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Medeu Skating Rink and Ski resort

Medeu Skating Rink and Ski resort

Medeu Skating Rink and Ski resort
4.5
About
Medeu Alpine Sports Complex is located in picturesque canyon Ile Alatau on 1691 metres high above the sea level. The highest ice skating rink in the world. • Working schedule: whole year • Activities in winter: ice skating • Activities in summer: skating, bicycles, skateboarding, streetball and volleyball. • Ice field area: 10 500 sq.m • Average temperature: summer time +20 C, winter -10 C •
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • Haytham Abu Firas
    Qatar21,204 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Pass by only
    We visited Shymbulak mountain. While coming down, had a short stop to see Medeu Skating Rink from the top. Many people were walking around but no one in. Probably it’s the time for annual maintenance prior to the peak season. Wonderful view. Beautiful big skating rink, and decent visit.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 21 October 2023
  • laoiscyclist.blogspot.com
    Mountmellick, Ireland104 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great skating at great price
    Fantastic spot at a very reasonable price for skating while surrounded by snow capped peaks. Thank you Medeu. I think it was 3500 Tenge in and 2000 Tenge to hire skates, Feb 2024. Plenty of options there for coffee too and great walking nearby.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 25 February 2024
  • Reslysten54
    Vienna, Virginia2,700 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great views from 3200 meter above sea level
    I took three different cable cars up to the very top of the resort. You can get out and look around at each stop. The view from 3200 meters above sea level was great, although some clouds obscured it partially. The cable car system ran smoothly and provided good scenery along the way. We never had to wait long for our cable car. A few skiers held us company down below, but the slopes were mostly empty.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 22 May 2024
  • mrc282
    World9,456 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    3 cable car rides to the top
    there are 3 cable car rides to ride all the way to the top of the mountain. so you need a ticket that is under the "gondola 360 + combi 1 + combi 2" package. gondola 360 is a blue color cable car with glass bottom gondola, compared to the standard gray cable car. the rides to the 3 different stations are quite long, especially the gondola ride. you will see the skating rink not long after departing the base station most restaurants and shops are located at the first station views are not bad, but nothing outstanding if you have seen sceneries like this before.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 26 August 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles747 reviews
Excellent
501
Very good
168
Average
59
Poor
10
Terrible
9

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Talib J
Baku, Azerbaijan444 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • Friends
As you know, many ski resorts have existed for a long time. The first generation of such resorts appeared even in the 19th century. And the Chimbulak ski sports base began its work in 1954 next to the high-mountain sports complex Medeo. Despite this, this resort is still among the best ski resorts in the world. It is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest night ski slope in the world. There are cable cars, ski lifts, a ski school, a first aid station, equipment rental and repair, a restaurant and cafe, shops, parking, etc. The atmosphere here is unforgettable, very sporty and fun. Nearby there is an excellent restaurant, Rifugio del Monte, with a magnificent panorama. I advise true connoisseurs of ski holidays to visit this resort!!!
Google
Written 21 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

laoiscyclist.blogspot.com
Mountmellick, Ireland104 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Solo
Fantastic spot at a very reasonable price for skating while surrounded by snow capped peaks. Thank you Medeu. I think it was 3500 Tenge in and 2000 Tenge to hire skates, Feb 2024. Plenty of options there for coffee too and great walking nearby.
Written 26 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mrc282
World9,456 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Family
there are 3 cable car rides to ride all the way to the top of the mountain. so you need a ticket that is under the "gondola 360 + combi 1 + combi 2" package.

gondola 360 is a blue color cable car with glass bottom gondola, compared to the standard gray cable car. the rides to the 3 different stations are quite long, especially the gondola ride. you will see the skating rink not long after departing the base station

most restaurants and shops are located at the first station

views are not bad, but nothing outstanding if you have seen sceneries like this before.
Written 26 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Reslysten54
Vienna, VA2,700 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • Friends
I took three different cable cars up to the very top of the resort. You can get out and look around at each stop. The view from 3200 meters above sea level was great, although some clouds obscured it partially.

The cable car system ran smoothly and provided good scenery along the way. We never had to wait long for our cable car.

