Charyn Canyonvisitor guide

Charyn Canyon entrance fee and opening hours

Entry to Charyn State National Nature Park is charged per person per day and per vehicle, under a national tariff written in multiples of the monthly calculation index. In 2026 that makes 865 tenge a person and about 3,030 tenge for a car.

Distances, fees and facts checked November 2026.

The 2026 tariff

WhatMCITenge in 2026
Visitor, per person per day0.2865
Car0.7about 3,030
Motorbike, moped or quad0.41,730
Minibus up to 16 seats, or truck2.7about 11,680
Bus up to 32 seats5.021,625
Bus over 32 seats8.034,600
Parking, car, per day0.05about 216
Parking, bus, per day0.1about 433
Ride down into the canyon, per seat, one way0.2865

Tenge figures are the MCI multiple times the 2026 monthly calculation index of 4,325 tenge, as the park’s own 2026 tariff file states them, rounded where they fall on fractions of a tenge. Checked November 2026.

The tariff is Appendix 14 of Order No. 232 of the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of 2 October 2024, as amended on 15 December 2025 (the amendment added the vehicle-entry rates), which sets the charges for every national park in Kazakhstan. The MCI is fixed each year in the national budget law, so the tenge amounts change every January while the multiples stay the same.

Map of Charyn National Park: the park boundary, the Valley of Castles checkpoint, the Charyn ash grove and its cordon, the Charyn and Temirlik rivers, Kokpek, and the park office in Shonzhy
Charyn National Park: the Valley of Castles checkpoint, the ash grove cordon and the park office in Shonzhy.

Same price for everyone

The Charyn tariff has one per-person rate. It does not separate Kazakh citizens from foreign visitors, and it has no reduced rate for children, students or pensioners. The park’s English page and its FAQ show an older formula of 500 tenge plus 0.1 MCI, with reductions for students and schoolchildren; the 2026 tariff file on its Russian and Kazakh pages, which matches the order in force, has neither.

How to pay

The park’s own instructions:

  • Kaspi.kz app: Payments, then “Charyn National Park” (Чарынский национальный парк), choose the ticket type and enter the car’s number plate.
  • QR code: scan the park’s QR code with the app.
  • Halyk Homebank: service code 014.
  • ID: have an identity document with you.

The park does not say whether cash or foreign cards are taken at the checkpoint. If you have no Kazakh banking app, ask at the checkpoint before you walk down, or let your driver or trip organiser pay.

Illustration: a wooden staircase leading down from a dry, stony rim into a valley of ochre rock towers, two walkers in sun hats starting down
Illustration. The staircase from the rim into the Valley of Castles.

Opening hours

The park publishes no daily opening and closing times. Its answer to the question is that the tourist routes are open all year round, and the route documents for the Valley of Castles say the same. Plan to be back on the rim before dark.

Other charges in the tariff

The same appendix sets prices for what the park itself provides:

ServiceMCITenge in 2026
Yurt with services, per day2.7about 11,680
Hotel room, standard, per person per day1.04,325
Hotel room, luxury, per person per day2.08,650
Tent pitch, per square metre per day0.008about 35
Guide or escorting inspector, group of up to 20, per day2.2 or 1.59,515 or about 6,490

The tariff also lists day rates for film and video (15.3 MCI) and for photo shoots (6.8 MCI); if you plan a professional shoot, ask the park which applies. Checked November 2026.

Kolsai and Kaindy lakes

The lakes are in a different park, Kolsai Kolderi, with its own appendix of the same order. Its per-person and car rates are the same multiples, 0.2 and 0.7 MCI, so 865 tenge a person and about 3,030 tenge a car in 2026, paid again at that park. See Charyn, Kolsai and Kaindy in one trip.

Official sources

Questions visitors ask

How much is the Charyn Canyon entrance fee?
0.2 MCI a person a day, which is 865 tenge in 2026, plus 0.7 MCI for a car, about 3,030 tenge. A car with two people therefore pays about 4,760 tenge in all (checked November 2026).
Do foreigners pay more at Charyn Canyon?
No. The tariff for Charyn has a single rate per person and does not distinguish between Kazakh citizens and foreign visitors.
Do children pay at Charyn Canyon?
The 2026 tariff for Charyn has no separate rate or exemption for children, students or pensioners, so the per-person rate of 865 tenge applies. The park’s English page shows older reduced rates, but they are not in the tariff in force.
How do you pay the fee at Charyn Canyon?
The park’s instructions are to pay in the Kaspi.kz app (Payments, Charyn National Park, choose the ticket type and enter the car’s number plate), by scanning the park’s QR code, or in Halyk Homebank with service code 014. Bring an ID document. If you have no Kazakh banking app, ask at the checkpoint how to pay.
What are the opening hours of Charyn Canyon?
The park publishes no daily opening and closing times. Its own answer to the question is that the tourist routes are open all year round.
How much is the ride down into the canyon?
The park’s transport down into the Valley of Castles costs 0.2 MCI a seat each way, 865 tenge in 2026. Private cars may not drive down.

More on Charyn Canyon

Almaty to Charyn Canyon 210.8 km by road; the route via Baiseit and Kokpek, the turn-off, and the options without a car. Valley of Castles trail 3 km from the rim to the river, the two viewpoints, the river camp and the ride back up. Ash grove and other trails The park's four routes: the Valley of Castles, the Sogdian ash grove, the burial mounds and the Temirlik canyon. Charyn, Kolsai and Kaindy 89.2 km from the canyon to Saty; the lakes' park, fee and hours, the Kaindy track and the Kolsai trail. Weather and best time Monthly temperatures, heat and frost, and the best months for the Valley of Castles walk. Where to stay Yurts by the river, the park's guest houses, camping prices, and Saty for the lakes. Charyn Canyon: the full guide The canyon, the park, the fee, the road from Almaty and the season on one page.