# Kok-Tobe, Almaty > Kok-Tobe is a 1,100 m hill on Almaty’s south-eastern edge with the TV tower on its slope and a park on top: viewing terraces, a Beatles statue, a Ferris wheel. The cable car from Dostyk Avenue takes 6 minutes; a return ticket is **10,000 KZT**. Open daily from 10:00 (Tuesdays from 13:00). Allow about two hours — ideally at sunset. Web page: https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/kok-tobe - City: [Almaty](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty), Kazakhstan - YesGo score: 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 2 h - Entry: Cable car 10,000 KZT return - Opening hours: Cable car: Mon, Wed, Thu, Sun 10:00–22:00; Tue 13:00–22:00; Fri, Sat and holidays 10:00–23:00 - With kids: Fine with kids - Cable car, adult: 6,000 KZT one way, 10,000 KZT return - Cable car, children 6–12: 3,000 KZT one way, 5,000 KZT return - Children 5 and under: Free on the cable car, park bus and Ferris wheel - Park bus from Omarova St: 2,000 KZT one way, 3,000 KZT return - Park bus from Dostyk Ave: 3,000 KZT one way, 4,000 KZT return - Walking up (Health Trail): Free, from Omarova Street - Cable car hours: Mon, Wed, Thu, Sun 10:00–22:00; Tue 13:00–22:00; Fri, Sat and holidays 10:00–23:00 - Rides: 10:00–22:00, Fri, Sat and holidays to 23:00 - Paying: Tenge; foreign Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted — carry some cash - Lower station: 104B Dostyk Ave, next to the Palace of the Republic - Coordinates: 43.23306, 76.97611 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **10,000 KZT** — adult return on the cable car; children 6–12 pay 5,000 KZT (source: Kok Tobe Park official website, price list) - **≈ 6 min** — ride up the 1,620 m gondola line (source: Kok Tobe Park official website; Bizmedia.kz, December 2025) - **≈ 1,100 m** — above sea level at the top (Wikipedia gives 1,130 m) (source: Kok Tobe Park official website; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **372 m** — the Almaty TV tower on the slope — closed to visitors (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Eurasia.travel) - **2007** — the Beatles monument went up on the summit (source: Russian Wikipedia; Eurasia.travel) - **1967** — the first cable car to the hill opened (source: Russian Wikipedia; Eurasia.travel) - **2016** — today’s gondola cable car began running (source: Kok Tobe Park official website; Karavan newspaper, March 2016) - **2006** — the summit park opened after the slope was stabilised (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **“Blue Hill”** — the meaning of Köktöbe in Kazakh (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Free** — to walk in — the park charges only for the ride up and the attractions (source: Kursiv.media, February 2026; Aviasales.kz, July 2026) ## Kok-Tobe cable car price and tickets An adult cable-car ticket is **6,000 KZT one way or 10,000 KZT return**. Children aged 6–12 pay 3,000 / 5,000 KZT, and kids aged 5 and under ride free. There is no entrance fee to the park itself — you pay for the ride up and for each attraction separately. The cheaper alternative is the park’s own bus up the hill road: 2,000 KZT one way (3,000 return) from Omarova Street, or 3,000 KZT (4,000 return) from the lower station on Dostyk Avenue. Buy tickets at the station counters. Money: everything is priced in tenge. Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards work in most of Almaty’s cafés and ticket offices, but keep some cash for small kiosks and taxis. Local apps like Kaspi QR generally need a Kazakh bank account, so don’t count on them. Best value for a first visit: ride the cable car up for the view, then take the park bus down to Omarova Street — 8,000 KZT in total rather than 10,000. > **No cable car on Tuesday mornings** Every Tuesday the cable car is serviced and starts at 13:00. It also shuts for longer repairs now and then — from late September to 20 November in 2025, and for a week in April 2026. Check the news on the park’s website before you go; when the cable car is down, the park bus still runs. ## Kok-Tobe opening hours The cable car runs **10:00–22:00**, and until 23:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays. On Tuesdays it opens at 13:00. The rides keep the same hours without the Tuesday break. The park bus runs later — until midnight daily and until 01:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays — and the restaurants are open 11:00 to midnight. Stay after dark and you can still get down by bus. Summer hours can be longer: in July 2026 the cable car ran until 23:00 and until midnight at weekends. We list the schedule on the park’s website at the end of October; check it again for a summer trip. ## How to get to Kok-Tobe from the city centre 1. From Panfilov Park, walk to Zhibek Zholy metro station and ride two stops to Abai station. 