Almaty travel FAQ

Citizens of most European countries, the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the UAE and a number of other countries don't need a visa: you can stay up to 30 days per entry and no more than 90 days in every 180 days. Citizens of Turkey can stay up to 90 days within 180 days.

The full list of countries and periods is in Government Decree No. 890 of 10.10.2026.

Source: adilet.zan.kz

QazETA is an electronic entry authorisation for citizens of 85 visa-free countries. You apply on qazeta.kz no later than 72 hours before entry; it's free and valid for 180 days.

• Checks at Almaty airport start on 1 January 2027.
• Until 30 June 2027 you won't be refused entry without QazETA.
• From 1 July 2027 the authorisation is mandatory.

Not required for: children under 16, people aged 65 and over, holders of a Kazakhstan visa, and transit passengers who don't leave the transit zone.

Source: gov.kz [1], gov.kz [2], adilet.zan.kz [3]

Not for trips of up to 30 days: since 10 November 2023 a mutual visa-free regime has been in force — up to 30 days per trip and no more than 90 days within 180 days. It covers tourism, private and business trips, medical treatment and transit, but does not give the right to work or study. For trips longer than 30 days, get a visa in advance.

Source: gov.kz

Only short trips are visa-free: up to 14 days per entry and no more than 42 days within 180 days (tourist, private and business trips). For a longer trip you need a visa before arrival — for example, an e-visa via vmp.gov.kz.

Source: adilet.zan.kz [1], gov.kz [2]

E-visas are issued on the vmp.gov.kz portal based on an invitation from a Kazakhstan host: register, enter the invitation number and your passport details, pay the fee online and print the visa from your personal account.

• Your passport needs at least 2 blank pages and must be valid for at least 3 months after the visa expires.
• With an e-visa you can enter and leave only through international airports.
• India is on the official list of countries whose citizens are issued e-visas.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs page lists the fee as $60 for a tourist visa and $80 for a business visa, but the page is undated — check on vmp.gov.kz.

Source: gov.kz [1], gov.kz [2], gov.kz [3]

For an e-visa — at least 3 months after the visa expires. Almaty airport recommends on its website that your passport be valid for at least 6 months after your travel date; we didn't find this requirement in the law, but it's easier to follow the airport's requirement.

Source: gov.kz [1], alaport.com [2]

Transit is allowed for no more than 5 days if you have the documents to enter a third country; if you need a visa, a transit visa is issued. Passengers who don't leave the airport transit zone don't need QazETA.

Source: adilet.zan.kz

Tourists staying up to 30 days don't need to register themselves — this was abolished on 11 January 2020. But your hotel or the person you're staying with must notify the migration service of your arrival within three working days (via vmp.gov.kz, egov.kz, e-Qonaq, in person or by post). If you're renting an apartment by the day, remind the host about this.

Source: gov.kz [1], adilet.zan.kz [2]

You can't exceed the visa-free limits (for example, 30 days per entry and 90 days in 180). If you need to stay longer for work, study or medical treatment, apply for a temporary residence permit from the internal affairs authorities; for tourist trips longer than the visa-free period, get a visa before arrival.

Source: gov.kz [1], adilet.zan.kz [2]

It's a government system through which hotels and hosts notify the migration service of foreigners' arrival. For trips of up to 30 days the tourist doesn't need to do anything — the host submits the notification.

Source: kazakhstan.travel [1], adilet.zan.kz [2]

From terminals T1 and T2, bus No. 92 runs to the Mamyr-2 microdistrict (06:00 to 23:00), and at night bus No. 3 runs to the Orbita-2 microdistrict (23:00 to 06:00). The fare is 120 ₸, paid with an ONAY! card: you can buy one from a machine in the international terminal, on the 1st floor in the arrivals area (the card costs 800 ₸, the machine accepts cash and has an English menu).

Source: alaport.com [1], alaport.com [2]

The airport's official taxi service is Taxi Point: it runs 24/7 with fixed fares by car class; the desk is on the 1st floor of the international terminal near exits A and B. You can also order a car through an app: Yandex Go adds a surcharge of up to 265 ₸ for orders from the airport car park.

