Explore Ile-Alatau National Park, established to protect Kazakhstan’s unique landscapes and biodiversity. Enjoy improved conditions for tourism and recreation in this stunning natural haven.
Peak Maria (3,685 m) from Mynzhylki: Route, Couloir & Winter Notes
From $96/person
Medium
Pila Peak (3,780 m): the Saw-Tooth Summit of Prokhodnoye Gorge
From $91/person
Very Hard
The Almaty Mega-Traverse: 30 km, Two Passes, Two Peaks, One Day
From $120/person
Easy
Medeo to Shymbulak on Foot: the Small Almaty Gorge Walk
From $60/person
Very Hard
Karabastau (3,972 m): the Wildest Trek in the Issyk Mountains
From $207/person
Very Hard
Aksay Gorge: the Closed Valley and its 3,735 m Peak
From $169/person
Very Hard
Kumbelsu Gorge & Lake 13: the Wild Route to Molodezhny Peak
From $149/person
5 Best Weekend Hikes near Almaty – Picked by Local Guides
Mountain Lakes near Almaty: 7 Alpine Lakes and How to Reach Them
Hard
Guided Climb of Peak Pogranichnik (3,824 m) – The Wild Summit of the Kyrgauldy Gorge
From $90/person
Hard
Guided Climb of Peak 28 Heroes-Panfilovtsev (4,120 m)
From $159/person
Very Hard
Guided Climb of Peaks Manshuk Mametovoi (4,194 m) & Antikainena (4,144 m) – Two Summits via Mayakovskogo Gorge
From $169/person
Very Hard
Kaskelen–Prohodnoe Trek – 6-Day Expedition Across Zailiyskiy Alatau
From $370/person
Easy
The Helipad Walk
From $43/person
Hard
Guided Hike to Peak Akusticheskiy / Myuztau (3,453 m)
From $91/person
Ile-Alatau National Park runs along the northern edge of the Tien Shan, directly above Almaty. It is the reason you can leave a city of two million in the morning and stand on a glacier by lunchtime - the first trailheads are 30 minutes from the centre, and the range climbs past 5,000 m at Talgar Peak.
The park is organised as a series of gorges running north out of the main ridge, and choosing a gorge is really how you choose a hike:
Malo-Almaty Gorge - the busiest and most accessible, holding Medeo, Shymbulak, the Tuyuksu glaciers and most of the four-thousanders.
Big Almaty Gorge - Big Almaty Lake, the Cosmostation, and the peaks above it.
Prohodnoye and Kaskelen - quieter western valleys, and the way onto the long multi-day traverses.
Butakovsky, Gorelnik and Kim Asar - waterfalls, hot springs and forest walks close to the city, good for a half day.
Talgar - the wildest sector, and the approach to the highest summit in the range.
Altitude is the thing to plan around. Trailheads sit at 1,500-2,500 m and routes climb to 3,000-4,500 m, so the high passes are open roughly mid-June to mid-September, while the lower forest trails and waterfalls are walkable from April into November.
National park entry fees are included in every tour we run, along with an English-speaking guide, round-trip transport from Almaty, lunch and a first aid kit.
Getting to the trailheads
The main access points are Medeo and Shymbulak in the Malo-Almaty gorge, the Big Almaty Lake road, and the Ayusay visitor centre. All are reachable by road from central Almaty, and our tours include round-trip transport, so there is no need to work out taxis or park entry on the day.
Choosing a route by difficulty
Routes in the park run the full range. Forest walks and waterfall trails are graded 1-2/5 and suit families and first-timers. Summit day hikes to 3,000-3,500 m sit around 3/5. The four-thousanders and glacier routes are 4-5/5 and are guided by a certified alpine guide with rope work where the route needs it.
