Overview
Returning north on the Kokpek road and continuing 45 km east on the A-351 brings you to the Charyn Canyon junction. The Valley of Castles — the canyon's most-visited section — is a 2 km walk from the car park at the canyon rim, descending 150 m to the canyon floor where red-brown Cenozoic conglomerate walls close in to 20–30 m. The canyon offers a sharp contrast to the open reservoir valley and rounds out the day with minimal extra driving. Charyn National Park charges an entrance fee (around 1,000 KZT for foreign nationals) and has basic toilets at the car park.
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Nearby planning from Charyn Canyon Optional Loop
Use this as a Charyn planning connector rather than a separate trail claim; the existing Charyn overlay carries the main public walk.
Nearby from Charyn Canyon Optional Loop
Charyn Canyon — Charyn Canyon cuts through compressed red and ochre sediments laid down over millions of years.
- Mode
- Drive
- Approx. time
- 10 min
- Approx. distance
- 3 km
- Kind
- natural feature
The canonical Charyn page has the published Valley of Castles trail and should anchor walking decisions.
Charyn Canyon Valley Of Castles — A signed spur road leaves the A-351 roughly 187 km from Almaty and runs 10 km to the park eco-post, where you pay the entrance fee and show your passport.
- Mode
- Walk
- Approx. time
- 45 min
- Approx. distance
- 2 km
- Kind
- natural feature
Main serviced canyon-floor objective; stay here if heat, time, or vehicle clearance make side canyons unwise.
Moon Canyon Uzunbulak — From the Valley of Castles, backtrack briefly and cross the Charyn River bridge onto an unpaved gravel track that runs south-southwest along the river for roughly 10 km to Uzunbulak canyon — known in tourist literature as Лунный каньон (Moon Canyon) or Жёлтый каньон (Yellow Canyon).
- Mode
- Drive
- Approx. time
- 30 min
- Approx. distance
- 20 km
- Kind
- natural feature
Dry-weather side-canyon option only; avoid after rain when clay tracks and canyon floor become slick.
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Visit notes
Viewing visit notes for Bartogay Reservoir & Kurmety Gorge
Charyn Canyon (optional loop)
Step 3 · 70 km from previous · 75 min drive
Returning north on the Kokpek road and continuing 45 km east on the A-351 brings you to the Charyn Canyon junction. The Valley of Castles — the canyon's most-visited section — is a 2 km walk from the car park at the canyon rim, descending 150 m to the canyon floor where red-brown Cenozoic conglomerate walls close in to 20–30 m. The canyon offers a sharp contrast to the open reservoir valley and rounds out the day with minimal extra driving. Charyn National Park charges an entrance fee (around 1,000 KZT for foreign nationals) and has basic toilets at the car park.