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.

Best season: May-June and September.
Arrival: Tashkent
Departure: Astana or Almaty (extension)

Request for a detailed itinerary

Day 1. Arrival in Tashkent

Arrive in Tashkent. Transfer to the hotel. Time permitting some sightseeing can be organised. 
Overnight in Tashkent.
Accommodation options: 3-5 stars hotels and B&B

Day 2. Nukus

Fly from Tashkent to Nukus. In Nukus it is really worth seeing Savitsky museum 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 to the Aral Sea

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 in sands,
  • drive through the salty seabed desert
  • spend 2 nights and a full day on the shores of the largest part left from the Aral
  • visit local fishermen on the 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. Nukus - Khiva

Drive by private 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. Khiva

Full day sightseeing in Khiva.
Overnight in Khiva.

Day 8. Tashkent

Drive to the airport (Urgench) and fly to Tashkent.
Overnight in Tashkent.
Accommodation options: 3-5 stars hotels and B&B

Day 9. Tashkent

Full day in Tashkent. In the evening take an overnight train towards the Kazakh part of the Aral Sea. 
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: 2nd class compartments only

Days 10 - 12. Trip to the Aral Sea

Trip to the Kazakh part of the Aral Sea:

  • see tiny local villages almost never visited by foreigners
  • see the town of Aralsk, the “ship cemetery”
  • see local fishermen fishing in the sea and the dam protecting the tiny recovering part of the Aral
  • stay in yurts in a yurt camp

Accommodation options: yurt camp only 

Day 13. Train to Astana

Take a train to Astana, overnight on train.
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: 2nd class compartments only

Day 14. Astana

Arrive in Astana in the morning. It is possible to stay in Astana or depending on the flight schedule fly out of Astana on this day. 
Accommodation options: 3-5 stars hotels and B&B

 

Time permitting it is possible to add some activities in Astana, and/or further on take a train to Almaty and having done some tours and sightseeing there fly out of 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.

Another option is to see the Aral Sea only from the Uzbek side, making a trip Tashkent – Tashkent, and either add sightseeing in Samarkand and Bukhara or not.

Please feel free to contact us and we will design an itinerary that mostly suitable for your needs and preferences.