Almaty is a strange city for enduro. You can see the mountains from almost any window, the forest is twenty minutes away, and yet an honest answer to "where can I ride here" takes a whole article. The slopes above the city are almost entirely Ile-Alatau National Park, where riders need to stay on roads and established trails. The city has a track, steppe and sand begin a couple of hours away, and xBike runs the Big Almaty Lake ride with a guide who confirms access for the chosen date.
Below, the places are sorted by level: from your first hour on a bike to routes where you sometimes push it by hand.
In short
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Training in the city: the Kulzhinka motocross track in the Kairat district and the Kokterek moto track.
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Sand and slides: the Kosozen sands.
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Open the throttle: the Ili River steppe, a light route for beginners and a hard left-bank route.
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Mountains next to the city: Kok-Zhailau, the Japanese Road, Medeu and Butakovka.
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High mountains: Three Brothers, Mynzhylky dam, Boukreev Peak.
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No bike of your own: we don't hand out bikes without a guide, but a guided ride starts at 25,000 tenge and a first riding school lesson is 25,000 tenge.
First, where you can't ride
The mountains above Almaty look like a ready-made enduro park, and that is the trap. Nearly everything from Medeu to Big Almaty Gorge is national park. A rut across an alpine meadow takes years to recover, so riders should not cut corners or make a new line through grass. Dry heat or heavy rain can lead to temporary closures, which is why every trip needs a fresh route check.
The second limit is duller. You can't ride an unregistered enduro through city streets, and many dirt bikes are never registered. So they travel to the start in a pickup or on a trailer. On our tours we bring the bikes to the start. Transfers are included on remote routes. For routes near the city, travel to the start yourself by taxi or public transport; we send you the starting point before the ride.
On every route we keep one rule: roads and established trails only. For the Big Almaty Lake ride, the guide checks access for the selected date before payment.
Tracks and training grounds
Kulzhinka motocross track
The track is inside the city, in the Kairat district of Turksib, by the Kulzhinsky highway. It was built by entrepreneur Vladimir Radostovets. There are floodlights, so you can train after work, and a sprinkler system that keeps the dust down. On 25-26 April 2026 it hosted the first round of the Kazakhstan Motocross Championship, with riders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
If you're looking for people to ride with, go to a round, even as a spectator. Everyone lines up, from 5-8-year-olds on 50cc bikes to veterans over 46 in their own class. Ask the track directly about training sessions.
Kokterek moto track
A motocross track with jumps and whoops. At Kokterek we work on stance, corner exits and first jumps. Four hours, 40,000 tenge, difficulty 2 out of 10.
Kosozen sands
Sand teaches what hard ground can't: keeping the throttle on while the bike floats, and not panicking in a slide. The Kosozen sands have dunes, jumps and sharp turns, and falling on sand is kinder than falling on rock. Four hours, 40,000 tenge.
Baum Grove
If this is your first time on a bike, there's no better place for the first hour. Baum Grove is inside the city: more than 130 hectares of old trees with dirt paths and small hills. Two hours, 25,000 tenge, difficulty 1 out of 10.
Baum Grove: your first kilometres on dirt, no mountains or drops
The steppe: where you can open it up
In the mountains you rarely go fast. The steppe is the opposite. The light Ili Valley route runs on packed dirt and sand to the Tamgaly-Tas rocks with Buddhist carvings. A full day with lunch by the river, 50,000 tenge, difficulty 2 out of 10.
The Ili left bank is a different animal: no roads, just narrow trails over crumbling rock right above the water. Difficulty 6 out of 10, 60,000 tenge. In spring and autumn, while there's still snow in the mountains, the steppe is often the best weekend option.
Trail above the Ili River in autumn
The Ili route on 27 October 2024; the exposed rocky slope calls for a precise line
Photo from xBike rides. Exact location is unverified.
Mountains right by the city
The closest place with a real mountain view is Kok-Zhailau: forest, roots, clay after rain, then an open plateau with the whole city below. Three to four hours, 30,000 tenge, difficulty 2 out of 10. There's a separate guide to the hiking trail.
The Japanese Road runs along the rock of the Big Almaty Gorge and ends at the top of the old water pipe, where we have tea on the roof of an abandoned lift building. Three hours, 30,000 tenge, difficulty 2 out of 10.
Once you have a few rides behind you, try Medeu and Butakovka: two gorges in one outing, five to six hours, 40,000 tenge, difficulty 4 out of 10. Or Kargalinka Balcony, a long climb to a rock ledge above the gorge that few hikers reach. The big MKAD loop via the Balcony and Wolf Mountain takes ten hours and costs 70,000 tenge, and it's for experienced riders.
