charyn canyon

在阿拉木图以东大约200公里的一个大峡谷，景色十分壮美。夏天去的，天气较热。因距阿拉木图路程较远，建议包车或参团前往。如通过公共交通前往，需要搭早上最早一班往Kegen方向的车，当天返回难度较大。

They call it the smaller brother of the Gran canyon. It's really beautiful and worth to see. At the bottom is a good restaurant and right now they are buiding bungalows. You can reach the bottom of the canyon on foot or by 4x4; motorbikes are not allowed so you have to leave them on the top of the canyon. Rather come earlier since later organized bus groups arrive. If you go down in the canyon (strongly suggested), calculate half of the day you'll be there.

Kazakhstan can never be fully appreciated without visiting its hidden wonders. Charyn is just one of those. Since trips to this place are seasonal and needs to be pre-arranged with an agency especially for tourists, it can not be done on impulse or in random. The perfect place to go is on autumn so it won't be too hot and remember to bring enough water and food as there are no shops and restaurants in the area. It is worth going to as canyons as big as Charyn are only far and few in between.

If you have a 4x4 vehicle, pay the extra 2,000KZT (about $11) admission fee that permits you to drive down into the canyon. Otherwise, you have to park at the top and hike down.The drive through the bottom of the canyon is quite special, especially driving through the narrow gap between boulders (see photo). At the end of the canyon is a river and a small beach area. There's also a tourist ger-camp that has a bar and restaurant.Rather than stay in the ger-camp, we pitched a tent near to the river and camped there overnight. It's a very nice camping spot.We left the canyon in the morning and drove the the border to cross into Mongolia.

Its true. If you have been to both you won't know exactly sure what country you are. But when you get to the bottom you may see some Gers and an oasis next to the river. Day trips from Almaty leave daily in the morning. a 4 hour bus ride to the canyon and a few hours to return. The canyon itself has lots of hiking and some facilities to stay the night. There is a small restaurant inside near the river and many people bring their own food and go for a swim. The place is very relaxing although in the hot summer sun an be overwhelming heat. Bring enough sunscreen and water. At the campsite in the canyon there are cold drinks available. Our guide showed us some caves and took us for a hike. Private cars are also available from Almaty at extreme prices. The canyon has many orange and red colours that change with the sun as the days moves closer to the end and the blue sky make great contast photos. There are some spots as you descend into the canyon that are a bit steep and you should wear traction footwear and don't wear black to attract the sun in the heat.A really lovely day in Kazakhstan.

We ended our trip to the Altyn Emel National Park at Charyn Canyon. It was gorgeous and we washed up in the chilly river after not showering for two days. It was refreshing after being covered in sand and dirt! The view was spectacular and we had a great stay in our tents. People around us were really friendly too, sharing their food and drink with us.

The canyon is really nice and you can walk through it for a couple of kilometers enjoying different views of the rock formations. It is a pity cars can go through it too and, although they are few, the quiet and magic of the place is disturbed. At the end you arrive at a creek, very nice too but again you have a bar with very loud music which is quite superfluous. By the way there weren't even customers, just noise.

I heard there was a big Canyon near Almaty but I didn't expected was such a beautiful place. I suggest everybody in Almaty to go there, but take in consideration that it's really tiring and facilities are almost zero. To go there are around 3.30h from Almaty with bus, maybe with a private car can be less but anyway qualities of road are not good. I went with a organized trip of around 40people and it costed 4.000kzt. My suggestion, bring a lot of water, sunglasses, hat, cause it's very hot there (especially in summer) and u have to walk a lot. There is nothing to do there apart to take photos, so don't expect any facilities (no bar/resturant/cafe ecc).. just rock, sand and sun.

It is around 200km from Almaty to Charyn canyon along mostly good roads - although the last about 20 km is along a dirt road. I was with a small group in a minibus arriving on a sunny (but very windy day - our guide broke the bus door/door frame at the ranger station/entrance gate when he opened it and the wind caught it - and in more simple terms if I jumped vertically in the air I was blown backwards about 3 feet). There were 2 tracks from the bus park - one went into the valley (that went to the river) and a more scenic one along the ridge tops that looked over and into the canyons. Of course, our group followed the windy ridge top route, which towards the end of the route crossed a few narrow ridgelines places with vertical drops on both sides and no protection (a bit hairy if you have vertigo or flat soled shoes on the gravelly surface complicated by the strong wind). There were a couple of lookout enclosures made of stone in which you could gain some protection from the wind while enjoying the view with a little bit of comfort. We spent about 2 hours here. The views were outstanding and well worth the trip - a much longer amount of time could have been spent easily. This is a place of great scenic beauty and photographic opportunities.

