Lost in the colours of Charyn Canyon

Charyn Canyon – more like the Grand Canyon’s brother from another mother, is part of a much larger Charyn Canyon National Park, which consists of the Valley of Castles, the Temirlik Canyon, the Yellow Canyon, the Red Canyon and the Bestamak Canyon. The Valley of Castles is the most famous part of the canyon and which is mostly part of such organised trips. But if time permits and you have a couple of days in hand, hiking or driving around the entirety of it should be considered.

Charyn Canyon was part of our three days trip to the Kazakh Hinterlands. On the second day, we left our guesthouse in Basshi village and drove towards the handsome canyon.
The journey from Basshi village to Charyn Canyon in Kazakhstan takes you through stunning landscapes and diverse terrains. Well-maintained highway roads, through the picturesque steppe, dotted with rolling hills and occasional small settlements.

Valley of Castles

The entrance to the Valley of Castles part of Charyn Canyon is a simple gate and a visitor center with maps and information about the area. The landscape around the entrance is already breathtaking with panoramic views of the vicinity. The road to the entrance is paved all the way to the viewpoint, and then a winding staircase which looks like it is carved into the rocky terrain leads you down into the valley.

It was a cloudy day when we were there (thankfully!). And while looking down from the viewpoint, the colours of the canyon seemed to shift as the light kept changing due to the constant hide n seek between the sun and the clouds. Hues of red, orange and brown! And as we made our way down the stairs, the vastness of the canyon dawned upon us.

It felt like a different world. The red and orange formations which we had seen from the viewpoint were now towering upon us. Dramatic cliffs rising sharply on either side, creating a stunning contrast against the azure skies. And such unique shapes sculpted by millions of years of erosion.

Walking deeper into the canyon, the path kept revealing more fascinating geological layers and patterns in the rocks. Every once in a while when the sun shone through the clouds, the sunlight casting shadows that accentuated the canyon’s features. (And if you’re as imaginative as yours truly, you might spot castles and characters in those weird formations.) About a little more than halfway through, the red and orange give way to a couple of blocks of black stone mounds.

The canyon narrows down here and there with walls rising even higher. Eventually, the trail leads to the Charyn river and the scape opens up again. On approaching, it’s a serene spot surrounded by lush greenery, a beautiful contrast against the rugged canyon walls. Soothing and inviting! Like calling out to pause and rest before starting the return journey.

It’s a 5 km walk to and fro. The return journey involves a fair climb as the terrain is slightly uphill. Folks unwilling to walk the distance can avail this paid shuttle service 👇 . But unfortunately, there’s no way to avoid the staircase to the exit.

Black Canyon

It gets it’s name from the black colour of the rocks (of course!), is the deepest of all and is formed by the Charyn River cutting through it for millions of years. The Black Canyon is located closer to Almaty and we visited it on the third day when returning to Almaty. It’s not very accessible in terms of being able to go down to the depths of it but there are several viewpoints from where the amazingly shaped canyon can be seen.

Travel Tips:

• When travelling to the canyons in the summer, carry all the possible sun-protection gear, as it can get really hot. We were lucky to be there on a day when it was cloud cast, but even for the brief duration that the sun made an appearance, it was super hot.
• Carry drinking water and if required something to nibble on. There’s nothing till you go back to the entrance.
• It’s also possible to set up camp in the vicinity of the canyons. But this would be best done with the help of guides as it requires certain permissions from authorities. Unfortunately, we figured this out too late, but camping in the wilderness of the canyons is already in my bucket list.

Read about my complete experience to the Kazakh Hinterland in this post linked below: