Charyn Canyon lies 195 km from the city of Almaty. It is 200 km long, and its rock formations rise from 150 to 300 meters. The "Valley of Towers," which is especially popular with tourists, is 2 km long and 20–80 m wide.
Charyn is often compared to America's Grand Canyon and called its little brother. Huge rocks that seem to touch the sky resemble a fairy-tale city that built itself: their shapes look strikingly like man-made buildings and towers.
Images of wild animals show that birds and animals lived in this area as far back as the Paleolithic. Barberry and turanga poplar grow in the lower part of the canyon.
