Splügen Pass to Italy 🇮🇹
The Splügen Pass connects Switzerland and Italy, linking Splügen with Chiavenna. At 2,113 meters (6,929 feet), it provides a direct route through the Alps, offering impressive views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
Free KMZ to KML converter online Unzip a KMZ file to KML in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is rewritten.
Convert KMZ to KML
in your browser.
Drop a .kmz file here to convert it to KML. Nothing in the file is rewritten; you download the doc.kml exactly as Google Earth packed it, styles and folders included.
The page also draws the track and measures it, so you can see what the archive contains before you open it elsewhere.
Kilometers0km0km
Miles0mi0mi
Free converterKMZ to KML01
How to convert a KMZ file to KML online
Four steps. The last one is optional.
Step 1
Pick the KMZ file
Drag the .kmz onto this page or click Select KMZ file. Google Earth Pro exports, shared projects and downloads from mapping sites all work.
Step 2
Check the outline
The archive is unzipped in the browser. The paths inside are drawn and measured, with the start and end point named.
Step 3
Download the KML file
Click Download KML file. The doc.kml from the archive is saved to your downloads folder, byte for byte.
Step 4
Optional: see it in 3D
Open 3D preview shows the same route on satellite terrain in the AvoMap editor, where you can render a video of it.
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What the KMZ to KML conversion keeps
This converter extracts rather than rebuilds, so almost everything survives. The exceptions are the files that were packed alongside the KML.
| Paths, placemarks, polygons | Unchanged. The KML is extracted, not rewritten. |
|---|---|
| Styles, icons, colours | Unchanged in the text. Icons that were packed inside the KMZ are referenced by relative path and will not load once the KML stands alone. Icons with web URLs keep working. |
| Folders and descriptions | Unchanged, HTML included. |
| Elevation and timestamps | Unchanged, since the content is not touched. |
| Images packed in the archive | Not extracted. Rename the .kmz to .zip and open it if you need them. |
| Several KML files in one KMZ | doc.kml is used. If there is none, the first .kml in the archive is. |
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KMZ to KML for Google Earth, My Maps, QGIS and text editors
Where the KMZ files come from and where the KML file goes.
A text editor
KML is XML. Once it is out of the archive you can open it in any editor, fix a name, change a colour or copy coordinates out. Save it and Google Earth reads it again.
Google My Maps
My Maps imports KMZ as well as KML, so convert when you want to edit the file first, or when an import fails on a KMZ that carries extra files.
Web maps and GIS tools
Leaflet and Mapbox plugins, and many web services that accept "a KML file", want the plain text version. QGIS and ArcGIS read both.
Google Earth Pro exports
Save Place As writes KMZ by default. Run the file through here when whoever you are sending it to asked for .kml.
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KMZ vs KML
What a KMZ file and a KML file each hold, and which one the app you are heading for expects.
What is a KMZ file?
A KMZ is a KML file zipped up, sometimes together with the icons and images it refers to. Google Earth Pro saves as KMZ by default. Rename one to .zip and you'll find a doc.kml inside. Anything that reads KML usually reads KMZ too, but a text editor can't.
What is a KML file?
KML is Google Earth's file format. Besides lines and points it stores how things look: icons, line colours, folders, pop-up descriptions with HTML, even camera positions for a fly-through. Google Earth, Google My Maps, QGIS and ArcGIS read it. Sports apps mostly don't.
| KMZ | KML | |
|---|---|---|
| On disk | Zip archive, usually named doc.kml inside | Plain XML text |
| Size | Small. XML zips down to a fraction of its size | Larger |
| Can bundle icons and images | Yes | No, only by web URL |
| Readable in a text editor | No | Yes |
| Opens in | Google Earth, My Maps, most GIS tools | Google Earth, My Maps, GIS tools, web map libraries, text editors |
Other free GPS file tools
Same idea on every page: the file is read in your browser and nothing is uploaded unless you open the 3D preview.
KML to GPX converter
KML in, GPX out, in your browser.
KMZ to GPX converter
KMZ in, GPX out, in your browser.
GPX to KML converter
GPX in, KML out, in your browser.
GPX to KMZ converter
GPX in, KMZ out, in your browser.
KML to KMZ converter
KML in, KMZ out, in your browser.
KML to SHP converter
KML in, a zipped shapefile out, for QGIS and ArcGIS.
KMZ to SHP converter
KMZ in, a zipped shapefile out, for QGIS and ArcGIS.
SHP to KML converter
Drop a zipped shapefile, get a KML for Google Earth.
GPX viewer
Open a GPX and see the track, its length and where it starts and ends.
KML viewer
Open a KML or KMZ and see what is inside before you use it elsewhere.
KMZ viewer
Unzip a KMZ in the browser and see the paths and placemarks it holds.
GeoJSON viewer
Open a GeoJSON file and see its features drawn and measured.
FIT file viewer
Open a Garmin, Wahoo or COROS .fit file, see the ride or run, and download it as GPX.
