Almaty PracticesAlmaty Life Practices
Editorial team · 3 min read
The short version
- Where: Panfilov Park by the cathedral, or the opera and ballet theatre (GATOB).
- Who: your group only, one to ten people; children from six.
- Language: English or Russian.
- What is included: the walk, a photo session, stories and body practices.
- How we move: on foot, by public transport or by taxi, depending on the day and on what you prefer.
- Cancelling: cancel or reschedule on any terms up to two days before.
- City only: Valentin does not take walks to the mountains or to the outer districts.
Why walk with Valentin
If you land in a new city, the first half hour usually goes into looking at your phone. In Panfilov Park you can put it away: trees around you, the cathedral ahead, and someone who has spent four years walking these streets with friends.
Valentin Shafranov founded Almaty Practices. He lives near Central Park and knows the centre through the places he goes to himself. The walk is built out of those places.
Three routes
Dastarkhan: people and food. Dastarkhan is Kazakh for the laid table where a guest is welcomed. From Panfilov Park by the cathedral to the Green Bazaar: good food, sellers and buyers with character, and the bazaar's own intricate architecture.
Water and trees. The Golden Square, where Valentin walks and does body practices among trees and aryks, the small irrigation channels along the streets. Then Central Park: lots of corners and benches, squirrels, a lake.
An evening in the city. Meet at the opera and ballet theatre, where Valentin likes to spend an evening at a ballet or an opera, or go to the Philharmonic for classical music. We agree on tickets when you pick the evening.
Honest about the first season
Valentin has been walking Almaty with friends and acquaintances for four years. Open walks start now, so there are no reviews yet, and we will not invent any. No countdowns, no "last spots", no discounts.
The price is set per group and shown on the Russian page.
Cover photo: Panfilov Park and the Ascension Cathedral from above, by Nikolai Bulykin, via Wikimedia Commons.jpg), licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Book a walk
Tell Valentin how many of you there are, which language you prefer and which route you like. If you cannot choose, say so.
Price
Format · Walk with Valentin · 2–4 hours
$200
per group
- walk
- photo session
- stories
- practices
Questions
Is the walk really in English?
Yes. Valentin runs walks in English and in Russian. Say which one you prefer when you write.
Where do we meet?
At one of two points: Panfilov Park by the cathedral, or the opera and ballet theatre (locals call it GATOB). We agree on the point when you book.
How many people, and can we bring children?
Your group only, from one to ten people. Children are welcome from the age of six.
What if the weather turns?
We move the way the day allows: on foot, by public transport or by taxi. If it is better to move the walk, you can reschedule up to two days before.
Can I cancel?
Yes. Write at least two days before the walk and we cancel or reschedule, no questions asked.
Do you go to the mountains?
No. Valentin's walks stay in the city.
Where are the reviews?
There are none yet. This is the first season of open walks, and we will not invent reviews.
How we know this
- Checked September 29, 2026: Cover photo: Nikolai Bulykin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.