The best way to visit Charyn Canyon

Visitors to Almaty who want to get out of the city will definitely want to visit the incredible Charyn Canyon, Kolsai Lake and Kaindy Lake.

a man stops mid hike to look up at interesting geological formations in Charyn Canyon, Kazakhstan — Marvelling at the incredible geological formations on our trek down into Charyn Canyon

A popular tourist trip for folks visiting Almaty is the Charyn Canyon visit. Usually done overnight and coupled with visits to Kolsai Lake (also spelt Kolsay but I’m siding with Google on this one) and Kaindy Lake, it’s a great idea to hire a guide to drive you there and manage all the ins and outs. If you prefer to do this yourself and save a few dollars (it’s not a cheap trip!), I will give you all my knowledge here and hopefully this will help you out. I will also provide some recommendations for guides including my own guide.

Kazakhstan has many areas of great natural beauty. It should do, it’s big enough! Just a few hours east of the former capital, Almaty, are some exquisite lakes and incredible geological formations. Of the latter, Charyn Canyon, a canyon formed along the Charyn River, is in many ways similar to the Grand Canyon in the US. Charyn is certainly very grand though I can’t comment on whether it is as impressive as its better known US counterpart, as some have. I’ve not been to the Grand Canyon, and my husband can’t comment either – he did fly over the Grand Canyon as a child but infamously (at least within the family) slept the whole time.

Suggested Itinerary

I will base this itinerary on what we did in 2022 when we visited with some friends. Included in our tour was Charyn Canyon, Kolsai Lake and Kaindy Lake. We visited Charyn Canyon first, followed by Kolsai Lake on Day 1. Then we stayed the night at a hotel near Kolsai Lake and visited Kaindy Lake on Day 2. I would recommend doing the same and booking yourself some accommodation to spread this tour across 2 days, rather than trying to get it done in one day. You will be tired and feel rushed if you attempt to make this a day trip. And, if you’re driving yourself, the roads and facilities aren’t good enough for a tourist in Kazakhstan to be attempting such a big driving day.

You can definitely switch the sites around if you prefer. You might want to do the lakes on Day 1 and then the canyon on Day 2. And why not make it longer – if you’re into hiking and rafting, then do give yourself another couple of days. Most guides taking you out to this area can help you organise extra activities. My only recommendation here is that you keep Charyn Canyon as a morning activity so you’re not attempting the walk in the hottest part of the day!

1. Charyn Canyon

a woman smiles at the camera from the branch of a tree with the very rushy Charyn River behind her — Once you make it to the base of Charyn Canyon you’ll be pleased to find shade and the cool water of the Charyn River

Charyn Canyon is the furthest of three spots and is about a 3 hour drive away from Almaty. You will want to allow yourself a couple of hours here. If you’re fit and have no injuries then you might want to try walking from the car park down to the bottom, a decent walk which took us 35-40min. It’s worth doing the walk if you are able as you have more time to enjoy the splendour of the rocks. You can also choose to take the ‘taxi’ which is more of a utility vehicle with benches on the back tray. The taxi drives you down to the base and can bring you back up to the car park. One-way the journey becomes a much shorter 5-10 minutes.

2. Kolsai Lake

Kolsai Lake in the foreground with many tourists on rowboats and paddle boats on it and the mountain and blue sky behind, with many more tourists heading down towards the lake — The very popular Kolsai Lake

Kolsai Lake is about 2 hours west of Charyn Canyon. The lake is easily accessible from the car park so you will not need so much time here. However, you may find that this is the busiest spot, probably because of its accessibility! There is boating and horse rides here, and you can go on a hike around the hills surrounding the lake. There is also a modern restaurant by the lakeside at which you can enjoy a coffee.

3. Kaindy Lake

A woman smiles in front of greenish blue Kaindy Lake with trees poking out of it in, — The stunning blue green waters of Kaindy Lake

Kaindy Lake is closish to Kolsai Lake, so, if you choose to stay overnight, book somewhere between these two locations. You will want a couple of hours here and I would recommend you hire a horse to take you down to the lake from the car park and back up again. Its a long walk with not much cover from the sun.

