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Golden Square

On this walk, we will travel from old Alma-Ata quarters to the avenues of modern Almaty — exploring their history and architecture.

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In 2.5 hours you will learn about the history and architecture of the city and discover that the Golden Square architecture is modernist-constructivist-empire-eclectic.

Along the way, we will see the houses where Mukhtar Auezov, Galina Ulanova, Tleu Basenov, Baurzhan Momyshuly, Konstantin Paustovsky, Sergei Kalmykov, and Gulfairuz Ismailova lived and worked.

We invite you to discover the city from a different perspective on our unique tour with an experienced art historian guide.

Who is this tour for

For business and teams

Organize a unique team building
Help new employees integrate into Almaty's cultural context

For expats and new residents

Immerse yourself in the city's history and architecture
Learn how Almaty's center was formed and why it looks the way it does

For locals

Discover the meanings behind familiar buildings and streets
See the Golden Square anew through the history of its residents and architects

For city visitors

Dive deeper into historical context than a typical sightseeing tour
See Almaty through the lens of its architecture and urban eras

For creative professionals

Understand how the visual identity of the city center was shaped
Learn how architecture influences Almaty's image and brand

For those interested in urbanism

See the role of architecture in urban development
Understand how the city's appearance evolved from constructivism to brutalism

How the tour works

Starting point

At the corner of Gogol and Panfilov streets, near Zhibek-Zholy metro station

Ending point

At the "Nedelka" fountain, near the Opera and Ballet Theatre

Route

All objects are in the Golden Square, most of the route is flat.

Duration

The tour lasts 2 hours. There's a coffee stop at a cafe at the end.

Price

Tour price from 80,000 to 150,000 KZT depending on group size. Includes tour with guide, coffee not included.

Guide

Led by Oksana Tanskaya, guide, art historian and sommelier of urban stories.

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What our clients say

Real reviews from our Telegram channel

Darya

We loved the tour! Everything was well organized, from booking to payment. Started right on time. Special thanks to Oksana — she packed so much fascinating information into a short time, and delivered it with real energy and emotion.

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Alena

Yes, we really liked it. I love how Oksana tells the stories, you can feel her interest and love for the characters, their stories, and history in general.

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Ardak

It was very nice to spend the day walking through the Golden Square of Almaty. I especially liked how Oksana highlighted the architecture of historic buildings.

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Aizhan

Loved the tour, learned a lot about Abilkhan Kasteev's work, nomadic life, and social realism. Thank you for the educational tour! This is my third tour with your program.

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Irina

Loved the tour. Vitaly, thank you for the interesting details and the pride with which you spoke about Kazakhstan's history and traditions.

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Olesya D.

Thank you for creating such an amazing route! Love how Andrey adds his own insider details and nuances alongside the official history.

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FAQ

You can certainly walk around the city on your own, and there's a pleasure in that. But on a guided tour, you'll dive much deeper into the context:

— understand the difference between constructivism, empire style and eclecticism — through real examples
— learn why Almaty's center looks the way it does
— notice details that usually go unnoticed
— hear the stories of people who lived and worked in these buildings

This is a private tour, and the price includes:

the art historian's preparatory work on creating the route, and the tour led by the art historian. The exact price varies depending on group size.

Yes. The tour is designed for people without special training.

We explain architectural styles in simple terms — no professional jargon or complex terminology. When new words come up (like "constructivism" or "empire style"), we immediately show them on real buildings and break them down with clear examples.

If there are only a few days left before your date, reach out and we'll do our best to help. We've had cases where we organized a tour the very next day.

However, in most cases guides may already be booked if you reserve at the last minute. We recommend booking in advance:

Day programs — at least a week ahead, ideally 2-3 weeks. Multi-day programs — at least a month ahead.

Yes, many of our clients are locals who have seen these works for years but never knew their stories or context. The tour gives you a fresh perspective on familiar streets.

Yes, we operate officially and provide all necessary documents for accounting: invoices, completion reports, contracts, etc.

Yes, especially for:
creative and marketing teams, companies with expats, teams focused on identity and branding. The tour helps:
better understand the city you work in, see how the visual environment is shaped, step outside the office mindset into an urban one. The route can be adapted to your company's goals if needed.

The tour is designed for adults and teenagers.

For younger children, the format may be challenging due to the duration and depth of content.

A customized program for school groups is available upon request.

The tour is led by an art historian guide, author of a fine arts textbook.

The comfortable group size for this tour is up to 30 people.

The program, including the coffee stop, takes 2-2.5 hours. We can shorten or adapt the program to your needs if necessary.

Payment is made when booking the tour. Our manager will issue an invoice in KZT (we also accept USD).

We have a refund policy:
Cancellation 168+ hours (7+ days) before the service — 100% refund. Cancellation 96-168 hours (4-7 days) before — 50% refund. Cancellation 48-96 hours (2-4 days) before — 30% refund. Cancellation less than 48 hours before — no refund.