Tour 7: Visit of Aral Sea and Nukus
Duration: 6 days
In short: Tashkent – Nukus – Kungrat – Sudochye – Aral Sea – Muinak – Nukus – Tashkent – Ayaz Qala – Tuprak Qala – Khiva – Tashkent
Day 1: Tashkent – Nukus
Today you will visit both old and modern parts of Tashkent during your travel in Uzbekistan. You will have a stroll in the two main squares of modern city. Independence square and Amir Timur square are connected with a walking street between them known as the local Broadway. Then you will take a rise in the most beautiful metro in the world, decorated with orient mosaic and colorful ornaments. Very few historical buildings, mosques and mausoleums remained from old Tashkent. You will visit one of the largest and oldest bazaars in Central Asia. Chorsu Bazaar under seven huge domes is covered with colored glazed ceramic tiles, there are the pavilions in bazaar, which abound with many fruits and vegetables. Not far from the market you will discover Kukaldash Madrasah and Hast Imam complex. The Holy book – Othman Quran which is kept in one of the buildings of the complex is the special value for believers. You will catch an evening flight to Nukus. Night is in a hotel.
Day 2: Nukus – Kungrat – Sudochye – Aral Sea
Today you will have a 9 hours’ drive to Aral Sea along Nukus, Kungrad, Ustyurt Plato and Sudochye Lake famous in Uzbekistan. On the way we you will stop over Gaur-Kala Fortress. It was built around the fourth century B.C. The walls of the fortress exceeds up to ten meters, surrounded by several citadels that have survived to this day. Today it is hard to recognize what kind of buildings they were. You will arrive to Aral Sea before the evening time. You will have some free time to explore the surroundings while driver will be setting the camp. Your dinner will be under the open sky. Overnight is in tents.
Day 3: Aral Sea – Muinak – Nukus – Tashkent
In the morning you will visit picturesque canyons of Ustyurt and travel through the dried bottom of the sea. The plateau consists of a monotonous desert which provides meagre pasture for camels and sheep. The town of Muynak once was the largest Karakalpakstan’s port and center of fishery. Today people arrive to see the cemetery of ships – corroded iron bulks amid the Aralkum desert, a new desert that has formed on the bottom of the former Aral Sea. Upon arrival to Nukus you will catch a flight to Tashkent. Overnight is at the hotel.
Day 4: Tashkent – Ayaz Qala – Tuprak Qala – Khiva
Today we will drive to Khiva. It is one of old cities of ancient Khorezm, the pearl of eastern middle age architecture in Uzbekistan. Khiva lies 25 kilometers south of present-day Urgench. According to archeological evidence Khiva was founded in the 5th or 4th centuries B.C. As the first major structures were built, the city became known as trading post on the Silk Road. On the way you will visit the desert castles of ancient Khorezm, Ayaz Qala and Turpak Qala. The fortresses were part of a series of forts at the edge of the Kizilkum Desert, which provided defence against raids by nomads. Ayaz Qala is named on the honor of legendary hero Ayaz. Toprak Qala is excavated town dating back to 1st to 5th centuries CE. It is considered as the most i mportant monument of Khorezm from Kushan time. Because of continuous wars the city was left without any signs of life.
Day 5: Khiva – Tashkent
Today you will have a sightseeing tour inside the historic inner city of Khiva, surrounded by powerful walls. It contains some of the best-preserved examples of Islamic architecture in Central Asia such as Kunya-Ark fortress found by Muhammad Arang Khan, Kalta Minor minaret and Tash Khouvli palace, an incredible example of Khorezm architectural mastership. Ichan-Qala is the pearl of the Khorezm oasis, consisting of more than 400 traditional dwelling houses and about 60 architectural monuments. It encloses buildings that date from the 12th century, but most of its palace buildings, mosques, madrasahs, mausoleums, and other structures date from 1780–1850. The city was marked as historical and architectural conservation area in 1969. Night is in a hotel.
Day 6: Tashkent – Flight
Transfer to the airport.
Price per person:
02 pax – 830 $
04 pax – 680 $
06 pax – 610 $
08 pax – 575 $
10 pax – 555 $
Single – 70 $
Early check-in – 35 $
Single early check-in – 55 $
*Half board – 40 $
*Full board – 65 $
*Entrance fees – 45 $ available with escort guide only
English speaking guide – local 130 $ or escort 370 $ per group
Flight tickets Urgench – Tashkent – from 80 $ per person
Flight tickets Tashkent – Nukus – from 80 $ per person
Service includes:
- Driver with a car
- Hotels and Tent camp:
Nukus – “Jipek Joli” Hotel 3*
Aral Sea – “Tents”
Khiva – “Old Khiva” Hotel 3*
Tashkent – “Tourist Inn” Hotel 3*
- Bottled water during the tour
Service does not include:
- Visa
- Full board
- Travel insurance
- Guide with competence of English language
- Entrance fees to all museums
- Flight tickets Tashkent – Nukus
- Flight tickets Urgench – Tashkent
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