Kok-tobe/Koktyube Recreational Area

Address: Kök-Töbe (Green Hill) on the mountainside, southeastern suburb of Almaty
A large recreational space on the foothills of the Zailysky Alatau Mountains, Kok Tobe has the perfect vantage points for observing the city at a distance, especially during the night time. Looking at the panoramic cityscape below you with all its glittering lights, with the winter winds howling in your ears while you sip on a cup of steaming coffee, is one experience you will never want to forget!
Kok Tobe also contains a number of small-scale amusement parks, crafts shops, and restaurants (do try the shashlik!), making it a family-friendly place rather than a hangout spot for couples and honeymooners only.
The area is connected to the city by means of an aerial tramway that runs from the Palace of the Republic in Dostyk Avenue (near Hotel Kazakhstan), all the way up to the actual “Green Hill” – a ten minute ride by cable car that takes you over rooftops and gardens of the old Almaty city, costing around 100 KZT one-way. You can walk back downhill if you prefer – a long, but enchanting walk. The cable car runs from 11 am to 7 pm all days except Tuesdays.