Metro Almaty: station map, fares and how to ride as a visitor

Metro Almaty is a single line of 11 stations and 13.4 km, running from 06:20 until midnight. It goes south from the Almaty-2 railway area to Abay Avenue, then turns west. A ride costs 120 ₸ on the operator’s list of 6 November 2026, and you can pay with a bank card, so you do not need Russian or a local app. It does not go to the airport.

Almaty Metro map as a table: 11 stations and what is near them

The operator publishes its map only as an image, so here is the same line in text, north to west. “Near” means places the operator itself lists on each almaty metro station page.

For most visitors, the useful part is stations 1 to 4. They cover the railway station, the bazaar, the Arbat walking street and the Kok Tobe cable car. The line follows Nazarbayev Avenue to Abay, then runs along Abay Avenue to the west, so west of station 4 you will mostly be heading for theatres, shopping and homes.

Abay is the deepest station at 78 m, with a 92 m escalator. Plan a few extra minutes there, and more if you have a heavy bag. For wheelchair and step-free details, the operator gives each station a separate tab for passengers with limited mobility. We did not check those one by one.

What to pay: fares from the operator

A single price covers any trip on the line. The figures below come from the operator’s payment page, opened on 6 November 2026.

For a short visit, skip the smart card. It gives no discount, since a ride costs the same 120 ₸ as a token, and the card itself costs 180 ₸. All it saves you is the queue at the desk.

How to ride, step by step

Staff check bags on the way in, so have yours ready to open.

1. Find the entrance. Several stations have more than one. At Raiymbek Batyr there is one on each corner of the junction with Nazarbayev Avenue.
2. Put your bag through. Wikivoyage describes a scanner before the ticket hall, and the operator’s rules refer to inspection of hand luggage.
3. Pay. Buy a token at the desk (kassa), or tap your bank card at a gate that takes one. Wikivoyage mentions paper tickets with a QR code, while the operator says smart token, so expect either.
4. Check the direction. Use the table above. Trains towards Raiymbek Batyr go north; trains towards B. Momyshuly go west.
5. If your token has expired, the operator tells you to ask the controller.

For timetables and routes, the operator offers a mobile app in Google Play and the App Store. Its 24-hour hotline is +7 (727) 396 85 85, and we do not know whether anyone answers in English.

What you cannot take or do on board

The city’s passenger rules (akimat decree of 30 October 2017, amended 28 September 2024) set out the limits. Most of them only matter if you are carrying gear.

• Banned: flammable, explosive or poisonous substances, items with a strong unpleasant smell, open flame and fireworks.
• Wrap it: garden tools with sharp points or edges must be packed so they cannot hurt anyone. The rules do not name trekking poles.
• No riding: bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards and similar are banned for riding on stations and in cars.
• Luggage size: the rules page gives no limit. Neither does it say anything about photos.

Where the metro does not go

The line skips the airport and the mountains. A branch to the airport exists only in plans. Use the bus or taxi options in our guide to getting around Kazakhstan.

A 12th station, Kalkaman, is close. On 23 July 2026, the contractor’s chief engineer told BES.media it was planned to open on 1 December 2026. It was not in service when we checked on 6 November.

For Medeu, Shymbulak and the gorges you change to a bus. Almaty without a car sets out which places work that way, and the Almaty guide builds it into a day. From Raiymbek Batyr you can also walk to the Central Mosque, and the Arasan baths are near Zhibek Zholy.

Figures that give a sense of the system

The metro opened on 1 December 2011 after construction that began in 1988. Two stations were added in 2015 and two more on 30 May 2022, and Wikipedia counts 27 million passengers in 2024. Trains are four-car sets made by Hyundai Rotem.

What we could not confirm