Charyn Canyonvisitor guide

Valley of Castles: the Charyn Canyon trail

The Valley of Castles is the section of Charyn Canyon that the park opens to every visitor: a dry side valley between towers of red and ochre rock, walked from the rim down to the Charyn river.

Distances, fees and facts checked November 2026.

The route in numbers

Length (park figure)3 km, rim to river
Mapped path, car park to river camp2.7 km on foot
Time (park figure)45 min walking, 1 h 45 min with stops
Viewpoints2
Altitude (park figure)about 1,300 m
Valley size (park figure)3 km long, 200 to 700 m wide
OpenAll year
Map of the Valley of Castles trail in Charyn Canyon: from the car park and visitor centre on the rim, 2.7 km on foot past two viewpoints down to the river camp on the Charyn
The Valley of Castles trail: 2.7 km on foot from the car park and visitor centre to the river camp on the Charyn.

The walk

The route begins at a staircase beside the car park and visitor centre on the rim. Below it, the path follows the floor of the valley, a dry wash between walls and pinnacles of soft red and ochre rock, which the park describes as rising to 370 m. Two viewpoints along the way look out over the towers. At the bottom the valley opens onto the Charyn river and the rest area on its bank.

The park’s route document gives 45 minutes of walking for the 3 km and about an hour of stops, 1 hour 45 minutes to the river in all. The way back is the same path uphill. In summer that means climbing out of the canyon in the heat of the day: go down early, or plan to ride back up.

Illustration: a dry, pale path winding between tall red and ochre rock towers in the Valley of Castles, three walkers in hats small in the frame
Illustration. The path along the floor of the Valley of Castles.

The ride down and up

The park runs its own transport along the valley between the rim and the river. The 2026 tariff charges 0.2 MCI a seat each way, which is 865 tenge. Private cars have not been allowed to drive down into the canyon since 2019, so the choice is to walk, to ride, or to walk down and ride back up.

At the river

At the end of the route the park’s route documents describe a rest area by the river with gazebos, places set aside for fires, bungalows of reeds and wood, and yurts, where a cook serves Kazakh food. This is the riverside camp that maps label the eco-park. The park’s tariff sets the price of a yurt with services at 2.7 MCI a day, about 11,680 tenge in 2026; see where to stay.

What to bring

The park’s route document recommends a hat, sunglasses, drinking water and a first-aid kit. Add shoes with grip for the staircase and the gravel, and sun cream: the valley floor has very little shade.

Rules and safety

  • Stay on the route and keep back from the edges at the viewpoints and on the rim.
  • Watch for snakes and scorpions; do not reach into rock crevices.
  • Keep away from the river banks and keep children close by the water.
  • Leave the valley floor in heavy rain: the park’s route document warns of floods after heavy rainfall.
  • Fires only in the set places at the river, and nothing washed or dumped in the river.
  • No private cars below the rim.

The checkpoint at the top has radio contact and a helicopter landing site for emergencies.

Before and after

Questions visitors ask

How long is the Valley of Castles trail?
The park gives the route as 3 km, from the staircase on the rim to the Charyn river. The mapped path from the car park to the river camp measures 2.7 km on foot.
How long does the Valley of Castles walk take?
The park’s route document allows 45 minutes of walking down and about an hour for stops, 1 hour 45 minutes in all for the descent. The walk back up is the same distance, uphill, so allow longer for it or take the park’s transport.
Is the Valley of Castles hike difficult?
It is a walk, not a climb: a staircase at the top, then a path on the dry valley floor down to the river. The difficulty is the heat and the return uphill in the sun. Wear proper shoes and a hat and carry water.
Is there a shuttle down the Valley of Castles?
Yes, the park runs transport down into the canyon for 0.2 MCI a seat each way, 865 tenge in 2026. Private cars may not drive down.
Can you swim in the Charyn river?
The park asks visitors to keep away from the river banks and not to leave children alone by the water, and runs a river safety campaign with the district emergency department. Stay out of the water.

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. Entrance fee and hours 865 tenge a person, about 3,030 a car (2026); every rate, how to pay, and when the park is open. 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.