Can you bring your children on this trip?

Yes, you can certainly bring your kids on this trip. I was just reading someone else’s blog where they took their little ones with them to Charyn Canyon. Some of my friends have also done it with small children (4 years old). If you bring your kids then I recommend you stay the night rather than trying to cram all the sites into one day.

However, we did not bring our kids with us! We had my wonderful parents-in-law staying with us and they offered to watch the children back in Almaty allowing us the weekend away. Of course we jumped at the chance!

Depending on their ages, you might want to make allowances for them – perhaps you take the taxi down Charyn Canyon, and also take a horse ride at Kaindy Lake.

Best time to visit Charyn Canyon and the lakes

We visited in the summer and it was a bit warm at Charyn Canyon, though not unmanageable. However, it was lovely at the lakes.

You can visit in the winter months and it would look really beautiful. I probably wouldn’t recommend visiting these places in winter if you’re not a cold weather person though. The temperatures can be frigid! Additionally, part of the charm of Kaindy Lake is its gorgeous blue/green colour which will be lost in winter. You will not be able to try the boats at Kolsai Lake in winter either. Though to be fair we didn’t a chance to do this in July either given the number of tourists!

What to take with you

We travelled in July, and if you know central Asia, you know this is a super warm month. Pack for hot and sunny conditions: sunscreen and a hat are a must. Loose clothing which covers your arms is advisable. I have lily white Australian skin and I take the sun seriously 😉

Bring comfortable walking shoes that you don’t mind getting a bit dirty (leave the pristine white sneakers at home). Unless you’re planning a proper hike then you don’t need hard-core hiking boots. I got away with my old running shoes.

I wore some soft denim shorts the first day for hiking down Charyn Canyon and wandering around Kolsai Lake. Then my gym tights got a run the second day for our visit to Kaindy Lake. We did a spot of horse riding at Kaindy Lake so wear clothes you don’t mind riding in. My running shoes were fine for both days.

We stayed in a hotel with a restaurant, bar and modern facilities. I would recommend bringing your own bottle of wine if you plan on on having a glass or two (the wine selection was not the best). Also bring cash as your card may not be accepted out this way, though things may have changed since 2022! You may be required to pay for your accommodation in cash, but you might also need small notes for horserides and entry fees to the national park.

How to get to Charyn Canyon and the lakes

You can drive yourself out to the canyon and the lakes, and I would recommend you take an SUV. If you prefer to have someone else manage the planning for this trip, then I can recommend Max from Tip Top Trek, a great guy with a comfortable car, very good English skills and lots of experience. He can add hiking into the itinerary if you wish and knows the mountains and the terrain in this area very well. He will definitely make your visit to Charyn Canyon and the lakes a good one. He is very popular though!

Here are a few other tour companies I have been recommended by people I know, who provide services in English:

Nomadistan Travel is a relatively new tour company run by a friend.

Steppe & Sky is another local company, offering a wide array of guided activities.

Where to stay for your visit to Charyn Canyon

There are many options for staying near the canyon and the lakes. We stayed at a hotel called Hotel Kolsay Grand, about 10minutes drive from Kolsai Lake, and 40minutes from Kaindy Lake. The hotel was probably the nicest hotel in the area at the time we went (with the exception of the hotel at Kolsai Lake). The restaurant was good and the service was decent. The wifi wasn’t always the best and unfortunately we couldn’t pay via Kaspi (an online payment option available to residents of Kazakhstan) so we needed to pay with cash. Please do bring cash with you in case. One other thing I’d recommend is that if you are a wine drinker, bring your own bottle rather than buying one at the bar here.

There are plenty of other options, including Kolsay Lakes Town, the hotel on the lakeside at Kolsai Lake, as well as guest houses and yurts near the town of Saty. Here are some options on booking.com.

What do I know about Kazakhstan?

I’ve been living here since mid 2021 with my family. Visit my About Me page to understand more about my perspective. And check out my Kazakhstan page to find out more about why I think why you should travel to Kazakhstan! Also, I have the following blog posts on Kazakhstan!