Extended Charyn: Four Canyons in One Day
Beyond the Valley of Castles — the whole Charyn canyon system
Standard tours show only the Valley of Castles — the best-known but far from the only Charyn canyon. In one day we drive through four: the Valley of Castles, the Moon, the Black and the Temirlik canyons. Each has its own rock colour and character, and beyond the Valley of Castles there are almost no tourists.
Program
- 5:00–6:00Departure from Almaty
We pick you up at your hotel. The drive east along the Zailiysky Alatau, with a breakfast stop on the way.
- 10:00Valley of Castles
Charyn's main canyon: a walk down the trail between the castle-like rocks to the river (3 km round trip, ~2 h).
- 13:00Moon Canyon
Pale rock and soft folds — the landscape really does look lunar. Lunch at the viewpoint.
- 15:00Black Canyon
The deepest and narrowest of the four, dark volcanic rock. A descent to the Charyn river for those up for it.
- 17:00Temirlik Canyon
A green canyon with springs and groves — the complete opposite of the dry ones before. Almost nobody comes here.
- around 19:00Return
The drive back to Almaty, drop-off at your hotel by 22:00–23:00.
Price by group size
Price per vehicle
Price for the whole 4x4, up to 6 people. The table shows the per-person cost by group size.
| People | ₸/person |
|---|---|
| 1 | from 110,000 ₸ |
| 2 | from 55,000 ₸ |
| 3 | from 36,667 ₸ |
| 4 | from 27,500 ₸ |
| 5 | from 22,000 ₸ |
| 6 | from 18,333 ₸ |
- ✓Driver-guide
- ✓Comfortable 4x4
Route
What to bring
Passport or ID card. Some locations are in the border zone — documents may be checked.
Sneakers or boots comfortable for walking in the mountains; ideally waterproof.
It can be cold in the mountains — bring warm but non-restrictive clothing.
Sunglasses, a cap or hat and sunscreen.
Rain is frequent in the mountains and forecasts are unreliable — bring rain protection.
There's no internet in the mountains — you can't pay by card or transfer.
Calculate price
Calculate price
from 55,000 ₸/person · 2 people