Baikonur Station, Almaty Metro, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Adventures of Nicole

Explore Almaty Metro: Kazakhstan’s Underground Gem

Updated January 2026, A Tour Through the Almaty Metro was originally written in October 2019

This is a guide to the Almaty Metro including the most beautiful and interesting stations in Kazakhstan’s largest city of Almaty.

Full disclosure: I’m a complete moron when it comes to public transportation. You could probably blame it on me being from the USA, I mean, we are a nation of people who love their cars after all.

Mostly I’d say you should blame it on my Alaskaness— as public transport is almost non-existent here (for real, take a look at a People Mover coverage map and tell me how easy it is to get around Anchorage, and more so between Anchorage and its neglected northern and southern ‘burbs).

But I can without a doubt say that the Almaty Metro puts the subways of New York, Paris, and Budapest to great shame (though it’s not quite as grandiose as the Tashkent and Moscow metros).

In this post, you’ll get to see some of the world’s most beautiful metro stations, including cost, tips, the best stations to visit, and a little history on the stations.

If you’re starting to plan your travels in Kazakhstan, I recommend picking up a copy of the Bradt Kazakhstan guidebook to help you organize your visit.

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A Quick History Of The Almaty Metro

Auezov Station, Almaty Metro, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Adventures of Nicole

Construction of the Almaty Metro began in 1988 under the Soviet Union, but the project quickly halted as the USSR collapsed and funding from Moscow evaporated. After 15 years Kazakhstan began laying out a plan to get the Almaty Metro project up and going again and from 2005-2011 the metro was constructed.

On December 1, 2011, the Almaty Metro finally opened after 23 years from its initial start with seven stations opened: Raimbek Batyr, Jibek Joli, Almali, Abay, Baikonur, Auezov Theatre, and Alatau. By 2015, the two stations of Sayran and Moskva would be added on. Two more stations are slated to open in 2021.

As of 2022, the Almaty Metro consists of one single line and eleven stations, but there are future plans to open two additional lines. The metro is currently 11 kilometers in length, but planned additions that are slated to begin in 2022 and be operational by 2025 would extend its length by 25 more kilometers.

In May 2022, two new stations were added to the Almaty Metro, Saryarka Station and Bauyrjon Momyshuli Station.

A second line consisting of 10 more stations is planned to begin in 2026 and be completed in 2035.

Read: The Best Things to do in Almaty, Kazakhstan

Important Almaty Metro Info

Cost Of The Almaty Metro

Almaty Metro token, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Adventures of Nicole-

A metro ticket will set you back a whopping 100 Kazakh Tenge ($0.20 USD). You can purchase yellow metro tokens at the kassa windows inside each of the metro stations. Children under the age of 7 ride free, and kids (7-15 years old) ride for half the price (40 KZT).

You can also opt for a prepaid card that costs 100 KZT and can be reloaded with a max of 60 trips. The prepaid card is valid for 3 years.

Almaty Metro Hours Of Operation

Almali Station, Almaty Metro, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Adventures of Nicole

The metro trains run from 6:20 am to 11:30 pm. The first train for the morning departs Raimbek Batyr Station at 6:24 am and arrives at Moskva Station by 6:40 am.

Trains run on a 10 minute interval on weekdays with that interval being shortened to 8 minutes during peak rush hours.

On weekends and holidays, the trains run on 15 minute intervals.

Need inspiration: See 32 photos that will make you want to book a ticket to Kazakhstan

Almaty Metro Map

Almaty Metro Stations

My personal favorites are Jibek Joli and Baikonur stations, however, each station is ornate and unique in its own right.

Raimbek Batyr Station (Райымбек Батыра)

Raimbek Batyr Station, Almaty Metro, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Adventures of Nicole — Raimbek Batyr Station

Raimbek was an 18th century Kazakh hero who was awarded the title of Batyr for his efforts in fending off the Dzungar invasions into Kazakh territories and helped liberate the Kazkahs oppressed by the Dzungarian Empire. The station has high arched ceilings and as you exit the platform on the escalator, you’ll see a large statue of Raimbek Batyr on horseback.