2. From Abai station, walk about 700 m (8 minutes) east along Abai Avenue to Dostyk Avenue and the Palace of the Republic. 3. The lower cable-car station is at 104B Dostyk Avenue. Buy a ticket and ride up — about 6 minutes. 4. Prefer a taxi? From Panfilov Park to the lower station is roughly 10 minutes; ride-hailing apps work well in Almaty. 5. Budget route: city bus 95 or 99 to the end of Omarova Street, then the park bus (2,000 KZT) or the free Health Trail on foot. ## Is Kok-Tobe worth it? Yes, for a first visit to Almaty. It is the easiest way to see the whole city laid out below with the snow-capped Trans-Ili Alatau behind, and the gondola ride over the old neighbourhood of private houses is part of the fun. Go in the late afternoon and stay through sunset: in daylight the summit can feel a bit like a fairground, but as the lights come on below and the TV tower lights up, it is at its best. A hazy or cloudy day takes away most of the reason to go, so check the sky before buying a ticket. Skip it if you are heading higher into the mountains anyway and are short on time — [Medeu](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/medeu) and [Shymbulak](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/shymbulak) give you real alpine scenery (the Medeu skating rink is closed for reconstruction until late 2028, but the dam stairs and the cable car up to Shymbulak are open). And if heights bother you, the park bus is a calmer way up than the gondola. ## What to see at the top - **Viewing terraces** facing the city on one side and the Trans-Ili Alatau peaks on the other. - **The Beatles monument** (2007) — life-size bronze figures, John Lennon on a bench with a guitar and the others behind him. - **The TV tower**, 372 m tall, close up from outside — it is a restricted site, so you can’t go in. It is lit up at night. - **Ferris wheel** with enclosed cabins, about 10 minutes per turn — 4,000 KZT, children 6–12 2,500 KZT. - **The apple-shaped wishing fountain** — a nod to Almaty’s claim as the home of the wild apple. - **Fast Coaster** — a toboggan-style ride down the slope, 7,000 KZT for adults, 4,000 KZT for children 6–12 (from 110 cm, with an adult). It closes from time to time. - **Restaurants** — Kazakh food at Abay, plus the Inzhu restaurant and a café, open until midnight. ## Can you walk up Kok-Tobe? Yes — the Health Trail is the only free way up. It starts at the end of Omarova Street, where city buses terminate and there is a car park, and climbs as a staircase with benches, lighting and lookout points. The park opened it in 2025. It is a stair climb, so it is no good for buggies or wheelchairs. The park closed it temporarily in May 2026, which is why we mark it as unconfirmed; if it is shut, take the park bus from the same spot. Don’t try walking up the hill road itself: there is barely a pavement and traffic is steady. ## Cable car, park bus or on foot | | Cable car | Park bus | Health Trail | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | From | 104B Dostyk Ave | Omarova St or Dostyk Ave | Omarova St | | Adult one way | 6,000 KZT | 2,000 / 3,000 KZT | Free | | Return | 10,000 KZT | 3,000 / 4,000 KZT | Free | | The view on the way | The whole city | Hairpin road | Slope and mountains | | Tuesday morning | Closed until 13:00 | Running | Open | | With a buggy | Yes | Yes | No — stairs | Take the cable car up the first time for the view; come down on the park bus to save money. > **Bring a jacket for the evening** The top is a couple of hundred metres above the city and noticeably cooler and windier after sunset. A light jacket helps even on a warm day. In strong wind or bad weather the cable car can be stopped — the park bus is the fallback. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Not Tuesday before 13:00 — or I’ll take the park bus - [ ] Checked the park news: no cable-car repairs - [ ] Some tenge in cash as well as a card - [ ] Clear sky forecast for the evening - [ ] A warm layer for after sunset - [ ] Leaving about an hour before sunset ## Almaty’s best viewpoints compared Every viewpoint in Almaty rated by YesGo. - [Medeu](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/medeu) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; rink closed for reconstruction - [Kok-Tobe](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/kok-tobe) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Cable car 10,000 KZT return - [Shymbulak](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/shymbulak) — YesGo score 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · 12,000 KZT return, kids 4,000 KZT - [Big Almaty Lake](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/big-almaty-lake) — YesGo score 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Park fee ≈ 865 KZT, under-18s free - [Lake Issyk](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/lake-issyk) — YesGo score 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · 648 KZT park fee, car 1,297 KZT - [Charyn Canyon](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/charyn-canyon) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Entry 865 KZT, car extra ## Central Almaty and a Kok-Tobe sunset The Green Bazaar in the morning, Ascension Cathedral in Panfilov Park, a stroll down the Arbat, then up Kok-Tobe for sunset. 