The 15 Best Medeu & Shymbulak Tours in Almaty

1.City tour and Medeu, Shymbulak and Kok-Tobe

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 163 reviews · 11 hours · from $49Our pick

Spend a full day moving from Almaty’s mountain viewpoints to its markets and historic center. You’ll visit Medeu, ride the cable car to Shymbulak, explore Panfilov Park and Zenkov Cathedral, shop at Green Bazaar and Rahat Chocolate, then finish at Kok-Tobe. English and Russian guides may include Alina, Dilnaz, Zhanna, or Zhibek.

“Amazing alina! Thank you so much for making my trip unforgettable. Amazing tour friendly guide. Thank you so much 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻😊😊😊”

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2.Almaty city tour and Medeu-Shymbulak-Koktobe-Green Bazar

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 65 reviews · from $49

Spend 10 to 11 hours exploring Almaty and the Trans-Ili Alatau foothills with an English-speaking guide. You’ll visit Medeu, ride toward Shymbulak, browse Green Bazaar, see Zenkov Cathedral, and finish at Kok-Tobe. Guides such as Anel and Dilnaz are noted for clear planning and attentive service. Lunch and personal expenses are extra.

“The tour is the definitely worth the price. Ms. Anel was such a terrific tour guide. She looked after all of us and was really trying her best to accommodate our needs. She kept on roaming around the tourist places checking on us every now anRead more”

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3.Medeu and Shymbulak ski resort private excursion

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews · from $147Top rated

Leave Almaty by private vehicle with a professional guide, visit the famous Medeu skating rink, then ride cable cars up Shymbulak to 3,200 meters. Guide Nursultan has helped families arrange beginner ski lessons and keeps a close eye on visitors in the cold mountain air. Entrance fees, water, and transport are included, but skiing, skating, and lunch cost extra.

“Our guide Nursultan was super nice and delivered the tour as advertised. We had a great time talking everything about Kazakhstan. View on Shymbulak is great.”

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4.Private Trip to Medeu Ice Skating Rink and Shymbulak Ski Resort

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 28 reviews · from $215

Travel by private minivan from Almaty to Medeu Ice Skating Rink, climb the Stairs of Health to its dam, then ride cable cars to Shymbulak Ski Resort and its third-level station. Your guide-driver handles transport, tickets, water, and the day’s timing. Guide Miras is noted for his insight into Almaty’s history, architecture, nature, and people.

“We are a family of 3 with a 19 month old baby. We booked this tour for Sunday June 16th and no one showed up!! We tried contacting the tour operator the day before and nobody responded, nor did they try to contact us and tell us if there was any problem. Our money is GONE!”

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5.Almaty city & Shymbulak tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · from $40Best value

Spend about nine hours with an English-speaking guide and a small group of up to 15 people. Ride the cable car to Shymbulak’s 3,200-meter summit, then visit Almaty’s old center, Arbat Street, Panfilov Park, Ascension Cathedral, Green Bazaar, and the Rakhat chocolate shop. Cable tickets and lunch cost extra.

“Ski resort was excellent as was lunch. We had a really great guide too. Didn’t need as long around the city. I’d recommend this tour for the reaort”

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6.Shymbulak, Medeu, Kok Tobe, Cathedral Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 22 reviews · 8 hours · from $128

Spend eight private hours with an English-speaking guide such as Noor or Nursulu, visiting Medeu, all three Shymbulak cable-car levels, Kok Tobe, and Zenkov Cathedral. Hotel pickup, water, and transport are included. Cable-car tickets and lunch cost extra, and seasonal maintenance can change the mountain route.

“Excellent your guide Noor. Very understanding and helpful . Patiently explained all the sights and the history. Told us a lot about the city . Became a friend .. very very good service she provided us .”

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7.Almaty city tour. Shymbulak, Koktobe, Green market, Park 28 Panfilov’s guardsmen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · from $60

See Almaty from two heights, Shymbulak Ski Resort and Koktobe Hill, then explore Panfilov Park, Ascension Cathedral, Green Bazaar, and the city center. A guide such as Gulzat, Lana, Diana, or Gulzhat leads the small group. The $60 price covers transport and guiding, but not lunch or Shymbulak’s $15 cable car.

“I had the lovliest tour with Diana! The company was great, really efficient and superb with their communication; I was contacted the day before to confirm timings and pick up, then again on the morning of the tour, so I felt comfortable thaRead more”

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8.Almaty city, Medeu, Shymbulak, Green Bazaar,Panfilov & Cathedral

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · from $44

Spend six hours moving from Almaty’s mountain edge to its city center. Ride toward Shymbulak at 3,200 meters, see Medeu, visit Republic Square, Panfilov Park, Ascension Cathedral, and the Green Bazaar. An English-speaking guide, air-conditioned transport, and bottled water are included. Cable-car tickets and lunch cost extra.

