Charyn (Sharyn) Canyon

You've probably heard of the Grand Canyon in the USA, and seen its incredible beauty in many photographs... But did you know, the Grand Canyon has a smaller, lesser known, cousin situated in Kazakhstan?

History

Charyn Canyon (or Sharyn Canyon) is a canyon on the Sharyn River. It is around 80km in length and is situated within the Sharyn River valley, which is part of the Charyn National Park. The National park was established in February 2004 and spans the Uygur, Raiymbek and Enbekshikazakh Districts of the Almaty Province. It is much smaller than the Grand Canyon, with it's deepest section at around 300m below the level of the surrounding land, but is said to be equally as impressive.

Getting there

Charyn Canyon is situated in the South of Kazakhstan, close to the series of mountains that create a natural boarder with China and around 200km East of Almaty. To get there you can get a mini bus or taxi from Almaty, for around 4000 or 8000KZT (around $12 or $25USD) respectively.

There is also the possibility to hitch hike this route. This choice can be a lengthy process as there are many cross roads between Almaty and Charyn Canyon, but there are always people driving to this destination so your chances of getting a ride are pretty good.

At our time of travel, in July 2017, there was a large section of road that was under construction to make it easier for future travelers to reach Charyn Canyon and the Kolsai Lakes [INSERT LINK]. We travelled this route in a day with no problem, with rides varying from a road maintenance manager to squeezing in with a group of Kazakh/Korea/Uygur tourists.

Entrance

From the main tarmac road there is a 10km stretch of dusty nothingness that kind of resembles a road, before you arrive at the gate post that guards Charyn Canyon. Here you will pay entry. The price of entry? Unfortunately this ranges from person to person, and whether you are a foreigner or not... so I can not give a definite price here.

We arrived at the turning off the main road and were left by our ride. We walked 2km and were picked up by a large truck who left us 4km later. We then met 2 motorcyclists from Belgium and Czech Republic, who kindly took our bags but could not take us. 1km after this we met Uncle Alec and his children and friends... This wonderful family took us the other 3km to the entrance, where they got us in for the same price as a local - around 60KZT (0.17$USD) and explored the Canyon with us. The Canyon is situated another 3km from the entrance gate.

The Charyn Canyon

We arrived here at sunset, and it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. The light of the setting sun, already with it's warm tones of The Golden Hour (a photographers term for the warmth and softness of the light at sunset), reflecting off the orange/yellow rock of the Canyon walls that dive 300m deep into the earth.

To get down into the Canyon it is quite a steep and slippery path, you should wear some sturdy shoes with good grip. After this small section, however, it is an easy and wide path that winds between the rocks. After a couple of kilometers you will find there is actually a couple of Yurt and luxury camp sites which cost around 40,000KZT (120$USD) for a night. You also can freedom camp here.

Close to these camps is a large and fast flowing rider. The water brown but very warm, also shallow (knee deep) but very fast flowing. People do swim here, but I would suggest to do so at your own risk. Stay close to the edge of the river, although it is shallow you can lay down and float along for a while. If you find yourself in the middle of the river it takes a very strong swimmer to get out of the flow.

Our experience here is from July 2017, We travelled from Almaty to Charyn Canyon in a day, by hitch hiking, and arrived at the Canyon around 6pm, just before the sunset. We paid around 60KZT (0.17$USD) entrance. To stay here you can either freedom camp, or pay around 40,000KZT (120$USD) for a luxury Yurt. We didn't stay the night here because the family we hitch hiked with offered for us to stay with them. We did swim in the river, but with a local man who knew where was safe to do so.

The Charyn Canyon links up perfectly with the Kolsai (Kolsay) Lakes, for a weekend or week getaway from Almaty.