Guide to Charyn Canyon | Kazakhstan

The Valley of the Castles in Charyn Canyon is a spectacular giant golden crevasse that stretches for 80 km along the Charyn River, the deepest river in the Northern Tien Mountains. The drive to the Canyon is a monotonous rolling steppe landscape until the amber hues and crazy shapes of the monolithic rock formations come into view amidst the dust.

Let’s discover the beauty of Charyn Canyon, with tips on planning your trip.

Guide to Charyn Canyon

Charyn Canyon | Valley of the Witches

The first stop to view the Charyn Canyon was the observation point over the Sharyn River where the rock is dark enough to be called the Valley of the Witches. As we peered over the edges into the depths and at the river churning far below I could well imagine that witches were waiting in the shadows to maliciously tip us all over the edge into the abyss.

Charyn Canyon | Valley of the Castles

Most visitors will begin and end their exploration at the entrance to The Valley of the Castles, a scaled-down version of the Grand Canyon carved deep into the Kazakh desert. The canyon is long but only 2km is truly accessible to tourists.

Warm colours, blinding light, deep shade, and vast rocks shaped by eons of time and natural forces. Let your imagination run wild again as the red sandstone before you become a canvas for bizarre fairy tales and an ark of animals. Over time these sculptures will erode and change into something different, the canyon is constantly evolving under the influence of wind, rain, and heat. The Valley of the Castles is stunning. 

Look closer at the texture of the surface of the rock and you might find fossils from ancient plants, animals, and shells. 12 million years ago Charyn Canyon was underwater and the remnants of that era can still be found. If there was ever a place to make you realise just how old the earth is and how short our lives are in comparison then this is it.

The walk takes around 1 hour to reach Sharyn River where you’ll find shade from the glare and heat of the sun amidst the lush trees and vegetation. The locals love this part of the canyon and you’ll find families enjoying a day out. It’s a relief to take off the trekking shoes and paddle your feet in the river but doesn’t be fooled, it’s pretty darn cold!

There are taxi shuttles that can take you from the bottom near the river to the starting point where you need to walk up the steps to get out of the gorge – a great idea if the heat is too much to bear!

Charyn Canyon | Travel essentials

Getting To Almaty

We flew to Almaty with Fly Dubai from Dubai but many other airlines fly to this airport such as KLM, Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines.

Getting To Charyn Canyon

Kazakhstan is not the easiest country to navigate. Charyn Canyon is around 4 hours from Almaty and you’ll hear rumours of public buses heading to the area in the city but no one ever seems to know when or where from.

A shared taxi or rented car is the best option for travel. The main road is a hot 10k walk away from the entrance to The Valley of the Castles. A shared taxi will leave you there so be prepared for that. If you share a taxi make sure they are coming back or staying in the area so you are able to get back. Kokpek and Kegan are the nearest villages to the canyon and if you end up hitchhiking it’s a good place to head to then continue to Almaty.

Getting from Saty to Charyn Canyon should take around 2 hours and you can negotiate a local taxi or car from the village.

Entrance Fee To Charyn Canyon

The entrance to the Valley of the Castles is 727 tenge and if you wanted to camp in the canyon that would cost 350 tenge extra.

Where To Stay In Charyn Canyon

There’s an eco-park by the River Charyn at the base of the canyon which provides yurt, bungalow or camping accommodation.

• YURTS has a mattress on the floor and costs 40,000T ($120) for the whole yurt which sleeps at least 8 people.
• BUNGALOWS are basic wooden cabins beside the river with beds, a light, and a small balcony area and cost 14,000T ($42) for a two-person bungalow or 20,000T ($60) to sleep three.
• CAMPING is the cheapest option – it’s free providing you have your own gear! You’ll find a cleared, open space by the river which is the designated spot.
• SUMMER CAFE on site which serves simple food and beverages. You can also chill by the river in the pergolas shading you from the desert heat.

Tours For Charyn Canyon

Whilst you can make your way around these sights yourself, it is far easier in organised tours to get you easily from one place to the next. Our trip was with Trekkup Dubai which included Lake Kaindy and trekking Kolsai Lakes.

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