Private Tour

Aral Sea Adventures (2 day)

Overview

Available languages

English

48 hours

Mobile ticket

Two cars (one sedan and one 4x4) will serve during this round trip to Aral Sea shore. Total, around 1`000 kms will be driven in two days. Six important touristic destinations will be visited (Aral Sea shore, Ustyurt Canyons, Muynak ship cemetery, Muynak museum, Savitsky museum and Chilpik kala fortress). Experienced drivers drive smoothly in the desert conditions. Key visitable areas are included while the tour can start or finish in Khiva, Urgench or Nukus cities, upon the desire of the visitor. Customers benefit from immersive cultural experience in Karakalpakstan, insider knowledge to Aral Sea region, and memorable encounters with local traditions in western part of Uzbekistan.

Additional Info

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Minimum age is 15 for this tour

Disclaimer: transportation time is included in the total duration

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Private transportation

Hotel pick up and drop off

Air-conditioned vehicle

Audio guide materials

Lunch

Dinner

Savitsky museum (Nukus) entrance ticket is USD 7/person

Aral Sea Museum (in Muynak) - entrance ticket is USD 3/person

Accommodation at yurt camp - USD 40 per person that offers dinner and breakfast

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Ancient Khiva

Mashal 128 Khiva Uzbekistan

Deshon Qala Guest House

Khorezm Street 69a Khiva Uzbekistan

Zarafshon Boutique Hotel

Pakhlavon Mahmud 60 Khiva Uzbekistan

Khiva Boyjon Ota

Zargarlar 51a Khiva Uzbekistan

Hotel Sarbon Khiva

Gazchi Khiva Uzbekistan

What To Expect

Day 1

Chilpik - Savitsky museum - Aral Sea

The age of this Zoroastrian ancient monument - dakhma Chilpyk (Shylpyk, Chilpak Kala) is more than 2200 years. Chilpyk is a round roofless tower, 15 meters high and 65 meters in diameter, built at the top of the rounded natural hill, 43 km away from Nukus. The Zoroastrians used it for burial of the dead. The remains of the deceased were thrown in the tower to the birds of prey. Later the bones were collected in earthenware vessels-ossuaries and dug into the ground. This way of disposal was connected with the Zoroastrian philosophy, which prohibited defiling the land with corrupted bodies.

30 minutes • Admission Not Included

State Museum of Art named after I.V. Savitsky

The Nukus Museum of Art, or more properly the State Museum of Arts of the Republic of Karakalpakstan named after I.V. Savitsky, is located in Nukus, Karakalpakstan. It possesses the world’s second largest collection of Russian avant-garde artworks, as well as galleries of antiquities and Karakalpak folk art. The State Museum of Arts of Karakalpakstan was founded in 1966 at the initiative of Moscow artist Igor Vitalievich Savitsky (1915-1984). The museum holds the largest art collection in Central Asia, and its approximately 100,000 items provide chronological coverage of more than four millennia.

1 hour • Admission Not Included

Day 2

Muynak ship cemetery - Mizdakhan

The Regional History and Aral Sea Museum

The Muynak Regional Studies Museum also known as Ecological Museum of Muynak can be called one of the most unique museums in Uzbekistan. This museum, modest by metropolitan standards, with less than two hundred exhibits, tells the visitors a tragic story of the bygone era, when things were humming in this region and the Aral Sea was so large and affluent that it was called as sea. The museum of the Aral Sea has collected paintings of Soviet artists, old photographs, specimens of flora and fauna, canned goods, produced by the local cannery, household items and articles of arts and crafts of the peoples who lived on the Aral Sea shores, and other artifacts to form a single picture of the past and present of the Aral Sea as a whole.

