Getting from Almaty International Airport to the city

The bus

• Routes 79, 86, 92 and 106 connect the airport with the city.
• 120 KZT with an ONAY card, app or local-SIM SMS. Cash is not accepted on these lines; without a card the driver charges 150 to 200 KZT.
• An ONAY card costs 800 KZT from the machine at the airport. It also covers the metro, so it is worth having for any stay longer than a day.
• Buses are ordinary city services, so with large luggage at rush hour they are a squeeze.

At these prices the fare is not really a decision. The card is worth getting anyway if you are here more than a day, because it also covers the metro.

Yandex Go

• Yandex Go is the dominant app in Kazakhstan and works well at the airport.
• The price is fixed in the app.
• Cash and card both tend to work here, unlike in neighbouring Uzbekistan where cash is effectively required.
• The rank taxi is a negotiation and the app avoids it.

Practical points

• The airport is about 15 km from the centre, 20 to 30 minutes without traffic.
• Almaty sits against the mountains and the Shymbulak ski area is a short drive from the city - which is why a good many arrivals here are heading straight up rather than into town.
• Kazakhstan has generous visa-free access for many nationalities; check the Kazakhstan guide before assuming you need anything.