Places to stay, at a glance
| Where | What (as the park describes it) | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| River at the foot of the Valley of Castles | Gazebos, bungalows of reeds and wood, yurts, food | 2.7 km on foot from the car park |
| Charyn ash grove | Park guest houses on the route | 83.9 km by road from the Valley of Castles car park |
| Shonzhy | Park guest house Sharyn, by the park office | 89.1 km by road from the Valley of Castles car park |
| Saty | Village for Kolsai and Kaindy, with private guest houses | 89.2 km by road from the Valley of Castles car park |
| Middle Kolsai | Kolsai park guest houses | 7 km by trail from Lower Kolsai |
Road and walking figures are routed between the named points; trail figures are the park’s.
By the river in the Valley of Castles
At the bottom of the Valley of Castles trail, on the bank of the Charyn, the park’s route documents describe a rest area with gazebos, fire places, bungalows built of reeds and wood, and yurts, with a cook serving Kazakh food. Maps label it the eco-park. It is 2.7 km on foot from the car park, or a ride in the park’s transport (865 tenge a seat each way in 2026); private cars cannot drive down. Staying here means the canyon at dusk and early morning, without the walk in the midday heat.
The park’s guest houses
The park lists guest houses on its Charyn ash grove route, for visitors who want to stay among the old ash trees by the river, and a guest house called Sharyn next to its office at Kydyrbaev Street 4 in Shonzhy. Its 2026 tariff sets the prices for what it provides:
| Park accommodation | MCI | Tenge in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Yurt with services, per day | 2.7 | about 11,680 |
| Hotel room, standard, per person per day | 1.0 | 4,325 |
| Hotel room, luxury, per person per day | 2.0 | 8,650 |
| Tent pitch, per square metre per day | 0.008 | about 35 |
Checked November 2026. Contact the park through its contacts page to book or to ask what is open.
Camping
The tariff’s tent-pitch charge applies to the places the park sets aside for tents. Pitch only there, light fires only in the set places, and take your rubbish out with you. Bring your own water and shade: the canyon rim is open steppe.
Saty, for Kolsai and Kaindy
If the trip goes on to the lakes, the village of Saty is the base: 89.2 km by road from the Valley of Castles car park, 14.3 km by road from the north shore of Lower Kolsai and 8.5 km from the Kaindy cordon by the park’s figure. Saty and the road up to Lower Kolsai have private guest houses and small hotels. In the mountains, the Kolsai Kolderi park has its own guest houses at Middle Kolsai and prices yurts, tent hire and tent pitches in its tariff. See Charyn, Kolsai and Kaindy in one trip.
Without a booking
The park’s tariffs set what it charges, but the park does not say how many yurts or rooms it has. In summer and at weekends, arrange a bed before you leave Almaty rather than counting on one at the canyon.