Source: alaport.com [1], taxi.yandex.kz [2]

Yes: there are currency exchange offices (some open 24/7) and ATMs in the arrivals area on the 1st floor.

Source: alaport.com

Yes, free: network AIRPORT_Almaty, log in with a code sent by SMS.

Source: alaport.com

After baggage claim, choose a channel: green if you have nothing to declare, red if you have something to declare (for example, cash over $10 000).

Source: alaport.com [1], gov.kz [2]

Go to the Lost & Found service in Terminal 1 — it's open 24/7 — and file a missing baggage report (PIR).

Source: alaport.com

Yes, rental desks are in the arrivals hall. The airport strongly recommends that foreigners have an International Driving Permit.

Source: alaport.com

UTC+5 — since 1 March 2024 all of Kazakhstan has a single time zone. There is no daylight saving time.

Source: adilet.zan.kz [1], gov.kz [2]

220 V, 50 Hz, European sockets of types C, E and F. Travellers from the USA, the UK, India, China and other countries with a different standard need an adapter.

Source: kazakhstan.travel

The state language is Kazakh; Russian is officially used alongside it in government bodies and organisations. In practice you can get by in Russian almost everywhere in Almaty; menus and signs are often duplicated in English, but not everywhere.

Source: adilet.zan.kz

• 1–2 January — New Year; 7 January — Orthodox Christmas
• 8 March — International Women's Day; 15 March — Constitution Day
• 21–23 March — Nauryz
• 1 May — Unity Day of the People of Kazakhstan; 7 May — Defender of the Fatherland Day; 9 May — Victory Day
• 6 July — Capital City Day
• 25 October — Republic Day
• 16 December — Independence Day
• The first day of Kurban Ait — the date changes every year

If a holiday falls on a weekend, the next working day becomes a day off. Museums and resorts may change their opening hours on holidays.

Source: adilet.zan.kz [1], adilet.zan.kz [2]

The national currency is the tenge (₸). Legal tender is the tenge, so in shops, cafés and taxis you pay in tenge. Prices on Sayahat are shown in tenge; the dollar amount is a guide based on the official exchange rate.

Source: adilet.zan.kz

Cash currency can be exchanged only at exchange offices of banks and organisations licensed by the National Bank — not with money changers on the street. Every exchange office must have the annex to its licence.

Source: adilet.zan.kz [1], nationalbank.kz [2]

Up to the equivalent of $10 000 — no declaration needed. Above that, you must declare the full amount in writing; above $100 000 you must also prove the origin of the money with documents. Money on bank cards doesn't need to be declared.

Source: gov.kz

A rough guide from our catalogue: a one-day group nature trip costs from 9–18 thousand ₸ per person; private tours and jeep tours are priced per car. Current prices and dates are in the catalogue; booking and payment are with the organiser.

Yes, under a pilot project: citizens of non-EAEU countries get a VAT refund on non-food goods from participating shops in Almaty and other cities if a single receipt is at least 10 MCI (monthly calculation index) — 43 250 ₸ in 2026.

• In the shop, show your passport and get a tax free document.
• When departing from an international airport, before passport control, present the goods, the document, your passport and boarding pass in the customs inspection area; drop the stamped document into the tax free box.
• The money is credited to your card minus the operator's commission (Global Blue, IT Analytics). It takes up to 3 months; alcohol and tobacco are not refunded.

Source: adilet.zan.kz

Foreigners can get a number from any major operator with a passport:

• Beeline — register on service.beeline.kz (status “Гражданин другой страны” / “Citizen of another country”, passport photo and verification) or send an SMS with your passport number to 6915; eSIM — 499 ₸ (200 ₸ via the Janymda app).
• Kcell/activ — at an office or a partner outlet with an ID document; to register the number, reply to the SMS from 607 and complete biometric verification via the link.
• Tele2/Altel — eSIM in the app in about 5 minutes.

Source: beeline.kz [1], beeline.kz [2], kcell.kz [3], tele2.kz [4]

If you use your own foreign SIM card in roaming — no. If you put a Kazakhstani SIM in your phone, the device must be registered: Beeline — *693# and your passport number, Kcell/activ — *660*1*passport number#, Tele2/Altel — *6914*3# or at a mobile phone shop. You can check IMEI status at imei.rfs.gov.kz.

