Alma-Arasan: the hot springs of Prokhodnaya gorge above Almaty

Alma-Arasan is the local name for Prokhodnaya gorge south-west of Almaty and for the warm radon springs inside it, about 16 km from the city. From the end of bus route 28 it is roughly an hour’s walk up a paved road, or 10–15 minutes by car, to the car park; a short mountain path then leads to the springs. The water in the tubs runs from 20.5 to 39.7 °C, and people come all year round. The sanatorium founded in 1931 has been shut for decades, but the spring beside the trail is open to everyone, and in 2025 the city began replacing its bridges and steps.

What Alma-Arasan is

The gorge lies on the northern slope of the Trans-Ili (Zailiysky) Alatau, with the Prokhodnaya river running down to join the Bolshaya Almatinka. Heights vary by source: Russian Wikipedia gives 1,780 m for the gorge, Sxodim 1,827 m for the springs. At its head the gorge ends at Almaty Pass (also called Prokhodnoy), 3,609 m, graded 1A.

The sanatorium story

In 1931 surveyors counted 16 springs on the slopes above the river, and a balneological spa opened the same year (Wikipedia). Sxodim dates the sanatorium’s closure to 1990; Wikipedia says it was privatised in the 1990s. In 2007 a large area was fenced with barbed wire and guarded “for reconstruction”, which also cut the public trail towards Issyk-Kul. The work was meant to finish in 2010, but the sanatorium never reopened. In September 2011, 26 cafés in the gorge were demolished. Wikipedia adds that most of the springs have disappeared in recent years.

The hot springs today

What you visit now is the open spring by the trail. In November 2019 six footbridges were built over the river near the Devichi Slyozy (“Maiden’s Tears”) waterfall and the spring, a staircase was restored and an outdoor workout area added (Wikipedia). Sxodim lists metal footbridges, stairs, a toilet, a changing cabin, benches, gazebos and a tap for filling bottles. You bathe in barrel tubs.

In December 2024 the city said the 2019 facilities no longer met safety and comfort standards and announced a rebuild: new non-slip bridges, railed stairs on difficult sections, signs and boards about the site’s history (Tengrinews). Work began on 13 May 2025, with rope-access crews clearing loose rock, fitting anchors and netting about 200 m² of slope (Zakon.kz). From 3 June to 3 July 2025 the whole route from the car park to the spring, the waterfall and Terra meadow was closed while bridges were replaced. The city aimed to finish by 31 July 2025 (Tengrinews).

Getting to Alma-Arasan

By bus. Route 28 runs from the First President’s Park stop, at Al-Farabi Avenue and Dulati Street, to its terminus at Olen (“Deer”). Wooden signs there point one road to Big Almaty Lake and the other to the springs. Walking on the tarmac to the car park takes about an hour (Sxodim).

By car. Drive up Dulati Street from the First President’s Park to the Olen stop and turn right towards the Alma-Arasan sanatorium. It is 10–15 minutes to the car park, then the trail. Sxodim rates the walk as easy.

Eco-post. A per-person fee is collected at the entrance; the amount changes.

When to go

Any month — Sxodim says the springs are open all year. Summer suits a walk on to the waterfall and Terra meadow; in winter bring trekking poles. Pack a swimsuit, a towel and dry clothes. Weekends are busier, and during repairs the trail can close completely.

Nearby

• Devichi Slyozy waterfall — about five minutes’ walk from the springs (Sxodim).
• Terra meadow — further up the gorge on the same trail.
• Big Almaty Lake — the other road from the Olen fork.

What it costs

None of our sources mentions a separate charge for bathing at the spring, but the eco-post at the gorge entrance collects a per-person fee. Bus 28 is paid with an Onay card or in cash to the driver. We don’t list amounts because they change.

More near Almaty

• Ile-Alatau National Park
• Medeu and Kok-Tobe — mountains inside the city.
• Kok-Zhailau — a plateau day hike.
• Rakhmanov Springs — Kazakhstan’s other radon springs, in the Altai.
• Nature near Almaty: 15 day trips