1. [Green Bazaar](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/almaty-green-bazaar) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free entry 2. [Ascension Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/almaty-ascension-cathedral) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free 3. [Almaty Arbat](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/almaty-arbat) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free, open 24/7 4. [Kok-Tobe](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/kok-tobe) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Cable car 10,000 KZT return ## Good to know Kok-Tobe is also the name of an Almaty neighbourhood and of several hotels and apartment blocks — this page is about the hill and its summit park. The TV tower stands on the slope but is not open to visitors. ## Tips - Arrive about an hour before sunset to see the city by daylight and then lit up. - Weekday afternoons are quieter at the cable car than weekend evenings. - Up by gondola for the view, down by park bus to Omarova Street to save money. - On a Tuesday, start the day at the [Green Bazaar](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/almaty/almaty-green-bazaar) and go up the hill after lunch. - Want proper mountains? Spend the next day at Medeu and Shymbulak. The Medeu rink is closed for reconstruction until late 2028, but you can still climb the dam stairs and ride the cable car to Shymbulak. ## Questions ### How much is the Kok-Tobe cable car? 6,000 KZT one way or 10,000 KZT return for adults; 3,000 / 5,000 KZT for children aged 6–12; free for kids 5 and under. ### Is there an entrance fee for Kok-Tobe Park? No. Walking in is free; you pay for the cable car or park bus and for each attraction. ### What are Kok-Tobe opening hours? The cable car runs 10:00–22:00, until 23:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays, and from 13:00 on Tuesdays. The park bus runs until midnight (01:00 at weekends). ### How do I get to Kok-Tobe? Take the metro to Abai station and walk about 8 minutes to the lower cable-car station at 104B Dostyk Avenue, next to the Palace of the Republic. A taxi from the centre takes about 10 minutes. ### Is Kok-Tobe worth visiting at night? Yes — late afternoon into evening is the best time: you get the sunset, the city lights below and the illuminated TV tower. Daytime visits on hazy days are a letdown. ### How long should I spend at Kok-Tobe? About two hours including the ride up and down. Add an hour if you plan to eat at the top or have children on the rides. ### Can you go up the Almaty TV tower? No. The 372 m tower is a restricted broadcasting site and closed to visitors; the park’s terraces are the viewpoint. ### Can you walk up Kok-Tobe? Yes, via the free Health Trail staircase from the end of Omarova Street. Avoid walking up the road itself — there is barely a pavement. ### Can I pay by card at Kok-Tobe? Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are widely accepted in Almaty, but carry some tenge in cash for kiosks and small purchases. ## How we checked Cable-car, park-bus, Ferris-wheel and Fast Coaster fares, discounts and opening hours come from the park’s official website on 30.10.2026. Summer hours can be longer: a July 2026 Aviasales.kz article lists the cable car until 23:00 and until midnight at weekends, while the park’s site now shows 22:00 and 23:00 — we give the official schedule. The hill’s height differs between sources (1,100 m from the park, 1,130 m on Wikipedia). Cable-car length is the park’s 1,620 m; Wikipedia’s 1,727 m refers to the old line. Unofficial data is marked as unconfirmed: the Health Trail (temporarily closed in May 2026), the city bus numbers to Omarova Street (sources differ between 95, 99 and 130) and card payment. We leave out the small zoo: the park announced its closure in autumn 2025. ## Sources - Kok Tobe Park official website: price list, opening hours, discounts, car access, cable car page and news — 30.10.2026 - English and Russian Wikipedia: Kok Tobe; Wikidata Q1795699 - Eurasia.travel: Kok-Tobe Hill, Almaty - Aviasales.kz: Kok Tobe Park prices, July 2026 - Kursiv.media: car entry fee to Kok-Tobe, February 2026 - Bizmedia.kz: Koktobe cable car overhaul, December 2025 - Forbes.kz: cable-car safety at Kok-Tobe and Shymbulak - Karavan newspaper, March 2016 — reopening of the renovated Kok-Tobe --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.