She Travels Abroad

Almaty’s Green Bazaar: Planning a great visit there

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by

Rachel O
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A must-see for anyone visiting Almaty, the Green Bazaar offers a fantastic central asian marketplace experience

a small child sits at a cafe table on a balcony above the bustling Green Bazaar in Almaty
A pit stop at one of the great cafes above the bustling ground floor in the main hall of Green Bazaar

Marketplaces are a natural part of any established town, and they are especially cool in Central Asia. Naturally Almaty has a fantastic one. Green Bazaar, known locally as Zelony Bazar and Kok Bazar, is a marketplace in the north of the city. It centers around the fresh fruit, vegetables and meat markets, all housed within the main hall. With the entrance to the main building on Zhibek Zholy Street, there are many surrounding indoor and outdoor market areas. This includes a second building behind, opening up onto Makataev Street. An enclosed bridge connects the two buildings.

Before (or after) your shop, you should stop by one of the cafes located in the main hall. Some great ones are upstairs on the four central pillars of the main hall. One such cafe, Bowler Coffee does a brilliant brew, and De Tulp, on the other side of the same pillar, serves a great dutch pancake. To be honest, I’m not so educated on what makes a dutch pancake great, but these sure are tasty. I usually go for the one with apple slices, raisins and cinnamon, which is quite delicious.

Whats so special about the Green Bazaar?

A staple marketplace for many in Almaty, visiting Green Bazaar is a great way to dip into central asian culture, as well as get some shopping done! I’m not a “market person” – my attention is limited and I have little patience for dawdling at stalls. I do enjoy my visits here. It’s not hard to get to via public transport and it has underground parking for anyone who is driving. The organisation of the stalls and section is great, especially in the main building. Many stalls will offer you taste tests; the nut and dried fruit vendors are very happy to do this. And if you bring your children along, they will be treated like royalty and offered all sorts of sweets.

While you can buy many things you need in a modern shop around the city, most can be found cheaper here. The only place cheaper would probably be Baraholka market. However, I won’t recommend a tourist go there. I have nothing against Baraholka – it serves a purpose for locals in Almaty. BUT – please note the caps lock used there – it’s big and rather difficult to navigate, as well as being REALLY far away. And don’t start me on the traffic! No, for your first foray into a marketplace, try Green Bazaar first.

What should you buy at the Green Bazaar

Sometimes there is no regular physical shop for some of the more specific items you might want in Almaty. In these cases you may need to go to the marketplace. For example, I went to Green Bazaar for curtain hooks and Korean tofu on the weekend. I also picked up a supply of nuts and dried fruit, as well as some Korean salads. And in the past, I’ve had curtains made by the team at one of the fabric stalls there.

Where can I find everything at the Bazaar?

The main building houses the most tourist friendly set up – the stalls are arranged beautifully and they are very orderly. I would start here. There is lots of colour, market smells and noise. The meat section at the back end of the main hall is VERY interesting. Everything you might want from an animal is on display on the tables and hung up around the stalls. This includes all the different cuts, parts and sausages from beef, mutton and cheval (aka horse! We are in Kazakhstan after all!), as well as chicken and pork. You can find the latter around the side in its own little corner. Most people don’t eat pork products in Kazakhstan 😉

There are also lots of fresh vegetables and fruit, in beautiful little towers, trays of nuts and dried fruit (at the entrance), rows of dairy goods, Korean salads and pickles, and honey products. This main area is very clean, with lots of space so you are not jostling against people, and is a very pleasant introduction to a central asian bazaar. The prices are not bad in this front section, but if you were hoping to get a bargain on fresh fruit and vegetables, or nuts, it’s probably not here! You are best to go through the main building, past the meat section and head into the building behind. There is a whole other fruit and vegetable section here, on the lower floor (the upper floor focuses more on items such as clothes and toys). It’s a bit busier, but the prices are usually a little lower.

What else should I do while at Green Bazaar?

I think you’ll enjoy a wander round the sides of the main building. Outside near the Korean salads (to the left when you first enter from the main entrance), you’ll see clothing and footwear. This area is still undercover, but is a little more open to the elements than the building. Towards the Zhibek Zholy end of this area you will find some tourist shops. This is where you’ll probably get the best price for items such as felt slippers and chapans (a traditional quilted coat). Stock up here on gifts if you can (and try out your haggling skills, especially if you buy multiple items). A bit further across is the fabric stalls (where I got my curtains made). Behind here is the hardware section.

Gardeners will find there is a section for their needs too. The lane between the main building and the building behind contains mostly seasonal garden and outdoor items.

If you wander further from the bazaar itself, you’ll find many other businesses and stalls. I don’t tend to do this, as I prefer to keep shopping trips short. I also frequently have small kids with me. However, if you have time and you want to absorb the vibe area, you should definitely have a walk around.

Is it safe at Green Bazaar?

Yes, like much of Almaty, it’s quite safe at Green Bazaar. It’s very busy and lots of women are there. If you’re a tourist you will need cash, given the vendors usually only take cash or Kaspi (low cost money transfer system available to residents of Kazakhstan on their smartphones). A friend has been pick pocketed there (a few years ago now) so do be careful with your cash and valuables. I’m a big Kaspi user and so rarely bring cash with me. However, I have been to the bazaar many times with friends and family while they were here on holiday (and were carrying cash) and they never had any issues with theft at the bazaar. 

How to get there

The Green Bazaar in Almaty is open 6 days a week (Mondays it is closed) 8.00am till 7.00pm. If I were you I’d catch a Yandex taxi. For that you’ll need the Yandex app available on iPhone and android. Pick your drop off point at the front of the main building, on Zhibek Zholy Street. The area here is not a dedicated taxi drop off zone (it’s a bus stop) so you’ll probably need to make your way past a parked bus or a car to get to the sidewalk. But it is very straightforward and many other people are doing it. As of April 2024 there is a lot of development happening around the front of the main building. You’ll need to walk past the construction fencing and enter the large green building. Yes, it is indeed a ‘green’ bazaar.

Almaty has a developed bus system, and the Green Bazaar is a very busy marketplace, so you can also catch a bus. The trolley buses pass by on Zhibek Zholy Street (numbers 9, 11, 13, 19), and the regular buses (numbers 8, 20, 40, 73, 112, 113, 204) pass by the back of the building on Makataev Street. The stops for the buses on both streets is called Зеленый Базар (Zelony Bazar).

What do I know about Kazakhstan?

I’ve been living here since mid 2021 with my family. Visit my About Me page to understand more about my perspective. And check out my Kazakhstan page to find out more about why I think why you should travel to Kazakhstan! Also, I have the following blog posts on Kazakhstan!