Guide to Kazakhstan
Must See Kazakhstan
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Overview
Flights to Almaty most commonly transit through Istanbul (Turkey), Vienna (Austria), Frankfurt (Germany) and Moscow (Russia). The main Asia links are Ürümqi (Xinjiang, China), Islamabad (Pakistan) and New Delhi (India). Some smaller Kazak cities have international flights but rarely to anywhere except Russia.
Long-distance rail connections include a daily Moscow-Almaty service and another line to Almaty from China via Ürümqi. The latter route is notable for the unpleasant China-Kazakhstan border crossing (think eight hours, no toilets, plundering officials). There's an overland route from Ürümqi to Almaty via the border post at Khorgos and Zharkent, accessible year-round. There are two other China-Kazakhstan crossings farther north, at Bakhty (Tacheng on the China side) and Maykapchigay (Jeminay in China), but it's a toss up whether they're open to foreigners.
If you're more into travelling than arriving, there's a hybrid journey by air from Turkey to Baku (Azerbaijan), by cargo vessel across the Caspian Sea to Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan, and from there to Ashghabat, Bukhara and beyond by train.