Almaty is Kazakhstan's largest city and cultural and commercial capital, set at 700-900 m on the northern slope of the Trans-Ili Alatau, with snow-capped peaks rising directly behind the city. It combines Soviet-era parks, Orthodox and Muslim landmarks, a thriving cafe and restaurant scene, and the best access in the country to ski slopes, high lakes, canyons and petroglyph sites.
Almaty is generally safe for visitors, including solo travellers, and the US State Department rates Kazakhstan at Level 1, Exercise Normal Precautions (updated 18 August 2026). The main risks are petty theft in crowded markets and transport, taxi overcharging, road safety, winter air pollution, earthquakes, and mountain hazards such as mudflows, sudden storms and altitude. Emergency number 112 works nationwide and operators may not speak English, so a translation app is useful.
Current safety advisory
Low
Essential safety tips
Practical advice that applies everywhere.
Almaty is among the safer big cities in Central Asia for visitors, and violent crime against tourists is rare; the realistic problems are bag and phone snatching in crowded bazaars and on buses, taxi overcharging, aggressive traffic, winter smog and mountain hazards.
Dial 112 for any emergency (free, works from any phone). Direct lines are 101 for fire and rescue, 102 for police, 103 for ambulance and 104 for gas emergencies.
Order taxis in the Yandex Go or inDrive app rather than hailing cars at the airport or hotels; agree the price in the app before the ride and pay by the shown amount.
Carry a photocopy or phone photo of the passport and entry stamp or registration slip; police document checks are possible, and the original passport should stay in the hotel safe unless travelling outside the city or into a border area such as Big Almaty Lake.
Keep wallets and phones in front pockets at the Green Bazaar, Barakholka market and on buses, and use ATMs inside banks or malls.
Do not photograph military sites, government buildings, police or border posts; the area around Big Almaty Lake and the Kolsai-Kaindy region is a border zone with checkpoints where a passport is required.
Almaty is in a seismic zone: if an earthquake strikes, drop, cover and hold on, move away from windows and glass facades, and follow hotel staff instructions; keep shoes and a phone by the bed.
Hike in the Ile-Alatau mountains with a charged phone, the offline map (Maps.me or 2GIS), warm layers and a plan filed with the hotel; weather changes fast and mudflows (sel) can follow summer storms.
Drug laws are strict: possession of cannabis or any illegal drug can bring prison, so refuse offers; alcohol is legal but public drunkenness is penalised.
Common scams to avoid
Recognise and sidestep tourist-targeted scams.
Airport and hotel taxi overcharge
Unregistered drivers at Almaty International Airport arrivals and outside hotels commonly open at 8,000-15,000 KZT (approx $17-32) for a ride into town that costs about 2,000-4,000 KZT (approx $4-8.50) in Yandex Go in normal conditions.
How to avoid: Order Yandex Go or inDrive in the app before leaving the terminal and check the plate number on arrival, or take airport bus 79 or 92 for about 100-200 KZT (approx $0.20-0.45) using an Onay card
Taxi 'no change' and wrong-route claims
Street-hailed cabs may claim to have no change or take long routes when no price is agreed first, particularly for foreign-looking passengers.
How to avoid: Use the app price, pay with the app card option if available, and carry small notes such as 1,000 and 2,000 KZT
Bazaar price inflation and short weights
Vendors at the Green Bazaar and Barakholka may quote higher prices to tourists or round weights up on dried fruit, nuts and meat.
How to avoid: Ask the price per kilogram before the vendor weighs, watch the scale, and compare two stalls; bargaining is accepted at Barakholka but not in supermarkets
Pickpocketing and phone snatching
Thieves work crowded buses, the Arbat pedestrian street and bazaars; phones left on cafe tables or held loosely near roads are grabbed by passing riders.
How to avoid: Carry phones in zipped inner pockets, avoid using them near kerbs, and use a cross-body bag worn in front in crowds
Unlicensed tour and trip operators
Roadside or social-media operators sometimes take deposits for Charyn Canyon, Kolsai or Big Almaty Lake trips and then fail to show, or add unannounced fees on the day.
How to avoid: Book through a registered agency or hotel with reviews on Google Maps, ask for the total price in writing including park fees, and pay the deposit by card where possible
Health considerations
Staying healthy on your trip.
- Vaccinations
- No vaccinations are required for entry from most countries. Routine vaccines should be up to date; hepatitis A, typhoid and tetanus are commonly suggested by travel clinics, and tick-borne encephalitis vaccination is worth discussing if hiking in spring and summer outside the city.
- Water
- Tap water in Almaty is chlorinated and many residents boil or filter it; visitors with sensitive stomachs should drink bottled water, which is cheap (about 300-500 KZT / approx $0.65-1.05 for 1.5 litres in shops).
- Food
- Restaurant food hygiene is generally good in the city. Eat hot, freshly cooked food, wash bazaar fruit and avoid unrefrigerated cream pastries and raw milk (kumys and shubat are fermented drinks that can upset an unaccustomed stomach).
- Facilities
- Almaty has the best healthcare in the country, with private clinics such as International SOS Almaty, Mediker Hospital International and many multi-profile private hospitals. Pharmacies (apteka) are plentiful and many are open 24 hours; Europharma and Sadykhan are common chains. Public ambulances (103) can be slow, so private ambulance and clinic numbers should be saved in advance. Altitude above 2,500 m (Big Almaty Lake, Kok-Zhailau, Shymbulak upper stations) can cause headaches in sensitive travellers.
Safety for specific travellers
Tailored advice for different groups.
Emergency contacts
Numbers to know before you go.
- Police
- 102
- Medical
- 103 (ambulance)
- Fire
- 101
- General Emergency
- 112 (single emergency number, free from any phone, 24 hours; English may be limited, so state the address slowly)
- Main Hospital
- International SOS Clinic Almaty, 27 Yergozhin Street (Fortis Business Centre, ground floor), Almaty, +7 727 339 70 11, WhatsApp +7 701 744 11 11 (24-hour emergency and primary care, English spoken)
- Embassy Us
- US Embassy Astana, 3 Rakhymzhan Koshkarbayev Avenue, Astana, +7 7172 70 21 00 (also for after-hours emergencies)