Source: business.beeline.kz [1], altel.kz [2], beeline.kz [3], kcell.kz [4], tele2.kz [5]

Since 24 March 2025, new devices brought into the country after that date go through a state IMEI check. Devices on the “grey list” work for 30 days — during that time the owner must confirm the device was imported legally. So it's best to register a phone with a Kazakhstani SIM with the operator right away.

Source: gov.kz

The metro runs from 06:20 to 00:00 and has 11 stations — from Raiymbek Batyr to B. Momyshuly. A single token costs 120 ₸ (children aged 7–15 — 60 ₸, under 7 — free). You can pay in cash, by bank card at the terminal, with an ONAY! card or with a QR code from the ONAY! app, which is generated without internet.

Source: metroalmaty.kz [1], metroalmaty.kz [2], metroalmaty.kz [3], metroalmaty.kz [4], onay.kz [5]

The fare is 120 ₸; buses haven't accepted cash since 3 August 2024. Options: an ONAY! card (tap it on the terminal), a QR code in the ONAY! app (where you can also get a free virtual card), or an SMS with the terminal code to 9909. On routes 51, 117, 219, 221, 228, 234 and 258 you can pay by bank card and via the Avtobys app since 4 March 2026.

Source: gov.kz [1], onay.kz [2], gov.kz [3]

At Karavan kiosks, at the airport, at Almaty-1 railway station and at ONAY! service centres. The “Unified” (Edinaya) card costs 800 ₸, a ride is 120 ₸, a monthly pass is 9900 ₸; the balance doesn't expire. You can do without a plastic card by using a virtual card in the app.

Source: onay.kz [1], onay.kz [2]

Yandex Go and inDrive operate in Almaty. Yandex Go's Economy fare: minimum 400 ₸ (3 minutes and 1 km), then no more than 58 ₸/km and 27 ₸/min; prices may rise at peak demand. In inDrive the passenger proposes the price; payment in cash, via Halyk or Kaspi.

Source: taxi.yandex.kz [1], indrive.com [2]

The metro's 24-hour hotline: +7 727 396 85 85.

Source: metroalmaty.kz

It depends on your goal. The warmest months are July (average +23.7 °C) and August (+22.6 °C); September is milder (+17.3 °C) and the driest (28 mm of precipitation). The rainiest are April and May. In winter the average temperature is below zero, and the season at the ski resorts is in winter.

Source: kazhydromet.kz

Average monthly temperature in Almaty (1991–2020 norms):

• January −6.1 °C, February −4.3 °C, March +2.7 °C
• April +11.2 °C, May +16.5 °C, June +21.1 °C
• July +23.7 °C, August +22.6 °C, September +17.3 °C
• October +9.8 °C, November +1.5 °C, December −4.0 °C

It's colder in the mountains than in the city — bring warm clothes even in summer.

Source: kazhydromet.kz

The most in April (112 mm) and May (99 mm), the least in September (28 mm) and August (34 mm). About 673 mm per year.

Source: kazhydromet.kz

Yes. Entry fees are set in MCI (monthly calculation index; in 2026, 1 MCI = 4325 ₸), with no separate price for foreigners; pensioners, people with disabilities and preschool children don't pay.

• Charyn Canyon — 0.2 MCI per person per day (865 ₸), passenger car — 0.7 MCI; pay in Kaspi, by QR or in Homebank.
• Kolsai and Kaindy — 0.2 MCI per person (865 ₸), car — 0.7 MCI; tickets online on the park's website.
• Ile-Alatau National Park (Big Almaty Lake, the gorges above the city) — 0.15 MCI per person (about 649 ₸), car — 0.3 MCI; pay at eco-posts via Kaspi.
• Altyn-Emel — 0.2 MCI per person, car — 0.9 MCI; pay at the ticket office in Basshi or in Almaty, or in Kaspi.

More in the Nature section.

Source: charyn-park.kz [1], kolsai-koldery.kz [2], ile-alatau.kz [3], ile-alatau.kz [4], altynemel-park.kz [5]

Keep your ticket until the end of your visit. You may not drive off roads and trails, light fires or set up barbecues outside equipped areas, pitch tents outside designated sites, or leave litter. Organised hikes follow established routes, as agreed with the park administration.

