Almaty in March and May are practically two different cities. March is cold and unpredictable (+3…+13 °C, with snow possible), April is warm and the city starts to bloom, and by May it is +19…+24 °C, fully green and the best month of the spring. For the mountains, remember that trails are unsafe in March and April because of avalanche risk, and they start to dry out only from mid-May.
The city is easy to enjoy in any spring month, and day trips depend on the month: Charyn works from March, while Kaindy and the upper Kolsai lakes wait for May. Below you’ll find short answers to the questions people search for most, then the month-by-month comparison, the city, the mountains, and the day trips.
Quick answers
Which month is best for Almaty in spring? May. It is stably warm, the city is fully green, and most natural locations are open. April is also good for the city and for Charyn. March suits the Shymbulak ski season.
What is the weather like? Daytime temperatures average +3…+13 °C in March, +13…+19 °C in April and +19…+24 °C in May. March is the least predictable: it can be snow and +23 °C in the same week.
What should I wear? March calls for a coat or warm jacket and waterproof shoes. April needs only a light jacket or windbreaker, plus an umbrella. By May, light clothes and a windbreaker for the evening are enough. The mountains are colder than the city, so bring a warmer layer for the cable car.
Can I hike in the mountains in spring? Not in March and April: the trails are unsafe because of avalanche risk, snow and mud. From mid-May they start to dry out. Before any mountain trip, check the avalanche bulletin on Telegram.
Can I still ski in March? Yes. The ski season is still in full swing at Shymbulak.
Which day trips work in spring? Charyn Canyon is open year-round and is cool and quiet in spring. Kolsai is comfortable from late April, and Kaindy opens in May. The roads to Issyk and Assy are closed in early spring and usually open from mid-to-late April, so check before you go.
What about Nauryz? Nauryz, the Central Asian New Year, is March 21–25, with extended weekends, fairs in yurts and concerts. The city is packed, so plan ahead. See our Nauryz guide.
Is there a tour of the city? Yes. We run a private city tour, and we also arrange day trips to Charyn and Kolsai.
Which month is best — a side-by-side comparison
March weather is especially unpredictable: one year it’s +18 °C in early March, the next — snow. Temperatures in the table show the range of average daytime values from the beginning to the end of the month.
| Parameter | March | April | May |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average daytime temperature | +3…+13 °C | +13…+19 °C | +19…+24 °C |
| Weather predictability | Low: snow and +23 °C in the same week | Moderate: occasional rain, but generally warm | Moderate: consistently warm to hot, occasional rain |
| Precipitation | ~6 days with precipitation | ~7 rainy days, 44 mm | ~8 rainy days, 50 mm |
| Greenery | City looks gray, trees are bare | First green by mid-month, city in bloom by end | Fully green, wildflowers in the mountains |
| Events | Nauryz (Central Asian New Year), Mar 21–25, 5 days off | No major events | May 1 Unity Day, May 7 Defender’s Day, May 9 Victory Day |
| Mountain trails | Unsafe: avalanche risk, snow | Unsafe: avalanche risk | Trails start drying out from mid-May |
| Charyn | Cool, very few tourists | Getting warm | Warm, hot by end of month |
| Kolsai | Around +5 °C daytime | Rises to 10–15 °C | Can reach 20 °C |
| Altyn-Emel | Cool, steppe still yellow | Comfortable, +15…+25 °C | Warm, hot by end of month |
| Kaindy | May be closed, road often impassable | May be closed, road often impassable | Daytime +15…+20 °C, lake thaws out |
| Issyk | Closed until the avalanche season ends, usually mid-April or later* | Opens, check availability | Usually open, may close due to weather |
| Assy | Closed until the avalanche season ends, usually mid-April or later* | Opens, check availability | Usually open, may close due to weather |
*The roads to Issyk and Assy are closed for the avalanche season, and the dates change every year. In 2024–25 the park closed them on November 27 and the gates were lifted only at the end of April, a month later than promised. Check with the park before you go.
The city in spring
Almaty in March
The city still looks gray — bare trees, lawns recovering from winter. Daytime +3 to +13, mornings can be near zero. On colder days, museums are a great call.
Almaty in March — the city is still gray, but already waking up 
By the end of the month, temperatures climb — strolls around the center start feeling pleasant. Outdoor cafe terraces open up.
Outdoor cafe terraces in Almaty in early spring 
The main way to get to the mountains is to drive up to the health stairs / Medeu viewpoint and ride the cable car up to Shymbulak.
Medeu viewpoint and the cable car to Shymbulak 
The ski season is still in full swing in March — you can hit the slopes at Shymbulak.
Nauryz (March 21–25): the main spring holiday in Kazakhstan. Central Asian New Year with extended weekends, fairs in yurts, concerts and traditional food. The city is packed during these days. Read more in our Nauryz guide.
Almaty in April
The city’s biggest transformation. By mid-month, the first green shows up; by the end, the city is in bloom. Weather is unpredictable: could be +20 and sunny, or +10 and rainy.
Almaty in April — first green and city in bloom 
The first seasonal fruits and berries appear. Comfortable to spend long stretches outside — picnics, park walks, terrace hangouts.
