Where to walk in Almaty
for fresh air and steps

Short answer if you're in a hurry

The choice of where to walk in Almaty is highly seasonal. In winter, temperature inversions trap smog in the valley — cold polluted air sits over the city until the wind comes. On those days the only honest option is to climb above it: Medeu, Shymbulak, BAO, Kok-Tobe. In summer the gap between city and mountains shrinks, but the mountains are still 5–10°C cooler — that matters when it's +35

Basic rule: the higher you are, the cleaner the air. At 1500 m the PM2.5 reading is usually 3–5× lower than on Rozybakiyev Street. Before stepping out on a bad day, glance at IQAir or kazhydromet.kz

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Pick a route for your steps and energy

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Check the air first

Almaty has several sources of air-quality data. Not all of them are equally honest:

• IQAir / AirVisual — app and website that aggregates state stations and independent sensors. Clean colour indicator and 24-hour forecast
• kazhydromet.kz — the official Kazhydromet, data from state stations. Reliable but slow to update
• airkaz.org — a network of independent sensors across the city. You can see the next street over. Often shows higher numbers than the state stations

What the PM2.5 numbers mean (μg/m³): 0–12 — clean, 13–35 — fine for a walk, 36–55 — pick higher ground, 56+ — outdoor exercise is a bad idea, especially for children and the elderly

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Mountain routes — where the air is always clean

1. Kok-Tobe

Length: 2.5 km one way · Steps: ~7,500 round-trip · Elevation gain: 250 m · Start: 850 m, top 1100 m

The most "urban" mountain route. You can start either from Dostyk Avenue or from First President Park. Asphalt road, benches along the way. At the top — viewpoint, park, restaurant and a cable car for the way down. A solid two-hour walk year-round, except on icy days

How to get there: bus #99 to the terminus, then 20 minutes on foot. Or a taxi to the trailhead behind the Beatles monument

2. Medeu — Shymbulak

Length: 4 km one way · Steps: ~12,000 round-trip · Elevation gain: 600 m · Shymbulak elevation: 2260 m

A classic, time-tested over generations. Asphalt mountain road flanked by fir trees and serpentine retaining walls. Along the way — the mudflow protection dam, switchbacks with views into the gorge. 1.5–2 hours up at a normal pace. Going down by cable car (25 minutes) is the move if your knees protest descents

How to get there: bus #12 from Medeu City to the terminus (Medeu). From there, walk up the road

3. Butakovka waterfall

Length: 4–5 km one way · Steps: ~13,000 round-trip · Elevation gain: 350 m

A less hyped route — quieter and more beautiful for it. The trail follows the Butakovka river through forest, ending at a small waterfall in a rocky gorge. In summer it's a refuge from the heat — shade, water, almost no crowds. In winter parts of the trail ice over — bring crampons or trekking poles

How to get there: bus #29 from Medeu to Butakovka village, then walk to the trailhead

4. BAO — Big Almaty Lake

Length: ~5.5 km one way · Steps: ~16,000 round-trip · Elevation gain: 800 m · Lake elevation: 2511 m

A serious hike, not a casual walk. From GES-2 to the lake itself — a steep climb up the road. The reward is a turquoise basin of water surrounded by snow peaks. At altitude untrained walkers can feel mild dizziness or shortness of breath — that's normal, just slow down

How to get there: car or taxi to GES-2 only (50–60 minutes from downtown). No public transport

5. BAK — Big Almaty Canyon

Length: ~7 km · Steps: ~22,000 · Elevation gain: 500 m

For when Medeu is starting to feel routine. A wild trail along the Bolshaya Almatinka river, rocky walls, almost no people. Parts of the path are narrow — proper trainers or trekking shoes are needed. This is essentially a real day-hike — plan 5–6 hours with lunch

How to get there: car only, to Almarasan village or the border post

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City routes — for weekdays and bad-air days

6. Terrenkur along Al-Farabi Avenue

Length: 13.5 km one way · Steps: ~18,000 · Profile: nearly flat

A long paved alley along the southern edge of the city, from Sain Street to Dostyk Avenue. This is the record urban route — walking the whole length closes both your day and your weekly WHO target. Markings for runners and cyclists, benches every 200 m. Runners in the morning, families in the evening. The best route for anyone without a car

Catch: the air is regular city air — it won't help you on a smog day

7. Gorky Park & Central Park of Culture

Length: 2.5 km big loop · Steps: ~4,000

The oldest park in the city. Paths along the Malaya Almatinka river, rides, fountain alleys. The mature trees genuinely clean the air compared to the surrounding streets. Great for family walks or a quick post-work loop

8. Botanical Garden

Length: 2 km full loop · Steps: ~3,000

56 hectares of trees in the middle of the city. Oaks, a Korean garden, greenhouses. Less dust and noise than any regular park — the trees genuinely act as a filter. Symbolic entry fee. The right place when you want to think calmly or read on a bench

9. First President's Park

Length: 1.5 km big loop · Steps: ~2,200

A formal park with fountains, ponds and pine alleys. Convenient for short walks and photos. The downside — open space, not much shade in the heat. The plus — almost-perfect flat paths, friendly for strollers

10. Sairan

Length: ~3 km promenade · Steps: ~4,500

Half-abandoned for years, recently rebuilt and now a real walking destination. Open promenade around a reservoir, outdoor gym equipment, a cycle lane. Windy by nature, which keeps the air cleaner than the streets nearby

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Seasons — what works when

Winter (December — February)

The main problem is valley smog from inversions. PM2.5 downtown can sit above 100 for weeks. What to do: head up — Medeu, Shymbulak, Kok-Tobe. Or walk early in the morning (before 9 a.m.) after a windy night. In the valley, the Botanical Garden — surrounded by trees — still beats any open avenue

Spring (March — May)

The best season in Almaty. Clean air, everything in bloom, comfortable temperature. What to do: catch April–May for the mountains. Butakovka and BAO turn green, the Terrenkur smells of apple blossoms

Summer (June — August)

The city gets hot — sometimes +35 and above. The escape is altitude. What to do: Medeu and higher are 5–10°C cooler. Morning and evening walks in the city are fine, but at noon hide in the Botanical Garden's shade

Autumn (September — November)

The second peak after spring. September is the golden month for city parks and Kok-Tobe. What to do: get everything in before the end of October; after that the weather turns and the heating season brings smog back

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What to bring — a short checklist

• Water. 1.5 L for a mountain route, at least a bottle for any walk
• A cap or hat. Sun is harsher at altitude than in the valley
• A warm layer. Even in summer, mountains turn cold fast after sunset
• Trainers with grip. Smooth soles slip on mountain trails
• A mask — if PM2.5 is high and you're walking in the valley
• A charged phone. Coverage is patchy in the mountains; GPS must work

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Bottom line

• Almaty has a clear hierarchy of clean air: mountains > parks > downtown. In winter the gap can hit 10×
• Before walking on a bad day, check IQAir or airkaz.org — five seconds saves your lungs
• The most accessible mountain routes are Kok-Tobe and Medeu: bus to the start, then quickly out of the smog
• The longest city route is the Terrenkur on Al-Farabi — 18,000 steps
• The quietest is Butakovka: forest, water, almost no people
• The hardest is BAO or BAK: 16,000–22,000 steps with serious elevation gain
• Seasons matter: best — April-May and September; in winter, only the mountains

The simple rule: in Almaty you can't just "walk wherever" — the air is too uneven across the city. But knowing five or six trusted spots and a couple of apps lets you walk 10,000 clean-air steps year-round. And Qozgal will count every one — no subscriptions, no ads, no extra numbers