When you book, the app confirms that the booking has been made and shows all the details of your ride, like the price and the assigned driver and vehicle.
Under “My Trips,” the app also saves the history of all your bookings so you can see all of the rides that you have booked from your account.
Your booked trips that have not been taken yet will be shown under “Open” and will show all of the details of your future ride(s).
Your previous rides will be shown under “Closed” along with information including the trip duration, price paid, the vehicle and driver you rode with, and the date and time of the ride.
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Taking a taxi in Almaty has finally become a more streamlined and painless process but not without a lot of trial and error over the years. This Almaty taxi guide will instruct you on how to successfully take a taxi in the Kazakhstan city as well as give advice to ensure you don’t put yourself in harmful situations like I have endured in the past. It will also give you a couple of apps to help you successfully take a taxi in Almaty.
Taking a taxi in Almaty has been a huge learning curve for me over the years. In fact, the Almaty taxi situation was the main reason I left Kazakhstan a bit early in 2016 when I lived here for the latter part of the year.
I want to be that person who promotes walking and taking public transportation everywhere around Almaty. But, unfortunately, it isn’t always feasible for me and the biggest problem is that I am claustrophobic.
The Almaty Metro runs in areas that I don’t live, so getting there is quite the walk. The buses are pretty efficient here but they always seem to be jam-packed. And it stresses me out just gazing inside of them more often than not.
I do tend to walk more here than in any other city I live in or visit and I usually lose weight when here. Maybe I should visit Almaty more often?
But, I do take a taxi fairly often in Almaty. They are extremely affordable here- more so than anywhere else I’ve ever been. And the city is spread out so it is difficult to walk from the bus station to the area of the city that I live in. It would take me hours and hours to do so! I often stay out late at night here because I am the world’s worst at getting over jetlag, so I tend to get lazy in the late hours and call a cab.
So, while I suggest trying to walk if it is feasible, do know that taxis are pretty standard in Almaty and a part of many people’s everyday life.
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There are several ways to get a taxi in Kazakhstan but these are the two that I use regularly. It is rumored that Taxify is also looking to move into the Central Asian market which will be great and offer another option if they do (I have used them in other regions of the world and they have been great).
The Yandex taxi app is my go-to taxi app in Kazakhstan. It took me a while to start using it as it was not in English initially but the Russian app is now in English (among other languages) and offers the quickest service in Almaty. Now I use Yandex around 80% of the time here. Click here to download Yandex for iPhone and click here to download Yandex for Android.
Almaty Taxi Guide: How to Successfully Take a Taxi in Almaty, Kazakhstan yandexAlmaty Taxi Guide: How to Successfully Take a Taxi in Almaty, Kazakhstan yandexAlmaty Taxi Guide: How to Successfully Take a Taxi in Almaty, Kazakhstan yandex
Pros: Yandex has more registered drivers than Uber. So, the taxis are more ubiquitous around the city and tend to come within a short matter of minutes. Yandex also tends to be cheaper than Uber in Almaty.
Another thing I love about Yandex is that the rate you’re shown is the rate that you will be charged. And getting to the airport is easy as the rate is a flat rate of 1500 KZT which is half the price of hailing a cab upon arrival or from the street.
Cons: For some reason, my card will not register with Yandex so I can only use the app if I have cash. This sucks. I also find that Yandex drivers sometimes don’t really carry much cash on them so if you don’t have exact change, you may end up having to just leave them a tip. I, truthfully, think that they do this on purpose sometimes.
Orlando cab serviceUber was my go-to app of choice here a few years ago. But, times have changed and Yandex has become more user-friendly for tourists so now I use Uber only sparingly. Click here to download Uber for iPhone and click here to download Uber for Android.
Almaty Taxi Guide: How to Successfully Take a Taxi in Almaty, Kazakhstan uberAlmaty Taxi Guide: How to Successfully Take a Taxi in Almaty, Kazakhstan uberAlmaty Taxi Guide: How to Successfully Take a Taxi in Almaty, Kazakhstan uber
Pros: My favorite thing about Uber is that I know how to file a complaint if I have an issue. And don’t worry, I have in the past. Uber was quick to reply to me and reimburse me after the situation. Another thing I like about Uber is that I can use my card with the app.
I can also use Paypal if I wish. For some reason, I can’t seem to get this to work with my American bank card on Yandex.
Cons: Uber has fewer drivers than Yandex, so wait times can be a bit longer than expected. The prices are also slightly higher than Yandex’s. Another thing I am not a fan of is Uber as a company in general (research for more information if you’re curious what I am talking about).
But, as an often solo female traveler, I do feel security in the app and knowing that I can hail a cab anywhere at any time by the press of a finger on my phone.
Something you may observe when spending time in Almaty is that you will likely see people hailing cabs from the street. And when the cars pull up, they are not marked and just look like an everyday, private vehicle. Well… they are.
Something you may observe when spending time in Almaty is that you will likely see people hailing cabs from the street. And when the cars pull up, they are not marked and just look like an everyday, private vehicle. Well… they are.
In Almaty and other parts of Kazakhstan, people willingly take rides with strangers. I have done this several times around the city. Basically, you find a good place (where you won’t hold up traffic) and just stick your arm out to initiate pickup.
Once a person stops, you just agree on a price and if he or she are going in that direction, they may opt to take you with them. And sometimes, they may just give you a ride in that direction for a fee even if not going there.
I always use my calculator on my phone to agree on the price if the language barrier is strong. I have done this several times and I have not yet had an issue with it. I have also met several people doing this and some of them have become friends.
If you’re not catching one from the street but a taxi stand of some sort, you may run the risk of getting an insanely high ‘tourist tax’. This would be the last way I would attempt to take a taxi in Almaty, to be honest.
Arriving at any transportation hub in Almaty is a real treat as you are bombarded with people wanting to take you to your next destination. ‘Taxi! Taxi! Taxi!’ are words that ring relentlessly in my ears for days after I pass through the Almaty Airport or the Sayran Bus Station.
Unfortunately, getting into the city by taxi from either place is a pain if you don’t have wifi or a way to access a transportation app like Yandex or Uber.
Getting a taxi from the airport sucks. While it should be easy as Yandex offers a flat rate of 1500 KZT, it isn’t easy because if you just arrive at Almaty Airport, you won’t be able to get online (because they use Chocolife’s service for internet access and it only works for locals and people with Russian numbers).
How horrible is this? So basically, you have two choices: get screwed over and get a SIM card or find a way to get a local to order you a taxi… OR… just chance it with ones out front. I chance it.
If you plan to chance the taxi situation, head out front toward the police office (small little hut directly out of the front doors) where you will see a woman wearing a bright yellow vest and shouting like she is directing traffic at Shibuya in Tokyo.