The Aral Sea Tour

TO THE ARAL SEA VIA KYZYLKUM DESERT

TOUR DETAILS

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Aral Sea is mostly known for the environmental disaster which has had the once fourth largest lake in the World to almost completely disappear. Aral Sea can be considered a dark tourism destination as there are several ghost towns and ship graveyards surrounding the now dry sandy and dusty bowl where one can see thousands of seashells reminding of the more watery past. The reason for the lake getting dry is the excessive water usage of Amu Darya and Syr Darya. During our tour you will see various landscapes such as steppe, desert, saline land, cliffs, bottom of gone-away sea that is now a desert.

Aral sea Uzbekistan tour
Aral Sea ship

Uzbekistan - Tajikistan Tour Itinerary

Meeting at Tashkent airport. Transfer to the hotel and check-in.

Guided sightseeing tour around Tashkent: Khast-Imam Square, Barak-Khan Madrasah, Kafal-al-Shashi Mausoleum, Chor-Su Bazaar,
Kukeldash Madrasah; after lunch: Museum of Applied Arts, Independence Square, Amir Timur Square. Overnight at the hotel.
Meal: Breakfast

Early breakfast at the hotel (or breakfast boxes). Transfer to the railway station. Transfer from Tashkent to Samarkand by Afrosiab high-speed train (07:28-09:42).

Upon arrival in the city, we start our busy day in a jewel of the ancient and modern Silk Road. There is the mysterious jade
mausoleum of Gur-i-Emir, the graveyard of Tamerlane. One of the greatest treasures is Registan Square, Temur’s outstanding creation, a huge complex of minarets, mosques and madrassas.
Further we move on to Bibi Khanum Mosque, the gorgeous necropolis of Shah-i-Zinda, and the old observatory of Ulugbek, the greatest Muslim astronomer, and the neighboring Ulugbek museum. Accommodation at the hotel in the evening, rest and overnight.
Meal: Breakfast

Continuation of the sightseeing tour in Samarkand.

Visit Ulugbek Observatory, Afrosiab museum and. settlement, Saint Daniel’s tomb, Khujum carpet factory, Silk paper workshop and Siab Oriental bazaar. Return to the hotel in the afternoon. Rest and overnight.
Meal: Breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the yurt camp at Aydarkul Lake via a small town of Nurata.

Sightseeing tour in Nurata, visiting Namazgoh Mosque and ruins of fortress of Alexander the Great.Proceed to the yurt camp located near Aydarkul lake. Accommodation and lunch. Walk in the
surroundings. Dinner and overnight at the yurt camp.
Meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Breakfast at the yurt camp. Camel-back ride to the lake. After a short camel adventure return to the camp and further transfer to Bukhara. Accommodation at the hotel on arrival. Rest and overnight.
Meal: breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel. Guided sightseeing tour around: Chashma-Ayub Masoleum, Po-i-Kalyan Complex, Kalyan Minaret, Ulugbek Madrasah, Lab-i-Hauz Architectural Ensemble, Kukeldash
Madrasah, Nadir Divanbegi Madrasah, Ismail Samani Mausoleum, and Ark Fortress.
Meal: breakfast

Continuation of the city tour in Bukhara. Today we will make a transfer 20 min from the old city center and visit the out-of-town sites: Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa, the summer residence of the last emir of
Bukhara and Bakhouddin Naqshbandi ensemble – old sufi shrine.
Meal: breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer across Kyzyl-Kum Desert and along Amudarya River to Khiva. Lunch en route. Arrival in Khiva. Leisure time. Visiting traditional workshops and souvenir shops isrecommended. Overnight at the hotel.
Meal: breakfast

After breakfast start of the guided sightseeing tour around Khiva. Visit the sights of Ichan Kala (historical inner city): Pakhlavan Mahmud Complex, Kunya-Ark Fortress, Islam Hoja Madrasah & Minaret. After lunch visit Tash Khauli Palace, Juma Mosque, Muhammad Aminkhan Minaret & Madrasah. In the evening return to the hotel for rest and overnight.
Meal; breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel and further transfer to Nukus – the capital city of Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan.

En route we will stop twice to explore the ruins of the anceint Khorezmian fortresses of Ayaz-Kala and Toprak-Kala. On arrial in Nukus – accommodation at the hotel for freshen up. After lunch time visit famous Savitskiy art museum. Return to the hotel and rest.
Meal: breakfast

Departure from Nukus at 8 o’clock in the morning to discover the Ustyurt Plateau and Aral sea life. En route we pass Khojeyli and Kungrad districts, which were the Trading centers during the Silk
Road period. Proceed to Barsakelmes Natural Saltpit, which is a huge salt lake.

After that we transfer further to the Sudochie lake. Upon arrival at the lake we stop at the ancient Light House hill. Then you can visit the abandoned settlement of the repressed Russian and Polish people in 1900-s. We will see the ruins of the hospital, cane houses and old Fish Factory. Further transfer to Aral sea yurt camp, arrival in the evening. Dinner and overnight at the yurt camp.
Meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Early wake up to take pictures of sunrise over the sea. After breakfast we will visit the ancient fortress of Kurgancha kala of 13 th centrury.

Drive further along the edge of Ustyurt Plateau, on the way stop at the ancient cemetery of Nomads, walk down to the Canyons, slight hiking on Mis Aktumsik, take pictures of the beautiful Canyons and collapsed lands. Have a walk on the sea shore and take a swim. The mud is very helpful for the leg and the salty sea water is good for the skin. Free time to look for the Megaladon Shark teeth (2-35 million years old). Dinner at the yurt camp and rest.
Meal:breakfast, lunch, dinner

Breakfast at the hotel. Leave the yurt camp and transfer back to Nukus via Myunak. En route we will make a stop at the cemetery of Nomads, and visit the settlement of Kubla Ustyurt on the Plateau.
Meet the local people and taste the camel milk. Then continue our way through the bottom of the dried Aral Sea.

Arrival in Myunak town. Lunch at the local guesthouse. Visit the cemetery of Ships, local museum and watch the short documentary film about Myunak life in the times of its florishing.

Proceed to Nukus. Stop at the architectural complex of Mizdakhan and Gaur-kala fortress ruins. On arrival in Nukus, accommodation at the hotel and rest.
Meal: breakfast, lunch

After breakfast transfer to the local airport for further transfer back to Tashkent. On arrival – meet at the airport and transfer to the hotel (check-in time at 14:00).
Free day.
Meal: breakfast

Morning transfer to the international airport.
Departure.
Meal: breakfast

Tour Information

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Tour updated: 20.1.2024

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