Aral Sea Journey: Khiva's Desert Wonders

Explore the haunting Muynak Aral Sea, ancient Mizdakhan complex, and mysterious Chilpik Dakhma Kala on a thrilling day trip from Khiva.

Duration: 12 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Chilpik Dakhma/Kala - The Chilpik Dakhma Fortress is an ancient Zoroastrian stronghold situated on a hill. Known as the “Tower of Silence,” it provides sweeping views of the surrounding desert and offers insight into the ancient spiritual practices of Central Asia.
  • Ships Cemetery - The Aral Sea Cemetery of Ships presents breathtaking…
What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
  • Entrance fees
  • guide not included
  • Entrance fees
Additional Information

Embark on an unforgettable day trip from Khiva to the Aral Sea, where stunning landscapes and historical marvels await. This exceptional journey leads you to the eerie Cemetery of Ships, a poignant reminder of the once-flourishing Aral Sea, now a desert with abandoned vessels as its silent witnesses.
Along the way, discover the Chilpik Dakhma Fortress,…

Location
Chilpik Dakhma/Kala
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.8
(14 Ratings)
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1 star
Anatoleb22
Aug 6, 2025
Beautiful excursion - Great experience thanks to our driver Sasha, everything was perfect! The day went according to plan, respecting schedules and conviviality was on the program
Review provided by Tripadvisor
484pattil
Jul 20, 2025
Long, but great day! 😊 - I had a great day with Islam! He texted me a few days prior the trip to check if there are any questions and to confirm the trip. This gave me already a good feeling that I booked a trustful company. He picked me up at 6am at my hotel in Khiva and was there already prior that time, that was great! On the way to Mo'ynaq we stopped for 20min at a huge and impressive cemetery. Great to see. Then we continued our, in total about 6hour (400km) drive to Moy'nak. We went for lunch in a good restaurant (not a tourist -spot) in Mo'ynaq and from there it was just 5mins to the Shipwrecks cemetery. Since it's off-season now only the maximum of 2 other tourists were at the cemetery -which was incredible! Islam dropped me off there for one and a half hour, which was a perfect time to explore the area and Shipwrecks and to take enough pictures. After that we met at the museum. The film was great. From there we started our way back to Khiva. Around Nukus we stopped at a "fortress" and the view here is incredible. You can definitely feel that there is something special about that place! We arrived in Khiva at around 8:15pm. The drive is looong but the roads are good. Just one part is s bit bumpy. Islam is a really good and carefully driver. And he can tell you a lot about Uzbekistan, the culture, traffic and the different regions. I learned a lot! 😊 And his English is really really good. It was a long day but definitely worth it! So definitely a recommendation here! Tipps: bring some water and snacks with you but there a several stops where you can buy cold drinks and snacks. Bring appropriate (respectful) clothes with you for the cemetery. For the Shipwrecks and the fortress bring Sneakers with you, but no need for hiking boots.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Inspire42394000575
Jun 6, 2025
Nice Daytrip all in one - Daytrip was great !!! we recomend to go. around 25 km road is bumpy. in Miynak lunch was perfect . Chilpik Dakhma also big one tower
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kirby
May 20, 2025
Long day. Morat great driver. - Morat was my driver. He really kept the day moving and was a very pleasant person with whom to spend a day in the car. Morat 👍! It is a LOT of driving time but worth it if you really want to see and understand the environmental disaster of the Aral Sea.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chloé
Apr 12, 2025
Very nice expérience - On time, very nice driver ! The road was long, but it was a good expérience. The driver took me in front of my hostel. Thank you for your kindness 🫶
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Deepak8h
Apr 4, 2025
Great experience! - We had an amazing experience. The driver was very patient and drove very carefully over the bad stretch after Nukus. He also suggested a nice local place for dinner where we enjoyed the hospitality of the locals. A 5-star experience for sure.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nate_r_29
Mar 25, 2025
Well worth the time - Poulek did a great job, he was accommodating and considerate. The recent rain likely made road conditions much worse than normal. Seeing the Aral Sea remnants and ship graveyard made the total 800km and 14 hours worth it. Absolutely mesmerizing. Poulek had some water and neck pillows available for us and would pull over when there were unique opportunities for photos. Thanks for getting us around safely!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tim_t
Mar 6, 2025
Great way to see the Aral Sea from Khiva - This was a great trip. Islom is a super nice guy, a very good driver, speaks English well, and knows what he's doing with this tour. The necropolis stop was a nice surprise, and we adapted the trip to skip the watch tower after I spent more time at the ship graveyard. I highly recommend Islom for any tour or transfer.
Review provided by Viator
Peter_m
May 29, 2025
A great day trip - Excellent tour - not only did the tour include Moynak (once on the shore Aral Sea), but also the necropolis and fortress, both near Nukus. Beg was an excellent driver, who covered almost 900 km of driving in a day
Review provided by Viator
Seaside32430338562
Jun 4, 2025
Long way to see a Sea! - A 12 hour roundtrip to see the sea! Interesting from a historical perspective but not really worth the bumpy and tiring journey. Driver was great.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $225 (Per Vehicle)
up to 3 guests
1 - Traveler
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).