Private Daytrip to 3 Ancient Fortresses of Khorezm
Overview
Available languages
6 hours
Mobile ticket
Venture into the storied landscapes of Khorezm on a private day trip to its ancient fortresses. Discover the historical significance of sites like Toprak Kala and Ayaz-Kala, each narrating the tales of bygone eras. Enjoy the flexibility of private transportation with hotel pickup and drop-off, ensuring a comfortable experience. This tour is perfect for history enthusiasts, offering audio-guide materials to enrich your visit. With a moderate physical fitness level required, prepare to explore these remarkable ruins over approximately 6 hours, including a lunch stop at a local restaurant.
- Private transportation with hotel pickup and drop-off
- Explore ancient fortresses like Toprak Kala, Kyzyl kala and Ayaz-Kala
- Audio-guide materials to enhance your historical exploration
- Full-day tour lasting approximately 6 hours, including lunch stop
Additional Info
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
What To Expect
Fortress Toprak Kala
Toprak Kala is dated in the Kushan period, around the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE and was the royal residence of the kings of the Khorezm. The place, having first served as a Royal sanctuary, was briefly abandoned in the early 4th century and then after some restorations, was used as an administrative citadel for the city.
Ayaz-Kala
Ayaz Kala is the one of the most spectacular fortresses in the area. There are in fact, not one but three fortresses clustered together on and around a prominent hill at the Eastern end of the Sultan-Uiz-dahg range. The fortress provided defense against nomad raids. A gravel road leads up to a small cluster of Yurts, a tourist rest center overlooking a shallow but picturesque lake. It was probable founded in the Afrighid period, sometime around the 7th to 8th Centuries CE… There is a lake – Akchakul Lake between Toprak and Ayaz Kala. There are also Yurt camps and restaurants next to the lake where you can enjoy local meals and drinks. In summer time it is possible to enjoy swimming and sand bath in Akchakul Lake.
Options
Private Daytrip to 3 Ancient Fortresses of Khorezm
Pickup included
What‘s Included
Private transportation
Hotel pick up and drop off
audio-guide materials
Air-conditioned vehicle
Lunch
Two fortress has small entrance fee (paid on site)
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
Urgench Airport
Urgench Uzbekistan
Khiva Boyjon Ota
Zargarlar 51a Khiva Uzbekistan
Hotel Sarbon Khiva
Gazchi Khiva Uzbekistan
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
3 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
The Fortresses of Karakalpakstan
639eziob,May 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Visit booked from Italy, we were reached at the hotel well in advance and demonstration of professionalism. Olimjon, our guide, entertained us with great attention both about the 3 sites visited, and answering countless questions about local customs and traditions. The thing that struck me most about the 3 fortresses is the dating (between the 2nd century BC and the 4th century AD). Neat, non-invasive, organized (even provided short audio on the sites the day before via wa), recommended us for a short, quaint and cheap lunch. Specifically, being a group of 14 friends, and having the need to reach our next city to visit (Bukhara), we agreed to continue the transfer on the vehicle made available to us with driver, avoiding having to provide otherwise. Fluent and comprehensible English (he also speaks French - he studied in Geneva), he has proved efficient and professional. Thank you Olimjon!
I'm glad I joined 😊
Fearless03506270826,May 5, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Now that I'm here in Khiva, I want to see more than Ichan Kara! & want to know more about Uzbekistan! So I took a personal tour of three fortresses. The Japanese audio guide for this tour was very helpful for me as I have concerns about my English proficiency. I think it's rare to have a tour with a Japanese audio guide. I felt the desire of OXUS Travel to let various participants know more. Mr. Alim, the guide and driver, was very considerate throughout and had a lot of knowledge as a professional guide. During the tour, he talked about the ruins as well as various stories about Uzbekistan such as economy, culture and life, choosing easy-to-understand words slowly according to his English ability. The ruins were more impressive than I had imagined, and I was glad I came to see them from the bottom of my heart. The huge ruins that appear in the wilderness stir your imagination. I enjoyed it enough because they gave me time to look around at their own pace with a reasonable amount of time at each site. At a restaurant we stopped by after a tour of the ruins, we chewed freshly fried fish in the pleasant breeze on a porch in front of the garden. It was a good memory along with the tour of the ruins. (Lunch is optional and not included in the tour price, but it was reasonable) It was a tour that I decided to join in haste, but unexpectedly, my trip to Uzbekistan was many times more fulfilling. Alim-san Thank You!! I would definitely recommend it to those who are thinking that since they came to Khiva, it is something plus with Ichan Kala.
Thank you so much for the tour!
R5834NQ ,Mar 20, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00In addition to the airport transfer, they offered a tour of three historical sites! The guides were very friendly and supported us a lot to make our tour better 🥹 They also provided us with an audio guide in Japanese so we could learn more about the history of Khiva. Overall, we were very happy and felt that we wanted as many people as possible to experience this tour 😆 Thank you so much for the tour!
Related Experiences
Operated by Oxus Travel