30 minutes • Admission Not Included

Ships Cemetery

Muynak (Moynoq, in Uzbek Latin, Mojnak in Karakalpak) was once the largest port on the Aral, a finger of coast where a significant part of the Aral catch was processed and canned. In 1921 as the Volga region suffered a terrible famine, Lenin appealed to the Aral fleet for help and within days 21,000 tonnes of fish had been dispatched, saving thousands of Russian lives. Today it is a nightmarish town of stagnant, corrosive pools and deserted factories, the victim of a Soviet crusade to overcome nature. Not a single fish can survive in the sea, 10,000 fishermen have lost their jobs and the port of Muynak has lost its ratson d'etre. The only reason to visit it is a macabre one; to witness the death throes of the sea and the dramatic sight of dozens of deserted fishing boats rusted at their moorings, submerged in sand, riding the crest of a sand dune, 160 kilometres from the shoreline. Many of the ships have been sold off for scrap in recent years so you might have to hunt around

1 hour • Admission Not Applicable

Mizdakhan Necropolis

Mizdakhan necropolis, ancient cemetery, located next to the remains of the Gyaur-Kala fortress, is one of the oldest and most visited pilgrimage sites of Karakalpakstan. The fortress received its name during the Arab conquest, and means “a fortress of disbelievers”, as scientists found that the inhabitants of the fortress used to be Zoroastrians before the Arab conquest. Mizdakhan arose near the city of the fire-worshipers in around II-IV centuries BC, then it turned into one of the most revered Muslim shrines of Central Asia. The name of the city of Khojali, located on the bank of the Amudarya near the capital of Karakalpakstan - Nukus, means "the land of pilgrims". Necropolis of Mizdakhan (IV century BC - XIV century AD) is a huge complex of age-diverse antiquities and includes one of the most ancient cemeteries in Central Asia.

30 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

Options

Aral Sea Adventures (2 day)