Animate the KMZ file as a 3D map video in the AvoMap editor
The converter shows you the outline. The editor puts the same track on satellite terrain, flies a camera along it and exports an MP4 in up to 4K.
The editor is free to use. You pay per exported video, and that pays for the free tools on this site.
Videos Made With AvoMap
Explore the full range of AvoMap features in action with these videos, all created using the easy-to-use editor.
Splügen Pass to Italy 🇮🇹
The Splügen Pass connects Switzerland and Italy, linking Splügen with Chiavenna. At 2,113 meters (6,929 feet), it provides a direct route through the Alps, offering impressive views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
Ride Through The Desert — Chile
Taking a motorcycle trip through the Chilean desert, starting from Combarbala and heading to La Serena on the coast.
UTMB Eiger Ultra 2024
With a distance of 101 km and an elevation gain of 6,700 meters, the Eiger Ultra 101 is a tough challenge for even the most seasoned trail runners. The route includes stunning viewpoints such as Grosse Scheidegg, First, Bachalpsee, Berghotel Faulhorn, Schynige Platte, Wengen, Männlichen, and the base of the legendary Eiger North Face.
Otter Trail — South Africa
The Otter Trail is a five-day hiking route in South Africa, starting at Storms River Mouth Rest Camp and finishing at the small resort village of Natures Valley in the de Vasselot section of the park.
Kepler Track — New Zealand
The Kepler Track is one of New Zealand's Great Walks, renowned for its stunning natural beauty and varied landscapes. It's a 60-kilometer (37-mile) circular hiking trail located in Fiordland National Park on the South Island of New Zealand. The track typically takes around 3 to 4 days to complete and passes through diverse terrain, including beech forests, alpine meadows, and alongside pristine lakes and rivers.
170 Miles Around Lake Tahoe
The Tahoe Rim Trail is a 170-mile long hiking path encircling the Lake Tahoe Basin in the Sierra Nevada, traversing parts of Nevada and California in the United States. It spans elevations from 6,223 feet at Lake Tahoe's outlet to 10,338 feet at Nevada's Relay Peak.
The Grand Raid — La Reunion
The Grand Raid de la Réunion, known as La diagonale des fous, is an ultramarathon held annually in October on Réunion island, a French overseas department located in the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Mauritius.
Frankfurt To Dubai In 30 Seconds
As a break from my usual routine, I decided to embark on an epic journey by motorbike from Frankfurt to Dubai. It took me 62 days to complete the trip, and along the way I crossed through 11 different countries including France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia and Iran.
Zugspitze Ultra — Germany
The Zugspitz Ultratrail stands as Germany's premier trail running event. Drawing over 4400 participants, it features six distinct routes spanning from 16 to 106 kilometers in length.
San Francisco Marathon
The San Francisco Marathon is a renowned race featuring a full marathon, half marathon, and 5K. Held in late July, it navigates iconic landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman's Wharf. The hilly terrain presents a challenge, but the stunning views and community support make it memorable.
Frequently asked questions
Is the KMZ to KML converter free?
Yes. Converting, the outline and the 3D preview cost nothing, and there is no account to make. AvoMap charges for exported videos, and that pays for the free tools.
Is my KMZ file uploaded when I convert it?
No. The file is read and converted in your browser. Two things do leave your device: the coordinates of the first and last point, which are looked up to show place names, and the whole route if you click Open 3D preview. The download itself stays on your device.
How do I convert KMZ to KML in Google Earth?
In Google Earth Pro, right-click the item, choose Save Place As and pick .kml as the type. The web and phone versions export as KML from the project menu. This page does the same job without opening Google Earth: drop the KMZ, download the KML.
Is a KMZ just a zipped KML?
Yes. A KMZ is a zip archive with a KML inside, usually named doc.kml, sometimes with an images folder next to it. This converter pulls out the KML and leaves the rest.
Why did my custom icons disappear?
They were packed inside the KMZ and the KML points to them by relative path. On its own the KML cannot find them. Icons that use a web address keep working. If you need the images, rename the .kmz to .zip and extract them yourself.
Does it change anything in the file?
No. The KML comes out byte for byte as it was in the archive. Coordinates, styles, folders and descriptions are all as Google Earth wrote them.
Can I go the other way, KML to KMZ?
Yes, with the KML to KMZ converter. It zips the KML as doc.kml, unchanged, and hands you the smaller file.
Can this make a KMZ file smaller?
No. A KMZ is already compressed, and the KML this page extracts is larger, not smaller. To shrink a KMZ, open it in Google Earth Pro, delete the images and overlays you do not need, and save it again.
Is KML the same as XML?
KML is XML with a fixed set of tags. If a tool asks for an XML file of your map, or you searched for "kmz to xml", the KML from this page is usually what it wants.
Can I convert the KMZ to GPX instead?
Yes, with the KMZ to GPX converter. That one does rewrite the content, because GPX cannot hold styles or polygons.
Is there a KMZ to KML app for my phone?
You don't need one. This page is the app: open it in the browser on an iPhone or Android phone, pick the file from your files app, and the KML lands in your downloads. Nothing to install.