This itinerary can be easily adjusted to your needs and preferences.
Please note that accommodation possibilities around the Aral Sea are limited to local living conditions. This is partly an expedition trip, sometimes we will be driving 4WD vehicles, the roads may not be always comfortable, some overnights are supposed in tents and yurts without facilities.
On the way to Aral we will see ancient Asian citadels and beautiful cities as well as small villages, partly abandoned former sea ports. Some of the places are almost never visited by foreigners.
The best season for the trip is May-June and September.
Please have a look at the itinerary sketch below and feel free to contact us for a more detailed offer:
Day 1
Arrive in Tashkent.
Overnight in Tashkent.
Accommodation options: any from B&B to 5 stars hotels
Day 2
Fly to Nukus. A possibility to see Savitsky museum in Nukus with unique collection of Russian avant-guard paintings of the 20th century.
Overnight in Nukus.
Accommodation options: 2-3 stars hotels
Days 3-5
Trip with 4WD vehicles to the largest part left from of Aral Sea
– visit Muynak town, a former large seaport on Aral,
– see the “cemetery of ships” lost sands,
– drive through the salty seabed desert
– spend 2 nights and a full day on the shores of largest part left from the Aral
– visit local fisherman on Sudachie lakes and taste local fish (if available)
The overnights on the shore of the sea are in tents (camping).
Accommodation options: only camping
Day 6
Drive by bus from Nukus to Khiva with stops to see the remains of ancient citadels Toprak-Kala (dating back to the 1st century AD) and Ayaz-Kala (1st century AD).
Overnight in Khiva.
Accommodation options: 3-4 stars hotel or B&B
Day 7
A full day sightseeing in Khiva.
Overnight in Khiva.
Accommodation options: 3-4 starts hotel or B&B
Day 8
Drive to the airport (Urgench) and fly to Tashkent.
Overnight in Tashkent.
Accommodation options: from B&B to 5 stars hotels.
Day 9
Full day in Tashkent
Take and overnight train towards the Kazakh part of the Aral
Overnight on train: 2nd class, compartments for 4 people, 2 upper and 2 lower berths. They can be bought as compartments for 2 people (double price)
Accommodation options: only 2nd class compartments for 4 people
Days 10-12
Trip to the Kazakh part of the Aral sea
– see the tiny local villages almost never visited by foreigners
– see the town of Aralsk, the “ship cemetery”
– see the local fisherman fishing in the sea and the dam protecting the tiny recovering part of Aral
– stay in yurts in a yurt camp
Accommodation options: only yourt camp
Day 13
Take train to Astana, overnight on train.
Accommodation options: only 2nd class compartments for 4 people (2 upper and 2 lower berths). They can be bought as compartments for 2 people (double price)
Day 14
Fly out Astana
If staying longer in Astana Accommodation options: 3-5 star hotels
Request detailed itnierary (ссылка mailto:…@..)
Time permitting it is possible to add some activities in Astana, and/or further on take a train to Almaty and having some tours there fly out Almaty.
Adding about 5-7 days between Khiva and Tashkent after the trip to Aral Sea (between days 8 and 9) will allow adding some activities and sightseeing in Samarkand and Bukhara.
It is also possible to visit the Aral Sea only from Uzbek side, making a trip Tashkent – Tashkent, and either adding or not Samarkand and Bukhara.