RatedOtels.Com

Almaty Travel Guide: Where to Stay and What to Do

Pace: balanced Mountainous Historic Green Bustling
Ideal trip length
4–8 days
Busiest
May-Sep

Updated September 2026

Almaty

About Almaty

Mountain light, green parks, and Soviet-era avenues give Almaty a lively urban setting. It sits at the foot of the Trans-Ili Alatau in southeastern Kazakhstan.

Visitors pair Ascension Cathedral and Panfilov Park with the Central State Museum, Kok Tobe Hill, and excursions to Big Almaty Lake.

Shymbulak Ski Resort and the surrounding mountains add skiing and summer trails, while local tables feature beshbarmak, lagman, kazy, and baursak; Kazakh and Russian are widely used. Medeu District places mountain access close to the city, whose leafy streets and cultural energy extend into cafés, markets, and Arasan Baths.

Where to stay

Hotels in Almaty

Book direct on our own Almaty hotel pages — no booking fee.

Stay like a local in Almaty

Places to stay in Almaty

Best for

Ranked by verified guest score, then stars. Based on 2,391 of 3,075 hotels with verified data.

Best for families

Family rooms listed · 69 hotels qualify

  1. Guest House on Sadovaya9.6/10 · 60 reviews · 4-star
  2. Qazaq Auyl Eco Hotel9.0/10 · 210 reviews · 5-star
  3. The Ritz-Carlton Almaty9.0/10 · 165 reviews · 5-star
  4. Swissotel Wellness Resort Alatau Almaty9.0/10 · 416 reviews · 4.5-star
  5. Mercure Almaty City Center8.9/10 · 217 reviews · 4-star

Best for drivers

Free parking · 65 hotels qualify

  1. Hostel Viator9.7/10 · 78 reviews
  2. Tenir Eco Hotel Shymbulak Mountain Resort9.2/10 · 125 reviews · 5-star
  3. D'Rami9.2/10 · 259 reviews · 3-star
  4. Apart Hotel LOFT9.1/10 · 101 reviews · 4-star
  5. Opera Apartments Almaty9.0/10 · 155 reviews · 4-star

Best for a pool

Swimming pool listed · 26 hotels qualify

  1. Samal Resort & SPA8.9/10 · 197 reviews · 4-star
  2. Shymbulak Resort Hotel8.7/10 · 361 reviews
  3. Renion Park Hotel8.4/10 · 998 reviews · 4-star
  4. Novotel Almaty City Center8.4/10 · 382 reviews · 4-star
  5. Sadu Hotel Almaty a member of Radisson Individuals8.4/10 · 190 reviews · 3.5-star

Almaty at a glance

Check-in / check-out
2:00 PM / 12:00 PM
Free parking
1,321 of 1,468 hotels (90%)
Pool
100 of 2,391 hotels
Climate
Continental
Languages
Kazakh and Russian
Local currency
KZT (KZT)
Local time
(GMT+5)
Ideal trip length
4–8 days
Cost level
2 of 5 · our research
Suggested area to stay
Medeu District
Tap water
Bottled water recommended
Tipping
Optional, 10% appreciated

History, culture and food in Almaty

History

95 · Outstanding

Culture

90 · Outstanding

Food

90 · Outstanding

Family 70 · Good

Our own 0–100 ratings for this one destination. They describe a city; they are not a league table of cities.

Food to try

Beshbarmak Lagman Kazy Baursak

Hotel facts in Almaty

Based on 2,391 of 3,075 hotels with verified data.

Hotels that listHotelsShare
Free parkingof hotels with verified parking1,321 of 1,46890%
Swimming pool100 of 2,3914%
24-hour front desk382 of 2,39116%
Facilities for disabled guests136 of 2,3916%
Family rooms138 of 2,3916%
Breakfast availablefree or paid depends on the rate30 of 2,3911%
Kitchen or kitchenette249 of 2,39110%
Airport shuttle5 free232 of 2,39110%

Pools and room sizes by star rating

StarsPoolStandard room
2-star–20 m²usually 18 m²–30 m² · 5 hotels
3-star3 of 47820 m²usually 16 m²–25 m² · 57 hotels
4-star28 of 36225 m²usually 20 m²–33 m² · 75 hotels
5-star8 of 3432 m²usually 32 m²–40 m² · 20 hotels

When to visit Almaty

How good each month is here, on this destination's own scale. It compares months within this city, never one city against another.