Source: ile-alatau.kz

The park has 4 tourist routes with a total length of 30.5 km: “Charyn Ash Grove”, “Charyn Canyon — Valley of Castles”, “Burial Grounds and Kurgans” and “Temirlik — Small Canyon”. Trips are in the tour catalogue.

Source: gov.kz

Two big resorts: Shymbulak, right above the city (gondola up from Medeu, runs up to Talgar Pass), and Oi-Qaragai, a 40-minute drive away (10-seat gondola up to 2140 m, 26 runs). All places are in the Winter section.

Resorts announce the opening date of the 2026/27 season depending on snow. At Shymbulak the lifts operate from 2 November after maintenance; last season the technical opening was on 26 November 2025. Oi-Qaragai season ski passes are valid until 31 March 2027.

Source: shymbulak.com [1], shymbulak.com [2], oiqaragai.com [3]

Go to the lower gondola station by the Medeu ice rink, then take the Medeu–Shymbulak gondola. Until 30 November 2026 the road to the resort is closed to cars, so the gondola is the only way up.

Source: shymbulak.com

At Shymbulak the main rental is at the lower Medeu gondola station; at Oi-Qaragai, at the lower AQTAS station. In the city there are the rental shops Extremal (a set from 4500 ₸ per day) and Free Life (from 4000 ₸). Rental requires an ID document or a deposit.

Source: shymbulak.com [1], extremal.kz [2], free-life.kz [3]

According to Oi-Qaragai, its instructors speak Kazakh, Russian, English, Arabic and other languages. Shymbulak doesn't list teaching languages on its website — ask when booking.

Source: oiqaragai.com

Yes. Heliski.kz runs one-day heli-skiing in the mountains near Almaty: the forest zone in winter, glaciers in spring and summer; up to six descents a day, groups of 4–16 people, guides in English and Russian, from €1100 per day. A cheaper alternative is snowcat freeride in Karkara (from 68 000 ₸). Freeride is off-piste — discuss your level, equipment and insurance with the operator.

Source: heliski.kz [1], kantengri.kz [2]

No, Medeu is closed for reconstruction — according to the Almaty akimat (city administration), the work is planned to be completed in Q4 2027. The Shymbulak gondola next to it is running.

Source: gov.kz

Yes. At the Abai Opera and Ballet Theatre, operas are performed in the original language with subtitles in Kazakh, Russian and English, and ballet and concerts need no translation. Tickets are sold via the button on the performance page on the theatre's official website.

Source: abaykazntob.kz

It varies: the Auezov Theatre — Kazakh (the playbill has a language filter), the Lermontov Theatre — Russian, Zhas Sakhna and the German Theatre state the language for each performance, the Uyghur Theatre — Uyghur. Opera, ballet, circus and concerts work without the language. Details are on the theatre pages.

The National Central Museum offers foreigners a ticket with a guided overview tour in English (10 000 ₸). The Ykhlas Museum has an English audio guide via izi.travel. At the Almaty Museum of Arts the media guide is free on your own phone. See the Museums section.

Source: csmrk.kz [1], gov.kz [2], almaty.art [3]

At the National Central Museum — 5000 ₸ (all halls, no guide) or 10 000 ₸ with a guided overview tour. At the Almaty Museum of Arts — 3000 ₸, with no separate price for foreigners. The Kasteyev Museum has a separate rate for foreigners — check the museum's website.

Source: csmrk.kz [1], almaty.art [2], nmirk.kz [3]

Each has its own day off: the Central Museum — Tuesday, the Kasteyev Museum and the Almaty Museum of Arts — Monday (Kasteyev also closes on the last day of the month), Tselinny — Monday, the Ykhlas Museum — Monday. Check the official website before your visit.

Source: csmrk.kz [1], nmirk.kz [2], almaty.art [3], tselinny.org [4], almatymuseum.kz [5]

The theatre's website accepts only Visa/Mastercard issued by Kazakhstani banks for online purchases. With a foreign card, buy at the box office (weekdays 10:00–19:00, weekends 10:00–18:00).

