Kok-zhailau

Most popular hiking tour to Kok-Zhailau plateau in Almaty mountains

More details about the Kok-Zhailau

hiking tour in Almaty mountains, Kazakhstan

COMPLEXITY

Easy
for people of average fitness

DISTANCE

Hike: 4.6 km one way
Elevation gain: 900 m

LANGUAGE

English, Czech, Spanish

BACKPACK

Light,
take only basic things and snacks

DURATION

about 5-7 hours

SEASON

Year-round

Timeline of the tour to the Kok-Zhailau

08:00 – 08:45
08:00 – 08:45
Meeting point
We will meet in the city center or near your hotel to get to the starting point together with a guide
08:45 – 11:00
08:45 – 11:00
Hike up
The first trail sections may be a bit steep and difficult, but the further we go, the easier the path will be.
11:00 – 11:30
11:00 – 11:30
Stop for rest
Approximately halfway to Kok-Zhailyau we make one big stop with a small snack in a pine forest, inhaling its coniferous aromas and admiring the landscapes that open up: the distant peaks of Komsomol, Karlytau, Abay
12:15 – 12:30
12:15 – 12:30
Kok-Zhailau plateau
Finally, we have got to Kok-Zhailau! We will enjoy the beauty of the mountains and take incredible photos! The plateau offers a view of the city and the Kumbel peak.
12:30 – 14:00
12:30 – 14:00
Lunch
We drink some tea and have a snack in a wonderful place!
There is something to see on Kok-Zhailyau: the Battery waterfall and the heart-shaped swing
14:00 – 16:00
14:00 – 16:00
Back to the city
There are several options for trails back from Kok-Zhailyau. Sometimes we organize hikes with a finish not to Prosveshchenets, but to Kamenskoye Plateau or Kazachka gorge. This route is longer, but in our opinion more interesting.

List of essentials for hiking to the Kok-Zhailau

Essentials
  • Passport (border guard document check)
  • Some cash
  • Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen
  • Personal first aid kit
  • Trekking poles
  • Seat mats (optional)
Food
  • Water 0.5l-1l
  • Thermos with tea
  • Lunch (sandwiches, pancakes, pies, etc.)
Clothes (summer)
  • Trekking shirt
  • Fleece jacket\Hoodie
  • Raincoat\Hardshell jacket
  • Trekking trousers
  • Sun hat and buff
  • Trekking shoes\boots
Clothes
(winter)
  • Long sleeve (thermal)
  • Fleece jacket\hoodie
  • Snow pants
  • Demi-season/winter boots
  • Jacket
  • Woolen beanie and gloves
  • Warm socks
  • Headlamp
  • Gaiters
  • Crampons
What is included in the price of the Kok-Zhailau tour?
Included
Hotel pickup/drop-off
Guide service
Basic first aid kit
Photo report
Consultation
Transportation (Almaty-Akbulak-Almaty)
Snacks
Not included
Porter service
Travel insurance
Personal expenses
Lunch (sandwiches, pancakes, pies, etc.)
Trekking poles (available for rent)

Price for a day hiking tour to Kok-Zhailau

1 person
$180
2 persons
$200
$100/pp
3 persons
$250
$84/pp
4 persons
$280
$70/pp
5 persons
$300
$60/pp
over 5 people
calculated individually

Request a call

Altitude of Kok-Zhailau

The altitude of the Kok-Zhailau is approximately 1450-1740 meters above sea level.
Kok-Zhailau (from the Kazakh Kok-Zhailau - "Green pasture" or "Heaven pasture" ) is a plateau on the territory of the Ile-Alatau State National Nature Park. The unique plateau is located between the Small and Big Almaty gorges.

How difficult is the hike to Kok-Zhailau?

TIME: Standard time for a hike up (one way) is 3 hours, sporty - 1-1.5 hours.
RELIEF: From Prosveshchenets the trail is quite wide, even on steep sections there is a staircase, wide steps made of leveled soil . The first climb from the spring to the top of the ridge is perhaps the steepest, but at the same time short. The second part of the trail is much easier than the first.
An alternative climb from Kamenskoye Plateau goes along a good path, also steep in places, but through magical forests and with fewer people on the trail.
PARTICIPANTS: The hike is suitable for beginners, of course the first hike will not seem easy to you, but at the end of the day you will remember the whole route with good words)

How to prepare for a hike to Kok-Zhailau?

First of all, refer to the information block with a list of essentials for this hike.
If you have any questions, write to us on WhatsApp. If you have any diseases that require regular medication, you shall take the medications with you, and also warn the guide in advance about any medical contraindications (especially heart disease, pressure drops).
It is forbidden to take alcohol and drugs on the hike.
Before hiking in the mountains, have a enough sleep, have a good breakfast in the morning and take at least 1 liter of water.
The sun is more intense in the mountains, so take a Panama hat, sunscreen and glasses.
Always take a raincoat or waterproof wind jacket - the weather in the mountains is unpredictable!
Remember that you are solely responsible for your health - be careful!

The history of the "frozen" construction of the Kok-Zhailau ski resort

From the Monte team: " We don't know who is right and who is not in this story. Does this project have the right to exist or does it contradict the wishes of the city residents. We are just glad that we can take you to this amazing place along the most popular mountain trail in Almaty. "

2002 - Bonita Group presented the Zailiyskiy Alatau resort project to Nursultan Nazarbayev, but the project had to be frozen due to the lack of an investor.
2007 - Construction of a road began in the Kok-Zhailyau tract, which was opposed by the public. Due to the minimal information about the construction of the road, the environmental society Green Salvation went to court. It turned out that the construction was carried out with violations, since it did not have approvals and examinations. The Akimat was forced to stop further construction of the road.
2008 - The President amended the Law on Specially Protected Natural Areas, according to which the government received the right to transfer the lands of specially protected natural areas to lands of other categories, so legal restrictions were eliminated for the Kok-Zhailau project.
2011 - At an expanded meeting of the government, N. Nazarbayev ordered the construction of ski resorts in the country. The Akimat of Almaty identified the Kok-Zhailau as a priority location. Since the same year, many members of the public began their activities against construction on Kok-Zhailau.
2014 - Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Karim Massimov transferred 1,002 hectares of land in the Ile-Alatau National Park to land for the construction of a resort.
2015 - Construction was suspended due to lack of funds.
2016 - The Urban Planning Council, together with Akim Bauyrzhan Baibek, adopted a ban on all types of construction in the foothill and mountainous zones.
2017 - The Akimat resumed work in the tract. Almaty Mayor Bauyrzhan Baibek said that in two years the Akimat had optimized the project and instead of a ski resort an all-season "mountain park" would be built, while significantly reducing the scale of the project.
2018 - The initiative group "Save Kok-Zhailau" created a petition "We demand to save Kok-Zhailau", which was signed by 28,960 people.
October 29, 2019 - President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev cancelled the construction of a resort on the territory of the Kok-Zhailau. The statement was made at a meeting on the socio-economic development of Almaty.

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