Charyn Canyon Day Tour

We will pick you up right from your hotel, you’ll be met by our friendly English-speaking guide and super-experienced driver. Let’s set off from Almaty and follow the New Silk Road of our days – Khorgos-Almaty highway. On the way to the canyon, we will talk about the country, culture, people, and the history of Kazakhstan. Driving time of the Charyn Canyon day tour from Almaty is around 2.5 hours with stops on the way.

During our day tour, you will observe the striking diversity of landscapes: from green agricultural fields of nearby villages sown with fruits and vegetables suddenly being swapped for the endless ascetic steppes stretching to the edge of the horizon with a rare bunch of sheep leading by a lonely herder.

On the way, we will have a stop at the little rustic Uighur village with the lively and colorful market and smell of grilled meat and tandyr samsa (meat-filled savory pastry baked at the special tandyr oven)! Be ready for the new gastronomical experiences! Let’s follow the words of legendary Anthony Bourdain: “Your body is not a temple – it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.”   

Today you will not only try new food but also be awestruck by a bewitching landscape of mysterious Bartogay lake and impressive Charyn Canyon. We will have gentle descent at the Valley of Castles and have a picnic at the shore of the Charyn river that carved the canyon 12 million years ago, and then ascend up back to the surface with a short scramble up at the end. So please make sure to wear comfortable shoes with a good outsole. We will also visit Charyn Canyon’s most secluded part –  Moon Canyon with Pliocene clays (5 million years – can you imagine it?! So sick!). No crowds (nobody at all actually), just you and this endless compelling evidence of millions of years of deposition that make you think how much tiny little thing as humans we are!

The adventure comes to an end today as we drive you back to your hotel in time for a long-awaited relaxation time.