2-Day Bukhara to Yurt Camp Tour: Desert & Camel Rides

Alexander's fortress, Lake Aydarkul, and a night under the stars

A 2-day shared tour from Bukhara to a yurt camp in the Kyzylkum Desert, with stops at Nurata's ancient sights, camel rides, and an overnight stay featuring traditional music around the campfire. Pickup from your Bukhara hotel at 9:00 AM. Groups under six get direct hotel drop-off in Samarkand on day two.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Bukhara to Yurt Camp via Nurata

• Depart Bukhara at 9:00 AM
• Visit Nurata fortress and sacred spring
• Lunch at Lake Aydarkul restaurant
• Walk or swim at Lake Aydarkul
• Arrive and settle in yurt camp
• Short camel ride or dune walk
• Evening campfire with traditional music

Day 2: Yurt Camp to Samarkand

• Breakfast at yurt camp
• Optional 1-hour camel ride (extra cost)
• Depart for Samarkand (4-hour drive)
• Drop-off at meeting point or hotel

The experience

The route leaves Bukhara at 9:00 AM and heads east through Nurata, where you'll walk among the ruins of Alexander the Great's fortress and visit the sacred spring before reaching Lake Aydarkul for lunch at a lakeside restaurant. Weather permitting, you can swim or walk the shore. Then it's on to the yurt camp in the Kyzylkum Desert, where you settle in, take a short camel ride or walk the dunes, and spend the evening by the campfire listening to live traditional music performed by local bards.

Day two starts with breakfast at the camp, then a roughly 4-hour drive to Samarkand. If you're traveling as a group of fewer than six people, the driver will drop you at your hotel. Larger groups meet at a designated point. An optional camel ride through the desert before departure costs €20 per person and can be arranged on request.

The tour includes a sedan car with driver (capacity up to three passengers), all meals from lunch on day one through breakfast on day two, the overnight yurt stay, the evening music performance, a 20-minute camel ride around the camp, and tea or coffee. A live guide speaks English or Russian throughout.

What’s included

• Car with driver for up to three passengers.
• lunch at Lake Aydarkul and dinner at the yurt camp on day one, plus breakfast on day two.
• overnight stay in a yurt.
• live traditional music performance by local bards around the campfire.
• a 20-minute camel ride around the camp.
• coffee and tea.
• registration for the tour.

Before you book

Days and timesFridayDeparts at 09:00Last departure this season: 30 Oct

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 12 · max 4 per booking

Live guideEnglish and Russian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Nuratau Travel

Is this one for you?Book this shared tour if you're staying in a hotel in Samarkand and want hotel pickup on day two. Smaller groups get direct drop-off while larger groups meet at a central point, so confirm your group size when booking.

Traveler reviews

4.31★★★★★★★★★★

16 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Russian.

What are the ancient sights I'll see in Nurata?

Nurata holds the ruins of Alexander the Great's fortress and a sacred spring that draws visitors year-round. You'll have time to explore both on the morning of day one before heading to the yurt camp.

Can I swim in Lake Aydarkul, or is it just for looking?

Lake Aydarkul allows both. You'll stop there for lunch on day one, and if the weather is good, you can swim or take a walk along the shore before continuing to the camp.

How does the camel riding work at the yurt camp?

A 20-minute camel ride around the camp is included on day one. If you want an additional camel ride through the desert before leaving on day two, that's available for €20 per person and must be arranged when you book.

What happens on the second day after breakfast?

After breakfast at the yurt camp, you depart for Samarkand, a drive of approximately four hours. If your group has fewer than six people, the driver will take you directly to your hotel. Larger groups are dropped at a meeting point in the city.

What's included in the price, and what costs extra?

The tour includes transport, all meals from lunch day one through breakfast day two, the yurt accommodation, the evening music performance, the camel ride around camp, and hot drinks. The optional desert camel ride on day two is €20 per person, and a camera fee of 15,000 som applies if you photograph inside the fortress complex in Nurata.