo, with increased maximum take-off weight and associated design modifications. The aircraft is configured with 16 Business class seats and 150 Economy class seats.
Almaty International Airport
Flying to the Almaty, beauty view, behind of the window. #almaty #kazakhstan
Air Astana
#almaty #kazakhstan
Kok Tobe Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Apr)
Kok Tobe is a popular tourist destination located in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It is a hill that stands at an elevation of 1,100 meters above sea level and offers stunning panoramic views of the city and the surrounding mountains. The name "Kok Tobe" translates to "Green Hill" in Kazakh.
One of the main attractions on Kok Tobe is the Kok Tobe Park, which is a recreational area that offers various forms of entertainment for visitors. The park features a variety of amusement rides, including a Ferris wheel, roller coaster, and a children's playground. Visitors can also enjoy a leisurely stroll along the park's walking paths or relax in one of the many cafes and restaurants.
Another notable feature of Kok Tobe is the Kok Tobe Tower, also known as the Almaty TV Tower. Standing at a height of 372 meters, it is the tallest free-standing tubular steel structure in the world. The tower offers an observation deck that provides breathtaking views of the city and its surroundings.
In addition to the park and the tower, Kok Tobe also boasts a small zoo that is home to a variety of animals, including deer, llamas, and peacocks. There is also a mini-market where visitors can purchase souvenirs and local handicrafts.
To reach Kok Tobe, visitors can take a cable car ride from the city center, which offers a scenic journey up the hill. The cable car ride itself is an attraction, providing visitors with picturesque views as they ascend to the top.
Overall, Kok Tobe is a must-visit destination for tourists in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It offers a combination of natural beauty, recreational activities, and stunning views, making it a popular spot for locals and visitors alike.
Evening with KoK Tobe
#almaty
Kok Tobe is such a very nice experience, the cable cars and the views are simply outstanding. A great activity for all seasons. must do!
Kazakhstan Hotel Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Apr)
🇰🇿Off-the-beaten-path visa-free travel destination Kazakhstan (Part 2)
Almaty is located in the Alatau Mountains outside of Ili, and was once a territory of China during the Qing Dynasty. After the establishment of Kazakhstan, it was also the capital of the country for a period of time. Due to the abundant production of apples in the suburbs, Almaty is also known as the "Apple City". 🍎
As the largest member state of the former Soviet Union, here you can not only see modern skyscrapers and experience the ethnic customs of Central Asia, but also see many marks left by the Soviet era. 🏢
Recommended attractions are as follows, it is suggested to take two to three days for sightseeing. 📝
Day one, you can visit the following attractions, the first four are within walking distance. 🚶🏻
1️⃣Ascension Cathedral is an Eastern Orthodox church located in Panfilov Park in the city center. It is the second tallest wooden structure church in the world and the only surviving ground building after the 1911 Almaty earthquake. After the renovation of the interior a few years ago, visitors can now enter and visit the church. It is also recommended to visit the 28 Panfilov Heroes Memorial in the park.⛪️
2️⃣Green Bazzar is a traditional market where local residents purchase food and daily necessities. Various freshly squeezed fruit juices can be tasted in the market. 🍇
3️⃣️Central Mosque is a religious place where people worship, and female visitors are required to wear headscarves. 🕌️
4️⃣️Albert Street is a typical shopping street with music performances and shops selling oil paintings on the side of the street. It's a great place to stroll around and have a cup of coffee in your leisure time. 🏞️
5️⃣️Take the cable car from the foot of Kok Tobe Park to see the panoramic view of Almaty and the surrounding snow-capped mountains. It is also a great place to watch the sunset, and it is recommended to arrive around 4pm. If the cable car is not in operation, you can purchase a bus ticket at the front desk to go up the mountain. 🌄
6️⃣️The Kazakhstan Hotel is located near the entrance of Kok Tobe and has always been the most luxurious hotel in Kazakhstan during the Soviet era. The exterior design is very unique, and if you like the Soviet architectural style, you can take a walk and enjoy it. 🏨
On the second day, you can visit the following attractions 🚶🏻
1️⃣The National Museum of China mainly displays the ancient and modern history of China, with not many cultural relics but worth spending one or two hours to understand the culture of China. 🏛️
2️⃣️Independence Square, a memorial square built after the independence in 1999, is a ten-minute walk from the museum. 📷
3️⃣️The National Art Museum has unexpectedly diverse collections of paintings, sculptures, and crafts, including a Chinese porcelain exhibition hall. 🖼️
4️⃣️The National Opera House starts opera or ballet performances at 6pm, with ticket prices under 100 yuan. You can check the performance schedule in advance on gatob.kz. 💃🏻
Additional recommendations are as follows 📝
1️⃣Almaty Metro Station🚇
2️⃣️Various buildings left over from the Soviet era 🏠
3️⃣️National Circus🎪
4️⃣️Qiongubulake Ski Resort in the suburbs 🎿
5️⃣️Outside the city, the great Almaty Lake 🌊
Popular Topics
# almaty
# kazakhstan
# tripblazers
# freehotelstay
# fallingseason
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