Kazakhstan | Koktobe Mountain: the best place to watch the sunset in Almaty

Due to travel transfer, we spent one day each in Almaty, Kazakhstan. We specially arranged a half-day trip to Kok Tobe Mountain. From the top of the mountain, we overlook the whole city. The view is quite broad. This is also the most visited place by everyone. Recommended place to watch the sunset🌇 ⭕️How to get there We arrived in the early morning and basically rested and slept in the morning. After lunch, we took a taxi directly from the airport to Kok Tobe via Yandex Go. The outbound trip cost more than 5,000 tenge and the return trip only cost 2,900. The journey took about 40 minutes. The difference in fares depends on the car model. In addition, the car departing from the airport is more expensive than the return trip. If you want to take a taxi cheaper, you can go out of the airport area and try to take a taxi on the roadside. ⭕️How to go up the mountain 👉There are three ways to go up the mountain: cable car🚡, minibus🚐, and walking🚶‍♀️ ✅Cable Car: If you want to take the cable car up the mountain, you need to navigate to the drop-off point 🧭kok tobe hill gondola. The cable car costs 3500/6000 tenge for one-way/round-trip respectively. Children aged 6-12 years old cost 2000/3000 for one-way and two-way. Children under 6 years old Children are free🆓 ✅Minibus/hiking: If you want to go up the mountain in these two ways, take a taxi🚗Navigation address🧭kok tobe bus stop. The car can only drive to the transfer station at Omarov St. at the foot of the mountain. Here you can choose to buy a minibus ticket to go up the mountain or walk, and transfer to the minibus. The one-way/round-trip fare in Pakistan is 1500/2000 tenge, and the one-way/round-trip fare for children aged 6-12 is 700/1000 tenge. Children under 6 years old are free. The journey takes about 5 minutes. There are many trains. The minibus operation hours are Mondays. to Thursday 10:00-01:00, Friday to Sunday 10:00-02:00; if you walk 🚶‍♀️, it is a steep ascending cement road, which takes about 25 minutes, and there are several observation decks in the middle You can take photos📸 ⭕️What to play? Kok Tobe Mountain is actually not that big. It doesn’t take an hour just to take pictures. It’s actually more suitable for leisurely walking around. 🔸Ferris wheel🎡: It is somewhat similar to the Ferris wheel in an amusement park, more suitable for children🧒. 3000 tenge for adults, 1500 tenge for 6-12 years old 🔸Upside Down House🏠: An upside down building next to the Ferris wheel. You can take off your shoes to enter and visit. You need to buy tickets 🎫, 2500-3000 tenge. The price/performance ratio is not too high. We did not go in. 🔸Swivel: Carousel-style swing, 1500 tenge 🔸Changing clothes, taking photos with the eagle🦅, and various games are all subject to additional charges💰 🔸The most beautiful views of Koktobe Mountain are free🆓. Go down the steps next to the cable car station and you can overlook the most complete view of Almaty city🌆; in addition, next to the restaurant on the side of the Ferris wheel, you can overlook the mountains. In winter, At that time, the mountains were covered with snow, 🏔️it was also a beautiful sight ⭕️What to eat? There are several restaurants on the mountain, so you can spend some time at your leisure 1️⃣1100 karaoke/INZHU restaurant: Next to the parking lot on the mountain, there is an outdoor restaurant with a view of 270🍴, which charges a higher fee 2️⃣montecerde: Opposite the Ferris wheel, fast food, including 🍕pizza🍟french fries, etc., is affordable. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas, and the restrooms are free🆓 3️⃣There is also a beverage shop🥤 on the same side of the Ferris wheel. It is open-air, with seating and awnings, and you can enjoy the mountain view⛰️ ⭕️Others: 🔸If you have enough time, it is recommended to arrange it on the same day as the urban attractions, which is more suitable for watching the sunset in the evening🌇 🔸Koktobe Mountain itself is not big, and 1 hour is enough for a tour 🔸There is also a TV tower next to it🗼. You need to walk down the mountain for a while and then turn around.