The river runs for (including its source river Oygaying) southwest with a basin area of . The origins of the river Pskem are in the glaciers of the Talas Alatau range in Kazakhstan. In the upper reaches of the river it flows through a narrow rocky gorge, and then travels more than through the Pskem Valley. The river valley is bounded by Ugam Range (north) and Pskem Range (south). On the banks of the river in the valley are thickets of shrubs and apple, pear, apricot and plum trees, along with small groves of walnut. The river banks are home to notable populations of porcupine, fox, marmots, wild pigs and brown bear, as well as many species of birds.