Before you go
- Vehicle
- High-clearance recommended
- Permit
- Not required
- Entrance fee
- Charyn National Park charges an ecological fee per person (approximately 800–900 KZT as of mid-2024, per zabugorshiki.com; verify at gate as the fee is indexed to Kazakhstan's monthly reference rate and changes annually) plus a vehicle entry fee of approximately 2,584 KZT per car (per kursiv.media, August 2024). One ticket covers the entire park including Moon Canyon — no separate fee for the Uzunbulak section. Bring cash; card payment is unreliable at the eco-post.
- Peak altitude
- 1090 m
- Cell coverage
- Patchy
- Fuel
- Last reliable fuel stop with modern pumps is <span lang="ru">Чунджа</span> (Chundzha), approximately 240 km from Almaty. Kcell and Beeline both have signal in the town. Fill the tank here — the remaining 50 km to the park and the Moon Canyon detour add up. There is no fuel inside the national park.
- Road status
- A-351 is sealed tarmac in good condition from Almaty to the park turnoff (~240 km via Chundzha). The 10 km spur to the Valley of Castles visitor centre is paved. The onward track to Moon Canyon (Uzunbulak) is unpaved gravel and dirt, passable by high-clearance vehicles in dry conditions; confirm current state with the park eco-post on arrival. The track crosses the Charyn River via a bridge — no ford. Avoid after rain; the clay soil becomes slippery.
- Closed months
- Jan, Feb, Dec
About this trip
Most visitors to Charyn National Park stop at the Valley of Castles and turn back. This route keeps going. From the park visitor centre, a gravel track follows the Charyn River downstream to a second canyon system — Uzunbulak, marketed in tourist literature as <span lang="ru">Лунный каньон</span> (Moon Canyon) or <span lang="ru">Жёлтый каньон</span> (Yellow Canyon) — where the rock shifts from red sandstone to pale clay in shades of grey, cream, and ochre that look nothing like the Valley of Castles. The canyon is roughly 3 km long and sits between the Charyn River and the foothills of the <span lang="ru">Кулуктау</span> range. Both names — Lunar and Yellow — refer to the same feature: the clay catches the late afternoon light and turns a warm amber, while at midday it reads almost white.
The road from Almaty follows the A-351 highway east through open steppe, passes through <span lang="ru">Чунджа</span> (Chundzha) — a quiet town with a Dungan and Uyghur community established after the 1880s resettlement from Xinjiang — and continues to the Charyn National Park eco-post where the entrance fee is collected. Charyn National Park was established in 2004 (Government Resolution №370). The sedimentary rock exposed in both canyons was laid down roughly 5–25 million years ago during the Neogene period and sculpted by the Charyn River over the last ~5 million years.
Beyond the Valley of Castles, the track to Moon Canyon crosses a bridge over the Charyn River (no ford is required) and continues on an unpaved gravel road into Uzunbulak canyon roughly 10 km south-southwest of the Valley of Castles visitor centre. The track surface is compacted gravel and dirt; passable with care by a high-clearance vehicle in dry conditions. There are no established trails or facilities at Moon Canyon — it is an open walk through the canyon floor.
A low pass separates the Valley of Castles from Moon Canyon; the route never climbs higher than roughly 1,090 m. Summer temperatures at canyon floor can reach 40 °C; spring and early autumn are comfortable. Avoid the route in winter — the unpaved sections become muddy or icy and the eco-post may be closed.
Route
Skip map, jump to step listWhere to sleep
- Night 1 of 1Charyn Visitor Center CampCampingPremium
Budget · ~8–15k KZT/night. Mid-range · ~15–40k KZT. Premium · ~40k+ KZT.
Itinerary
Stop 1
Almaty
Leave Almaty by 06:00 — this is a long day with roughly 9–10 hours of driving and walking. The route heads east on Raiymbek Avenue onto the A-351 highway and passes through a toll booth about 11 km from the city edge. Top up fuel at a petrol station before departure. The steppe opens immediately after the suburbs and the road runs fast and straight. Download offline maps the evening before — Kcell and Beeline signal becomes patchy east of Almaty and disappears inside both canyons.
Tip: A 06:00 departure puts you at Chundzha by 09:30 and at Moon Canyon by late afternoon with 2 hours of good light remaining. Later starts compress the day uncomfortably. Bring more water than you think you need — both canyon floors offer no shade and no water points.
Stop 2
Chundzha
- From previous:
- 240 km · 195 min drive
- Stay:
- ~0.25 h
<span lang="ru">Чунджа</span> (Chundzha) sits approximately 240 km east of Almaty along the A-351 and is the last reliable fuel stop before the national park. The town has a Dungan (Hui Muslim) and Uyghur community — both groups descended from families who resettled here after the 1880s migrations from Xinjiang. The main street has a working petrol station with card payment, a small canteen, and a general store. Stop here for 15–20 minutes: fill the tank, buy cold drinks, and pick up any snacks you missed. Charyn National Park administration also has an office in Chundzha for information and permit questions.
Tip: Fill the tank even if the gauge reads half — the Moon Canyon detour and the return add up. The canteen on the main road serves laghman and soup; it opens by 08:00 and is a reasonable breakfast stop.
Stop 3
Charyn Canyon — Valley of Castles
- From previous:
- 55 km · 45 min drive
- Stay:
- ~2 h
A signed spur road leaves the A-351 roughly 50 km south of Chundzha and runs 10 km to the park eco-post. Pay the entrance fee here — cash preferred — and present your passport for registration. The paved road continues to the visitor centre car park at the canyon rim. From here the main trail descends steeply into the Valley of Castles: a 3 km corridor of red and ochre sandstone towers reaching 20–30 m, carved by the Charyn River from sedimentary rock laid down during the Neogene period. The trail follows the canyon floor and loops back to the rim; allow 1.5–2 hours. The visitor centre has a café, toilets, and a souvenir kiosk. On this combined itinerary, budget time carefully — Moon Canyon still lies ahead.
