How do you get to Almaty?
Getting There9.7/10Among the 5% easiest cities to reach
- Main airport
- Almaty International Airport (ALA)
Updated September 2026 · Sources cited: turkishairlines.com, flightconnections.com
Good to know
Good to Know
- Almaty airport sits within city limits. Bus route 79 is the most frequent and reliable for budget travelers (every 6 min, 05:00-22:30).
- Official taxi (Blue Sky Taxi) offers transparent 9,000 KZT fixed fare; avoid unofficial taxis at the terminal without agreement on price beforehand.
- Yandex Go (local ride-hailing app) is cheaper and more transparent than street taxis; requires local SIM or international mobile number.
- For rail travel, Almaty-2 (central location) is the main hub; buy tickets online, at travel agencies, or at booking offices around town rather than at the station counter.
- Direct Moscow-Almaty train was discontinued in 2017; currently must route via Astana or Saratov.
- Most day trips to natural areas (Charyn Canyon, Kolsai Lakes) require a few hours of driving; organized tours or car rental recommended.
- Public transport smart card (Onay) available at airport, railway stations, and metro; cheaper than cash single tickets.
- Metro covers only limited routes; buses and trolleybuses are primary city transport. Dedicated bus lanes help during rush hours.
- For shared taxis to Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), depart from outside Sairan station; some will not cross the border, so confirm beforehand.
Bus Connections
Main Stations
- Sairan (long-distance, west of city)
- Sayakhat (shorter routes, near central mosque)
Major Intercity Routes
Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan)
- Frequency
- Multiple daily from Sairan
- Travel time
- 5 hours
- Cost Shared Taxi
- KZT 3,500
Taldykorgan
- Frequency
- Regular
- Travel time
- 4 hours
Shymkent
- Frequency
- Daily
- Cost Range
- KZT 1,500
- Travel time
- 13 hours
Rail Connections
- Main Station
- Almaty-2
- Stations Count
- 2
- Secondary Station
- Almaty-1 (20 minutes drive northeast)
Major Routes
Astana
- Frequency
- Twice daily (High Speed) + 4x weekly (regular)
- Cost Range
- KZT 10,500
- Travel time
- 16 hours
- Note
- Estimated mid-range from 21-27 USD range cited
Tashkent (Uzbekistan)
- Frequency
- Twice weekly (Talgo direct)
- Cost Range
- KZT 15,000
- Travel time
- 16 hours
- Note
- Direct Talgo train, much faster than older routes
Moscow (Via Saratov)
- Frequency
- Every 2 days
- Travel time
- 48 hours
- Note
- No longer direct; route via Saratov available
Urumqi (China)
- Frequency
- Suspended
- Travel time
- 30 hours
- Note
- Direct train no longer runs post-pandemic; alternative via Dostyk border
Commuter Towns (Boralday, Aqsengir, Chemolgan)
- Frequency
- Daily elektrichka
- Travel time
- 1 hour
- Note
- Local commuter trains
Day Trips From Almaty
Big Almaty Lake
- Access
- Bus to end point, then short hike or private taxi for final km
- Distance Km
- 20
- Travel Time Hours
- 1
Medeu (Ice Skating Rink & Skiing)
- Access
- Bus from city center
- Distance Km
- 10
- Travel Time Hours
- 0.5
Shymbulak Ski Resort
- Access
- Bus to Medeu, then cable car or further transport
- Distance Km
- 15
- Travel Time Hours
- 1
Huns Ethno Village (Talgar)
- Access
- Car hire or guided tour
- Distance Km
- 48
- Travel Time Hours
- 1.5
Assy Plateau & Observatory
- Access
- Car hire or guided tour
- Distance Km
- 30
- Travel Time Hours
- 1.5
Charyn Canyon
- Access
- Multi-day organized tour or car hire
- Distance Km
- 200
- Travel Time Hours
- 3
Kolsai Lakes & Kaindy Lake
- Access
- Car hire, shared taxi from Sayakhat, or guided tour
- Distance Km
- 300
- Travel Time Hours
- 4
Airport Ground Transport
Bus (Route 79 & 3)
- Cost
- KZT 80
- Frequency
- Route 79 every 6 min (05:00-22:30); Route 3 every 45 min (22:00-06:00)
- Duration Minutes
- 30
Bus (Route 86)
- Frequency
- 06:00-23:30
- Duration Minutes
- 30
Official Taxi (Blue Sky Taxi)
- Cost
- KZT 9,000
- Frequency
- 24 hours, ~5 min wait
- Duration Minutes
- 30
- Note
- Fixed fare to anywhere in Almaty city, payment by card/QR/terminal
Informal Taxi
- Cost
- KZT 3,500
- Frequency
- 24 hours
- Duration Minutes
- 30
- Note
- Negotiable range 2500-4000 KZT based on route and bargaining
Yandex Go (Ride-hailing)
- Frequency
- 24 hours
- Duration Minutes
- 30
- Note
- Cheaper than official taxis, app-based with fixed pricing; local SIM recommended
Metro
- Fare
- KZT 100
- Status
- Operating
- Stations
- 37
- Line Count
- 1
- Note
- Minimal metro coverage; bus/trolleybus primary for city transport
Airport
- Name
- Almaty International Airport (ALA)
- IATA Code
- ALA
- Icao Code
- UAAA
- Terminals
- 2
- Distance From Center Km
- 18
- Accessible From Center By
- Bus (routes 79, 3, 86), Taxi, Yandex Go
Key Airlines
- Air Astana
- FlyArystan
- Scat Air
- China Southern
- Pegasus
- Azimuth Airlines
AI-generated estimateData refreshed September 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this getting there & away research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
- 1.turkishairlines.com
- 2.flightconnections.com
- 3.en.wikipedia.org
- 4.en.wikipedia.org
- 5.welcome.kz
- 6.en.wikipedia.org
- 7.rome2rio.com
- 8.rome2rio.com
- 9.nomadicmatt.com
- 10.seat61.com
- 11.caravanistan.com
- 12.caravanistan.com
- 13.eurasia.travel
- 14.eurasia.travel
- 15.flypgs.com
- 16.alatransit.kz
- 17.getyourguide.com
- 18.thrillophilia.com
- 19.lonelyplanet.com
- 20.tripadvisor.com
- 21.meganstarr.com
- 22.justgoexploring.com
- 23.nextjourneyahead.com
- 24.rootsabroadtravel.com
- 25.mytravelation.com
- 26.secretflying.com
- 27.taxibazaar.in
- 28.tripadvisor.com
More About Almaty
Data last updated September 2026 · Verify anything important.