Charyn Canyon is a full day trip that is worth the long tiring journey. I went with a tour and the bus was comfortable, thankfully, because the roads are in poor condition. If you suffer from travel sickness then tablets are probably needed. The bus stopped twice each way which seemed a little unnecessary and prolonged the journey. The tour guide spoke non-stop and about non-relevant things which was annoying. When the bus finally entered the park, 10kms down a rough, dirt path, we stopped to have lunch. Not really a good idea because the bus was parked on a plateau - sitting in the midday sun. The Canyon is known to be very hot and there is absolutely no shade. Hats, sun cream and glasses and good walking shoes are needed. Interestingly, when you book this tour, the agents don't tell you this. After finishing lunch the guide took us on the tour - this I didn't expect and thought we could do our own thing - and marched off at high speed. We only had 3.5 hours to do the tour which seemed rushed. The Canyon itself is stunning and there is a path that leads down to a river - this would have been the perfect place to have lunch as the views are spectacular - but after 10 minutes our guide marched off up a hill. The walk was good but not easy. In the sun and heat it's exhausting so plenty of water is needed. For the entire walk back to the bus the agent took us up and down hills with little time to catch our breath. The Canyon is really worth visiting but in my opinion: 1 Take a hat, sunglasses, water and wear suitable clothes to protect yourself.2 Hire a car and go with others - a tour is ok but limited.3 Eat your lunch by the river and stay there a while. The water is refreshing.4 You can get the best photos on the way back up - the sun is lower.5 Go to the toilet before you get to the Canyon. Be warned the toilets are the worst I have ever seen.6 Take your time and don't rush. If the tour guide is pushy - ignore him/her and get yourself back to the car park for the time.

The journey from Almaty to the Charyn Canyon takes about three hours but is a pleasant drive. The journey itself demonstrates just how vast the country is.The open roads have long straight sections with the obligatory backdrop of the mountains.The Charyn Canyon is certainly a place of natural beauty from the top you can take in the whole landscape which slowly seems to change colour as the sun moves across the sky. Getting down into the canyon changes your perception of the place once again as you get in amongst the rocks. At the bottom is the river which is another opportunity for you to get the camera out.This place is definitely worth a visit, you should go prepared with plenty of water and walking boots unless you choose to walk down the dirt road which is the longer but gentler option.When i went April 2014 they were building some huts at the bottom of the canyon so i suspect there will be some facilities soon.

The charyn canyon is located approx 200km east of Almaty City.There are tours from Almaty city to Charyn canyon. There is a tour agency office in Zhetysu Hotel in Almaty that offers tours to Charyn Canyon.Alternatively it is possible to rent a car from Europcar in Almaty and drive to Charyn Canyon. There is a Europcar office in Almaty airport. The road from Almaty to the canyon is rather interesting as it will take you through several towns and villages. It is also possible to try Uyghur food at a Uyghur town along the way. Along the road, there is the view of the beautiful Tein Shan Mountains to the right.The final stretch of the road to the Charyn Canyon is unpaved. However it is still possible to do the short stretch of road with a salon car as long as you are careful.Upon reaching the Canyon, you need a pay a fee to enter the area. Park your car on the top of the canyon and admire the beautiful view of the Canyon from the top. After that, it is possible to trek down the canyon and have a picnic via the river at the bottom of the canyon.Given the proximity to Almaty(day trip) and the great view, a trip to Charyn Canyon is a must for anyone visiting Almaty.

We went to Charyn Canyon with a private tour that stopped along the way to eat at a local restaurant and stop for pictures near some burial mounds similar to those in which Golden Man was found. I was a bit intimidated by the descriptions of Charyn Canyon as "The Grand Canyon of Kazakhstan" having actually been to the GC several times. I'm also a geologist so the rocks had a special attraction for me. That said, Charyn Canyon is a nice place and a fun easy hike for someone in moderate shape. It's nowhere near the difficulty of the GC. There is a steep entry point to a doubletrack dirt road which you can walk along down to the river and go for a swim. Several picnickers were in the parking area at the bottom when we went in August. It was overcast and a bit rainy which actually made it nice by tamping down the heat and dust. We decided prepay to get the 4WD Lada return shuttle which was entirely unnecessary but we chose based on dire warnings about difficulty from our guide. The driver was quite a character which made the experience worth the cost!We were with two boys ages 10 and 9 who did the hike with no trouble. At one point a woman in 4in heels went walking by with a tour group. She wasn't moving quickly but I'm pointing out you can do the hike in 4in heels.Overall it's a great way to get out of the city and see the countryside of Kazakhstan. If you have been to the actual Grand Canyon and hope for a repeat this will be a let down. Facilities other than two pit toilets do not exist so come prepared with all supplies such as water, food and toilet items.

Our coach veered off onto the unpaved road of the southern Kazakhstan steppe. For miles around the hot, barren vistas invoked burning thoughts in my mind that somewhere some 100 kilometres east lay the border of China. There was nothing around as far as the eye could see besides two porta loos! It's difficult to imagine that one of the highest mountain systems in the world lay moments south. The isolation and stillness were almost in tune to those on the mountain ridges of neighbouring Tian Shan mountains.Being part of the only coach tour that day with practically no other visitors there; I felt privileged. The rocks form castle like images in your mind and the rushing greeny-blue river and manageable slopes to scale leading up to the canyon edge - make for great self-exploration.'It's like something out of a game of lemmings', I thought as I saw the majority of the group follow our loquacious guide in an almost perfect line behind him.

I have just returned from Kazakhstan last week and I recommend the visit to Charyn Canyon. It is beyond words to describe the beauty of this place! Our guide drove us there in a 4wd and the road was a little bumpy. We arrived at the top of the canyon with stunning views and took plenty of pictures though I got rubbery legs looking down at the canyon. Walking down to the canyon was a little challenging as the slope was steep with no bars or any safety barriers. There were no other visitors and it was very quiet and peaceful to walk towards the river. Our guide was already waiting for us beside the river (so we didn't have to walk back up again) when it started to rain! I would say Charyn Canyon is a must-see if you are traveling to Almaty.