The 15 Best City Tours in Almaty

1.City tour and Medeu, Shymbulak and Kok-Tobe

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 163 reviews · 11 hours · from $49Our pick

Spend a full day moving from Almaty’s mountain viewpoints to its markets and historic center. You’ll visit Medeu, ride the cable car to Shymbulak, explore Panfilov Park and Zenkov Cathedral, shop at Green Bazaar and Rahat Chocolate, then finish at Kok-Tobe. English and Russian guides may include Alina, Dilnaz, Zhanna, or Zhibek.

“Amazing alina! Thank you so much for making my trip unforgettable. Amazing tour friendly guide. Thank you so much 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻😊😊😊”

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2.Big Almaty Lake Roundtrip Transfer and Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 110 reviews · 4 hours · from $69

This four-hour Panda Travel outing takes you from central Almaty to Big Almaty Lake, 2,511 meters above sea level, without a long hike. English or Russian-speaking guides such as Adam, Karina, Ice, Rustam, and Ais share local stories while you enjoy mountain scenery, pine forests, photo stops, and an eco taxi ride to the lake.

“Even though the lake was frozen when we visited, the beauty was still unbelievable. The ice shimmered under the mountains, and it felt like we were standing inside a postcard. What made it even better was Karina, she didn’t just guide us, she made the whole day feel personal. She shared stories, made sure we were comfortable, and gave us space to really take in the moment. Karina’s energy and care turned this into more than just a tour. It felt like spending the day with a friend who loves her city and wants you to love it too.”

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3.Almaty city tour and Medeu-Shymbulak-Koktobe-Green Bazar

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 65 reviews · from $49

Spend 10 to 11 hours exploring Almaty and the Trans-Ili Alatau foothills with an English-speaking guide. You’ll visit Medeu, ride toward Shymbulak, browse Green Bazaar, see Zenkov Cathedral, and finish at Kok-Tobe. Guides such as Anel and Dilnaz are noted for clear planning and attentive service. Lunch and personal expenses are extra.

“The tour is the definitely worth the price. Ms. Anel was such a terrific tour guide. She looked after all of us and was really trying her best to accommodate our needs. She kept on roaming around the tourist places checking on us every now anRead more”

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4.Private Full Day Almaty City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · from $200Top rated

Spend 7 to 8 hours touring Almaty with a private guide, stopping at mountain viewpoints, Medeu skating rink, Shymbulak, Kok Tobe, Panfilov Park, Ascension Cathedral, Zeleny Bazar, and the Rakhat candy shop. Guides such as Alina and Assel add clear explanations and practical help, while lunch and entrance fees are included.

“Alina was great. She communicated clearly of what to expect and gave us a lot of information of the sites. full of history and detail of each places we visited. Lunch was excellent at Navat. We visited all the places listed and maximized our timRead more”

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5.City Highlights Walking Tour with Chocolate Shop

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 34 reviews · from $20Best value

Spend 2 to 3 hours walking through Almaty with guides such as Aika or Fariza. Visit the Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen, Zenkov Cathedral, the city’s war memorials, Zeleniy Bazaar, and Rakhat Lotte Chocolate Shop. Local food, horse or camel milk tasting, wine, and lunch are available for an added fee.

“Our walking tour of Almaty with Fariza was a fantastic experience. She was extremely knowledgeable, cheerful, and patient—making sure everyone in the group felt included and had a great time. One of the highlights was exploring the local market with her; she helped us navigate the stalls, explained what we were seeing, and even assisted us with shopping. It was a great way to experience the city through a local’s perspective. If you're visiting Almaty, I highly recommend taking a tour with Fariza!”

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6.City Tour with Mountain Visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 26 reviews

See Almaty’s main sights with a private English- or Russian-speaking guide, then ride toward Medeu and Shymbulak. You’ll visit Zenkov Cathedral, Green Bazaar, 28 Panfilov Square, Presidents Park, and more. Guides such as Sergey and Igor can shape the day around your interests, though cable-car tickets and attraction fees may cost extra.

“Very nice tour! You will see both the main Almaty sights and go up to Shymbulak mounting - 3 200 metres above the sea level!”

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7.Almaty city & Shymbulak tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · from $40

Spend about nine hours with an English-speaking guide and a small group of up to 15 people. Ride the cable car to Shymbulak’s 3,200-meter summit, then visit Almaty’s old center, Arbat Street, Panfilov Park, Ascension Cathedral, Green Bazaar, and the Rakhat chocolate shop. Cable tickets and lunch cost extra.