A few skiers held us company down below, but the slopes were mostly empty.
Written 22 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Haytham Abu Firas
Qatar21,204 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
We visited Shymbulak mountain. While coming down, had a short stop to see Medeu Skating Rink from the top. Many people were walking around but no one in. Probably it’s the time for annual maintenance prior to the peak season. Wonderful view. Beautiful big skating rink, and decent visit.
Written 21 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rurban Roots
Goulds, Canada153 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2015
Living in northern Kazakhstan, it's easy to forget that there is so much beauty in this country. Those Alatau mountains are stunning and put a new spin on my Kaz love. Go up. Look. Breathe. Listen. Enjoy. Have a coffee. Take the gondola down. Almaty deserves bragging rights for sure :)
Written 15 November 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

tjmU4374LJ
San Juan Islands, WA918 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2017 • Family
It's a skiing and snowboarding scene, but pedestrians mix in without hassle or problem. A combi gondola ticket to the vert top -- 3200 meters, a bit over 10,000 feet -- gets you to the view of a lifetime. In summer you can scramble up a rock ridge while in winter its snow snow snow. Well worth the reasonable round trip gondola lift ticket -- perhaps one-third of US inflated prices. Go up beyond the crowded ski village to the next to top level for a view packed cafe meal to remember.
Written 2 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alina B
Tashkent, Uzbekistan2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2015 • Family
Great place, very warm and romantic memories
I was there last autumn with a beloved man, and perhaps this was the best trip of my life, and Kazakhstan, Almaati, Medeo-paradise on earth for me
Written 10 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GoranWembley
United Kingdom4,057 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015 • Solo
Firstly, shocked there's no Ile-Alatau NP separate entry in 'things to do in Almaty'?!

Did several day-trip hikes from Almaty given the easy access to the mountains of Ile-Alatau National Park by public transport.

It would be even nicer to venture further into the chain, but didn't know how to do this without the help of tour operators.

Hike 1:
Medeu to Butakovka
Easy, but hiking low altitudes (up to 2000m) in Central Asia's summer makes it pretty hard. On a positive note, the humidity is low and it helps.

Bus to Medeu from the bus stand on the opposite side of the Hotel Kazakhstan. My bus number was 12 and LP says it should be #6. Maybe both #6 and 12 go to Medeu? The LP hike description was good. I strayed to the left of the little pass for 30-45 mins so not to make the hike terribly easy. The views were OK from the ridge above. Then I went back to the pass and all the way to Butakovka. I stopped by the stream to cool down my feet in the cold water. Bus 29R from the first shelter that resembles a bus stop at Butakovka back to Almaty. The last stop of this bus is in Makataeva. NB: 29R operates every 40 mins.

Hike 2:
GES 2 - Great Almaty Lake
See the Great Almaty Lake section in Almaty's Tripadvisor

Hike 3:
Kok Zhailyao
This was the best trek so far in Ile-Alatau. The landscapes are stunning up there and there's opportunity to venture to the nearby peaks. I opted for Kok Zhelyao only as I was running out of my two litres of water.

See Hike 1 on how to get to Medeu. Alight two stops before the terminus; get off at the little shrine where the spring is. You can't miss it if you sit on the right side of the bus. If you happen to miss it then get off at the cable car station and walk 10 mins down.
At the spring, a little further down but on the same side of the road, is the paved road leading up. Go up and continue going up even when the tarmac stops. Look for Kok Zhailyao sign in cyrillic to your right. If you happen to reach the disused dam then you went too far. From the sign is all way up; just follow the trail. Amusing: see how many middle aged/old men you'll spot trekking in their Speedos.

Hike 4:
Peak Chimbulak

Funny that my first and last trek in Central Asia happened to take place in Ile-Alatau NP. Got off the bus #12 at the cable car stop, one stop before Medeu Ice Rink. The daily pass for three cable cars seems to be cheaper off season Mon-Fri; KZT3500. All the way up to the third stop at that pass.

It's then to the left, north, of the cable car station maybe 3km in length and 400m up to the 3500m high Peak Chimbulak. The views of Tian Shan, Kok Zhelyao, Almaty and the steppes are beautiful.

Possible to continue along the ridge towards Peak Panorama and some others, but these were not as high as Peak Chimbulak. Possible to continue this way all the way down to Medeu apparently. I didn't do it for several reasons: the major one being that I wanted to get the best value for my cable car day pass and the other is that I didn't have the walking poll nor knee supports for my way down. Back the same way I came from. Beautiful day.
Written 2 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ps578
Darwin, Australia23 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2014 • Couples
We visited the skating ring and then we wanted to go in the cable car to Shymbuluk. The cable car goes above the mountain for a very long distance. Due to damage in the cable / rope there was no service available that day. There is a road as well to reach the top we went by our hired car. We spent some time in Shymbuluk enjoying the nature beauty and the hot coffee in 17 degree climate. Good café and restaurants are available. Internet signal is also very good. After this we went further up by car and then came down. There was an option to go by walk as well. Overall it is worth visiting to enjoy the nature beauty.
Written 27 July 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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MEDEU SKATING RINK AND SKI RESORT (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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