Almaty completely stole my heart. I loved this clean, safe and relaxed city, with its wide avenues, countless cafés with outdoor terraces, and the stunning mountains surrounding it. It is one of those places that immediately feels welcoming, and I already know I want to come back.

Discovering Almaty on foot

After two excellent flights with Turkish Airlines (definitely one of my favourite airlines!) I arrived in Almaty early in the morning, well before check-in time. Rather than waiting around, I spent the day exploring the city on foot and ended up walking more than 20 kilometres.

My itinerary:

• Cable car up to Kot Kobe hill and its TV tower
• Walk down on the Tropa Zdorov’ya path 
• Continue walking to Terrenkur, a walking trail along the Malaya Almatinka River
• Left on Satpaev street to the Republic square
• Opera to walk down Panfilov street
• Ascension cathedral
• Arbat
• Almaty Central Mosque
• Green bazaar
• Central park

I was sleeping at the Wanderlust hostel, a nice big house with dorms and private rooms with two spacious shared bathrooms and a lovely garden. They also operate another hostel next to the river that seems very nice.

Altyn Emel national park

One of the highlights of my trip was a 16-hour excursion to Altyn Emel National Park. Since the park is located several hours from Almaty, we were picked up at 5:30 a.m. Nine travellers were divided between two 4WD vehicles. At around €200, the tour wasn’t cheap,  but is definitely 100% recommended! 

• 1st stop: the spectacular Aktau Mountains, often referred to as the “dried ocean”. These colourful canyons were absolutely breathtaking, and I instantly fell in love with the landscape
• 2nd stop: Katutau frozen lava
• Typical lunch made by locals
• Afternoon stop: the singing dune, stretching 1.5 kilometres and rising 120 metres high. It was a windy climb, but the views made every step worthwhile

Bear waterfall and Issyk lake

After debating whether to visit Big Almaty Lake, I eventually opted for another excursion that turned out to be an excellent choice.

The day started with a hike in a national park to reach the beautiful Bear Waterfall. Afterwards, we had a delicious lunch at Shashlychnaya Annushka in Esik.

In the afternoon, we visited the magnificent Issyk Lake, whose striking turquoise waters were simply stunning.

Kolsai and Kaindy lakes and Charyn canyon

The last part of my stay around Almaty was a two-day excursion with about 25 fellow travelers. An absolute must!

Day 1:

• Moon canyon
• Black canyon
• Traditional Kazakh lunch
• Paddling on Kolsay Lake
• Typical food in the evening, followed by karaoke and a bonfire
• Overnight at a yurt camp. We could choose between a room or a traditional yurt with shared bathrooms. I even had an entire yurt to myself.

Day 2:

• Horse riding to the incredible Kaindy Lake, famous for its submerged forest
• Another traditional lunch
• A scenic hike along the rim of Charyn Canyon

Leaving Almaty

Back in the city, I spent my final night at the Kalion Capsule and Boutique Hotel, which was incredibly comfortable.

The next morning, I took an Uber to Almaty-1 railway station and boarded a 16-hour train bound for Turkestan.

All recommendations are mine, no ads.

Trip done in April 2026.