Cable Car · Mountain Tour

Medeu and Shymbulak — cable car above Almaty

4.9 · 24 reviews

Ride the cable car from Medeu to Shymbulak, covering 4.5 km above the gorge. In 5 hours, you'll see a glacier, panoramic views of the Zailiysky Alatau, and can walk along mountain trails. This tour is suitable for anyone who wants to quickly reach the mountains without long hikes.

WhenDaily
Duration5 hours
StartAlmaty
Pricefrom $22/person

Program

Hour-by-hour cable car tour program

09:00

Departure from Almaty

Meet at Abay Square, transfer to Medeu (15 min).

09:30

Cable car ascent

Board the gondola, ascend to Shymbulak (approx. 20 min).

10:00

Free time at Shymbulak

Walk on the plateau, take photos against the backdrop of Talgar Peak, relax at a café.

11:30

Descent to Medeu

Return cable car ride down to the ice rink.

12:00

Walk around Medeu grounds

Explore the architecture of the rink, walk around the bowl.

13:00

Lunch at a cafe

Snack at one of the cafés at the foot (at extra cost).

14:00

Return to Almaty

Transfer to Abay Square.

What's included

What's included in the cable car tour price

Included in Price

Already included in the tour price

  • Transfer from Almaty to Medeu and back
  • Cable car ticket (round trip)
  • Guide-instructor accompaniment
  • Bottled water on the bus
  • Eco fee

Paid separately

Optional, on site

  • Lunch at a café (from $4)
  • Personal expenses (souvenirs, additional excursions)

What to Bring

To make the day comfortable

  • Comfortable shoes (sneakers or trekking boots)
  • Warm jacket (it can be windy at altitude)
  • Sunglasses and sunscreen
  • Camera or phone with camera
  • Water bottle (can be refilled on the bus)

Team

Our team — guides and instructors from Almaty

Routes are led by working guides and instructors. The same people answer in WhatsApp and accompany groups on tour.

Aidos Serikov — Senior guide, mountain routes★4.9

Aidos Serikov

Senior guide, mountain routes

187 reviews · experience 14 years

Dinara Kassymova — Guide-lecturer in Almaty★5

Dinara Kassymova

Guide-lecturer in Almaty

142 review · experience 11 years

Marat Zhunussov — Trekking instructor★4.8

Marat Zhunussov

Trekking instructor

96 reviews · experience 9 years

Oleg Kim — Driver-guide, jeep tours★4.9

Oleg Kim

Driver-guide, jeep tours

164 review · experience 13 years

Zhanna Abenova — Tour manager★4.8

Zhanna Abenova

Tour manager

78 reviews · experience 7 years

Timur Beketov — Multi-day tour guide★4.9

Timur Beketov

Multi-day tour guide

118 reviews · experience 10 years

Aliya Nurlan — Group coordinator★5

Aliya Nurlan

Group coordinator

64 review · experience 6 years

Sergey Volkov — Instructor, ski tours★4.8

Sergey Volkov

Instructor, ski tours

103 review · experience 12 years

Reviews

Reviews of the cable car above Almaty

Leave a review
4.9 ★
Our rating · 312 reviews
4.8 ★
Google · 540
4.9 ★
Yandex · 268
4.8 ★
2GIS · 197
1317
Total reviews
AT
Ayazhan T.
Our website ·
★★★★★

My relatives liked it. We learned to skate at Medeu. We went up on the cable car. The guide helped a lot

Verified review · Order #45451
NA
Nurbek A.
Our website ·
★★★★★

Ochen khoroshiy tur na Medeu i Shymbulak. kanatka na 3200 m eto klass. Vsem sovetuyu. nebolshoy minus chto avtobus byl staryy

Verified review · Order #42229
MD
Marat D.
Our website ·
★★★★★

Vzyal tur na Medeu i Shymbulak. kanatka rabotaet otlichno vidy potryasayushchie. edinstvennyy minus - vyezd zaderzhali na 15 minut

Verified review · Order #40475
AD
Anna D.
2GIS ·
★★★★★

Thanks for the tour! Special thanks to the guide for the great mood. We had fun skating at the rink, the cable car is an extreme for the brave

Verified review · Order #39942
VS
Vadim S.
Google ·
★★★★★

Extreme on Shymbulak! We went with friends to ride the cable car and didn't regret it. We went up to the very top, snow was still there even in April. I recommend taking warm clothes, it's windy and cool up there.

