Charyn Canyon
Red-rock canyon cut by the Charyn River, with carved towers, walls and ridges. Its best-known stretch, the Valley of Castles, is explored on foot along a trail down to the river.
Charyn Canyon
Walking trails run along the floor of a canyon of red rock east of Almaty, often likened to a miniature Grand Canyon.
Attractive locations
Charyn National Park
Park protecting Charyn Canyon, a long gorge cut into red rock over millions of years. A section called the Valley of Castles is full of eroded towers and rock shapes.
Charyn Ash Forest
Rare grove of ash trees along the Charyn River, a small remnant of ancient forest in otherwise dry country. It gives welcome shade near the canyon floor.
Charyn River
A tributary of the Ili that has cut Charyn Canyon through red rock. A trail leads down to the river on the canyon floor, where the walls rise on both sides.
Airports
Almaty International Airport ALA
It is about 166 km in a straight line from Charyn Canyon.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Kazakhstan page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan-3.8 °C14 mm
- Feb-1.3 °C17 mm
- Mar5.2 °C22 mm
- Apr11.5 °C34 mm
- May17.2 °C34 mm
- Jun22.2 °C36 mm
- Jul24.5 °C30 mm
- Aug23.3 °C24 mm
- Sep17.5 °C19 mm
- Oct10.1 °C25 mm
- Nov2.6 °C27 mm
- Dec-2.6 °C16 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Dec. Wettest months: Apr, May, Jun.
Costs
Prices here are about 33% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
112 for all emergencies. Police 102. Ambulance 103. Fire 101.
local government
Ministry of Emergency Situations (unified service 112)
Helps with: Kazakhstan's ministry for emergencies and disasters. Its government page lists 112 as the unified duty and dispatch service, plus a helpline and address in Astana.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Kazakhstan who needs emergency help or wants to report an emergency.
Phone: 112
Address: Mangilik El Street 8, entrance 2, Astana 010000
local government
Kazakhstan tourism portal support (Ministry of Tourism)
Helps with: Contact page of Kazakhstan's national tourism portal, run with the Ministry of Tourism. It lists a phone number and an office address in Astana for tourism enquiries.
Who qualifies: Anyone travelling in Kazakhstan or planning a trip there.
Phone: +7 7172 39-99-56
Address: Mangilik El Avenue 55/14, block C 2.1, office 3.2.1, Astana
ngo
Kazakh Red Crescent Society
Helps with: Kazakhstan's national Red Crescent society. Its website lists disaster response, first aid training, blood donation, a family tracing service and help for refugees and asylum seekers.
Who qualifies: People in Kazakhstan who need its disaster, first aid, social or family tracing services.
Phone: +7 727 236-76-23
Email: info@redcrescent.kz
Address: 86 Kunaev Street, Almaty 050010
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Kazakhstan
Helps with: The UN migration agency, present in Kazakhstan since 2002. Its Astana and Almaty offices handle general enquiries and serve as the coordination office for Central Asia.
Who qualifies: Migrants and organisations working on migration. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +7 7172 69 6553
Email: iomastana@iom.int
Address: 14 Mambetov Street, UN Building, Astana 010000