Season guide · Almaty · Kazakhstan
Almaty in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: МаратД, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
Snowy and cold, with skiing at Shymbulak and skating at Medeu; smog can settle over the city on still days. Expect highs up to 2°C (36°F) and lows around -9°C (16°F), with about 23 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- -9°C (16°F) to 2°C (36°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 23
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0°C (32°F) | -9°C (16°F) | 7 | 9.3 h | 3/5 |
| February | 2°C (36°F) | -7°C (19°F) | 8 | 10.5 h | 3/5 |
| December | 2°C (36°F) | -7°C (19°F) | 8 | 9 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 1°C (34°F) against a yearly 16°C (61°F), and 23 of the year's roughly 104 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Ski season at Shymbulak (usually December to April)
- December: Independence Day (16 December)
- December: New Year celebrations — Kazakhstan's main winter holiday (31 December–2 January)
Good choices for winter
Museum · Golden Square
Kasteyev State Museum of Arts
Head first to the Kazakh halls on the ground floor, which you will not see anywhere else.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · Panfilov Park and Zhibek Zholy
Museum of Kazakh Folk Musical Instruments
A carved wooden building by Andrei Zenkov in Panfilov Park houses a collection of dombras, kobyzes and other traditional instruments, some of which staff play for visitors, explaining the role of music in nomadic life.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Architecture
Experience · Panfilov Park and Zhibek Zholy
Arasan Baths
Bring flip-flops and a towel or rent them, and try a venik (birch-twig) treatment in the Russian banya.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
- Architecture
Architecture · City centre
Almaty Metro art stations
Almaty's single metro line, opened in 2011, has stations decorated with themes from Kazakh culture: mosaics and chandeliers at Almaly, Silk Road reliefs at Zhibek Zholy and stained glass at Abay.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Art
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Samal
Central State Museum of Kazakhstan
Allow time for the nomadic culture rooms, which put the steppe's horse-based life in context.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Day trips in winter
- Altyn-Emel National Park (About 4 hours by car each way) — A vast desert park along the Ili River with the Singing Dune, a 150-metre-high dune that hums in dry wind, the striped Aktau mountains and herds of kulan and goitered gazelle.
- Tamgaly petroglyphs (About 2.5–3 hours by car each way) — A UNESCO World Heritage Site with around 5,000 rock carvings in a gorge, from Bronze Age sun-headed deities to later images of animals and hunters.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Almaty?
It is a trade-off: Snowy and cold, with skiing at Shymbulak and skating at Medeu; smog can settle over the city on still days. The best months overall are May–June and September.
+What is the weather like in Almaty in winter?
Highs of up to 2°C (36°F) and lows around -9°C (16°F), with about 23 rainy days over the season.