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Canyon in Kazakhstan
Photo: Anna Dobrynina (https://imaggeo.egu.eu/user/dobrynina/), CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Charyn Canyon is a national park and a canyon in Almaty Province in Kazakhstan. It features huge rock formations rising high above several rivers. It is popular with local and foreign tourists.
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This is the only part of the canyon directly accessible from the park gate. There are huge rock formations resembling castles, thus the name. You can see it from below, or you can walk on the upper flat the see it from above.
This is probably the best viewpoint in the whole area. You have the best view of the Valley of Castles below you, but you can also see deeper, otherwise inaccessible yellow canyon from a distance.
The majority of people visits the left bank of Charyn river, as the Valley of Castles is located here. If you have an all-terrain vehicle, you can however cross the bridge on the main road, go to Aksay village and visit this lookout, which will give you a different impression of the canyon.
It is possible to raft on Charyn river, you have to ask some reputable travel agency in Almaty.
The most famous hike in Charyn Canyon is the hike through the Valley of Castles which is around 5-km roundtrip hike with limited changes in elevation. However, it is also possible to pay for vehicle, operated by the national park, to drive through the canyon, either as a one way or a round trip, but the wait time can be very long depending on the time and the day. Beyond the Valley of Castles, there is also the Witches Gorge which is slightly more difficult (5.4-km roundtrip) and Miocene Gorge (13 km roundtrip). The visitor center also offers tours for all these three trails.
Charyn Canyon has five glamping buildings near the national park headquarters that comes with heating and drinking water. Bookings can be made via phone or online via their website.
If you're coming from the Charyn Canyon, behind the main road, there are small land mounds, between which you can easily pitch a tent so no one sees it.
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There are not so many cars going near Charyn Canyon, but it is still a good way to get there, as almost every car is willing to pick you up.
The longest distance you might have to walk in the park is about 5 km one way.
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Karakol · Regional · IKG
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