Almaty in May
A fully green, warm city. All terraces and parks are open. Temperatures are comfortable all day.
Almaty in May — green city, parks and terraces 
Mountain hikes
Mountain trails near Almaty in May — greenery and melting snow. Photos: Sergey and Natalia 
March and April. Trails are unsafe due to avalanche risk, snow and mud. In March the Shymbulak cable car is the way to see the mountains; in April the lifts close for annual maintenance (in 2026 from April 9–16 to April 30), so check the schedule before you go. The city can have summer-like weather while the mountains are completely different.
May (from mid-month). Trails start to dry out.
Before heading into the mountains, check the avalanche bulletin in this Telegram channel — it has a risk map by zone. In March–April risk is usually high; by mid-May it drops.
Day trips out of the city
Destinations and seasonality
| Destination | Distance | Drive time | March | April | May |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charyn Canyon | ~210 km | ~3.5 h | Open, cool | Ideal, comfortable | Excellent, warm |
| Kolsai Lakes | ~300 km | ~4.5–5 h | Cold but beautiful | Comfortable by end | Kolsai-1 and 2 open |
| Altyn-Emel | ~250 km | ~3.5–5 h | Early, steppe still yellow | Tulips, best time | Peak spring |
| Kaindy Lake | ~300 km | ~5 h | Closed: ice, road | Early: ice, gravel | Season opens |
| Issyk Lake | ~70 km | ~1.5 h | Closed until the avalanche season ends, usually mid-April or later* | Opens, check | Usually open |
| Assy Plateau | ~110 km | ~3–4 h | Closed until the avalanche season ends, usually mid-April or later* | Road unpredictable | Closer to end of May |
*The roads to Issyk and Assy are closed for the avalanche season, and the dates change every year. In 2024–25 the park closed them on November 27 and the gates were lifted only at the end of April, a month later than promised. Check with the park before you go.
Charyn Canyon
The Valley of Castles — a red sandstone canyon where you can walk among “towers” and “walls.” Open year-round, but spring is the best time: in summer it’s +40 °C and above.
In spring it’s cool and almost no tourists. April and May are most comfortable.
Charyn Canyon in spring — Valley of Castles in red sandstone. Photos: Natalia 
More in our Charyn Canyon guide.
Kolsai Lakes
Three mountain lakes in a gorge surrounded by spruce. Kolsai-1 is the most accessible; Kolsai-2 is reached by a ~8 km hike with ~500 m of elevation gain.
March can be cold. The upper lakes stay snowy until May. Comfortable from late April.
Kolsai Lakes — a mountain lake among Tien Shan spruce 
More in our Kolsai Lakes guide.
Kaindy Lake
A mountain lake with a sunken spruce forest — dry trunks rising from turquoise water. Located near the Kolsai Lakes. Closed in winter: ice, the road is impassable. Season starts in May. You’ll need a 4×4.
Kaindy Lake — sunken spruce forest 
More in our Kaindy Lake guide.
Altyn-Emel
Kazakhstan’s largest national park. Steppes, deserts, mountains — nothing like the green gorges around Almaty. Highlights: the Singing Dune, the colored chalk Aktau mountains, the “frozen lava” of Katutau.
Best time — April and May: the steppe greens up, wild tulips bloom. March is too early — steppe still yellow. In summer with +40 °C+, tours don’t go.
Pricier and more involved than Charyn: longer drive, minimum two days. Almost no tourists.
Issyk Lake
A mountain lake 70 km from Almaty, ~1.5 hours’ drive — the closest out-of-city destination. Surrounded by spruce forest, mountains, silence.
The road is normally closed until the avalanche season ends, in 2026 until April 15. The date changes every year and may shift. Even after opening, the road can close due to weather or mudslides. Check news before going.
Issyk Lake — mountain lake in the spruce forest near Almaty 
More in our Issyk Lake guide.
Assy Plateau
A high-altitude plateau 110 km from Almaty, 3–4 hours one way. Open spaces, hills, endless sky — completely different from the mountains around Almaty. You’ll need a 4×4.
The road is normally closed until the avalanche season ends, in 2026 until April 15. The date changes every year and may shift. Even after opening, the road can close due to weather or mudslides. Check news before going.
Assy Plateau — high-altitude plain with mountain views and sunrises 
More in our Assy Plateau guide.
What to wear
The city and the mountains have different weather: Almaty might be sunny and +20 °C while Shymbulak at the same time is +5 and windy. You sunburn faster at altitude.
March. Daytime +3…+13, mornings near zero. Coat or warm jacket, sweater/fleece. Waterproof shoes (snow melting, puddles). On the cable car — bundle up: it can be sub-zero and windy.
April. No need for a heavy coat — light jacket / windbreaker is enough. Mornings +2…+7, daytime +13…+19. Umbrella required.
May. Almost summer: daytime +19…+24. Light clothes, windbreaker for the evening. For the mountains — sneakers with good grip, pants, rain jacket.
How to choose your month
May — best time for Almaty in spring: stably warm, the city is fully green and beautiful, most natural locations are open.
Exception: March is for ski season at Shymbulak.
If your trip falls in March or April — don’t worry. There’s still plenty to see in the city and around it.
