Ala-Archa is the closest real mountain scenery to Bishkek — glacier-fed rivers, pine forest, and peaks over 4,000m, all about 40 minutes from the city center.
The main valley trail is flat and easy, walkable in trainers by most fitness levels, and gets you deep enough into the park to see the glacier views without any technical hiking. Further up, trails toward Ratsek Hut get considerably steeper and are really only for prepared hikers with a full day to spend.
Worth knowing: there's no public transport into the park itself, only to the nearby village, so most visitors either drive, take a taxi, or book a transfer — which is really the whole reason to book this rather than improvise it, especially on a tight layover schedule.
Zoomy