Best months: June Busiest: May-Sep
  1. Jan
    24

    Often avoided: Cold winter conditions

  2. Feb
    19

    Often avoided: Cold winter conditions

  3. Mar
    27

    Thawing, cool, spring

  4. Apr
    29

    Mild, blooming, pleasant

  5. May
    44

    Warm, green, ideal

  6. Jun
    56

    Pleasant weather (avg high 28°C)

  7. Jul
    22

    Often avoided: Hot city weather

  8. Aug
    22

    Often avoided: Hot city weather

  9. Sep
    50

    Almaty Open tennis tournament

  10. Oct
    29

    Cool, crisp, colorful

  11. Nov
    21

    Cold, grey, pre-winter

  12. Dec
    46

    Cold, snowy, festive

Things to do in Almaty

7 places worth your time, grouped by when they are at their best.

Best in the morning

2 places

Green Bazaar

Zheltoksan District 2 hours

Indoors Good for children

Big Almaty Lake

Ile-Alatau National Park 5 hours

Outdoors

Best in the afternoon

1 place

Kok Tobe Hill

Medeu District 3 hours

Outdoors Good for children

Best in the evening

1 place

Arasan Baths

Zheltoksan District 2.5 hours

Indoors

Any time of day

3 places

Ascension Cathedral

Panfilov Park 1.5 hours

Indoors Good for children

Central State Museum

Samal-2 3 hours

Indoors Good for children

Almaty itineraries, day by day

View all itineraries
3 Days in Almaty — First-Timer Highlights
First-timer highlights

3 Days in Almaty — First-Timer Highlights

3 days12 stops

Discover the vibrant culture, stunning nature, and rich history of Kazakhstan's former capital.

Things to book

Tours and activities in Almaty

Guided tours, day trips and tickets to book alongside your stay.

Before you go to Almaty

Our own ratings and notes on eating out, signature experiences, who the city suits and planning ahead.

Eating out

Beshbarmak 95 · Outstanding
Lagman 87 · Outstanding
Kazy 78 · Very good
Baursak 70 · Good

Signature experiences

Ascension Cathedral 95 · Outstanding
Kok Tobe Hill 91 · Outstanding
Shymbulak Ski Resort 87 · Outstanding
Green Bazaar 83 · Very good
Central State Museum 78 · Very good
Big Almaty Lake 74 · Good
Arasan Baths 70 · Good

Who it suits

Solo 95 · Outstanding
Couples 89 · Outstanding
Friends 83 · Very good
Budget 76 · Very good
Adventure 70 · Good

Planning tips

Learn a few basic Russian phrases; English is not widely spoken. 95 · Outstanding
Always carry bottled water, tap water is not potable. 83 · Very good
Be prepared for varying weather, especially when heading to the mountains. 70 · Good

Ratings and recommendations are curated from local travel data.

Near Almaty

Straight-line distance from the centre of Almaty.

Getaways from Almaty

Places people from Almaty travel to, from our own travel research.

Frequently asked questions about Almaty

How many places to stay are there in Almaty?

There are 3,100+ hotels, apartments and other places to stay in Almaty. They include 420+ hotels and 2,400+ apartments.

When is the peak season in Almaty?

The peak season in Almaty is May-Sep.

Which area is a good base in Almaty?

The travel guide suggests staying in Medeu District when visiting Almaty.

Are there tours and activities in Almaty?

Yes, 170+ tours and activities are listed in Almaty.

How many hotels in Almaty have free parking?

1,321 of the 1,468 hotels in Almaty with verified parking details list free parking (90%). 122 charge for parking.

What is the usual check-in time at hotels in Almaty?

2:00 PM at 1,558 of the 2,208 hotels with a verified check-in time. The next most common time is 3:00 PM (341 hotels).

What time is check-out at hotels in Almaty?

12:00 PM at 1,724 of 2,213 hotels with a verified check-out time; 11:00 AM at 226.

How many hotels in Almaty have a pool?

100 of 2,391 hotels with verified data list a swimming pool.