Visiting Charyn Canyon National Park: Welcome to Southeastern Kazakhstan's Grand Canyon
Charyn Canyon, some 200 kilometres east of Almaty, is a striking geological phenomenon that offers visitors the opportunity to set eyes on sediments that are over 10 million years old. It’s growing in popularity, largely because people are realizing that visiting Charyn Canyon is a must for many Kazakhstan itineraries, especially if you’re already planning to visit the country’s east.
Looking over the sprawling Charyn Canyon.
Charyn Canyon National Park, often shortened to just “Charyn National Park” is known for its picturesque red sedimentary rock that draws photographers and adventurers from near and far.
That stratified red sedimentary rock is precisely what draws comparison between Charyn Canyon and the Grand Canyon, but it’s only 50 kilometres from end to end, and about 1250 kilometres squared in size, which makes it much smaller (the Grand Canyon being roughly 4 times that size). That being said, that doesn’t mean that Charyn Canyon isn’t well worth the visit.
During my travels through Kazakhstan, this was one of the most impressive sites that I set eyes upon, and it’s not a mistake that, in writing about my time in Kazakhstan, this is my starting point.
More About the Beautiful Charyn Canyon
In terms of geography, you’ll find Charyn Canyon about 200 kilometres east of Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city and one that, in my humble opinion, is criminally underrated on the central asian travel circuit.
The park occupies portions of Enbekshikazakh District, Raiymbek District, and Uygur District of the Almaty Region. Recognizing just how fragile (and magnificent) Charyn Canyon really is, it eventually was established as a national park in 2004.
The Charyn Canyon is the namesake of the national park but sections of the Ulken Buguty mountain range, the breeding and grazing grounds of Kyzyl Karasai, and Aktogay Canyon also fall under the parks protection.
The canyon itself isn’t wide and expansive, but rather long and thin, and that makes it awfully fun to walk through and explore (and why walking the Valley of Castles is so alluring).
It’s a popular place for hikers, but it also draws the attention of scientists, who have catalogued animals, reptiles, birds, and over 1000 plants (dozens of which are considered extraordinarily rare).
If you struggle with high temperatures, consider visiting in the shoulder months (spring or fall).
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Getting to Charyn Canyon
Hiking Charyn Canyon with my good friends Lindsay and Kevin (who I run Ultimate Ontario & We Explore Canada with).
Kazakhstan, as a tourism entity, is in growth mode, but there’s still some growing to do and, as such, it’s not the easiest place to get around just yet. Renting a car and heading out here yourself is certainly an option, but just be aware that some stretches of the road may be a little bumpy at times. It’ll take you a few hours, so be sure to budget that time.
Personally, I was working with the tourism board, so we had a private driver that took us out here, and made a few other stops along the way. If this is more your speed consider taking a tour. All of the listed tours below depart and return to Almaty:
A lengthy one day, 15 hour tour that covers Kolsai and Kandy Lake, as well as Charyn Canyon.
A two day hiking focused tour covering Charyn Canyon, as well as Kolsay and Kaindy Lakes. This is the highest rated tour, for those interested in the tour angle.
I’d personally recommend the car rental or private tour angle, but if you’re in cost saving mode, I’m told the Ecotourism Information Resource Center also runs a bus tour on weekends.
Exploring Charyn Canyon National Park
You could theoretically spend quite some time here, but most commonly, people head to the Visitor Centre/Eco Park, then set aside a few hours to visit the Valley of Castles. That’s where I’ll start.
The Valley of Castles
The Valley of Castles
This is the most famous canyon of Charyn Canyon and where most people will spend their time when they’re visiting. When you arrive, I’d first recommend walking a little bit on the upper ridge to get some photos looking down into the canyon. This also offers some context and perspective for your upcoming hike.
It’s approximately a 2 kilometre walk to get to the bottom of the canyon (and the river) and then 2 kilometres back up. There’s a small bus that goes to and fro and brings people back up after they’ve done the 2 kilometre walk, but it only takes about 2.5-3 hours there and back, so I feel as if it’s much better to simply wear the appropriate hiking shoes, bring some water, and do the whole thing by foot.
You’ll be surrounded by humbling canyon walls with natural sights worth photographing around every turn. The trail is not marked explicitly, but it’s almost impossible to get lost, as it’s more or less a straight shoot there and back.
It’s also not a difficult hike by any means, so it’s very doable for anyone who is in decent shape.
If you’re not in a rush, and don’t have any accommodation booked, you can camp here for the night to take in the stars. It can get a little cold in winter, but I know of other travel writers who had the time, packed accordingly, and visited during the warmer months and said this was an incredible experience, and not an expensive one either. There’s a campground not far from the river at the bottom of the Valley of Castles.
Entrance fee here will only come to a few dollars at most.
What Else Can You Do in This Epic Kazakh National Park?
The Charyn River
Beyond the Valley of the Castles, there are three more canyons that you can technically do a little hiking in - Temirlik, Uzunbulak and Bestamak. You would need four wheel drive though to get there, and you should note that, at this time, there aren’t established trails, nor any tourist facilities (washrooms, access to water etc.)
Speaking of four wheel driving, some people come here just for that, but you need to talk to local guides or staff at the eco-lodge to ensure that you’re driving in areas that aren’t protected, as you don’t want to disrupt the natural order of things around here.
Many people come here to spend some time on Charyn River. You can swim, raft, kayak, and fish, but as with all water activities, it’s best to have a local guide to help with the safety aspect of this. This is something you can talk to your tour leader if you book a tour to explore here.
A few Kazakh friends that I made and have stayed in touch with told me to remind visitors that there are cemeteries and burial grounds roughly 10 kilometres off the Chundzha-Almaty highway as well.
Charyn Ash Grove is the only place where Sogidian ash trees grow, and it’s located in the Charyn and Temerlik Canyons, respectively. Welcome.kz notes that “To reach there, you'll need to take the Almaty-Khorgos highway and then switch to the A-6 road, passing through villages like Otegen Batyr, Bayserke, Shelek, Nura, and more.” It covers an area of about 22 kilometres.
If you’re driving on your own, don’t hesitate to pull off and snap some photos as some viewpoints that don’t have any admission fee to speak of. They’re easy to see, as you’ll see a collection of other cars parked there, and perhaps some washroom facilities. Black Canyon was my personal favourite.
Charyn Canyon Awaits
The drive out from Almaty will take you a few hours, but it’s well worth the drive, especially if you’ve got a tour operator handling that side of things. You’ll be transported to another world, and one that is both stunning and utterly photogenic.
Of all the activities I took part in while travelling in Kazakstan, this was one of the shining lights of my travels, and one I’d recommend travellers consider as part of their itinerary, especially if they’re based in the well connected city of Almaty.
I want to thank USAID and Kazakstan Tourism for hosting me as media. That said, all opinions are completely my own. If you appreciated this article, you’ll love our newsletter, as well as our Facebook group! Feel free to join, all are welcome.