Join a 3-day 4x4 expedition from Nukus to the Aral Sea, and the Ustyurt Plateau — one of the most remote landscapes of Karakalpakstan.

Your journey starts with pickup from your hotel in Nukus. Drive to Khodjeili, one of the oldest settlements in Central Asia, and visit Mizdakhan Necropolis, known for its ancient monuments, underground tombs, and local legends. Continue to Gyaur Kala, a medieval fortress with clay walls and ruins dating back to the 13th century.

Afterwards, travel to Muynak, the former port city that became a symbol of the Aral Sea disaster. Visit the famous ship cemetery, where abandoned ships now stand in the desert, and explore the Muynak Museum of the Aral Sea. Enjoy lunch at a local home before continuing across the former seabed of the Aral Sea, covered with salt crust, shells, and desert plants.

The route then leads to the Ustyurt Plateau, a dramatic landscape of cliffs, canyons, and wide desert views. Arrive at the shore of the Aral Sea, where you can walk by the water, enjoy the silence of the remote landscape, and, depending on the season, swim or try the therapeutic black mud. Spend the night in national yurts near the sea.

On the second day, wake up early to watch the sunrise over the Aral Sea. After breakfast, continue exploring the Ustyurt Plateau and its chinks. Travel through rarely visited areas with colourful cliffs, canyons, and desert formations. You will also see abandoned Soviet military testing grounds, including ruins of a former town and pier hidden among the remote landscapes.

Later, descend from the plateau towards the sea through impressive rock formations. Spend more time by the Aral Sea shore before returning to the yurt camp for dinner and another overnight stay under the desert sky.

On the third day, enjoy the morning atmosphere of the Aral Sea before continuing the route. Visit the ancient ruins of Davletgirey, also known as Kurgancha-Kala, once connected with trade between Khorezm and nomadic communities. Continue through Kubla-Ustyurt, a small desert village, and learn about life in this remote area.

The journey continues to Sudochie Lake and the abandoned fishing village of Urga, where you may see old settlement ruins, an Orthodox cemetery, fishing boats, lake shores, and reed-covered areas. Then visit Barsa Kelmes, a vast salt marsh whose name means “a place of no return.” Walk down from the Ustyurt Plateau into the ancient salt basin and experience one of the most unusual landscapes in the region.

After exploring Ustyurt Plateau, return to Nukus. Depending on the season, the route may include an ethnographic stop with local food, camels, traditional flatbread baking, or other elements of local life. The tour ends with drop-off in Nukus.