Desert Yurt Camp Tour: Ancient Sights

16 Ratings

Bukhara

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Embark on a 2-day exploration of ancient sights and natural landscapes in Nurata city. Stay in a desert yurt camp, ride camels, and discover the largest man-made Lake Aydarkul. Experience the local culture and enjoy traditional music around the campfire.

Duration: 2 days

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Bukhara – Nurata City - Yurt Camp

Navoiy Province - Begin the journey from Bukhara at 9:00 AM, traveling through Nurata to reach the yurt camp in the Kyzylkum Desert (Sputnik or Safari Yurt Camp).
During the trip, make a stop in Nurata to explore the remnants of Alexander the Great’s fortress, the sacred spring, and other local attractions….

What's Included

Car with driver (sedan car for up to 3 people)
Lunch
Dinner
Breakfast
Traditional music performance by local bard around the fire
Overnight stay in the Yurt camp (1 night)
Registration
Camel riding around the Yurt camp (20 minutes)
Tea and coffee

What's Not Included

Optional camel riding to Lake Aydarkul (20$ per camel)
Guide service
Camera fee of 15 000 som if you take photos inside the complex

Additional Information

Discover the historical landmarks from the era of Alexander the Great in Nurata city. Experience a stay at the Yurt camp and immerse yourself in the desert scenery by walking through the dunes or enjoying a camel ride. Delight in an evening by the campfire, listening to traditional music performed by a local bard during this 2-day tour to the Yurt camp….

Location

Khoja Nasreddin statue

The meeting point for this tour in Bukhara is at the statue of Khoja Naseriddin near Lyabi Haus Pool. Please look for our driver holding a sign with your tour name. The tour starts at 9 AM however, please arrive at the meeting point 20 minutes prior departure.

Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings

4.3

(16 Ratings)

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Maxim_k

Apr 25, 2026

The best way to spend a night in the desert - We're really grateful for the trip to our guide Ikrom, he was the best man to show you the best sites of Uzbekistan Everyone's hospitality makes you feel at home The night in a yurta is comfortable, not too hot. There is wifi and electricity No one will rush you at any point of the way, the main goal is to make you happy Thanks to everyone of the trip hosts

Review provided by Viator

Kyoi_t

May 17, 2025

It's a tough but fun experience - It was a great guide. The scorching heat of mid-May and the long drive, albeit on a paved road, made the tour fun, thanks to a friendly guide. The guides also told me about history and culture wherever I went in plain English, which gave me a great understanding of Uzbekistan. Thank you for your professional service and hospitality. Thank you for driving the long distance. I fell in love with Uzbekistan. I think I will come to Uzbekistan again.

Review provided by Viator

Melissa_m

Apr 2, 2025

Very good tour for the price! - Vikram was an awesome driver and guide! We truly enjoyed this tour as the highlight of our trip. The star and moon gazing was quite an experience with little to none, light pollution. Everything was really just great! Food was really good! Camp fire, music, singing, camels… loved it! 🥰

Review provided by Viator

Lorenzock1784bk

Jun 5, 2024

Awesome desert tour - We had a great time with our guide Ikrom. Tour started in Bukhara, then visited Nurata with her fortress after a stop at an ancient sardoba. Delicious lunch in a cozy garden and after we reached our yurta camp in the desert, very nice and comfortable. Camel ride before a stunning sunset on the dune right behind our yurta and then a good dinner. Before going to bed a folkloristic entertainment around the fire with live kazak music. Next morning after breakfast we visited a desert village near the camp and then some relax and swimming in the huge Ayadarkul lake, where we also had lunch with fresh fish from the lake. After that we headed to Samarkand to end our trip. Fantastic tour in lonely places far from the crowds, and Ikrom has been an awesome guide and driver to spend some time talking with.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Lorenzo_c

Jun 5, 2024

Review provided by Viator

Olga

May 7, 2024

Yurta tour - It was an amazing tour. Thank you very much to your guide and driver Erkin from Buchara.. It was very funny to have time together ! A great experience!

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Hidekazun2023

Oct 11, 2023

Stayed in Desert - Drived Along and Walked Around - It was miracle to me to visit the nice place and have fun as I had had only a bit time to prepare. Walking in the desert was exciting and relaxing. The night was beautiful and exotic. I really appreciate the tour and the driver. He was really a nice guide to show me a wonderful village and historical places and diligent translator there as well as a good driver.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

K5905qcdanielas

Sep 4, 2023

two days in the desert in a Yurt - We did the nurata-yurt-camp-tour-2days tour, a very nice experience and, despite being organized by a Tour Operator, it was very authentic. Meeting local people, having the chance to see how they live is very interesting. The Uzbek desert is still very little touristy but the structures present give the opportunity to enjoy the excursion. If you decide on a tour to Uzbekistan with this agency, ask for Ikrom, a reliable driver (very important for how they drive in Uzbekistan and for the rough roads you will travel on), friendly and very helpful. Speak a little English, understanding each other won't be a problem. The only thing that is not very Uzbek are the prices, calculated on excursions as if they were in Europe.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Lorenzo_g

Apr 12, 2026

experience all in all nice but definitely overpriced - The yurt camp experience itself is nice, but it's overpriced for what it offers. The part about lunch on the lake was no big deal. Although the guide was indicated in English, our driver did not speak a word of English and could not explain anything we saw on the way, such as stopping at the ruins of Alexander the Great. The free camel ride was quicker than the description of the activities suggested. Good dinner.

Review provided by Viator

Graceken

Apr 14, 2026

Truly disappointed - The experience fell far short of my expectations. Our first destination was the ruins of Alexander the Great’s fortress. However, the area had not been preserved, and there was little left to see. We then proceeded to the second destination, Lake Aydarkul. It’s a huge lake in a remote area. By the shore there was only a restaurant (there was even no paved road to access to the restaurant) , but it was located a bit far from the lake. We had lunch there, and the only option for lunch was fish. Salad was delicious, but beverages were not included. We took a few photos by the lake and then continued headed to the yurt camp. The yurt camp was truly disappointing. We were assigned a yurt for two, maximum capacity was 4. There was no air conditioning, no windows, and no independent bathroom inside. The floor was just covered with carpet. Lighting was insufficient. The campsite only provided public toilets (a total of four cubicles for both men and women in the camp site) and two public shower cubicles. I don’t think that’s sufficient for a campsite that can accommodate up to 100 people. Luckily, we visited in April, so air conditioning wasn’t really necessary. However, I didn’t see anyone taking a shower. The only place we had no complaints about was the dining area, which was nicely furnished, comfortable, well-lit, and air-conditioned. Another big complaint was the odor inside the yurt, which truly disappointed us. The campfire party was simple and lasted only 30 minutes. We declined the camel ride because was were invited even it was raining. Even though the weather cleared up the next day, there was no compensation for the camel ride, so we didn’t see the dunes. Overall the experience was disappointing as I think it was not what we should received after we paid the price for not cheap. The experience was totally not comparable to the similar one we had in the Sahara last year. This tour is not recommended!

Review provided by Viator

Check Availability

From $206

up to 4 guests

1 - Adult