A ski mountain a gondola ride from Almaty
Take bus 12 or 21 from central Almaty to Medeu. A taxi to Medeu takes 30 to 40 minutes. From there the gondola climbs to the resort base.
February, for reliable snow, longer days and manageable crowds. The season runs from late November into April, and weekdays are far quieter than weekends.
Yes. There are gentle slopes with carpet lifts at the base, and certified instructors at the ski school. In the holidays, book an instructor early.
Online or at the resort's ticket office. The pass is a plastic card, and it works only when you carry skis or a board; non-skiers buy a separate gondola ticket.
Yes, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings in season, on lit runs.
Only with a certified local guide, and with a beacon, probe and shovel. Avalanche control outside the marked runs is limited.
Yes. Ride the gondola from Medeu on a pedestrian ticket for the view of the gorge and the peaks. In summer the upper chairs open from June and carry walkers higher.
You can sleep in Almaty and ski by day: the gondola from the Medeu rink, on the edge of the city, reaches the slopes in about fifteen minutes. Leave the car at Medeu and ride up with your skis.
Map data: OpenStreetMap.
Because the gondola starts at the edge of town, you can stay in Almaty and spend your evenings in the city.
The top lift reaches the Talgar Pass, where the view runs over the peaks of the Tian Shan and back down to Almaty.
On three evenings a week the slopes are lit, and you ski with the lights of the city below you.
Ski on a weekday if you can. On weekends the gondola fills with day-trippers from the city, and the public and school holidays bring queues at every lift.
Aim for February, when the snow is reliable and the New Year rush is over.
Most of the mapped runs are long, groomed blues and reds off the upper chairs. Strong skiers should head for the black runs, and go off the marked runs only with a certified local guide.
Base yourself in Almaty for the wider pick of hotels and restaurants, and ride the bus or a taxi to Medeu each morning. Choose one of the three hotels on the slopes if the skiing is the whole trip.
The lifts open in the second half of November and close in April. January has good snow and the biggest crowds, around the New Year holidays above all. From June the gondola and the upper chairs carry walkers up for the view.
Your base in the city, and two more days out
The city at the foot of the mountains, with the restaurants, the parks and the bus to Medeu.
The open-air rink where the gondola starts, with public skating sessions in winter.
A hill above the city centre with the view of Almaty and the mountains behind it.