Tip: On this longer itinerary, limit time here to 2 hours. Walk the full 3 km Valley of Castles loop but skip the ash-grove detour for today — it adds another 40 km and you need daylight for Moon Canyon. Start the canyon descent no later than 10:30.
Stop 4
Moon Canyon (Uzunbulak)
- From previous:
- 20 km · 30 min drive
- Stay:
- ~2 h
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 <span lang="ru">Лунный каньон</span> (Moon Canyon) or <span lang="ru">Жёлтый каньон</span> (Yellow Canyon). These three names refer to a single feature: a canyon roughly 3 km long cut into pale clay and compressed silt, with walls that read grey-white at midday and warm amber in late afternoon. The colour and scale are noticeably different from the red sandstone Valley of Castles you visited this morning.
There are no established trails or facilities. Walk the canyon floor at your own pace — the terrain is flat and easy underfoot except after rain, when the clay becomes slick. The canyon sits within Charyn National Park; no additional fee is charged beyond the park entrance ticket.
Tip: Arrive by 14:00 to have 2 hours with good light before you need to head back. The canyon floor is wide and easy to walk but entirely unshaded — factor 30+ sunscreen applies double here. There is no water source in the canyon; drink before entering.
Stop 5
Return to Almaty
- From previous:
- 315 km · 255 min drive
The return drive retraces the route to Almaty via the same gravel track, the Valley of Castles turnoff, and the A-351 — approximately 315 km and 4 to 4.5 hours including a fuel stop in Chundzha if needed. Aim to leave Moon Canyon by 16:00. Afternoon traffic entering Almaty from the east can back up significantly after 18:30, especially around the toll booth on the city outskirts. The A-351 is well-lit on the outskirts but largely dark across the steppe — wildlife crossing the road is common after dusk, so keep speed in check if you are driving after sunset.
Tip: Leave Moon Canyon by 16:00 to reach Almaty before 20:30. Stop in Chundzha on the way back if fuel is needed — the pumps are open until 21:00. The toll booth queue on the Almaty approach adds 10–20 minutes at peak hour.
Night 1 of 1 · after Step 3: Charyn Canyon — Valley of Castles
Charyn Visitor Center CampЧарын
The canyon-rim lodging and camping zone at the Charyn Visitor Center, inside the national park. It turns a long out-and-back into a true sunset-and-morning stay with almost no repositioning. Expect a park-style overnight rather than a full-service town hotel.
- Cafe
- Park access
- Restaurant
- Toilets
Mixed camp and cabin-style options at the visitor-center complex; seasonal availability varies.
Also featured on: Charyn Canyon
Also nearby
Farukh Hotel ChundzhaHotelBudget· Private rooms
Farukh Hotel ChundzhaФарух
A straightforward Chundzha hotel on Al-Farabi Street, used as the low-friction fallback when park lodging is full or weather makes a town night more sensible. It still keeps both Charyn trips within a manageable morning drive while offering a more conventional room than the canyon camp.
- Private rooms
- Town-center access
Simple town hotel; contact ahead for availability.
Also featured on: Charyn Canyon
What to bring
- Water (minimum 3 L per person; 4 L in summer)
- Sun hat and high-SPF sunscreen
- Sturdy closed-toe shoes for canyon walking
- Cash in KZT for entrance fees
- Snacks or packed lunch — no café at Moon Canyon
- Offline maps downloaded (Kcell/Beeline signal is none inside both canyons)
- First-aid kit
- Power bank
- Windbreaker (canyon rim is exposed and can be breezy)
- Trekking poles (helpful on Valley of Castles descent)
- Small day pack
- Sunglasses
Sources
Researched from English and Russian sources. Inaccuracies are mine.
- https://welcome.kz/ru/info-cities/almaty-region/moon-canyon
- https://welcome.kz/en/info-cities/almaty-region/moon-canyon
- https://silkadv.com/en/content/uzun-bulak-canyon-right-bank-charyn-river
- https://culttourism.ru/kazakhstan/zhyoltyy_lunnyy_kanon.html
- https://x-travels.ru/otdyx-v-okrestnostyax-almaty/zheltyjlunnyj-kanon/
- https://zhetysu.travel/objects/prirodnye-obekty/kanony/kanon-uzynbulak-lunnyy-kanon-dolina-yurt.html
- https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g2350619-d27122321-Reviews-Uzunbulak_Canyon_Moon_Canyon-Almaty_Region.html
- https://irecommend.ru/content/lunnyi-zheltyi-kanon-almatinskaya-oblast-kazakhstan-kak-doekhat-odetsya-vzyat-s-soboi-mnogo
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charyn_Canyon
- https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A7%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%8C%D0%BE%D0%BD
- https://zabugorshiki.com/charyn/
- https://kz.kursiv.media/2024-08-09/dlzh-national-park/
- https://tiptoptrek.com/4canyons-moon-black-bestamak-temirlik
- https://adrenalinicsilence.kz/nashi-poxody/zhyoltyj-kanon-i-nochnaya-stixiya/
- https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Almaty/Chundzha
- https://astanatimes.com/2025/07/from-canyons-to-dune-tracing-heart-of-southeastern-kazakhstan/
- https://kolesa.kz/content/articles/marshrut-vyhodnogo-dnya-tri-kanona-charyna/
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