Ancient Khorezm Fortresses: Desert Night Magic

Explore ancient fortresses, stargaze in the Kyzylkum Desert, and experience traditional Karakalpakstan life. Discover the beauty and culture of the desert.

Duration: 2 days
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

Khiva - 7 Fortresses of Ancient Khorezm - Yurt Stay

Ayaz-Kala - Perched on the vibrant cliffs of one of the eastern spurs of Sultauizdag in the Kyzyl Kum desert, lie the remnants of Ayaz-Kala, one of the largest castles of ancient Khorezm.
According to local legends, the fortress is named after Ayaz, a legendary warrior-slave and Central Asian…

What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • Hotel pickup and drop off in Khiva
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Audio guide provided
  • Driver will take you to locations
What's Not Included
  • Yurt Overnight Accommodation - USD 50/day that offers dinner and breakfast
  • ticket to fortresses (some fortresses apply small fee USD 1 or USD 2)
Additional Information

Visitors can delight in exploring the top 7 fascinating fortresses of the Ancient Khorezm Khanate. Overnight accommodations will be in the heart of the Kyzylkum desert, near the Ayaz Kala fortress. At night, the starry sky offers a breathtaking and serene experience in the desert. Visitors can also witness the traditional lifestyle in Karakalpakstan,…

Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.5
(11 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
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1 star
Virginiabs72zs
Aug 18, 2025
Night in yurt among the stars - The guide was attentive in all details. Experience in a unique tent, passionate stories and rich in history. Starry night an unforgettable memory of Uzbekistan
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Javierfj2312mb
Jul 17, 2025
Desert experience - It was an amazing experience sleeping in the desert in a yurta. Drinking camel milk was awesome :)!!! The food was also delicious and the camp was very clean and tidy.
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900ggggm
May 24, 2025
Fantastic!!! - We stayed at Ayaz qala camp, everything fabulous and beautiful. Olimjon is a generous person, super helpful and very competent in his field. He made our stay in Uzbekistan a fairy tale and planned everything in detail: from the transposed to the overnight stay. Experience to be redone a thousand times. Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mrnice87
Apr 24, 2025
Amazing host - Olimjon is an amazing host, he helped me in many ways, from transfers to walking tours. He also recommended me restaurants and local dishes. Really recommended.
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839aleksandry
Oct 3, 2024
Wonderful experience - Excellent service was provided by the company. Nice team of drivers served. Can recommend easily to everyone. Good job.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oyshajony
Sep 29, 2024
Awesome service - It was unforgettable experience, discovering local culture, lifestyle in the middle of the desert. Highly recommend the company
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Adrianahs4253ui
Sep 14, 2024
Fortresses from Khiva - We had an excellent trip with Olimjon. He is trustworthy and dependable. I would recommend him 100%. He is also very funny :) and he takes great pictures. Thank you, Olimjon!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Happiness34711215445
Sep 12, 2024
unique travel experience - The tour guide was super knowledgeable, clever and entertaining. The activities were well planned and we felt we got so much out of it. I highly recommend it. Carmen fromTargu Mures- Romania 10/10
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Sheilam2223
May 20, 2025
Magic stay in yurt - We left Khiva at 9am. The driver, who was also a guide, took us to visit 7 fortresses in the region with destination to Ayaz Kala yurt camp (arrival around 4pm). Personally I find the last fortress, Ayaz Kala, which is just in front of the yurt camp (about 15 min walk), absolutely worth seeing, the entrance is not charged. The experience in Yurt I highly recommend for those traveling to Uzbekistan. An unforgettable sunset and a starry sky made our stay magical. The guide was friendly and professional, as were the people present in the yurt camp.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alessandrab213
May 6, 2025
Beware of cockroaches at night! - The semi-desert is interesting, the castles beautiful though quite rugged, the only real flaw - and not small - was the night in the yurt, the camp tended to dusk was filled with cockroaches of all sizes and the worst was that they walked countless between and on top of the floor mats on which we slept. Also noteworthy is the very poor attention to hygiene in the restaurant and the many flies that wandered on the tables with food left outdoors. However this and every other inconvenience is irrelevant, but the cockroaches that rise above you NO!!!!!!!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $399 (Per Vehicle)
up to 4 guests
1 - Traveler
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).