Enbekshikazakh District: Canyons, Mountains and Cultural Heritage

In Enbekshikazakh District, nature experiences and archaeological history offer distinct options for planning your trip. Charyn Canyon, the mountain landscapes of Ile-Alatau and the Issyk Museum Reserve each give your stay a different focus. Consider whether you want to explore routes and landscapes above all, or set aside more time for museums and cultural heritage.

Canyons, an ash grove and mountain landscapes

Charyn State National Park has been a nature conservation and scientific institution of national significance since February 23, 2004. It was established across an area of 93,150 hectares to protect and restore unique natural complexes. Their values include ecological, historical, scientific, aesthetic and recreational aspects. A specific way to plan your time is to take the route through Charyn Canyon’s “Valley of Castles”: it is 3 kilometers long and takes 1 hour and 40 minutes, including breaks.

Another distinctive feature of the national park is the Charyn ash grove. Its route is open year-round. The grove covers 5,014 hectares, with pure stands of Sogdian ash growing across 1,100 hectares. This protected ash dates back to the Paleogene, and its natural stands have been preserved in their original form. The impressions along the canyon route and in the ash grove are therefore quite different: one features a designated trail length and duration, while the other is defined by the grove and its tree species.

Ile-Alatau National Park also encompasses distinctive natural sites in the district. Turgen Gorge is a natural tourist attraction in this national park. Bear Waterfall is surrounded by coniferous forest and mountain slopes, and is popular for hiking routes and ecotourism. Kairak Waterfall lies on the northern slope of Ile-Alatau at an elevation of 2,130 meters and consists of three cascades. A tourist route leads from the bridge in Batan Gorge to Kairak Waterfall; it is 7 kilometers long.

The Assy Plateau lies between Turgen Gorge and the Bartogay Reservoir at an elevation of 2,100 to 3,200 meters. It is known for its alpine meadows, an astrophysical observatory and nomadic livestock farming. This combination of landscape, science and traditional land use gives the plateau a character quite different from the waterfalls and canyon routes. Ile-Alatau National Park is also home to the natural monument “Shynturgen Spruces”: a dense, moss-rich spruce taiga with areas of permafrost.

Archaeology, museums and local experiences

The Issyk State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve was established on January 30, 2010, on the site of the Issyk necropolis. A royal Saka burial was discovered there in 1970. The museum has four main exhibition halls, including one dedicated to the Golden Man. A visit thus connects the history of a specific archaeological site with an exhibition on Saka culture.

The museum-reserve protects more than 90 burial mounds at the Issyk necropolis, as well as the ancient Scythian settlements of Rakhat and Örikti. It also organizes excursions to the Rakhat archaeological complex and the medieval city of Talgar. Its offerings therefore include both the museum exhibition and excursions to named cultural sites. If you plan to take one of these excursions, coordinate arrangements with the museum-reserve in advance.

For a different kind of experience, the Issyk Winery has been developing wine tourism since 2020, with walks through vineyards and visits to wine cellars. Confirm booking arrangements before your trip. An annual local event is the “Prazdnik urozhaya” Apple Festival, held in the rural district of Bolek. If you plan to visit for the festival, check the dates in advance.

Routes and visit planning

When choosing a route, you can compare two different distances: 3 kilometers through the “Valley of Castles” and 7 kilometers from the bridge in Batan Gorge to Kairak Waterfall. The canyon route is also listed as taking 1 hour and 40 minutes, including breaks. Since March 18, 2019, driving private cars down into Charyn Canyon has been prohibited. Check this park rule locally before you arrive.

Choosing a hotel starts with deciding which experiences you want to prioritize in Enbekshikazakh District.

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