Canyons Near Almaty : Talking to the Moon
Hello all,
Life is so unpredictable! Sometimes, it embraces you with giant, warm bear hugs, and sometimes, it slaps you so hard that you can’t even imagine. We feel we are just mere puppets.
But one thing definitely predictable is, if you are going to visit Almaty, you wouldn’t want to miss this. You will go on a day trip, or you might stay the night. You will plan on your own, or you will go with a tour guide. You might have a small kid with you, or you are in your golden age, and you won’t miss this place. This is the smaller version of the Grand Canyon of the USA. We haven’t been to the former one, but the Canyon we visited in  Kazakhstan was impressive… beyond impressive….The ethereal landscape makes you feel numb, the giant red rocks forming a massive Canyon, and the best part is the snow-capped mountains in the backdrop. You can walk leisurely in the Valley, or you can walk along the cliff to viewpoints. Both of them are thrilling!
The Canyon is along the Charyn River for about 50 km. And what can I say about the walls of the Valley of the Castle? Yes, it is known as the Valley of Castles because of massive walls of red, brown, yellow, and black rocks, which can be as high as 300 meters in places. This landscape is heaven for geologists. These sedimentary rocks are appx 12 millions years old. It is said that the continuous growth of the mountain ridges was accelerating the force of the Charyn River, which in turn led to an increase in the depth of the erosion. Gradually, the valley became more and more narrow, and the water was going away from the surface, cutting the riverbeds deep down the ancient rocks and from the canyons and bluff banks.
We only went to the upper part of the viewpoints. But more is definitely needed. The Canyon is so vast and so enormous that if you are truly a lover of the Rocky Mountains and dreamy landscapes, then you should definitely stay here in a canyon for a night and spend two days there. They say the real charm starts once the routine day tour crowd thins and before they arrive!
Where to stay?
There are some wooden cabins with large glass windows and few yurts overlooking the canyons.
Eco park – they have a camping facility with a wooden cabin and yurts, too.
Places to visit:
There are four parts of the canyons:
The Valley of Castle
The Temirlik Canyon (Iron Canyon),
the Uzunbulak Canyon (yellow Canyon or Moon Canyon)Â
the Bestamak Canyon (Red Canyon).
Valley of the castle:
It is the most famous one. If you are coming by tour, you will lend up here only. The road to the entrance point is well-paved, and there is a small cafeteria and souvenir shop. The road is also now paved all the way up to the viewpoint.
The total trail through the Valley is appx 3 km.
You can go up to the Eco Park, where there are options for night stays, including yurts.
Trail type: easy
For us, the best was the views from the cliffs. We were speechless by the view in front of us. As we went in autumn, the sunset timings were earlier than summer, and we were there at the perfect time with an amazing display of lights and their effects on the rocks. The backdrop of mountains, peaks, and chameleon-like canyons turning into red, orange, and pink with the changing colours of the sky was a sight to behold! If you want some quietude, follow the narrow trails at places that can take you to lower levels, especially one at the last viewpoint.
Other Things to do:
- Extended hiking in different valleys for all the solitude lovers.
- Wild water rafting for adventure enthusiasts
- Wildlife fanatics can see siberian sheep Wild boars Foxes with many birds like Vultures, falcons, and owls
- There are some viewpoints on the way to the Canyon and Kolsai Lake. If you are going by a private car you can stop on the way and enjoy the enthralling views.
How to reach?
The best way is to reach by car. You can hire a taxi or rent a car. Most of the people preferred tours via companies based in Almaty. So they need not to worry about entry fees and other formalities.
Best time to visit:
April to June
September to October
Distance from Almaty: 339 kilometers
It will take appx 3 hours to reach the Canyon if you are travelling by car.
 Points to consider:
- Comfortable  Shoes: Since the place involves hiking, you should wear shoes that are comfortable and good for hiking.Â
- It is also not very safe to go to the edge of cliffs, so please be careful.
Other canyons we visited :
Black canyons:
This is the deepest one. You can see the bouncing Charyn River and hear its gurgling sound. It took millions of years for the formation of such a deep Canyon. The rocks are grey to black. But beware of heights as they might scare you. You are not allowed to go all the way up to the cliff, and rightly so! While in Valley of Castle, the background is of snowy mountains, here, the backdrop is of never-ending amazing olive green rolling hills. You just want to stare at them endlessly. There is no fee required. The parking lot is right at the edge of the Canyon. There is a small food joint with a washroom facility.Â
Tiger canyon:
It is right on the highway leading to Charyn Canyon. You have to follow a small dirt road and climb up the small hill, and you will have a view of spectacular hills with striped patterns. Trust me, there will be no one here as the place is still not popular among tourists. The initial hill basically is a heap of dry, arid soil that is hard as a rock. You can see the cracks within. And since you reach the top, you can see the layered rocks.Â
So these are amazing canyons in the Almaty region. If you are planning a trip to Kazakhstan, do include them in your itinerary.
Thank you…
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Beautiful description đź‘Ť
Thank you…
Nice coverage!!đź‘Ť
Thank you sir
Beautiful✨ place,
Thank you…
Great Place ! Thanks for beautifully describing the place.
Thank you..
Excelent
Thank you..
It begins with a simple crack in rock on the ground.
Same way U are nurturing your surrounding with this ideas
But add a few million years and that crack opens into a deep winding gorge in the earth, with a narrow path and sheer sides.
Hope one day each one of us will be able to rise up from our routine and pursue what we want
The crack has become a slot canyon.
Keep writing Keep inspiring
Thank you so much ma’am for indulging us with such wonderful words!
Amazing !
Wonderous description of the place
Thank you so much..
Wow
u refreshed our memories of kazak !
Thanks…