Almaty parks
Almaty Parks
Almaty is a very green city and offers several nice parks to visit. Most of the Almaty parks are located around the center of the city, next to the densely built blocks or but some of the outdoor recreational areas are further away from the city in the nearby mountains.
Gorkiy Park in Almaty
Most of Central Asian capitals have their own Gorkyi Park. In Almaty it is a one of the favorite parks of locals and also referred as the central park. Every resident of Almaty would say that as a child they used to spend time here as it was already the children’s heaven in the Soviet times. In addition to traditional amusement park offerings it includes a dinosaur park and an aquapark, dolphinarium, lake boating at the Northern side of the park and gambling sports with nice looking prizes.
The park was established already in 1856 and is located at the city center of the city, just west from the zoo and not far from the Green Bazar. The park territory covers about 42 ha. Be prepared to use most of the day if you want to check and experience everything in the park. Most of the park is also covered by big old trees so it can be a nice place to seek cover from the sunlight in the summertime.
Almaty Botanical Garden
The vast area of Botanical Garden of Almaty is perfect for walking and covers an area of more than 100 ha. It is located in the Timiryazeva street 36, at the corner of Baizakova street, somewhat south from the center of Almaty. There is a lot of lush vegetation that pleases the eye, clean air, bright flowers and all this in a calm, quiet environment for the ones of us that need a moment to recover from the busy streets of a city.
The botanical garden recently opened its doors only recently after a major reconstruction, which was the first restoration done in half of a century time period. In two years time the park was recovered with modern solutions and about 175 thousand new plants were planted. Now there is no more asphalt but instead eco-friendly granite was laid for the pathways. Ponds have replaced the once empty pools, and several pairs of swans live in the park during the summer time. In the park you can see plants from Kazakhstan, Russia, Caucasus, East Asia and North America. The park also includes a tropical greenhouse. The entrance fee to the park is 350 tenge per person.
28 Panfilov Guards Park
The park of 28 Panfilov guardsmen goes back long before the tragic events of WW2. The park lies in the heart of the city occupying 18 ha of green area separated by straight paths and alleys, circled with mixed trees like oaks, elms, aspens, maples, poplars and pines. It carries the name in honor of the soldiers of the 316th Rifle Division, a unit formed by Major General Ivan Panfilov in Almaty Region, and in especially of a group of 28 men of Panfilov’s group.
Park of the First President in Almaty
The Park of the First President is a place where almost all Almaty residents gather. It is located in the interaction of Al-Farabi avenue and Navoi street. Here couples walk, arrange family picnics, newlyweds are photographed and athletes run. You cannot ride bicycles in the park, but you can ride up the Navoi street towards the Alma-Arasan gorge, enjoying a beautiful view of the mountains and clean air.
Peak Furmanov near Almaty
Peak Furmanov is a popular place among Almaty residents southeast from Almaty inside the Ile-Alatau national park and Northeast from Shymbulak. Many come to take pictures in the famous Swing flying in the air together with the view of the mountains in the background. The hiking path to the peak carries the traveler through the picturesque gorge “Kim-Asar”.
The hike to peak Furmanov is 14 km towards and back with the route going along amazing alpine scenery together with nice views of Almaty. Getting to the top can take about 4 hours and it will take about 3 more hours to get back. The end the path may require some climbing but easier paths can also be found. The highest point of the hike reaches 3029 m from the sea level.
The best times for the hike are from June to September. You can start the hike at Medeu and go northeast in the direction of the Kim-Asar Valley. Follow the road past the blue gate and along the canal the road then bends right past a toll barrier. Walk around 10 minutes further and you will come across different forks leading upwards.
Page updated 25.7.2022