The Kok-Zhailau ridge: half an hour from the city, snow peaks all around
Autumn ground on the Kok-Zhailau ridge on 25 October 2025
High mountains: once you ride with confidence
This is where hard enduro starts. Three Brothers and Kumbel: seven hours, 60,000 tenge, difficulty 6 out of 10, impassable in rain. Mynzhylky dam climbs from Medeu to 3,010 m over rocks the size of footballs, 40,000 tenge, difficulty 5 out of 10. Tuyuksu Glacier is 60,000 tenge, difficulty 6 out of 10.
Beyond that it's for the very fit only: Boukreev Peak at 70,000 tenge, 5 Peaks and Left Talgar at 80,000 tenge, and the two-day Big Almaty Circuit at 100,000 tenge and difficulty 10 out of 10. The stories behind these places are in our guides to Three Brothers and Tereshkova Peak and the circuit.
By the Three Brothers rocks on the Kumbel ridge
The high route on 20 September 2025; weather and snow change faster than in the city
A full day or longer
Assy Plateau and Kairak Waterfall is a full day across high steppe, 55,000 tenge, difficulty 5 out of 10, more in the Assy guide. Charyn Canyon is also 55,000 tenge, Kaindy Lake 70,000 tenge. And if you want a different planet altogether, there's Bektau-Ata: two days among pink granite rocks in the steppe, camping in tents, 150,000 tenge.
The bridges on the direct Kairak route have been washed away. The programme including the waterfall goes via Assy and Don-Zhailau and currently requires experience. Once the bridges are restored, the guide will inspect the route and reassess its difficulty. For a first ride without experience, start with training and an easy route.
Electric bike rental in Almaty: choosing the format
If you do not own a bike, check what a rental includes. It may mean independent hire or a route with an instructor. At xBike, electric bike rental in Almaty is guided only: the base bike, protective gear and briefing are included in the tour price. Transfers are included on remote routes. For routes near the city, travel to the start yourself by taxi or public transport; we send you the starting point before the ride. We do not hand out bikes for independent rides.
Swipe to see all columns
| What you want to do | Where to start | What to confirm when booking |
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| Try electric enduro for the first time | A Baum Grove ride or the riding school | Your riding experience, height and a suitable bike |
| Ride outside the city with a guide | The route catalogue, with difficulty and duration | Route conditions, meeting point and total price |
| Try a Sur-Ron before buying | A specific model in our fleet | Model availability for your chosen date |
| Take a bike for an hour or day without a guide | xBike does not offer this format | Independent hire conditions with your chosen operator |
Compare what you get, rather than an hourly hire rate against a whole route. The Baum Grove ride takes two hours and costs 25,000 tenge. The first riding school lesson also takes two hours and costs 25,000 tenge, but focuses on learning. The booking form calculates the tour total for your route and chosen bike.
You can try Sur-Ron and Arctic Leopard models from our fleet before buying at the xBike shop. Confirm the model and date in advance. The tour is paid separately, with no credit towards a purchase. Our team can help you choose a suitable bike.
Transfers are included on remote routes. For routes near the city, travel to the start yourself by taxi or public transport; we send you the starting point before the ride. Confirm your bike and route conditions when booking.
Where to start
Our advice is simple. First time on a bike: Baum Grove or Kok-Zhailau. Ridden a motorcycle on asphalt: Kokterek or the sands, where you quickly feel how dirt differs from road. Some enduro experience and you want mountains: Medeu and Butakovka, then Three Brothers. Leave the high mountains and the circuit for later, they aren't going anywhere.
FAQ
Where can I ride enduro in Almaty without my own bike? On a guided ride: we provide the bike, gear and briefing. The shortest option, Baum Grove, is 25,000 tenge. We don't hand out bikes without a guide.
Is there a motocross track in Almaty? Yes. The Kulzhinka track is in the Kairat district of Turksib, has floodlights, and hosted a round of the Kazakhstan championship in April 2026. There's also the Kokterek moto track, where we run training rides.
Can you ride enduro in the mountains around Almaty? Yes, on permitted roads and established trails without cutting across grass. Conditions change with weather and fire risk. For an organised Big Almaty Lake ride, the xBike guide checks access for the specific date in advance.
How much does an enduro ride in Almaty cost? With us, from 25,000 tenge for two hours in Baum Grove. Kok-Zhailau and the Japanese Road are 30,000 tenge, Kokterek and the sands 40,000 tenge, a day in the Ili steppe 50,000 tenge.
Where can I learn to ride enduro from zero? At the riding school: the first lesson is two hours and 25,000 tenge. If you'd rather go straight outdoors, start with Baum Grove or Kok-Zhailau, where we also teach you before the start.
What is the minimum age? 14 years on our routes.
