Uzbekistan with the Aral Sea
An amazing trip to all the major cities of Uzbekistan with a visit to the Aral Sea. The Aral Sea has almost completely dried up due to human activity (watering fields). You will see the scale of this disaster, walk along the bottom of the Aral Sea, where you will see the remains of a once-maritime civilization and cemeteries of ships that stand to this day.
The trip will take place both in hotels and in a romantic yurt camp on the shores of the Aral Sea. After that, you will have a trip through the desert with a visit to the interesting town of Kurgan, which was a trading center on the Great Silk Road. You will have stops near Lakes, Lighthouses, Salt Marshes, and many others.
Of course, after that you will visit the main cities of Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent. The trip will be remembered for a lifetime!
Tour program
-
1dayMeeting of the Guests
Meeting at the airport or railway station at 15:30 Transfer to the airport At 18:05 departure to Nukus, arrival at 19:45 Overnight at the hotel
-
2dayJourney to the Aral Sea
At 07:00 departure to the Yurt Camp to the Aral Sea by off-road vehicle. stop in Muynak, where you will visit the so-called "ship cemetery", a former port where the remains of abandoned ships are rusting. Here you will also visit the local museum, if it is open at this time. In the museum you can see some interesting artifacts of the history of the Aral Sea. Lunch at the guest house. Continue the trip along the endless Ustyurt plateau to the Aral Sea. Arrival at the yurt camp on the shore of the Aral Sea. Supper. Overnight in yurts.
-
3dayWe are going to Nukus
After breakfast, visit the Kurgancha settlement, whose history dates back to the 13th century. Next, the road passes through the Kungrad district, which was once one of the shopping centers on the Great Silk Road. On the way, you will pass by the ruins of the lighthouse and the abandoned village of Urga. Short stop at Sudochie Lake. Here you will have the opportunity to photograph incredibly beautiful local landscapes. Lunch-picnic on the way. After lunch, continue to Nukus. After lunch-picnic, continue to Nukus. On the way you will visit the necropolis of Mizdakhan (14th century) and the fortress of Giaur-Kala. Arrival in Nukus. Overnight at the hotel
-
4dayTravel around Nukus and go to Bukhara
At 07:00 departure to Khiva by car. Arrival and start of the Khiva Tour at 10:00. Khiva is the pearl of the Khorezm oasis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As part of this tour, you will see the Ichan-Kala fortress, it is believed that its walls are made of the same clay that the Prophet Muhammad used to build the Medina, as well as the well, which, according to legend, was dug by the son of the biblical Noah. This is an ancient city with a 2,500-year history, ancient buildings are located here, adjacent to ordinary houses of the townspeople, and from the observation deck (where you will climb) the view is of fabulous beauty. At 15:00 transfer to Urgench railway station. Departure of the train to Bukhara. At 22:00 arrival and check-in at the hotel Overnight at the hotel
-
5dayTravel around Bukhara and go to Samarkand
Breakfast at the hotel At 09:00 meeting with the guide in the hotel lobby, start of the Bukhara city tour (walking tour) We will visit: - Lyabi House Complex - Magoki Mosque-Attori Mosque - Kalyan Mosque, Bolo House - Chor Minor Madrasah - Miri Arab Madrasah - Ulugbek Madrasah - Abdulaziz Khan Madrasah - Kalyan Minaret - Ark Fortress - Samanid Mausoleums and Chashma Ayub 15:50 High-speed train to Samarkand 17:20 Arrival and transfer to the hotel Overnight at the hotel
-
6dayTravel to Samarkand and go to Tashkent
Breakfast at the hotel At 11:00 Meeting with the guide in the hotel lobby, start of the Samarkand city tour (by car) We will visit: - The Ulugbek Observatory, where the preserved part of the sextant of the XV century is still located. Shahi Zinda Necropolis (an ensemble of mausoleums of the Samarkand nobility) - Mausoleum of the Prophet Daniel - Mausoleum of Sheikh Abd and Darun - Bibi Khanum Cathedral Mosque - Registan Square (The center of Samarkand since the time of Tamerlane) - Siab Bazaar - Gur Emir Mausoleum (tombs of Tamerlane and members of the Timurid dynasty) - Visit to a carpet factory and silk. Transfer to the train station At 18:00 High-speed train to Tashkent At 20:10 arrival and transfer to the hotel Overnight at the hotel
-
7dayTashkent City Tour
Breakfast at the hotel At 11:00 meeting with the guide in the hotel lobby, Tashkent city tour (by car) We will visit: - Khast Imam Complex - Muyi Mubarek Madrasah - Hazrat Imam Mosque - Barakhan Madrasah - Namazgoh Mosque - Chorsu Market (a picturesque place of the old city) - Monument "Courage" - Peoples' Friendship Square - Grand Duke Nikolai Romanov's Palace - Amir Timur (Tamerlane) Square Overnight at the hotel
-
8dayLet's go home!
Breakfast at the hotel (Check-out at 12:00) Return transfer to the airport
Tour Features
-
A visit to the Aral Sea is evidence of an environmental disaster. The Aral Sea, once the fourth largest lake in the world, today retains only about 10% of its original area. You will see: The bottom of the dried-up sea, where waves used to splash, and now there are salt marshes and remnants of a marine civilization. The graveyard of ships is the rusting vessels left on the dried—up seabed, which have become a symbol of the tragedy. The scale of the environmental disaster caused by the alteration of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya riverbeds for irrigation of fields.
-
The romance of a yurt camp Living in a yurt camp on the shores of the Aral Sea: A unique opportunity to feel like a part of a nomadic culture. Evenings around the campfire under the starry sky of the desert will create an atmosphere of comfort and romance.
-
Travel through the desert A trip through desert landscapes with stops at Lakes, lighthouses and salt marshes that create unusual and photogenic views. The city of Kurgancha, which was an important trading center on the Great Silk Road.
-
Visit the main cities of Uzbekistan Khiva: An open-air museum city with its ancient walls and architectural monuments. Bukhara: A historical center with mosques, madrassas and bazaars that have preserved the spirit of the ancient East. Samarkand: A city that impresses with its grand architecture, including Registan and the Gur Emir Mausoleum. Tashkent: A modern capital with its wide streets, bazaars and cultural attractions.
-
Diving into history and culture The tour allows you to learn about the history of ancient cities that were key points on the Great Silk Road. The scale and consequences of human activity that led to the drying up of the Aral Sea.
-
Comfort and variety of Accommodation in comfortable hotels in cities and yurts in nature. The opportunity to taste national cuisine, including pilaf, samsa and other traditional treats.