This magnificent, 300m deep canyon is located approximately 200km east of Almaty. The main canyon runs along the Charyn River with parched red rocks that are somewhat reminiscent of the Grand Canyon. Best visited in April/May or September/October, time your visit to reach the canyon by early evening as the light on the rock formations is unimaginably beautiful. In summer, it can be exceptionally hot so don’t forget to bring enough water as there are no facilities at the site. The walk down to the river at the bottom of the canyon is about 45 minutes from the top through amazing rock formations. Because the canyon is quite a drive from Almaty (three and a half hours), camping facilities are also available, but the trip is doable in a day and there are plenty of good shashlik restaurants en-route to stop off at.