Verified review · Order #39854
GA
Gulmira A.
Our website ·
★★★★★

On a colleague's advice, we chose this company. We didn't regret it. We skated, then rode the cable car. The guide told us where it's better to take photos. The only downside is that we waited a long time for our order at the cafe.

Verified review · Order #37726
OP
Olga P.
Our website ·
★★★★★

We went with children, wanted to show them the mountains without long hikes. The guide picked a time to avoid the crowds. First at Medeu — the skating rink impressed with its size, the kids were delighted. Then we went up on the cable car, the views are beautiful, but it's cool up top, good thing we brought jackets. The road up the mountain is a bit bumpy, the bus is old, but for us it wasn't a problem. We had lunch at a cafe, everything was tasty. We liked the organization, we returned on time.

Verified review · Order #36731
PG
Pavel G.
Our website ·
★★★★★

Good tour. The only thing is the road uphill was bumpy, but that's just how it is. But the cable car views were fantastic. Zhanna did a great job organizing everything.

Verified review · Order #35040
LK
Laura K.
Our website ·
★★★★★

Poezdka na Medeu i Shymbulak ostavila nezabyvaemye vpechatleniya. Kanatka na 3200 m eto silno. Vse ponravilos spsiboo

Verified review · Order #32166
NB
Nurlan B.
Our website ·
★★★★★

We were with my family, we really liked it. The Medeu rink is wonderful, the mountains are beautiful. The guide helped us

Verified review · Order #31186
KA
Kseniya A.
2GIS ·
★★★★★

We enjoyed the tour. But keep in mind that at 3200 m it can be cold even in summer. We didn't bring jackets and had to rent them. The organization was clear, Aliya helped us.

Verified review · Order #30465
KL
Katya L.
Our website ·
★★★★★

Thanks for the tour! We liked everything except the queue for the cable car. But that's not your fault. Aidos was responsive, the impressions are super. We climbed up, from there a panorama of the mountains opens up, it just takes your breath away. We also managed to go down to the skating rink and walk around Medeu.

Verified review · Order #30239
RH
Ruslan H.
Our website ·
★★★★★

We were there with my wife. We liked everything: both Medeu and the cable car. The tour organization was flawless. Special thanks to the guide for the tour

Verified review · Order #29226
SF
Sveta F.
Our website ·
★★★★★

I recommend the tour to Shymbulak to all guests of the city. The cable car is long, the views that open up are breathtaking. Be sure to see the Shymbulak plateau

Verified review · Order #25943
BE
Bekzat E.
Our website ·
★★★★★

We went to Medeu and Shymbulak. Very beautiful. Riding the cable car was fun. Thanks to the guide.

Verified review · Order #25177
TZ
Temirlan Zh.
Our website ·
★★★★★

We went as a big group, wanted to show our friends the mountains. We went up on the cable car, the views are simply unreal, especially when you ride over the gorge. At Shymbulak we walked around the plateau and took tons of photos. Then we went down to Medeu, looked at the skating rink, and walked around. The weather was great, sunny. The guide organized everything clearly, without delays. I recommend it to everyone, especially those who are in Almaty for the first time.

Verified review · Order #24709
AT
Aizhan T.
Yandex ·
★★★★★

I spent a long time choosing a tour to Medeu and Shymbulak. I settled on this company because of the price. I liked that the cable car ride up to 3200 m was included. The views were unreal.

Verified review · Order #20962
YM
Yerzhan M.
Our website ·
★★★★★

I took the tour for my guests. Everyone was thrilled with the skating rink and the cable car. Guide Aidos was very pleasant. The only downside was that the cafe took a long time to prepare food.

