Yurt Camp from Samarkand to Bukhara Self-Guided Tour

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Samarkand-Nurata-Lake Aydarkul-Yurt Camp
4 stops
1
Nurata
Nurata—this city is surrounded by the Nurata Mountains. Nurata (“Nur means Light or Holy and Ata means Father”), this ancient town held a strategic position on the frontier between the cultivated lands and the steppe. The population of the town is 32,000 people and renowned for marble and astrakhan production, Nurata has retained some of the holy sites that attracted pilgrims from all over Central Asia.
4 hours • Admission ticket free
2
Chashma
Visiting sights are: 1. Alexander’s Fort—it is strategically located on the top of the hill to the south of the town, and Uzbek sources suggest that Alexander instructed one of his generals to build an impenetrable fortress here while he continued his conquest of Bactria and Sogdiana. When Alexander returned, his troops could neither break down the gates nor scale the walls, such was the strength of the construction. 2. Chashma Spring—This spring is linked to Hazrati Ali (son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad). The center of the complex is a pool where the faithful come to collect water as good luck and health to relatives and friends. Regardless of the time of the year, the mineral-laden spring water is said to remain at a consistent 19 °C. The population of Marinka fish in the pool is thriving as it is considered as a holy spot and hence no one is allowed to catch them.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
3
Aydar Lake
Lake Aydarkul was created in 1969 when catastrophic spring floods made people drain excess water from the Syrdarya River into the Arnasay Depression. Since then Aydarkul has been steadily growing in size. Nowadays lake covers an area of 4,000 square kilometers.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
4
After visiting Lake Aydarkul drive to Yangiganzan to yurt camp (40 minutes’ drive). Upon arrival, travelers check in to the yurt. Yurts have proper beds with a bit of hard mattresses and pillows. In early spring and late fall, the desert can get pretty cold at night, so travelers are supplied with a pile of nice warm blankets. Inside the yurt there are some basic amenities like an electric wall lamp (although it is still recommended to bring a personal torch) and a rubbish bin. Activities to do in yurt camp: camel riding, watching the birds, and after dinner live music by Kazakh musicians around the campfire.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
Day 2
Yurt Camp-Bukhara
1 stop
5
Bukhara
After camp-style breakfast, drive to Bukhara (200 km)
4 hours • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Yurt camp opens from the end of March to late October
• Please note: First part of the journey is a good road. In general it is a long and shaky ride to the Yurt Camp even so it is asphalt road but condition of the road is not good.
• When travelers visit Chashma Spring complex there is a small mosque if you want to enter both men and women should wear clothing that covers their shoulders and knees. Avoid wearing tight, revealing, or transparent clothing. Women should cover their hair with a headscarf or shawl when they enter to holy places

Show 5 more

Tags