“Good tour with small group. Guide was helpful. Only shymbulak and green Bazar to enjoy. Other places other itinerary are just other road like republic square, not really worth visiting”

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9.Group: Medeu, Shymbulak, Cathedral, 28’s park, Market, Koktobe

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $70

Spend 6 to 8 hours exploring Almaty with an English-speaking guide and air-conditioned transport. Visit Medeu, ride or reach Shymbulak, see Ascension Cathedral and Panfilov Park, browse Green Bazaar, and finish at Koktobe. Guides connected with this experience include Aseem, Adam, and Yerkhin. Cable-car, Koktobe, and lunch costs extra.

“Many thanks to our Tour Guide Aseem for taking such good care of Us. The itinerary was so nicely planned that we got more than ample time at each location even though we covered a lot of locations in a single day.”

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10.Medeu, Shymbulak, and Koktobe Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 8 reviews · 13 hours · from $90

Join a 13-hour Almaty tour with guides such as Star or Anel, traveling by bus to Medeu and Shymbulak before visiting Zenkov Cathedral, Koktobe Hill, the Green Bazaar, and other city sights. Cable-car views, mountain air, local history, and extra stops make this a strong first-day introduction. Lunch is not included.

“The guide 'Star' was very much familiar with history of all the locations visited. she is very friendly and guiding us well. being with her felt like a safe and joyful journey throughout the day. I would like to visit Almaty and book this trip again. Would like to recommend to others as well..! Good luck to Star, she is doing very well.”

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11.VIP Shymbulak, Alma-Arasan, Central Mosque & Cathedral ChurchTour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $120

Spend 9 to 10 hours in a private SUV visiting Shymbulak, Alma-Arasan Gorge, Almaty’s Central Mosque, and Ascension Cathedral. Guide Erasyl has been praised for punctual service, strong English, photography, and clear explanations. Water, parking, and entrance fees are included, while meals and ski rentals cost extra.

“We had a wonderful time visiting these places. We rode the cable car up Shymbulak mountain and the view was breathtaking. Our informative and friendly guide who was also our driver cum photographer took very nice pictures of us. Read more”

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12.Private: Shymbulak, Medeu, Koktobe, Cathedral, 28’s park, Bazar

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $135

Spend 6 to 8 hours with an English-speaking guide such as Adam or Yerkin, traveling by private car from Almaty to Medeu, Shymbulak, Kok Tobe, Ascension Cathedral, Panfilov Park, and the bazaar. The flexible day includes mountain views, city landmarks, bottled water, and hotel pickup, while cable cars, lunch, and some attraction fees cost extra.

“I had a great to tour with Adam. Very professional and friendly. He will take care of you like a friend. He is very polite and humble. He has a very good knowledge on local history and places. Also he has very commendable English speaking skill. Will recommend to my contacts to book this tour again.”

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13.Experience Almaty, Medeu, shymbulak resort and Kok-tobe

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $185

Spend a full day above Almaty with private transport, a guide, bottled water, and cable-car rides included. Visit Medeu, ride to Shymbulak’s 3,200-meter station, enjoy free time and lunch, then take the cable car to Kok Tobe for city views, rides, snacks, and shopping. Pickup is available anywhere in Almaty.

“We did see Shimbaluk and Medeu and Kok Tobe. The lifts to the mountains provided stunning views. But the driver was basically only a driver- an hour late; not prepared with tickets for Kok Tobe so we had to wait while he picked up the tickets. And unlike our other tours he didn’t give us any information.”

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14.Shymbulak to Bogbanovisch Glacier and Oktabriskaya Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $110

Hike 2 km from Shymbulak Ski Resort toward Bogdanovich Glacier and Oktyabrskaya Cave with an English-speaking guide. Viktor has guided beginners on this route, and the small group, helmets, poles, spikes, and sitting pad keep the outing practical. Bring your own lunch, snacks, and water. Cable-car admission costs an extra $20.

“One of the best experiences ive ever had! Truly amazing. Viktor our guide was very helpful and helped us as beginners to hiking.”

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15.Medeu and Shymbulak + Big Almaty Lake and Falcon show (Private day-tour)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $218

Leave Almaty at 7:00 a.m. for a private day in the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains. You’ll visit Medeu, ride the cable car at Shymbulak to 3,200 meters, relax beside Big Almaty Lake, and watch falcons and golden eagles at Sunkar. Hotel pickup, guide service, transport, water, and entry tickets are included.

“Nursultan was great and the trip was good overall! He was attentive and flexible. Give good suggestions!”

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