Hello everyone!
I’m considering a trip to Charyn Canyon during the New Year holidays (January 3-4), but I’m running into some issues. Most tour companies aren’t responding or don’t organize trips there in winter. Renting a car is also proving to be a hassle here in Kazakhstan. About 95% of car rental companies haven’t replied to my inquiries, and most of them have a mileage limit of 150 km. Since Charyn is about 320 km away, you’d have to pay for the extra mileage on top of the rental cost. Altogether, renting a car shoots the budget up to te sky!
Has anyone traveled to Charyn Canyon in winter?
The best option for you is to hire a private driver. It’ll definitely be cheaper than renting a car.
I just went to Charyn last weekend. It’s true—tour agencies don’t usually organize trips there in winter. The best solution is to negotiate with private drivers. You can find plenty of them at the Sayakhat bus station. Prices vary, so don’t hesitate to haggle.
We got a car and the driver took us directly to the checkpoint (KPP). Some drivers will only agree to take you to the turnoff to the canyon, which leaves you with a 10 km walk through the steppe. If you can, arrange for the driver to take you straight to the KPP—it’s not a pleasant walk in the cold, especially with the strong winds.
For the way back, you can negotiate with the checkpoint manager; they can give you a ride back to the main road for a small fee. From there, it’s easy to catch a passing car—we waited only three minutes. All in all it was not costly at all, especially if thereare couple of you travelling to share the cost.
Thank you so much for the info, Shandsh!
We’ll probably do exactly that—arrange to be dropped off directly at the KPP and see if the driver can wait for us. Otherwise, we’ll follow your advice for getting back.
We’re planning to visit Charyn Canyon at the end of January. Has anyone been there around that time? What’s the weather like? Is there much snow? Does anyone have any photos?
Also, are there any places to stay nearby, say within 50 km?
There’s usually some snow, but the wind tends to blow most of it away. In the canyon itself, there are small cabins, but I’m not sure if they’re operational in winter. There’s no firewood or electricity in the area—there isn’t a single tree for 10-20 km.
I got in touch with the people who manage those cabins. They’re open in winter and provide heaters and sleeping bags. We’ll give it a shot and try staying there!