Pickup included

Reviews

4.93

29 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Chiva and Aral sea
michaeladC5286LA,
Nov 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Olimjon was our guide in Chiva and it was wonderful. We really enjoy the tour with him around Chiva's monuments. With his agency we took 2days trip to Aral sea with amazing night in yurta. He also checked us via message if everything was ok during the trip and sent us more info about Aral sea. Really recommend him and his travel agency once you are in Chiva or Aral sea Greeting from Czech republic :)
Visit Aral Sea!
borisw286,
Sep 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
*English below* I can only recommend this tour to the extremely efficient and comprehensive organization that combines museums and nature. Omiljon is extremely responsive, friendly, attentive, meets you personally to train before the start of the tour and answers all your questions with expertise. I loved this experience from start to finish since I left Khiva on my return to Ourgentch. This road trip takes you through the region of Karakalpakstan that really stands out from the rest of Uzbekistan to the end of the world with absolutely stunning scenery in an extremely comfortable yurt camp given the level of geographical isolation. If you want to end and/or complete your trip to Uzbekistan with an adventure in nature, visit the Aral Sea! The time spent by car is long, Omiljon is not with you and the price includes only transportation (you have to pay for museums, food and accommodation is about $60 in all) but this unique experience is absolutely worth it! * I can only recommend this extermely well organized and exhaustive tour that cumulates museums and nature. Omiljin is extremely responsive, sympathetic, attentive, meets you personally to coach you before the beginning of the tour and answers all your questions with expertise. I love this experience from beginning to end since my pick up in Khiva and my return in Urgench. This car trip takes you through the region of Karakalpakstan that feels apart from the rest of Uzbekistan until the end of the world with magnificent landscapes in an incredibly comfortable yurt camp considering the level of geographical isolation. If you wish to finish and/or complete your trip in Uzbekistan with an adventure in nature, go see the Aral Sea! The time spent in the car is long, Omiljon is not with you and the price only includes transportation (you still have yo pay the museum, food and housing so about $60 in total) but this once-in-a-lifetime experience is absolutely worth it!
An amazing and comfortable way to see the wonders of Karakalpakstan
Quest63764428675,
Sep 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Welcoming and efficient drivers and comfortable cars with water provided. Food was all delicious and plentiful - hosts were very friendly at the cafes en route and at the yurt camp. Very well run campsite at the Aral Sea shore and unforgettable views along the way. Highly recommend to anyone looking to see a part of Uzbekistan that is a little more wild that the well-trodden Silk Road route!
Aral Sea to fall in love with
D8360QApeterb,
Sep 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
An exceptional tour with excellent support. We were even helped with a tyre breakdown that had nothing to do with this trip. The Aral Sea where you can sit because of the high salt content, the starry sky and the yurt overnight. The drive through the desert. Absolutely worth his money.
Great Aral Sea Experience
Curiosity04158881542,
Aug 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We had an amazing two-day trip to the Aral Sea organized by Omijon. From the very beginning, communication with him was smooth and easy—he was always available to answer any questions and provided all the necessary information clearly and in detail, including the itinerary and costs. What we really appreciated was his flexibility in adjusting the trip to suit our preferences, making the whole experience feel very personalized. Omijon even met with us a day before the trip to walk us through what to expect and address any last-minute questions, which made us feel very well prepared. The itinerary was excellently arranged, allowing us to learn a lot about the region’s history, culture, and current situation. It was a memorable and enriching experience, and we highly recommend Omijon to anyone planning to explore the Aral Sea.
Amazing 2D/1N tour to Aral sea
Japan fr,
Jun 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Everything is well organized. A briefing with Olimjon the day before allows us to fully understand the trip's schedule and answer to our question. Olimjon really takes care of our concerns. The drivers are very nice, we managed to communicate with the 1st one and the 2nd one is more succinct and able to give the name of each spot. We recommend the experience of the desert but be prepared that the road is very bumpy and quite long days of driving. —————— Unforgettable experience in the Aral Sea desert. Lunar landscape. We recommend Olimjon who is the tour organizer. He speaks very good English and is very welcoming. He came to meet us at our hotel to give us a briefing the day before departure, and allows us to ask him any questions. He's really caring. Both drivers are really adorable. During this tour, both drivers are with us. The 1st stays in Muynzak to pick us up the next day and the 2nd slept at the yurt camp. ————— 我們推薦這次鹹海之旅。體驗大自然
Immersive Aral Sea experience
526madeleinev,
Jun 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Very short trip considering the distances covered. However it covers the main highlights and gives you the chance to see what is left of the Aral Sea and experience the environmental impacts. Well organised and informative trip that had plenty of stops to see the highlights.
Convenient way to see Aral Sea from Khiva
andrewlW4465EH,
May 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This tour is a great option if you are short on time and want to see the Aral Sea from Khiva. The days are long and there is lots of driving, but that is a given due to the distances involved. You do make interesting stops in the Karakalpakstan region along the way (I particularly enjoyed the Savitsky museum, Chilpik Kala, Muynaq ship graveyard, and Ustyurt Canyon), and the off-road drive to and on the Ustyurt plateau was beautiful. The yurt camp on the Aral Sea was rustic but sufficient for one night. The Aral Sea and surrounding area was scenic and I was glad I made the effort to see it. Olimjon did a great job organizing the logistics, briefing me on what to expect, and keeping in contact with the driver and me during the tour to ensure everything was going okay. He even provided some extra assistance after the tour ended. Anyone who wants to find good ecotourism experiences in the region should seek him out.
Great trip to the Aral Sea
Nomad29012204409,
Apr 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
The care by Olimjon was great, the evening before we got a small city tour in Khiva and explained the course of the trip. It all worked out great, the drivers (first normal car, then SUV) were very reliable and drove the difficult roads very safely. The yurt camp was simple and totally cozy and wonderfully quiet. The reception was very friendly.
Very enjoyable trip!
Nastasja87,
Mar 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We went on the 2 day tour to the Aral sea. Even though the weather was not the best, we had a great time during the trip. All visited sites were exciting and Olimjon provided us with interesting audio materials. Sleeping in the yurt was very comfortable! Special thanks to the drivers - Jalol, who drove us to Muynak and back and was always extremely polite and Arman, who drove us in the off-road car in the muddy conditions- we extremely enjoyed the drive and the music:) Would definitely recommend!