Car hire and driving in Almaty
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Kazakhstan traffic drives on the right. Picking up at ALA means 16 km (10 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1061257 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648794 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648798.
Drives from Almaty
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almaty to Taldykorgan | Kazakhstan | 228 km (142 mi) | about 3 h 29 min |
| Almaty to Taraz | Kazakhstan | 451 km (281 mi) | about 6 h 53 min |
| Almaty to Shymkent | Kazakhstan | 606 km (376 mi) | about 9 h 14 min |
| Almaty to Turkistan | Kazakhstan | 700 km (435 mi) | about 10 h 41 min |
| Almaty to Karagandy | Kazakhstan | 784 km (487 mi) | about 11 h 57 min |
| Almaty to Temirtau | Kazakhstan | 814 km (506 mi) | about 12 h 25 min |
| Almaty to Semey | Kazakhstan | 836 km (520 mi) | about 12 h 45 min |
| Almaty to Ust-Kamenogorsk | Kazakhstan | 864 km (537 mi) | about 13 h 10 min |
| Almaty to Zhezqazghan | Kazakhstan | 876 km (544 mi) | about 13 h 22 min |
| Almaty to Kyzylorda | Kazakhstan | 928 km (576 mi) | about 14 h 9 min |
| Almaty to Ekibastuz | Kazakhstan | 949 km (590 mi) | about 14 h 29 min |
| Almaty to Astana | Kazakhstan | 973 km (604 mi) | about 14 h 50 min |
| Almaty to Aktobe | Kazakhstan | 1,685 km (1,047 mi) | about 25 h 42 min |
| Almaty to Pavlodar | Kazakhstan | 1,003 km (623 mi) | about 15 h 18 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Almaty?
The right, as everywhere in Kazakhstan.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.