Photo Tour to Aral Sea from Khiva or Nukus

Overview

Day by day itinerary

1. 1Nukus - Muynak Ship Grave yard - Ustyurt Plateau – Aral Sea⌄

   08:30 – Departure from Nukus. Your adventure begins as we drive toward Muynak, once a bustling port on the Aral Sea. 11:30 – Visit the Ship Cemetery, a haunting reminder of the sea’s past glory, and the Muynak State Museum of Local Lore, dedicated to the story of the Aral Sea. Here, you’ll also watch a short documentary about the sea’s history and the life of Muynak’s people. 13:00 – Lunch at a cozy local guesthouse with traditional Karakalpak dishes. 14:00 – Continue the journey across the dried bottom of the Aral Sea towards the Ustyurt Plateau. Along the way, enjoy photo stops at breathtaking landscapes and ancient nomadic cemeteries. 17:00 – Arrive at the Aral Sea shore, where you can walk along the beach or even swim (seasonally). 18:00 – Dinner and overnight at a comfortable yurt camp on the shore of the Aral Sea. Enjoy a traditional meal and an evening under the starry desert sky.

   Meals: Lunch: Lunch at a cozy local guesthouse with traditional Karakalpak dishes. · Dinner: Dinner in a traditional setting by the Aral Sea

   Overnight: Yurt Camp

2. 2Aral Sea – Sudochie Lake – Kungrad – Mizdakhan – Nukus⌄

   05:00–07:00 – Early wake-up to witness the magical sunrise over the Aral Sea — an unforgettable moment. 07:00–08:00 – Breakfast at the camp and preparation for departure. 08:00 – Begin the return journey, taking a different route through ancient Silk Road sites. Visit Kurgancha-Kala (12th–14th centuries), a former trading post on the Great Silk Road. 10:30 – Stop at Kubla-Ustyurt, a small Soviet-era village. Take photos at the unique old airstrip and learn about local life in the past. 12:00 – Visit the old lighthouse and descend to the abandoned fishing village of Urga, near Lake Sudochie – a paradise for migratory birds like flamingos, pelicans, and swans. 14:30 – Lunch at a local café in Kungrad. 16:00 – Explore the Mizdakhan Necropolis, an ancient and sacred complex with beautiful mausoleums and Giaur-Kala, a Zoroastrian fortress from the 4th–3rd centuries BC. 17:30 – Drive back to Nukus, where the tour concludes.

   Meals: Breakfast: Breakfast in Yurt Camp · Lunch: Lunch at the local Cafa