Overview
Almaty has a single-line metro (subway) system that opened in 2011 and has been expanded twice since. As a visitor, you board at any of the 11 stations along the east–west line, buy a ticket at a booth or use contactless payment, pass through a security scanner with your bags, and travel on modern, air-conditioned trains. The system is safe, orderly, and operates daily from 06:20 to 00:00. A single trip costs 120 tenge (as of 2024) regardless of how far you travel, making it one of the cheapest ways to move around the city centre.
The network
Metro
The Almaty Metro (Kazakh: Алматы метрополитені, Almaty Metropolitenı; Russian: Алматинский метрополитен) consists of a single line running 13.4 kilometres with 11 stations. The line runs east–west across the city, with its northern terminus at Raiymbek Batyr near Almaty-2 Railway Station and its southern terminus at Bauyrzhan Momyshuly. The first section opened on 1 December 2011 with seven stations; a 2.9-kilometre extension to Moskva station opened on 18 April 2015; and a further 3.1-kilometre extension to Sary-Arka and Bauyrzhan Momyshuly stations opened on 30 May 2022. The metro is the only rapid-transit system in Kazakhstan (until Astana Light Metro opened in May 2026).
The stations from north to south are:
- Raiymbek Batyr – northern terminus, near Almaty-2 railway station and Sayakhat area
- Zhibek Zholy-Dostyk – for Ascension Cathedral, Panfilov Park, Green Bazaar, and the Museum of Kazakh Musical Instruments
- Almaly – for Hotel Almaty, Opera & Ballet House, and museums
- Abay – for the Central State Museum and Kok-Tobe cable-car
- Baikonur – for Sport Palace and Central Stadium
- Auezov Theater (Russian: Театр имени Мухтара Ауэзова; Kazakh: Мұхтар Әуезов атындағы театры) – for theatre, circus, and fine arts museum
- Alatau – for Mahatma Gandhi Park
- Sayran – for Sayran bus station (1.5–2.5 km walk)
- Moskva – near Sayran bus station
- Sary-Arka
- Bauyrzhan Momyshuly – southern terminus
Trains are modern four-car units manufactured by South Korea's Hyundai Rotem, with through passages, air conditioning, and autopilot capability. Service runs at 10-minute intervals on weekdays during off-peak hours, 8 minutes during peak hours, and 13 minutes on weekends. Average speed is about 40 kilometres per hour, and the full line takes approximately 16 minutes to traverse.
Buses and trolleybuses
Almaty has approximately 170 bus routes and 9 trolleybus routes covering the city. Buses operate from roughly 06:00 to 23:00 daily. A single cash fare is 200 tenge (as of 2024), paid to the driver or conductor on boarding. With an Onay card or app, the fare drops to 120 tenge. Use Yandex Maps for route planning and real-time information.
Tickets & fares
For the metro, a single journey costs 120 tenge as of 2024, regardless of distance. Tickets are purchased at booths (marked "kassa") inside metro stations and are paper tickets with a QR code. Children aged 7–15 receive a reduced fare upon presentation of a birth certificate.
You can also pay by contactless methods: Mastercard, Visa, or Union Pay at dedicated turnstiles, or via the ONAI card system (since 2016). Smart cards are reusable; a new card without balance costs 100 tenge and is valid for 3 years. Top up your card balance at cash desks or automated terminals in stations. Disposable smart tokens are also available and valid until the end of the current day; Wednesday is "token day," when you can bring expired tokens and use them again.
For frequent travel, the Onay card is widely available at newsagents called караван (Caravan) throughout the city (search on Yandex Maps). A new card costs 800 tenge and includes enough balance for one trip (120 tenge). Top it up at Qiwi payment terminals. The Onay app exists but requires a Kazakh phone number and does not accept foreign bank cards for payment, making it difficult for foreign tourists to use.
There are no dedicated day passes or tourist passes for the metro, but frequent travellers can benefit from rechargeable multi-trip smart cards. Buses and the metro offer free transfers within 90 minutes (according to travel guides), though this should be confirmed with local operators.
From the airport
Almaty International Airport is located 15 kilometres northeast of the city centre. The metro does not reach the airport directly.
The most affordable option is bus 92, which runs from inside the airport terminal (stop just outside Arrivals) and takes about 30 minutes to reach central Almaty along Raiymbek Batyr. Buses run from 05:30 to 23:00 every 30 minutes or better. The fare is 200 tenge; pay the driver or conductor.
If bus 92 is temporarily unavailable due to construction, alternative buses depart from Mailin Street (the boulevard just outside the airport, about 400 metres / 10 minutes' walk from Arrivals). Bus 79 serves Nazarbayev Avenue (formerly Furmanov Street) and Bus 86 also runs downtown. Follow the traffic flow from Arrivals, cross Zakarpatskaya Street, pass the Favorit Hotel and supermarket, and find the bus stop ahead.
Taxis can be ordered at a booth in the Arrivals hall or arranged through your accommodation. A sensible metered fare is around 1500 tenge in 2024. Be cautious of the common scam in which the driver later claims the quoted price was per kilometre; if challenged, drivers may become aggressive. Booking via Yandex Taxi app before arrival may provide more transparent pricing.
Etiquette & customs
The Almaty Metro is safe and patrolled by police at all times. Security is straightforward: you must place bags through a scanner before entering the ticketing area.
Queuing is expected at ticket booths and at metro gates during busy times. There is no formal rule about which side to stand on escalators, but observe local behaviour and move aside if others need to pass.
Eating and drinking are not permitted on trains; water bottles are acceptable if sealed. Violations can result in fines. During rush hours (typically 07:00–09:00 and 17:00–19:00), trains are very crowded. Priority seating exists, though it is not always strictly enforced. Be respectful to elderly passengers, pregnant women, and those with disabilities.
On buses, you are expected to greet the driver or conductor politely and pay promptly. If you cannot give exact change, you will still be served but may draw disapproval. Conductors, especially younger ones, may speak some English and will help direct you to your stop if you ask politely.
Official links
Survival terms
- метрополитен (metropoliten) – metro / subway
- білет (bilet) – ticket
- сызба (syzba) – line
- кіру (kiru) – entrance
- шығу (shygu) – exit
- ауыстыру (auystiru) – transfer
- бір саяхат (bir sayakhat) – single fare
- күндік ұстап (kündik ustap) – day pass
Buy your ticket before boarding and keep it with you throughout your journey, as inspections do occur on the metro.