Experience authentic cuisine through guided food tours in Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan, the world's largest landlocked country, offers a captivating blend of ancient Silk Road heritage, Soviet-era architecture, and stunning natural landscapes from the Altai Mountains to the Caspian Sea. Experience nomadic traditions in Central Asia's economic powerhouse, where futuristic capital Astana meets historic Almaty at the foothills of the Tian Shan mountains.
The best guided culinary experiences.
A guided exploration of Almaty's legendary Green Bazaar followed by street food stops around the bazaar neighborhood. Sample kurt, dried apricots, baursak, shashlik, and nauryz kozhe while learning about Kazakh food culture from a local guide.
An evening exploration of Almaty's growing craft beer and bar scene, pairing local brews with traditional Kazakh mezze dishes (cold starters) at three Almaty restaurants and bars. Includes hidden local spots not found in guidebooks.
A guided tour of Astana's central market and food halls, tasting traditional Central Asian products including Uzbek samsa, Kazakh horse meat sausages (kazy), fermented dairy, and fresh-baked bread. Ideal for understanding the capital's multicultural food scene.
An immersive half-day dedicated to Kazakhstan's unique nomadic food heritage, visiting a yurt restaurant, trying kumis (fermented mare's milk), participating in baursak preparation, and tasting the full range of traditional Kazakh dishes with expert cultural commentary.
Choose based on your culinary interests.
Street food crawls around Green Bazaar and central Almaty market neighborhoods, focusing on shashlik, baursak, samsa, and grilled meats
Guided market tours through Green Bazaar (Almaty) and Astana Central Market focusing on dried goods, spices, and fermented dairy products
Multi-course Kazakh dining experiences at TÖR, Navat, and Gakku restaurants with cultural commentary on each traditional dish
Nomadic food culture tours including kumis tasting, horse meat traditions, kurt production, and seasonal fermented dairy products
Tour recommendations, DIY routes, and local recipes.
Learn to make local dishes yourself.
Learn to prepare Kazakhstan's national dish — hand-rolled pasta sheets layered with slow-braised lamb and onion sauce — in a home kitchen setting with an Almaty local host. Includes full meal and recipe book in English.
A hands-on class mastering Kazakhstan's beloved fried dough balls (baursak) and the crescent-shaped baked pastries filled with lamb and onion (samsa). Perfect for learning the fundamentals of Kazakh home baking.
A full nomadic cooking experience at a yurt outside Almaty, preparing traditional dishes including lagman noodles, shashlik, and plov over open fire with a nomadic host family. Includes yurt visit, cooking, eating together, and cultural exchange.
Create your own culinary adventure.
A self-guided food walk through Almaty's most authentic eating neighborhoods, spending 3-4 hours grazing between the bazaar, street vendors, and local restaurants
Stop 1: Green Bazaar (Zelyony Rynok) — sample dried fruits, nuts, and kurt at 8-10 AM before crowds arrive
Stop 2: Baursak vendor outside Green Bazaar — fresh fried dough balls straight from the oil ($0.50)
Stop 3: Kolkhozny Bazaar canteen — simple hot lunch of lagman or manti for $2-3
Stop 4: Arman or Daredzhani restaurant on Gogol Street — sit-down lunch of beshbarmak or shashlik ($8-12)
Stop 5: Zhybek Zholy pedestrian street cafes — afternoon tea with Kazakh pastries and local herbal tea
Get the most from your culinary adventures.
The best time to visit Green Bazaar is 8-10 AM when produce is freshest and before the main tourist crowds arrive
Always try kumis (fermented mare's milk) at least once — it's an acquired taste but central to Kazakh identity
Beshbarmak is traditionally eaten with hands from a communal dish — embrace this if invited to a local home
Street shashlik skewers are generally safe to eat when cooked fresh on a grill in front of you — trust the smoke
Many restaurants serve Central Asian plov (rice pilaf) at lunch only — arrive before 1 PM if you want the best pot
Kazakh portions are enormous — ordering one main dish is usually sufficient for one person
Kurt (dried cheese balls) vary enormously in saltiness — taste before buying; souvenir-grade varieties are milder
Look for restaurants serving traditional Kazakh cuisine in residential neighborhoods rather than tourist areas for authentic and affordable meals
Nauryz kozhe (a fermented drink made during spring New Year celebrations) is available March 21-23 at street stalls — unique opportunity
Download the 2GIS app for finding local restaurants and markets — more useful than Google Maps in Kazakhstan
Get our complete foodie guide with tour recommendations, DIY routes, recipes, and dining tips.
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