“Ski resort was excellent as was lunch. We had a really great guide too. Didn’t need as long around the city. I’d recommend this tour for the reaort”

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8.Almaty Original City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 22 reviews · from $137

Walk through central Almaty with an English-speaking guide such as Chris or Chingis. In about two hours, you’ll see Panfilov Park, the Holy Ascension Cathedral, Green Bazaar, Arbat Street, Panfilov Street, and Abai Opera House. Groups are capped at 10, with a flexible return walk to the starting point if needed.

“Although it was hot, the tour was really enjoyable, interesting and informative. The tour guide certainly knew his stuff and provided a wealth of historical and cultural information about Almaty and Kazakhstan in general. Also, there was interesting info provided on the sites and streets that we saw. I am glad we attended this tour.”

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9.Almaty city tour. Shymbulak, Koktobe, Green market, Park 28 Panfilov’s guardsmen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · from $60

See Almaty from two heights, Shymbulak Ski Resort and Koktobe Hill, then explore Panfilov Park, Ascension Cathedral, Green Bazaar, and the city center. A guide such as Gulzat, Lana, Diana, or Gulzhat leads the small group. The $60 price covers transport and guiding, but not lunch or Shymbulak’s $15 cable car.

“I had the lovliest tour with Diana! The company was great, really efficient and superb with their communication; I was contacted the day before to confirm timings and pick up, then again on the morning of the tour, so I felt comfortable thaRead more”

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10.Almaty city tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 19 reviews · from $137

Start with hotel pickup and explore Almaty with a private guide, often Dastan, Tschingis, or Minara. Visit Panfilov Park, the Central Mosque, Medeu skating rink, and Kok-Tobe Hill. The route can be adjusted, and the tour works best as a first-day orientation, though four hours leaves limited time at some stops.

“Overall the tour checks the boxes, that is it. Medeo skating: longish drive and then a glimpse of the skating arena from a distance, that's it. Kok Tobe Hill: the only thing worthwhile here is to have a decent view of the city from the top. There's Read more”

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11.Almaty city, Medeu, Shymbulak, Green Bazaar,Panfilov & Cathedral

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · from $44

Spend six hours moving from Almaty’s mountain edge to its city center. Ride toward Shymbulak at 3,200 meters, see Medeu, visit Republic Square, Panfilov Park, Ascension Cathedral, and the Green Bazaar. An English-speaking guide, air-conditioned transport, and bottled water are included. Cable-car tickets and lunch cost extra.

“Good tour with small group. Guide was helpful. Only shymbulak and green Bazar to enjoy. Other places other itinerary are just other road like republic square, not really worth visiting”

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12.Almaty City Tour: A Journey Through Culture, History, and Nature

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $144

Spend 5 to 9 hours exploring Almaty by private, air-conditioned vehicle with a local guide. Visit the Green Bazaar, Rakhat chocolate shop, Orthodox cathedral, Panfilov Park, Arbat, Kok Tobe, Medeu, or Shymbulak. Guides such as Nursultan, Nur, Sutan, and Dimash can adjust the route to your interests.

“Nursultan is our guide for this tour. Nur is very friendly and take care everything to guarantee we enjoy our trip.”

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13.Guided Walking City Tour in Almaty

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 5 reviews · from $60

Start at Almaty’s Zhibek Zholy metro station and walk through Panfilov Street, Stalin-era buildings, old schools, Panfilov Park, and the Green Bazaar. Your private guide connects Silk Road history, Soviet city planning, earthquakes, water systems, and local architecture during a roughly three-hour tour. Pickup is offered, but the listed meeting point is the station.

“It was basically a tour about architecture and very little else. Was not what I expected from the tour description.”

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14.Almaty City Bike Tour: Guided e-Bike Tour of City Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $60

Ride an electric bike through Almaty with a local guide, stopping at Kok Tobe Hill, Ascension Cathedral, and Green Bazaar. Dulat’s engaging stories cover local history, legends, and daily life. The 2.5-hour tour costs $60, includes wireless audio, and is limited to three people.

“This tour is a can’t miss! In just 2.5 hours, we experienced a fantastic journey through the heart of the city, thanks to our nice and knowledgeable guide, Dulat. His storytelling was full of fascinating history, cultural insights, and fun anecdotes tRead more”

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15.Almaty City Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 4 reviews · from $67

Start near Almaty’s Central State Museum at 11:30 a.m. and explore the city on foot with a guide, sometimes including Gulmira. You’ll visit Panfilov Park, the Central Mosque, Green Bazaar, Arbat Street, Republic Square, Ascension Cathedral, and Arasan Wellness & SPA. Expect about three hours, a group of up to 15, and plenty of street crossings.

“Tour was ok but lacking in in-depth detail; could have extended the walk by one hour (tour lasted 2.5 hrs including more than 20 minute wait for the guide whilst she was in the bank) for more information & more sites. Compared to other walkiRead more”

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