Verified review · Order #20156
ZK
Zhandos K.
Our website ·
★★★★★

We wanted to go ice skating at Medeu. The rink is great, the ice is smooth. The tour organization was good; we left on time.

Verified review · Order #19634
MR
Mariya R.
Google ·
★★★★★

We had been dreaming of going up to Shymbulak for a long time. The tour met expectations. The skating rink at Medeu is huge, the cable car had three lines. Thanks to Sergey for his care.

Verified review · Order #16564
VP
Viktor P.
Our website ·
★★★★★

My wife and I decided to spend the weekend in the mountains, we chose this tour because of the short program. The departure was delayed by about ten minutes, but we weren't in a hurry. The cable car is long, you go up and enjoy the views. It's cool up top, but beautiful — mountains, snowfields. We went down to Medeu, looked at the skating rink, and walked around. The guide met us at the rink and showed us everything. Overall, the trip left pleasant impressions, I recommend it.

Verified review · Order #15035
SV
Sergey V.
Google ·
★★★★★

I took a tour with a friend. The three-stage cable car ride was impressive. The view at the top is breathtaking. The organization was spot on, thanks.

Verified review · Order #12093
BS
Bakhytzhan S.
Our website ·
★★★★★

We decided to go to the mountains with our family on a day off. The Medeu skating rink is very large, the children were happy. We went up to Shymbulak on the cable car, the view from the top of the mountain is amazing. The guide guided us along the way and told us a lot. Up top we walked around and took photos. We ate at a cafe and relaxed. We liked everything, only the transport is a bit old. The tour organization is good, we arrived on time.

Verified review · Order #12016
IM
Irina M.
Our website ·
★★★★★

I wanted to take beautiful winter photos, so I went on this tour with a photographer. At Medeu the skating rink is just huge, the ice is smooth, and the bowl around it creates a great atmosphere. We went up on the cable car, and from there a panorama of snowy mountains opens up — the shots turned out magical. The guide suggested where to stand to catch the light and the background. Up there the wind is strong, but that's a minor thing compared to the beauty. We walked around the plateau and stopped at a cafe to warm up. Overall, the trip was a success, and I came back with great photos.

Verified review · Order #11087

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the cable car to Shymbulak

We've collected the questions travelers ask most often. Didn't find your answer? Write to us — a guide will reply in a couple of minutes.

Ask a question

It can be windy at altitude, so it's worth bringing a warm jacket even on a warm day. Footwear — sneakers or trekking boots: you'll be walking on foot across the Shymbulak plateau and around the Medeu bowl. Sunglasses, sunscreen and a water bottle will also come in handy — you can fill it right on the bus.

Yes, the route is designed for people with no special training: between Medeu and Shymbulak you ride the gondola rather than walking uphill. The walking sections are short — a stroll across the plateau and around the skating rink bowl, and everyone goes at their own pace and can rest at a café. A guide-instructor is nearby and will suggest where it's most convenient to take a break.

At Shymbulak you have time to stroll across the plateau, take photos against the backdrop of Talgar Peak and relax at a café. Then you descend to Medeu, where you look at the architecture of the skating rink and walk around the bowl. By 14:00 you're already back at Abai Square, so the whole tour takes 5 hours.

The price already covers the road from Almaty to Medeu and back, the gondola ride up and down, the guide-instructor's services, water on the bus and the ecological fee. You pay separately for lunch at the café at the foot of the mountain — from $4 — and personal purchases such as souvenirs. There will be no additional fees on site.

The tour is advertised as a group tour: you travel together with other tourists on the shared departure schedule. If you want to gather only your own group, write to us on WhatsApp — we'll check what can be arranged for your date. Departures are daily, winter and summer.

Write to us on WhatsApp — we'll book places without any deposit, just based on your message. You pay on the day of the trip: Kaspi, by card or in cash. If your plans change, cancelling the booking is free.