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Aydarkul Lake, yurt camp and camel ride

  • 2 days
  • Nurata desert
  • Private tour
  • Guide in your languageYour language
  • Didn’t love it? You don’t pay for the guide.

About this tour

Leave the cities behind for a night in the desert. On the way through Nurata you see the ruins of a fortress attributed to Alexander the Great and the holy spring full of fish. In the afternoon you reach a yurt camp in the Kyzylkum, ride a camel at sunset, have dinner by the fire and sleep in a felt yurt under a sky full of stars. The next morning you drive to Aydarkul, a large lake in the middle of the desert, before heading back.

Highlights

  • A night in a felt yurt under the desert stars
  • A camel ride at sunset
  • Aydarkul — a lake in the middle of the Kyzylkum
  • Nurata’s holy spring and fortress

The route

  1. Samarkand

    Morning pick-up from your hotel.

  2. Nurata

    The holy spring and the ruins of the old fortress.

  3. Yurt camp

    Camel ride at sunset, dinner by the fire, night in a yurt.

  4. Aydarkul Lake

    Morning on the lake — swim in the warm months.

  5. Samarkand or Bukhara

    Back to Samarkand, or on to Bukhara if you like.

Included

  • Car with driver for both days
  • Night in a yurt camp with dinner and breakfast
  • Camel ride

Not included

  • Guide — optional, from $80 per day for the group
  • Lunch and drinks

Meeting point

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We pick you up at your hotel in Samarkand in the morning. We can also start or finish in Bukhara.

Good to know

Can a guide come with us?
Yes. Add a guide in your language for both days — from $80 a day for the whole group. Our promise then covers the guide’s fee: if you didn’t love the trip, you don’t pay for the guide.
What is a night in the yurt like?
Yurts are warm and simple, with mattresses, blankets and shared bathrooms in the camp. Bring a torch and a warm layer — desert nights are cool even in summer.
When is the best season?
April to June and September to October. July and August are very hot by day; in winter many camps close.
Can I go from Bukhara instead?
Yes. The camp is between Samarkand and Bukhara, so you can start in one city and finish in the other.

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