Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan and served as the capital of the state in its various forms from 1929 to 1997. In 1997, the government relocated the capital to Astana (renamed as Nursultan) in the north of the country and about 12 hours away by train. Even though it is no longer the capital of Kazakhstan, Almaty continues as the major commercial and cultural centre of Kazakhstan, as well as its most population of 1,801,713 people, about 8% of the country's total population and most cosmopolitan city.

Almaty is also known as the “City of Apple Trees” and acts as the Central Asian cultural hub. The city is located in the mountainous area of southern Kazakhstan in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau at an elevation of 700–900 metres (2,300–3,000 feet). Besides that, the city has been part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the area of music since November 2017. Besides, Almaty also was the host for a 1978 international conference on Primary Health Care where the Alma Ata Declaration was adopted, marking a paradigm shift in global public health.

Airports in Almaty

1. Almaty International Airport

It is the largest international airport in Kazakhstan situated about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northeast of Almaty. In 2012, the airport handled 4,003,004 passengers, including 1,997,570 arriving passengers, and 2,005,434 departing passengers. The airport was built in 1935, for all small civil/military flying ships.

How to Get Cheap Flights to Almaty?

Traveloka is the best travel internet site for travelers to find the low-priced flights to Almaty. The simple step needed is to enter the information in the search box and the application will recommend the ultimate trip according to your budget. It also compares flight prices given by trusted airlines to help you to get the best deal. To get your preferred price range, you can use Traveloka's price alert feature to be notified of flights to get the best flight price to Almaty.

When is the Best Time to Fly to Almaty?

The best time to fly to Almaty between June to September when the temperature remains moderate and it also a pleasant sightseeing opportunity to the tourists. April is the wettest month and snow falls during December making it ideal for skating and skiing.

What are the Top 3 Things to Do in Almaty?

1. Central State Museum - The Central State Museum is one of the biggest museums in Central Asia dated back in the 1930s of the 19th century in Orenburg. It is collections of 3 existing museums which are the Museum of Semirechye region, the Cossack Army and the Republican Anti-Religious Committee museums were added to the main collections of the Central State Museum. This museum was built in 1904-1907 by a well-known architect from Verny – A.P. Zenkov. Currently, the collection of the Central State Museum consists of more than 300, 000 artifacts of worldly and religious heritage. The museum features 7 main exhibition halls and each hall consists of the paleontology and archaeology collections, artifacts from more than 300 sites from all over Kazakhstan in the paleontology collection on display, rich osteological materials, various fragments of petrified trees, remain of insects and fish imprints, microscopic endospores and plant pollen from million years ago. This museum is open daily from 9:30 am – 5:30 pm and closed on Tuesdays. The entrance fee to the Museum costs 100 Tenge or 13.60 pesos to see all of the General Exhibits which includes Archaeology section, An Ethnography section, Exposition of the Independence of Kazakhstan section and also the History and Diaspora Exposition Section. However, some sections required an extra admission fee.

2. Kunaev House Museum -Located at the centre of the city, Kunaev House museum was founded in the house of the late political figure, diplomat, academic, thrice Hero of Socialist Labor, Dinmukhamed Akhmedovich Kunaev in November of 2001. It was opened officially on the day of his 90th anniversary in January of 2002. The purpose of this museum is to commemorate his name forever due to his significant merits and endless contribution to the development of Kazakhstan and Almaty city.

3. First President Park -The First President Park is a massive park located about a 15-20 minute bus ride from the city center. You can find beautifully landscaped wooded areas and wide sidewalks. It is a peaceful place and many visitors come for a picnic and even hold various celebrations such as birthdays and weddings. There are wedding parties every weekend and this celebration is the norm at Kazakhstan.