How to Convert a KMZ File to GPX Online for Free

You planned a route in Google Earth, saved it, and got a .kmz file. Your watch wants GPX. Most converters only accept plain .kml, so the usual advice is to unzip the KMZ first and convert the file inside — two steps that are not necessary. The KML to GPX converter accepts KMZ directly and does both at once, in your browser.

Why the File Is a KMZ in the First Place

KMZ is a ZIP archive containing a KML file, usually named doc.kml, plus any icons or overlay images the KML references. Google Earth exports KMZ by default because it keeps everything in one smaller file. For getting a route onto a GPS device none of the bundled imagery matters — all you need is the geometry in the KML inside. If you want the full picture, see KML vs KMZ.

How to Convert KMZ to GPX

• Step 1 — Open the tool. Go to the KML to GPX converter and check the "KML → GPX" tab is selected.
• Step 2 — Drop in the KMZ. No renaming, no unzipping. The .kmz extension is detected, the archive is opened in your browser, and the KML inside is pulled out automatically.
• Step 3 — Convert and download. Click Convert to GPX and save the result, ready for a device or an app.

If you specifically need the intermediate .kml as a file of its own, the KMZ to KML converter extracts it in one step.

What Carries Over

• Point placemarks become waypoints (<wpt>) — trailheads, parking, water stops.
• Paths become tracks (<trk>), which is what a route drawn in Google Earth turns into.
• Polygons also become tracks. GPX has no area type, so each ring is written as a closed track segment — the shape survives, but a device reads it as a path to follow rather than a boundary.
• Styling is dropped. GPX carries no colour or icon information; your device applies its own.
• Bundled images stay behind. Overlays and custom icons inside the KMZ have no GPX equivalent.

Elevation transfers when the KML coordinates include a third value. Google Earth paths drawn on the terrain usually do; placemarks dropped by hand often do not, in which case your device will show a flat profile.

Getting It Onto a Device

The output is standards-compliant GPX 1.1, so it imports anywhere GPX is accepted: Garmin Connect or the /GPX/ folder over USB, Strava's route upload, Komoot, AllTrails, Gaia GPS, and OsmAnd. Before relying on it, it is worth plotting the file in the GPX viewer — a route drawn in the wrong direction is obvious on a map and invisible in a file listing.

Your Data Stays Private

Unzipping the archive and converting the KML both happen entirely in your browser using JavaScript. The file is never uploaded, and everything is discarded when you close the tab.

FAQ

Do I need to unzip the KMZ first?

No. The converter detects the .kmz extension, opens the archive in your browser, and converts the KML found inside.

What is the difference between KMZ and KML?

KMZ is a ZIP archive containing a KML file plus any images or icons it references. KML is the plain-text XML file on its own.

Will the GPX work on a Garmin?

Yes. The output is GPX 1.1, accepted by Garmin Connect, Strava, Komoot, AllTrails, Gaia GPS, and OsmAnd.

Do polygons in the KMZ convert?

Yes, as closed track segments, since GPX has no polygon element. The geometry is preserved but treated as a path rather than an area.

Is elevation data preserved?

Yes, when the KML coordinates include a third elevation value. Many hand-placed Google Earth placemarks omit it.

Is my file uploaded anywhere?

No. Both the unzip and the conversion run entirely in your browser.