Central Almaty is walkable — the main sights cluster around the grid of avenues between Panfilov Park to the north and Republic Square to the south, with Dostyk and Furmanov the main north-south arteries. Most of what a visitor wants to see is within 20 minutes on foot from the centre.
The metro is small but useful: a single line runs roughly north-south through the centre. Useful stops include Raimbek (near the Green Bazaar), Almaly, and Baikonur (near the train station). Buses and trolleybuses cover most of the city, though figuring out the routes without Russian or Kazakh requires asking at bus stops.
Taxis are cheap and easy to hail by standing at the kerb and raising your hand. Most cars that stop will negotiate — decide your price before getting in, typically 500–1000 tenge for a journey within the centre. Yandex Taxi operates in Almaty and is a more reliable, metered option accessible via a smartphone app. Agree on fares for mountain trips (Medeu, Shymbulak, Big Almaty Lake) in advance as these are longer journeys.
For the mountains, shared minibuses (marshrutki) run from the city to Medeu and some other destinations, leaving when full from set stops along Dostyk and other main avenues.