Source: tl.kz

A Russian banya is a steam room with high humidity, often with a venik (a leafy broom); a hammam is a Turkish bath with warm steam; spa complexes combine baths and pools. The Baths and Saunas section lists 17 places in Almaty with prices and opening hours; book directly with the venue — websites and booking are usually in Russian or Kazakh.

Alcohol is not sold to people under 21. Shops don't sell it from 23:00 to 08:00, and drinks stronger than 30% from 21:00 to 12:00; this doesn't apply to restaurants, bars and cafés. Drinking on the street and in other public places is prohibited — the fine is 5 MCI (monthly calculation index), about 21 600 ₸ in 2026.

Source: adilet.zan.kz [1], adilet.zan.kz [2]

Smoking (including heated tobacco and hookah) is banned in cafés and restaurants outside designated areas, in museums, theatres, nightclubs, on public transport and in taxis, at airports and stations outside equipped areas, at stops, on playgrounds and in underpasses. The fine is 15 MCI (monthly calculation index). Selling vapes and liquids, as well as importing and transporting them for sale, is prohibited.

Source: adilet.zan.kz [1], adilet.zan.kz [2]

Only after registering the drone with the authorised civil aviation organisation. Drones up to 1.5 kg may fly in daytime, within visual line of sight, at up to 50 m (in controlled airspace) or up to 200 m (in uncontrolled airspace). You may not fly over densely populated areas without permission (for drones from 0.25 kg), within 8 km of an airfield, or within 100 m of people, vehicles and buildings. Drones are prohibited near military facilities — the fine is 15 MCI (monthly calculation index).

Source: adilet.zan.kz [1], adilet.zan.kz [2]

There's no general ban; amateur photography is allowed in national parks. You may not take photos or film in the restricted zone around military arsenals, bases and depots — the fine is 15 MCI (monthly calculation index).

Source: adilet.zan.kz [1], ile-alatau.kz [2]

The MCI (monthly calculation index) is the unit used to calculate fines, fees and thresholds. In 2026, 1 MCI = 4325 ₸.

Source: adilet.zan.kz

Since 2020, foreigners enter the border zone with an identity document — no separate permit is needed. You must carry your passport with you at all times.

Source: adilet.zan.kz

The single emergency number is 112 (fire, police, ambulance). Also available: 101 — fire service, 102 — police, 103 — ambulance, 104 — gas emergency service.

Source: gov.kz [1], gov.kz [2]

Call 112 — a search and rescue operation will be organised. In Almaty there are an Emergency Situations Ministry unit and the akimat's Rescue Service; there are 18 huts with emergency kits in the mountains, and checkpoint-rescue posts in the Big and Small Almaty gorges. If you're travelling with a tour company, it is obliged to report the incident to the authorities, your family and your consulate.

Source: gov.kz [1], adilet.zan.kz [2]

Almaty Tourism Department: Baizakov St, 303, helpline 8 (727) 394-85-18, u.tourism@almaty.gov.kz (Mon–Fri 08:30–18:00). The national tourism portal kazakhstan.travel lists a support line, +7 (7172) 39-99-56.

Source: gov.kz [1], kazakhstan.travel [2]

Almaty Su says it monitors drinking water quality in its own laboratory, but doesn't say directly whether it can be drunk unboiled. For tourists it's simpler to drink bottled or boiled water.

Source: almatysu.kz

Choose your departure city and dates — we'll show only tours that run on those days. Booking and payment are on the organiser's or partner platform's website; the link is on the tour page. We show the source of every offer.

Partner platforms (Tripster, Sputnik8) work in Russian: booking and messaging with the guide are in Russian. The tour language is stated on the tour page. If you need an English-speaking guide, see private tours and check with the organiser.

The most popular day trips are Charyn Canyon (about 200 km), Big Almaty Lake, Kolsai and Kaindy, and the Turgen and Issyk gorges. Ready-made itineraries are in the article Almaty in 1, 3 and 5 days.

On a group tour you travel with a mixed group on a fixed schedule — it's cheaper. A private tour is just your party, at your own pace and departure time; the price is usually per car or per group. You can switch the format in the catalogue.