The Perfect Week in Almaty

A visit to the Medeu ice rink at an altitude of 1691 meters, the highest-altitude stadium in the world. Skating happens here in winter; in summer, the cool mountain amphitheater invites a walk along the dam, with views of the gorge. In the first half of the day, a ride up to the Shymbulak mountain resort (2260 m) on a three-stage cable car; the climb to 3200 meters takes 25 minutes and opens a full panorama of the Ile Alatau. Shymbulak is a ski and snowboard resort in winter, and a place for hikes and cafes with views in summer. Closer to lunch, a ride up to Kok-Tobe by cable car (1070 m), the city’s signature lookout point. Almaty lies spread out below, with the Alatau mountains behind you; sunset is especially striking, when the peaks turn pink and the lights of the metropolis come on in the valley. Return to Almaty by evening.

An early start from Almaty, around 06:00. Descent into Charyn Canyon and a walk through the “Valley of Castles”, a 2–3 km stretch of the 154-kilometer canyon where the midday sun melts the cliffs into copper. The trail follows the river between jagged towers. In the late morning, a look at Moon Canyon, a valley next to Charyn with gray and bluish rock formations. Around midday, a visit to Black Canyon with volcanic walls and narrow passages, a dark palette in contrast to red Charyn. In the afternoon, a walk around the first Kolsai Lake (1818 m), a turquoise surface surrounded by ancient Tien Shan spruces; the lake is quiet and trout swim near the shore. In the late afternoon, a visit to Kaindy Lake, formed after the 1911 earthquake. Spruce trunks rise from the water like masts of a sunken fleet; the turquoise water between them is one of Kazakhstan’s most recognizable images. Return to Almaty late at night. This is a very long day of about 14–15 hours, much of it on the road.

In the first half of the day, a trek to Bear Waterfall in Turgen Gorge, 30 meters high, the roar of water, a rainbow in the spray, and a coolness you can feel a hundred steps before the cascade itself. Around midday, lunch at a trout farm beside the mountain river, with fresh grilled fish. In the afternoon, a visit to Issyk Lake (1756 m), with conifer-covered slopes and clear water; the Saka royal burial mounds, where the Golden Man was found, are in the town of Esik (Issyk) down the valley. Return to Almaty by evening.

In the morning, an immersion in nomadic culture at “Hunny” ethno-village, a reconstruction of Kazakh daily life 70 km from the city. Among the yurts you can eat beshbarmak cooked over an open fire, watch horseback performances, and hear the nomads’ musical instruments; the village also shows a falconry demonstration with a berkut. In the afternoon, back in Almaty, a visit to the Central State Museum, Kazakhstan’s main cultural and historical complex. One hall is dedicated to the Golden Man, the others to ethnography and Bronze Age archaeology.

A morning walk through Alma-Arasan Gorge, with a mineral thermal spring, a mountain stream, and paths beside the cascades under a conifer canopy. Next, a stop at the Ayusai eco-park in the Little Almaty Gorge, with wooden boardwalks and alpine flowers. Closer to lunch, a trip to Big Almaty Lake (2511 m), a turquoise reservoir high above the city. The water changes from aquamarine to deep turquoise depending on the clouds; photo spots are along both shores and at the high lookout. Return to Almaty by evening.

A walk through Panfilov Park, a shady green area in the city center with the memorial to the 28 Panfilov Guardsmen, who fell near Moscow in 1941. Old oaks, quiet alleys, the sound of bells, and a glimpse of old Alma-Ata inside the modern city. In the morning, a visit to the Zenkov Cathedral of 1907, one of the tallest wooden churches in the world, built without a single nail; it came through the 1911 earthquake that destroyed much of the city. Inside is a late-19th-century iconostasis, and the golden domes rise 56 meters outside. Toward lunch, a stop at the Eternal Flame in Panfilov Park, a memorial composition of granite, fire, and silence in memory of the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War. Around lunchtime, a visit to the Green Bazaar, operating since 1875, a true Eastern market with mountains of dried apricots and raisins, rows of kazy and shuzhuk (horse sausage), barrels of jailau honey, and friendly vendors who let you taste everything before buying. After lunch, a short stop at the signature Rahat chocolate store, the oldest Kazakh brand, with gift boxes in 1970s design, a handy place for gifts to take home. In the afternoon, a visit to the TSUM, a Soviet department store on Zhibek Zholy, where you can still find souvenirs, felt goods, and local clothing at a good price. Later, a tour of the Ykhlas Museum of Folk Musical Instruments, with a collection of 1200 dombras, kobyz, and zhetygens, where the guide plays a kui, a piece of Kazakh instrumental music best heard live. In the evening, a photo stop at the Kazakhstan Hotel, a 25-story building from the late 1970s with a huge smalt mosaic on the facade, a classic example of Almaty Soviet modernism.