Overview
The shrinking of the Aral Sea is one of the great environmental stories of our time, and the journey to its present shore is an adventure: salt flats, the cliffs of the Ustyurt plateau and abandoned fishing villages.
Travelling in 4×4 vehicles with an experienced driver and guide, you spend two nights in a yurt camp near the water and return via Muynak, where rusting ships lie in the sand far from any sea.
Your trip is planned and run by Khikmatilla, a licensed Uzbek tour guide and founder of Tashkentguide DMC, with an experienced guide with you for all three days.
Highlights
- Edge of the Ustyurt plateau and its cliffs
- Two nights in a yurt camp near the Aral Sea
- Sunrise over the Aral
- Ship graveyard and museum in Muynak
- Mizdakhan necropolis and Gyaur-Kala fortress
Prices are per person for a private tour and fall as your group grows.
What's included
- 4×4 vehicle with experienced driver (up to 3 guests per car)
- 2 nights in a yurt camp with full board, picnic lunches
- Guide for the whole trip
- Entrance fees to the sights listed in the itinerary
- 0.5 L bottled water per person per day
- 24/7 support from our Tashkent team
- Flights or trains to and from Nukus, and hotels in Nukus
- Drinks, personal expenses and tips
- Camera fees at some monuments
- Travel insurance
Meeting and pickup
Your hotel or the airport in Nukus
Your hotel or the airport in Nukus
Itinerary
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1
Day 1 · Nukus – Ustyurt – Aral Sea
Early pickup in Nukus by 4×4. Drive north via Kungrad and the Barsa-Kelmes salt flats, stop by Lake Sudochie for birdlife and the abandoned village of Urga, then climb onto the Ustyurt plateau. Picnic lunch on the way. Arrive at the yurt camp near the Aral shore for dinner. Overnight in a yurt camp.
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2
Day 2 · Aral Sea and Ustyurt
Sunrise over the sea. Drive along the plateau edge to the medieval fortress ruins of Kurgancha-Kala and the chalk cliffs, with time to swim in the salty water in summer. All meals at the camp or as picnics. Overnight in a yurt camp.
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3
Day 3 · Muynak – Nukus
Drive south to Muynak, the former port, to see the ship graveyard and the local museum. On the way back to Nukus, visit the Mizdakhan necropolis and the Gyaur-Kala fortress. Drop-off at your hotel or Nukus airport in the evening.
Cancellation policy
- Cancel at least 720 hours before departure: 100% refund.
- Cancel at least 168 hours before departure: 50% refund.
- Less notice than that, or a no-show: 0% refund.
Full refund up to 30 days before arrival, 50% up to 7 days before, no refund after that.
Times are local Tashkent time (UTC+5).