Overview
Available languages
14 hours
Mobile ticket
It is an unique opportunity to discover Karakalpak culture, tragedy of Aral Sea, desert environment and more. Indeed, Savitsky museum gives you the spirit of life during the Soviet Union time. Muynak ship cemetery is a real life evidence to the ecological and climatic changes in the Muynak which used to be one of the largest port city in 1960`s.
Additional Info
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Disclaimer: transportation time is included in the total duration
Minimum age is 5 for this tour
What To Expect
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. Originally the tower had a 20-meter stair with steps cut right in the hill. From the base of the tower there was a passage leading to the river. Around the tower and inside it there were found ossuaries of clay and stone, some of them are displayed today in the museums of Nukus and Tashkent.
State Museum of Art named after I.V. Savitsky
Savitsky Art Museum in Nukus, capital of Uzbekistan’s semiautonomous Karakalpakstan Region, is one of the most extraordinary tourist destinations in the world. The museum’s formation is inextricably linked with the activities of the Khorezm Archaeological - Ethnographic Expedition, which in the 20th century excavated swathes of land in neighboring Turkmenistan and in Uzbekistan’s ancient Khorezm and Karakalpakstan regions. The head of the expedition, world-renowned scientist Sergei Tolstov, referred to the region’s majestic fortresses and monuments as "Central Asia’s Egypt." Savitsky was a member of this expedition. He began conducting independent studies, during which he collected applied folk art created by local artists.
Options
Private Daytrip to Muynak and Nukus
Pickup included
What‘s Included
Private transportation
Hotel pick up and drop off
Audio-guide materials for the trip
Air-conditioned vehicle
Lunch
Dinner
Savitsky Museum fee (USD 7/person); Muynak Museum fee (USD 3/person)
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
9 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
ex-Aral Sea , port city - Muynak
dilmurodt845,Dec 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00we had fantastic time to travel to ex-Aral Sea port city - Muynak and Nukus. Despite cold weather, driver did this journey smooth and convenient
An interesting alternative to those that dislike large organized tours
R4739TNdavidm,Jun 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We fancied doing this trip based on watching numerous videos about Uzbekistan and wanting to see something different as we are not fans of big groups tours. Olimjon from Oxus Travel got in touch a day or so before the tip to arrange a meet at our hotel to provide a briefing and answer any questions that we may have - He also messaged over via Whatsapp some voice recordings and links to the relevent parts of the trip. The driver, Nodirbek (Nodir) was polite and helpful - we managed to communicate with a mixture of Russian and English and the car, although small (a locally made Chevrolet Cobalt), was clean and well maintained with seatbelts in the back. This is a long day leaving at 0600hrs and coming back to our hotel in Khiva round 2000hrs although given the itiniery and distance (nearly 500 miles) it wasn't unreasonable. We were most interested in the Savitsky gallery at Nukus and the 'harbour' at Muynak but thought that Chilpik Dakhma, also known as Chilpik Kala, the ancient Zoroastrian Tower of Silence and Mizdakhan Necropolis were also worth visiting. Overall a great day out. Interesting to note that outside of major cities there is little in the way of petrol (gasoline) so the cars use LPG (gas) so every now and then you would pull up at at filling station and all passengers have to get out whilst the car is fuelled and you get back in on the way out.
A Long, But Awesome, Day!
Judybat26,Apr 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We really enjoyed this off-the-beaten path adventure. Olimjon was easily to schedule with in advance and very responsive to our questions. Our driver, Jolon, kept us safe! I am so delighted to have visited the Savitsky Museum. The building is absolutely gorgeous, as is the art, of course. I would go back again and again if I could! We also really enjoyed the Aral Sea. A sad situation that deserves attention. A great trip despite the many hours in the car! So glad we did it.
Great experience with Oxus Travel
claudet776,Apr 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I booked a Muynak and Nukus daytrip with Oxus. Despite the fact that I contacted the manager only 12 hours in advance, he was able to organize everything to my perfect satisfaction. Furthermore, the manager was able to get me a railway ticket for my return trip to Tashkent, though there was no availability from Khiva and Urgench. He found a ticket from a small train station nearby and even organized the transportation to the small station. His prices for both transactions were the best I could find online. The drivers were friendly and reliable. The manager and his drivers were absolutely honest and I can strongly recommend Oxus. Thanks a lot.
Fantastic tour and an amazing team! 10/10
christopherlJ7998KO,Oct 23, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I highly recommend Oxus Travel! I arranged this tour the day before, and they were very professional and accommodating of the last minute booking. I generally travel solo and the audio guide materials that Olimjon shared ahead of my tour helped me appreciate the sights even more.
My trip went so easy and smooth
alisherk511,Oct 6, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The trip was amazing! Everything was perfectly organized by Olimjan, from the transport to the meals. It was a fantastic day with the Oxus Travel, so memorable! Highly recommend other visitors to use their service! Thanks a bunch!
Interesting day but bit expensive
Tissa010,Aug 25, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00We did a tour to Muynak, which was a very long day but in the end worth it as the destination is quite unique. If you book a tour with Oxus, essentially you are only booking a car + driver. The owner does provide some “audio guide” which is not more than short spoken whatsapp messages and some youtube videos. The driver did nor speak any english but was friendly, safe and very punctual. I think the price they ask is a bit steep compared to other companies. The location for lunch was not very good. We did not like the food, not to mention the hygiene.
Highly recommended guide!
T7978FYbrunos,Aug 15, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We did our tour in may 2023, but back then Oli did not have this Tripadvisor page. That said, I wanted to vouch for him here, because Oli is a very kind, professional and knowledgeable guide. We very much enjoyed our tour and we highly recommend his services. My wife was pregnant when we did the tour and he was very accommodating to our requests, specially regarding toilet stops. Also, Oli was quite invested in making sure we would enjoy every moment of our visit. We had a memorable experience visiting Karakalpakstan!
Related Experiences
Operated by Oxus Travel