Almaty's tower blocks stretching to the hazy horizon, framed by fresh green leaves in the foreground

Viewpoint · Medeu District, Almaty

Kok-Tobe

A hill on Almaty's edge, reached by cable car, with a hilltop park, city views and the landmark TV tower

Explore on the map Plan a Kazakhstan trip

Ambient sound · similar settingAsian city centre at night

Photo: K V (@kv_art) / Unsplash

Discover Kok-Tobe

Kok-Tobe, whose name the park's history links to a medieval Blue Hill, rises roughly 200 metres above the city centre. The national tourism board recommends riding the cable car up for views over Almaty, and on clear days the city spreads out below while the Trans-Ili Alatau rises behind the summit. The Almaty TV tower stands on the hill, its 372-metre structure topped by an antenna mast and visible from across the city.

The summit is a family park with restaurants, viewing platforms and a range of attractions: a Ferris wheel, a rope park, a mirror maze, an upside-down house, a children's train and the Fast Coaster, a sled-on-rails ride. Restaurants serve everything from Kazakh national cuisine to fine dining, and the park stays open into the evening, when the lights of the city come on below.

Don’t miss

01The cable car ride up from Dostyk Avenue
02Panoramic views over Almaty and the mountains
03The Almaty TV tower at close range
04Evening views of the city lights
05Rides and attractions for children

History & culture

The story of Kok-Tobe

Before the Soviet era residents gathered on the hill, then known as Verigina, for May Day celebrations in summer and for skiing and sledding in winter. A cable car was first built in the 1960s, starting from a lower station near the Palace of the Republic, and construction of the TV tower began in 1978.

In 2004 heavy rains caused cracks and landslide risk; the hill was closed, illegal cafés were removed and the slopes were stabilised with hundreds of deep concrete wells. Kok-Tobe Park opened in 2006, and a new cable car with 17 cabins was completed in 2016 when the renovated park reopened.

Local life & traditions

Kok-Tobe has been a place for Almaty residents to gather since before the Soviet era, and the park describes itself as a symbol of the city. Restaurants such as Abay serve Kazakh national cuisine with a view.

Things to do

Experience it like a local

Visitors usually ride the cable car up, walk the viewing platforms and stay for a meal or a drink at one of the summit restaurants. Families spend time on the Ferris wheel, the rope park, the mirror maze and the Fast Coaster. It is also possible to drive or take the park's passenger bus from Omarova Street or Dostyk Avenue instead of the cable car.

When to go

The park is open all year. Clear days give the best mountain views, and evenings, especially on Fridays and Saturdays when the park stays open later, show the city lights.

Plan your visit

Verified information

Cable car fares: Adults 6,000 tenge one way or 10,000 tenge return; children aged 6–12 3,000 tenge one way or 5,000 tenge return (birth certificate required). Source: koktobe.com ↗
Cable car hours: 10:00–22:00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; 13:00–22:00 on Tuesday; 10:00–23:00 on Friday, Saturday and public holidays. Source: koktobe.com ↗
Cable car route: From the lower station at 104B Dostyk Avenue to Kok-Tobe Park; 1,620 m long, about 6 minutes, with 17 cabins. Source: koktobe.com ↗
Passenger bus: Adults 2,000 tenge one way or 3,000 tenge return from Omarova Street, and 3,000 or 4,000 tenge from Dostyk Avenue; children 6–12 pay 1,000 or 1,500 tenge. Source: koktobe.com ↗

Checked against the sources on 31 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.

Travel tips

Choose a clear day for the mountain views, or come at dusk for the city lights.
Note the shorter cable car hours on Tuesdays, when it opens at 13:00.
Buy a return ticket if you plan to ride both ways; it costs less than two singles.
Driving up is an option: the summit is about five minutes by car from the city centre.

General guidance from our specialists, not official information.

Around Kok-Tobe: food, markets & places to stay

The lower cable car station is on Dostyk Avenue in central Almaty, close to Republic Square and a short ride from Panfilov Park and the Green Bazaar. Medeu and Shymbulak lie further up into the mountains to the south-east.

Kok-Tobe & what’s nearby

All places in Kazakhstan →

Loading map…

Open larger map ↗

The colourful wooden cathedral seen down a tree-lined path with flower beds under a blue sky

City

Almaty · 2.4 km away

Kok-Tobe in pictures

Visit Kok-Tobe on a Kazakhstan holiday

All Kazakhstan packages →

NatureAdventure

Kazakhstan · 7 nights4★ Hotel

Almaty Lakes & Charyn Canyon

Big Almaty Lake
Kolsai Lakes and Kaindy
Charyn Canyon

Includes accommodation · daily breakfast · private driver-guide · guided excursions

Indicative from

$2,028 pp

The Baiterek tower with its golden sphere rising above a winter Astana cityscape

City breakCulture

Kazakhstan · 6 nights4★ Hotel

Astana & Almaty

Baiterek Tower
Hazrat Sultan Mosque
Kok-Tobe hill

Includes accommodation · daily breakfast · astana–almaty flight · guided sightseeing

Indicative from

$1,559 pp

Sources & verification

This guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 31 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image. The ambient recording’s author and licence are shown in the sound player.

Kok-Tobe Park — Kok-Tobe (official site)
Cable car — Kok-Tobe (official site)
Attractions — Kok-Tobe (official site)
Kok Tobe — Wikipedia
Almaty — Kazakhstan Travel

Want Kok-Tobe in your itinerary? Our specialists will fit it in.

Customise a Kazakhstan trip Ask a specialist