Places on charyn.kz

Assy Plateau: summer pastures above Turgen and the Assy-Turgen Observatory

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The Assy Plateau (Asy Zhailauy in Kazakh) is a broad high pasture on an eastern spur of the Trans-Ili Alatau, about 75 km east of Almaty. You reach it by driving up the Turgen gorge — Tengrinews reckons 2–2.5 hours each way. The plateau runs east towards the Bartogay reservoir, the Asy river winds along it, and in summer it is dotted with flocks of sheep and herds of horses. On the western rim stands the white dome of the Assy-Turgen Observatory. Go in late spring or summer, in an SUV or a sturdy crossover.

Butakovka waterfall and gorge

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Butakovka waterfall sits in the Butakovka gorge right above Almaty, inside Ile-Alatau National Park. There are two ways in. The classic hike starts at the Medeu skating rink and crosses the Maly Komissarovsky pass — about 2.5–3 hours each way. The short way starts from Dostyk Avenue: you go up through Butakovka village and the park eco-post to a barrier, then walk roughly 2.3 km. Sources give the height as anything from 15 to 30 m. Peak season is mid-June to late October, but the falls draw people in winter too, when they freeze into an ice cascade.

Issyk Lake (Esik): the 1963 mudflow and the lake today

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Issyk Lake (Esik in Kazakh) sits in the Issyk gorge of the Trans-Ili Alatau, about 40 km east of Almaty, above the district town of Esik. In Soviet times it was a favourite resort — until 7 July 1963, when a mudflow tore through its natural dam and drained it. The water is back today, but the lake is smaller than it was and its dam needs serious repair. Go by car in the warm season, and on the way stop at the Saka burial mounds near Esik, where the famous Golden Man was found.

Kapshagay Reservoir and the city of Konaev

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Kapshagay Reservoir is a man-made lake on the Ili River north of Almaty, and Konaev — called Kapshagay until 2022 — is the city on its west bank and, since 2022, the capital of Almaty Region. It is about 80 km from Almaty on the A3: 50–60 minutes by car on a weekday, up to two hours at weekends. Almaty residents come here for the beach. The swimming season opens on 1 June, the water reaches 22–28 °C in July and August, and the city has free municipal beaches.

Kok-Zhailau: the plateau above Almaty between the two Almaty gorges

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Kok-Zhailau is a high meadow in the Trans-Ili Alatau, wedged between the Small and Big Almaty gorges about 10 km from Almaty and inside Ile-Alatau National Park. It is the hike locals do without a car: bus No. 12 drops you at the Ak-Bulak stop, and a single, easy-to-follow trail climbs to the plateau in about three hours. Go between June and October. From the top you see the city, Medeu, Shymbulak and Big Almaty Peak.

Medeu: the high-altitude rink, the mudflow dam and the gorge

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Medeu is a mountain valley on the Malaya Almatinka river, right on the south-eastern edge of Almaty. It is famous for two things: an open-air speed-skating rink at 1,691 m and a huge mudflow dam just behind it. City bus No. 12 gets you there. The key thing to know for 2026: the rink is closed for reconstruction, with reopening planned for the fourth quarter of 2027. The dam, its long stairway, the hiking trails and the gondola up to Shymbulak are still very much worth the ride up.

Rakhmanov Springs: radon hot springs in the Altai

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Rakhmanov Springs (Rakhmanovskie Klyuchi) are thermal radon springs high in the southern Altai, next to Rakhmanov Lake, inside Katon-Karagay National Park in East Kazakhstan. Sxodim puts the water at +32 to +42 °C. The springs are 111 km beyond Katon-Karagay village, which is itself about 380 km from Oskemen. For years the last 13 km was a rough mountain track; according to The Astana Times, the rebuilt section opened on 4 October 2026. The old sanatorium is closed, though, and the whole district borders Russia and China, so sort out your documents before you set off.

Sherkala Mountain: the lion fortress of Mangystau

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Sherkala is a solitary limestone mountain in the steppe of Mangystau District, 18 km north of the village of Shetpe, rising to 332 m above sea level. Aktau is about 94 km away as the crow flies, but Tengri Auto clocks the driving route at 175–180 km. Go in spring (mid-April to late May) or in the second half of September, because summer here means +40 °C. Most people combine Sherkala with the Torysh valley of stone balls and the rest of a Mangystau loop.

Shymbulak: the ski resort above Medeu and Talgar Pass

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Shymbulak is Almaty’s ski resort, tucked into the upper Malaya Almatinka valley about 25 km south of the city centre and directly above Medeu. The base station sits at 2,260 m and the top of the lifts at Talgar Pass, 3,200 m. A gondola of about 4.5 km links it with Medeu in up to 15 minutes. In autumn 2026 there are two catches: lift maintenance until 1 November and a road closed to cars until 30 November.

Tamgaly (Tanbaly) petroglyphs

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Tamgaly, officially Tanbaly, is a valley in the Chu-Ili mountains (Wikipedia calls them the Anrakai mountains) holding around 5,000 petroglyphs, from the Bronze Age to recent centuries. It lies in Zhambyl District of Almaty Region, near the village of Karabastau, about 170 km northwest of Almaty — a 3–4 hour drive each way. Since 2004 it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the “Petroglyphs of the Archaeological Landscape of Tanbaly”. Tengrinews says visitors come all year, and the carvings make most sense with one of the museum-reserve’s guides.

Torysh Valley of Balls: the stone spheres of Mangystau

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Torysh, the “Valley of Balls”, is a tract at the northern tip of the Western Karatau hills in Mangystau Region, where stone spheres from 10–15 cm to 4 m across lie scattered over the steppe. Depending on the source, it is 90 to 150 km from Aktau; the nearest village, Taushyk, is 17.5 km away. May and September are the months to go, and most visitors pair it with Sherkala Mountain, 50–60 km away. The valley has no protected status, so whether the balls survive depends largely on the people who visit.

Turkestan: the Yasawi Mausoleum, Sauran and Otrar

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Turkestan is a city in southern Kazakhstan, capital of Turkestan Region since 2018, 160 km northwest of Shymkent. People come for the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, raised on Timur’s orders at the end of the 14th century, which in 2003 became Kazakhstan’s first entry on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Around the city are the ruins of Sauran (about 40–45 km) and Otrar (57 km) and the Arystan Bab Mausoleum. Come in spring or autumn — July highs average around +36 °C. The mausoleum’s dome is under restoration in 2026, so check access arrangements before you go.