The history of the Charyn Canyon began about 25 million years ago, when most of the territory that we call Charyn today was occupied by Ili Lake. After it dried up, the waterway merged with the Ili River. Over time, the power of the water flow increased, and the volume of rock washed out of the ground also grew. Gradually, the water penetrated deeper and deeper, and the wind hewed the limestone cliffs, carving out bizarre figures. The result of hundreds of thousands of years of work is a canyon that stretches 154 km in length and has steep cliffs from 100 to 300 metres high. Charyn Canyon is located 200 km southeast of Almaty, part of the Charyn National Park, formed on February 23, 2004. The canyon is composed of sedimentary rocks, the age of which is about 12 million years. The most interesting place for tourists is the so-called Valley of Castles.

The Kolsai Lakes are rightfully considered to be among the most beautiful natural places in Kazakhstan. Another name for the Kolsai Lakes is the blue necklace of the Northern Tien Shan. This name fully reflects the reality, because such incredible beauty is not found everywhere. "Kolsai" literally means "lake in a gorge". Each of the three Kolsai Lakes is located at different elevations relative to sea level. The Kolsai River begins its long journey from ancient glaciers located on the Kungey-Alatau mountain ranges and flows into each of the lakes in turn. The lakes are distinguished by their decent depth and are freshwater. The greatest recorded depth is 80 m. The bottom of the lakes has a gentle relief and does not have pronounced rocky ledges.