48 Hours In Almaty Kazakhstan – Travel Guide And Video

Kazakhstan is not the most touristic destination. And I think that’s exactly why I wanted to visit Almaty in a weekend. To debunk some Borat myths.

I hope my video can give you a bit of an idea what to expect. Some extra info about all the places I visited:

Kok Tobe

Kok Tobe is a mountain that offers an incredible view over the city. There is also a Ferris wheel and a small theme park.
Getting there is quite easy. Next to Kazakhstan Hotel there is a cable car that will take you all the way to the the top.

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Panfilovets’ Park (Central Park)

I had never seen Soviet monuments so this was quite an interesting sight for me.

Zenkov Cathedral

 

Central Mosque

 

Green Bazaar

A local market not far from the cathedral and the mosque. It gives you an idea about what the locals like to eat.

 

Medeu

A huge outdoor ice skating rink. There was no ice when I visited but it’s still quite impressive to see. And it’s on the way to the Shymbulak Ski resort.

Shymbulak

A ski resort which is even worth a visit when the slopes are closed. It’s perfect to relax for a few hours when the sun is out. I tried horse meat medallion in a restaurant called Chalet with a backdrop of snowy mountains.

Weekend goals: having horse meat in Shymbulak, Kazakhstan 🐴🍽

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Almaty Metro

I just took a ride to explore the stations which are all quite impressive and monumental.

A dressed up goat in a restaurant

If you want to enjoy some food & drinks while seeing a dressed up goat walking around then you can visit Manana restaurant.

First President’s Park

I didn’t have time to visit this one but apparently it’s a cool urban park which also hosts the yearly ‘Almaty – my first love” festival.

Dostyk Plaza

I skipped this local mall but if you have some spare time it might be worth to check it out.

Food & Drinks

• Kok Tobe restaurant is perfect for a coffee with a view, next to the cable car
• Chalet at Shymbulak where you can try horse meat
• Kazakh Aul, traditional food in traditional huts
• China Gold, Asian food & Karaoke in a fancy trendy interior
• Kinobar, another trendy bar
• Barmaglot, another stylish bar