ALMATY: All the Highlights of the City Centre (4 and 3 h. options)

Hello, travelers from all around the world! 😀

Welcome to Kazakhstan and its "Southern capital” at the foot of the magnificent mountains – wonderful Almaty! This city breathes history: here the country's rich past, vibrant culture and everyday life meet modern energy and stunning mountain scenery!

On my tour, I will introduce you to the history of Almaty and Kazakhstan, we'll explore the city's striking architecture, vibrant culture, and every day life as we visit the Highlights of the City Center - All in ONE tour! (4 h option) + I'll share popular local spots and give recommendations😉

You will see, how the country's rich history, culture, and everyday life are reflected in this beautiful city!

Some of the landmarks we will visit:

- graceful Ascension Cathedral

- Memorial of Glory and Eternal Flame

- Green Bazaar with hands-on cultural experience - traditional sweets, snack, mare' and camel's milk sampling

- House of officers
- House of officers' meetings (Museum of folk musical instruments - exterior view)
- Arbat pedestrian street 
- Panfilov pedestrian street with important landmarks along it - 1st and 2nd Kazakh SSR Government buildings, Aliya and Manshuk monument, "Astana" square, etc.
- Charming Opera House 
- several buildings from the Russian empire era

- ...and more! 
 

The duration of the tour is around 3,5-4 hours, depending on the pace of the group  
There is an option to take a 3 h. tour finishing at the Arbat pedestrian street. It's a perfect place to stay and soak up the lively atmosphere enjoying a relaxed meal or coffee in one of the numerous local cafes and restaurants😌


Please, note that the tour involves a walk of around 4,2 km - for 4 h. option, and around 3 km - for 3 h. option. But don't worry - we'll stop several times to rest on benches at several sights, and i'll use these breaks to share stories about the city🙃)


During the tour, I will be glad to help you and give you some advice on your stay in Almaty from a local's point of view – feel free to ask me!😉

I look forward to meeting you on the tour! 

Please, note: by Januare, 9 there is a problem with the app and I cannot update the itinerary. Some points of interest are missing from the "route" section and I’m unable to add them back at the moment, and one point of interest appeared in the route by mistake. I will try to fix this as soon as possible. All the highlights of the City Center will surely be visited during the tours:)

January, 18 update -  the problem hasn't been fixed yet, the IT team of the app is working on it. Hope they will fix it soon🙏

As the Route section is still not working properly, i'm posting it here:

1. We will start our journey at 28 Panfilov guardsmen Park — one of the oldest and most beautiful parks in the city 🌿

There we will explore:

⦁ Graceful Holy Ascension Cathedral (we are welcome to go inside; it's free, but men are required to remove their caps, and ladies to cover their heads — a cap, hat, or scarf is acceptable!)

⦁ Memorial of Glory

⦁ Eternal Flame

⦁ Officers' House

⦁ House of Officers' Meetings (Museum of Folk Musical Instruments)

⦁ Who Panfilov was and the heroic acts of soldiers from his division

⦁ Open-air military museum

and more!

2. Green bazaar

Next, we will visit the Green bazaar – the oldest market of Almaty, which is a 10 min walk from the Panfilov Park. It's a vibrant place that provides a good insight into local cuisine and culture! There, you will be able to not only see but also try some Kazakh traditional sweets and snacks (and how about camel and horse milks?😀). Merchants sell a wide range of products such as nuts, dried fruits, local apples (when it's season), and many other things (even dried snakes🤪)!

*Note, Monday is a day off

3. Arbat

Then, we will walk to the very popular and truly vibrant Arbat walking street, which is about a 10-minute walk from the Green Bazaar. It is the favorite spot of Almaty’s youth and a popular "stage" for street musicians🎤🎤 as well as the city’s hub for street arts 🎨, shops 🛍, and restaurants🥘🫖!

Here the 3-hour tour finishes, but even this time is enough to get to know 💯 a lot about the city, the country, and its culture 🫶

4. Panfilov pedestrian street

From Arbat we will take a turn to the bustling Panfilov pedestrian street! Along it, you'll discover important historical landmarks, such as the 1st and 2nd Kazakh SSR Government buildings; the square honoring the ladies - heroes of the USSR, featuring a monument to Aliya and Manshuk; Old Almaty Square (Astana square), different street art, and more!☺️✨

5. Opera and Ballet Theatre after Abay Kunanbayev

And finally, we will get to the stunning Almaty Opera House named after Abay Kunanbayev - a true the symbol of Kazakh culture 🇰🇿🖋️🎼 The area around the Opera House itself has also been iconic since its construction💫There, you will also explore hotel "Almaty", Zhambyl monument, and will find out which subcultures embraced this area during different periods of the USSR🤨 Some stories from locals' about it are hilarious!