Jibek Joli Station (Жибек Жолы)

Jibek Joli Station, Almaty Metro, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Adventures of Nicole — Jibek Joli Station

Jibek Joli is the Kazakh (and other Turkic-based languages) name for the Silk Road. The architecture of the Jibek Joli Metro Station reflects elements of Kazakh nomadic culture.

The walls resemble the lattice-like appearance of the inside of a yurt and the end of the platform has a mural that displays the Shanyrak, the top opening of a yurt and important cultural symbol in Kazakhstan (as well as Kyrgyzstan).

Almali Station (Алмалы)

Almaty is the ‘City of Apples’. To celebrate the fruit that gives Almaty its nickname, it was only fitting to name a station Almali, the word for apple in Kazakh.

When you walk out of the platform, you’ll notice a glass mural of an apple tree. The floors and walls of Almali Station reflect patterns that can be seen in traditional Kazakh felt and carpet works.

Abay Station (Абая)

Abay Station, Almaty Metro, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Adventures of Nicole — Abay Station

Rumi is to Iran is who Abay is to Kazakhstan. Abay Qunanbaiuli was Kazakhstan’s most famous and celebrated poet. The station is adorned with Florentine-style mosaics and at either end a bronze relief of Abay.

Baikonur Station (Байконур)

Baikonur Station pays homage to the Baikonur Kosmodrome, the largest space complex in the world. Located in southeastern Kazakhstan at the banks of the Syr-Darya River, Baikonur was home to the Soviet Space Program from 1955 until the collapse of the USSR, and since has been rented and administered by the Russian Federation.

Baikonur is the launching site for many famous space expeditions, including the launch of Sputnik-1, Yuri Gagarin (the first man in space), Valentina Tereshkova (the first woman in space), and more groundbreaking firsts.

Baikonur Station has a futuristic look with gleaming white and blue panels and even plays launch footage on a large screen at the end of the platform. Akzheleng Bassen was the artist behind the unique design.

Need a city break: Take a hike to Big Almaty Lake

Auezov Theatre Station (Театр Имени Мухтара Ауэзова)

Circular stone carvings adorn the walls of Auezov Theatre Station, depicting scenes of Kazakh traditional lifestyles and national pride that have for many years inspired Kazakh playwrights’ storylines. Mukhtar Auezov was a famous Kazakh writer who penned The Path Of Abay, and is the man the Auezov Theatre was named after.

Alatau Station (Алатау)

Alatau Station, Almaty Metro, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Adventures of Nicole — Alatau Station

Alatau Station houses mosaics of Kazakhstan’s mountains, one of which includes the Ile-Alatau Range that flanks Almaty to the south. Alatau (sometimes written ala-too) is a Turkic word meaning diverse mountains, and, thus you’ll see many a range with the name Alatau in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and more.

Sayran Station (Сайран)

Sairan Station, Almaty Metro, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Adventures of Nicole

Sayran Lake is a manmade reservoir in the city of Almaty, where the metro station of the same name sits just 1 kilometer southeast of. Sayran features a rainbow relief on the platform wall.

Moskva Station (Москва)

Moscow Station, Almaty Metro, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Adventures of Nicole-4034 — Moskva Station

Moskva Station honors the bond between Russia and Kazakhstan. At the time of construction, management contacted the Russian Embassy to notify that the new station would be called Moskva rather than the originally slated name of Molodyozhnaya, as a tribute to Russia and their relations.

Saryarka Station(Сарыарқа)

Saryarka Station, Almaty Metro, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Adventures of Nicole — Saryarka Metro Station

Saryarka means yellow range in the Kazakh language. The station opened in May of 2022 and is located near Family Park.

Bauyrjon Momyshuli Station (Бауыржан Момышұлы)

Baurjon Momyshuli Station, Almaty Metro, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Adventures of Nicole — Baurjon Momyshuli Metro
Station

Named after the Kazakh-Soviet war hero Bauyrjon Momyshuli, the station is one of Almaty Metro’s newest opened in May 2022. Bauyrjon Momyshuli was a Soviet military officer from Kazakhstan who defended the Soviet Union during WWII and was awarded the title of People’s Hero of Kazakhstan