Almaty

Is Almaty safe?

Yes, for an ordinary city trip. Almaty is Kazakhstan's largest city and the base for the Tian Shan mountains, and serious crime against visitors is uncommon. Kazakhstan recorded 2.6 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2022, the US keeps it at Level 1, and most visitors spend their days between the bazaar, the cable car to Kok Tobe and the ski slopes at Shymbulak without trouble.

The risks are quieter ones. In winter the city sits under coal smog. Drivers kill more pedestrians than motorists. Pickpockets work the markets and buses, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary reports late-night thefts around bars. And Almaty lies in an active earthquake zone below the Tian Shan. We score it 69 out of 100, below Tashkent (74), where people feel safer at night and violent crime is lower. Our Kazakhstan page covers the rest of the country.

Crossing the road is the main daily risk

Almaty's police counted 42 road deaths in the first half of 2025, up from 34 a year earlier, and 26 of the dead were pedestrians. Crashes rose by 59% to 3,590 in the same six months, and 4,198 people were injured. If the second half of the year matched the first, that is about 3.6 deaths per 100,000 people, lower than Kazakhstan as a whole but with an unusually high share of people on foot.

The head of the city's police service put it bluntly: there is no road culture, among drivers or pedestrians. Wide avenues carry fast traffic, drivers often do not stop at zebra crossings, and mopeds and electric scooters were in more than 460 crashes in the first half of 2025 alone. Cross at lights or underpasses, look both ways even on one-way streets, and be careful in winter, when ice and early darkness make drivers slower to see you. The metro is short but quick and avoids the traffic entirely.

Pickpockets, taxis and late nights

Petty theft is the crime most visitors will meet. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary calls pickpocketing very common in crowded places such as markets and public transport, and says thieves may assume foreigners carry valuables. Zelyony Bazaar, the big green market in the centre, and crowded buses are where to be most careful. Keep your phone in a front pocket, use ATMs inside banks rather than on the street, and watch your card when you pay.

Taxis are the other trap. Unlicensed drivers overcharge, and the FCDO advises never to get into a car that already has a passenger. App taxis are cheap and log the trip.

Violence is mostly a late-night problem. The FCDO reports violent thefts in Almaty and Astana, mainly at night around nightclubs and bars or when people arrive home late, and warns that drink spiking can lead to sexual assault. It also advises avoiding walking alone at night. That matches the survey picture: only 67% of people in Kazakhstan told Gallup they feel safe walking alone at night where they live, against 86% in Uzbekistan and 88% in Vietnam. For a visitor, the practical answer is simple. Enjoy the evening in the centre, then take an app taxi home.

Police can ask for ID on the street and do not accept copies, so carry your passport. Drinking in the street can get you a fine or a night in a police cell.

Smog in winter, clean air in summer

The Almaty Air Initiative, an independent monitoring network, measured an average of 24.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matterPM2.5Tiny airborne particles 2.5 micrometres across or smaller. They reach deep into the lungs and are the air pollutant most linked to early death.More in the glossary (PM2.5) in 2024, about 4.8 times the WHO guideline. The average hides a sharp season. In winter the city heats with coal, cold air settles in the bowl below the mountains and the smog can be thick enough to hide the peaks; summer air is far cleaner. If you have asthma or a heart condition, a winter trip needs a mask and a plan for bad days. The ski areas at Shymbulak and the Medeu ice rink usually sit above the worst of it.

For medical care, use the private clinics in the city centre. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says medical facilities are not as advanced as in the UK and staff rarely speak English. Get insurance that covers evacuation, and ask about ticks before you hike in spring and early summer.

Earthquakes and the mountains

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says Almaty is in an active seismic zone, and the city knows it. Just after midnight on 23 January 2024, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck on the China and Kyrgyzstan border, 260 km away. According to Kazakhstan's national seismic data centre, almost everyone in Almaty felt it, chandeliers swayed and objects fell. People ran into the frozen streets and traffic jammed. A stronger quake closer to the city is the scenario planners worry about. Choose a modern hotel where you can, and learn the basics: drop, cover and hold on, then leave the building once the shaking stops.

The mountains above the city carry their own hazards. The FCDO warns of avalanches, landslides and rockfalls, fast weather changes and summer snow at altitude. Almaty has 24-hour rescue teams at Shymbulak and Big Almaty Lake, and the city has built 18 mountain shelters with first aid kits and SOS buttons.

How we scored it

Violent crime (82) is Almaty's strongest factor, on Kazakhstan's national homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary, as the city publishes no figure of its own. Natural hazards (50) is the weakest, because of the earthquake risk, followed by health and environment (60) for the winter smog and night safety (64), where Kazakhstan's Gallup result is well below its neighbours'. Traffic safety (70) uses the city police count for the first half of 2025, so confidence is medium.