Almaty’s mountains have once again received international recognition. Several spots popular with residents for walks, hikes and cable car rides have been featured in 2026 tourism rankings. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at which places in Almaty made the list and how significant the ranking is.
Two gorges made the list of the world’s best hikes in The Worldworthy 100. Kimasar Gorge ranked 56th, while Butakovsky Gorge came in 79th. Shymbulak’s cable car ranked ninth in the cable car category. All three destinations received certificates recognizing them as The Worldworthy 100 laureates.
When compiling the rankings, the organizers take travelers’ feedback, international media coverage, guidebook recommendations and information from open sources into account. This means that a location is assessed not only on its popularity among tourists but also on its presence in the media.
«Almaty’s mountains attract millions of visitors annually. From January to October 2026 alone, over 1.6 million people visited Ile-Alatau National Natural Park. In 2025, Shymbulak became the city’s most popular destination among foreign tourists, accounting for 30.62% of visits,» the Almaty Akimat said.
