Khiva 2-Day Tour: Kyzylkum Desert, 7 Ancient Fortresses

Walk seven ancient fortress ruins, then sleep under desert stars at Ayaz Kala

A 2-day tour from Khiva visiting Muynak, Nukus and seven fortresses of the ancient Khorezm Khanate, with an overnight stay in the Kyzylkum Desert beside Ayaz Kala fortress. The itinerary includes the Savitsky Art Museum in Nukus, the Ecological Museum in Muynak documenting the Aral Sea's disappearance, and fortress sites spanning from the 4th century BCE through the medieval period. Private transport with an air-conditioned vehicle and audio guide are included. Hotel pickup and drop-off in Khiva or Nukus are arranged. Overnight accommodation, museum entry and fortress tickets are booked separately.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Khiva to Muynak and Nukus visit

• Visit Chilpyk ancient monument
• Explore Savitsky Art Museum
• Tour Muynak Regional Studies Museum
• See Muynak fishing fleet remains

Day 2: Explore 7 ancient fortresses

• Visit Ayaz-Kala fortress
• Explore Toprak Kala royal residence
• Tour Guldursun Kala fortified town
• See Kizil Kala fortress
• Visit Koi Krylgan Kala site
• Explore Angka-kala settlement
• See Duman Kala sections

The experience

You start from Khiva or Nukus and travel north through the Kyzylkum Desert toward Muynak, a former Aral Sea port now stranded 180 kilometers from the water. The Ecological Museum there holds photographs, canned goods and artifacts from when Muynak was one of the sea's two major fishing ports: a single-generation collapse told through objects left behind. From there you move to Nukus to visit the Savitsky Art Museum, built on decades of archaeological expeditions across Khorezm and Karakalpakstan. The museum's collection of applied folk art and artifacts traces the region's history back through centuries of settlement.

The second day focuses on the fortresses themselves. Ayaz Kala sits on a hilltop overlooking the desert, built between the 4th century BCE and 7th century CE as a frontier stronghold of Khorezm. Its square gateway and twin towers follow the defensive logic of the era. Toprak Kala served as a royal residence during the Kushan period around the 2nd and 3rd centuries, later becoming an administrative center. Kizil Kala was constructed in the Late Antique period and rebuilt in the 12th-13th centuries on the eve of Mongol invasions. Guldursun Kala, Koi Krylgan Kala, Angka Kala and Duman Kala round out the seven sites, each preserving walls, towers and pottery that mark different periods of occupation and use. You'll also see Chilpyk, a 2,200-year-old Zoroastrian tower 15 meters high where the dead were exposed to birds of prey in keeping with Zoroastrian burial practice.

The overnight happens in the middle of the Kyzylkum Desert beside Ayaz Kala fortress. At night the sky opens up, stars visible without light pollution, and you'll see traditional life in Karakalpakstan: local families, camels walking the desert, and the chance to drink camel milk directly from herders. The private vehicle and driver handle all transport between sites. An audio guide in English, Spanish, Italian, French or other languages narrates the stops. You return to Khiva or Nukus the following day.

What’s included

• Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Khiva or Nukus.
• audio guide in English, Spanish, Italian, French or other languages.
• visits to Muynak's Ecological Museum, Nukus's Savitsky Art Museum, and seven ancient Khorezm fortresses plus Chilpyk Zoroastrian tower.
• overnight in the Kyzylkum Desert at Ayaz Kala with access to local desert life and stargazing.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to4h before

GroupPrivate

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Japanese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Paid on siteUS$ 50

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effort

Operated by Oxus Travel

Is this one for you?The audio guide means you follow the commentary in your own language without needing a live guide. This works well if you prefer to move at your own pace around each site or if you're traveling with family members who speak different languages. The overnight in the desert suits travelers who want to experience Karakalpakstan's traditional life and open-sky stargazing as part of the same journey, rather than rushing back to a city hotel each night.

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Top questions

What is the Savitsky Art Museum in Nukus?

The Savitsky Art Museum holds one of Central Asia's most significant collections of applied folk art and archaeological artifacts, built from expeditions across Khorezm and Karakalpakstan in the 20th century. The museum's founder, Igor Savitsky, was part of the Khorezm Archaeological-Ethnographic Expedition led by scientist Sergei Tolstov, who called the region's fortresses and monuments "Central Asia's Egypt."

Why is Muynak important to visit?

Muynak was once the largest port on the Aral Sea and a major fishing center. It now stands 180 kilometers from the water after the sea's disappearance in a single lifetime. The Ecological Museum there documents this collapse through photographs, canned goods from the local cannery, and household items from the people who lived on the Aral's shores, telling a story of environmental tragedy within living memory.

What are the seven ancient fortresses on this tour?

The seven fortresses are Ayaz Kala, Toprak Kala, Guldursun Kala, Kizil Kala, Koi Krylgan Kala, Angka Kala and Duman Kala. They span from the 4th century BCE through the medieval period and represent different uses: frontier defense, royal residence, administrative centers and garrison posts. The tour also includes Chilpyk, a 2,200-year-old Zoroastrian tower used for exposure burial.

Where do you sleep on the overnight?

You stay in the Kyzylkum Desert beside Ayaz Kala fortress, in the middle of the desert landscape. At night you can observe the stars without light pollution and experience traditional Karakalpakstan life, including the chance to see camels and drink camel milk from local families.

What's included in the tour price?

Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, hotel pickup and drop-off in Khiva or Nukus, and an audio guide in your choice of language are included. Museum entry (Savitsky Museum USD 10, Muynak Museum USD 7), fortress tickets (around USD 2 each), and overnight accommodation with dinner and breakfast are booked separately.

Do I need to be fit for this tour?

The operator asks for at least a moderate level of physical fitness, as the tour involves walking around fortress sites and desert terrain. Children as young as 7 years old can participate.