Kok Tobe — Local services in Almaty

Kok Tobe ......meaning "Blue Hill"; is a mountain in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city. KOK TOBE Park is a popular recreation area, is on top of the mountain, which is 1100 meters above sea level. Kok Tobe is one of the main landmarks in the city, and it is popular among visitors and tourists to Almaty. A must visit SPOT especially in the evening times , just before Sun is about to set.

Untill 1960s it was known as "Verigin", before the Soviet Union people in the Summer used to organise "MAY DAY"  celebrations, & in winter this spot was famous for skiing and sledding. Verny merchants called the mountain "Blue Hill", a name believed to originate back to medieval times. In the 1960s the government thought of building a TV Tower with a thought thatt would be easy to broadcast in whole of Kazahkstan, plus it would be visible throughout the city of ALMATY.

The architects chosen for the project were N.G. Terziev, A.N. Savchenko and N.K. Akimov. The construction budget was 600 million rubles. The funds were allocated by the State Planning Committee of the USSR.

The height of the tower was 372 meters long. The height of the mast for the antennas is 114 meters. A signal of 6 TV and 4 radio channels was transmitted from this TV tower. The television tower "Koktobe" broadcast to 199 settlements.

In 2001, the television tower was reconstructed. After reconstruction, the television tower began broadcasting 14 television and 14 radio channels. In the spring of 2004, after heavy rains, mountain surfaces cracked and soil structures began to crumble, which became a threat of a landslide in the residential areas nearby. Former Almaty mayor Zamanbek Nurkadilov decided to close the area.

In summer 2004, work began on the reconstructing and strengthening the slope of Kok Tobe. At the top of mountain, illegally erected buildings (mostly cafes) were removed. Construction workers drilled and concreted 395 wells up to 24 meters. Their main task was to keep the soil from slipping. Cable car and viewing platforms were restored.

In 2006, the mountain opened a recreational entertainment center, which was Kók Tóbe Park.

In the park there is a "fountain of desires" made in the shape of an apple. On the territory of the park there are playgrounds with slides, swings and different locations, a climbing wall, a children's playground, attractions, a Ferris wheel, and a rope park. What I liked was the observation decks that give a glimpse of the beautiful city called ALMATY soaked in the GOLDEN colour especially in the evening.

The lighting makes it more appealing. Cable car tickets must be taken at the bottom of the mountain & cost is about 6k Kazhaki Tenge, Guest of Novotel gets discount coupons which entitles 30% straight from the above selling price.

I highly recommend a Visit with minimum 3 plus hrs here to enjoy with family & friends. Cafe's are too must visit...

Though it’s open during winter, there is nothing much to do as some shops and sections of the amusement areas/ attractions are closed. According to my tour guide, most attractions are closed during the cold months especially peak winter season.

And the Almaty city view from Kok Tobe, during the day, was not pleasant to look at during winter – smog covers much of the city and obstructs what should have been a good view. You can however see the very beautiful Tien Shan mountain range, but again the smog covers most of the city’s skies. Such a bummer. You can see for yourself in my pictures in this review. According to my guide, smog during winter is a perennial problem because “weather inversion”. This phenomenon traps polluted air in Almaty, due to its very close proximity to the Tien Shan mountain range.

The only highlights I can think of are the well-maintained cable cars + cable car ride wherein you can see up-close some of the affluent residential areas of Almaty (viewing the areas from the cable car), the mini-zoo including some rare animals, weird but incredible attractions like the upside down house (complete with an upside down car!) + the Beatles statue.

Overall, because of the very few attractions which are open during winter and the smog covering the whole city that obstructs the view, my overall score is a 3. Should I have the opportunity again to visit Almaty during the warmer months and see for myself the available attractions, I may revise my rating and may give Kok Tobe a higher score, as I really love the city...

(eng below, only useful no emotions) ПОЛЕЗНОЕ И БЕЗ ЭМОЦИЙ Есть несколько вариантов как добраться: канатная дорогая 6к на человека туда обратно, автомобиль с заездом прям до коктюбе за 10к, или парковкой внизу 200тг. От парковки внизу можно либо пройти пешком 1.5км (дорогу см на фото), либо заплатить за маршрутку (2000тг туда обратно за чел, см фото цен) Пешая дорога удобная со скамейками, со смотровыми площадками, но перед самим Коктюбе она заканчивается, и начинается лестница, по которой не всем будет комфотно идти, а с коляской темболее.(см фото) На самой территории с яблоком очень много палаток с едой (примерные цены есть на фото). Большая часть развлечений это аттракционы (цены начинаются от 1500тг за 5 минут, качели 500тг за 5 минут) Также есть зона с домашними животными (300тг за стакан капусты с морковью чтоб покормить), мини зона с дикими животными (2000тг за вход на человека) Также есть кафе с террасой с дорогими ценами (цена десерта : кусочка торта 4000тг) Несколько открытых мест с видом, мини 3 Д музеем и домом кверхтормашками. Только виды бесплатные, в основном если погулять. Остальное все за деньги. К сожалению зеленых зон с газоном и красивым видом мало, есть часть которая закрыта на реконструкцию (апрель 2025) С собой можно взять перекус, обязательно удобную обувь, и куртку потому что сверху дует. Скамеек именно наверху не много, так что пикник делать не очень удобно.

There are several options of how to get here: cable car 6k per person roundtrip, by car with a stop right up to Koktyube for 10k, or parking at the bottom for 200tg from where you need to walk about 1.5km.(see the road in the photo), or pay for a minibus pick up (2000tg roundtrip per person, see the photo of prices) The walking path is convenient with benches, with observation decks, but just before Koktyube it ends, and a you need to walk last par by stairs, which will not be comfortable for everyone to walk, and even more so with a stroller. (see photo) On the territory with the ‘apple’, there are a lot of tents with food (approximate prices are in the photo). Most of the entertainment is rides (prices start from 1500 tenge for 5 minutes, swings 500 tenge for 5 minutes) There is also an area with domestic animals (300 tenge for a cup of cabbage with carrots to feed), a mini area with wild animals (2000 tenge for entry per person) There is also a cafe with a terrace with expensive prices (price of dessert: a piece of cake 4000 tenge) Several open spaces with a view, a mini 3D museum and an upside-down house. Only the views are free, suits if you want to walk. Everything else is for money. Unfortunately, there are few green areas with a lawn and a beautiful view, there is a part that is closed for reconstruction (April 2025) You can take a snack with you, comfortable shoes, and a jacket because it can be windy up there. There are not many benches at the top, so it is not very convenient to...