Aral Sea Journey: Khiva's Desert Wonders

Explore the haunting Muynak Aral Sea, ancient Mizdakhan complex, and mysterious Chilpik Dakhma Kala on a thrilling day trip from Khiva.

Duration: 12 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Chilpik Dakhma/Kala - The Chilpik Dakhma Fortress is an ancient Zoroastrian stronghold situated on a hill. Known as the “Tower of Silence,” it provides sweeping views of the surrounding desert and offers insight into the ancient spiritual practices of Central Asia.
  • Ships Cemetery - The Aral Sea Cemetery of Ships presents breathtaking…
What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
  • Entrance fees
  • guide not included
  • Entrance fees
Additional Information

Embark on an unforgettable day trip from Khiva to the Aral Sea, where stunning landscapes and historical marvels await. This exceptional journey leads you to the eerie Cemetery of Ships, a poignant reminder of the once-flourishing Aral Sea, now a desert with abandoned vessels as its silent witnesses.
Along the way, discover the Chilpik Dakhma Fortress,…

Location
Chilpik Dakhma/Kala
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(19 Ratings)
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Veronica_g
Nov 16, 2025
Very efficient way to... - Very efficient way to visit the ship cementery of Moynaq in one day from Khiva, and also to learn about Uzbekistan‘s history and culture
Review provided by Viator
Fearless11184729649
Oct 16, 2025
Aral sea daytrip and Chilpik fortress Mizdakhan all in one - we start from Khiva and it taked 13 hours . it is long trip but very good daytrip. cemetery of ships and Chilpik fortress are beautiful. we recomend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jounyob
Oct 16, 2025
From city to outside . The best experience - Highly i recomend that who wants to travel outside city this is for you. Long trip but super . Driver is very professional . Mizdakhan and Chilpik fortress very old and beautiful .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anatoleb22
Aug 6, 2025
Beautiful excursion - Great experience thanks to our driver Sasha, everything was perfect! The day went according to plan, respecting schedules and conviviality was on the program
Review provided by Tripadvisor
484pattil
Jul 20, 2025
Long, but great day! 😊 - I had a great day with Islam! He texted me a few days prior the trip to check if there are any questions and to confirm the trip. This gave me already a good feeling that I booked a trustful company. He picked me up at 6am at my hotel in Khiva and was there already prior that time, that was great! On the way to Mo'ynaq we stopped for 20min at a huge and impressive cemetery. Great to see. Then we continued our, in total about 6hour (400km) drive to Moy'nak. We went for lunch in a good restaurant (not a tourist -spot) in Mo'ynaq and from there it was just 5mins to the Shipwrecks cemetery. Since it's off-season now only the maximum of 2 other tourists were at the cemetery -which was incredible! Islam dropped me off there for one and a half hour, which was a perfect time to explore the area and Shipwrecks and to take enough pictures. After that we met at the museum. The film was great. From there we started our way back to Khiva. Around Nukus we stopped at a "fortress" and the view here is incredible. You can definitely feel that there is something special about that place! We arrived in Khiva at around 8:15pm. The drive is looong but the roads are good. Just one part is s bit bumpy. Islam is a really good and carefully driver. And he can tell you a lot about Uzbekistan, the culture, traffic and the different regions. I learned a lot! 😊 And his English is really really good. It was a long day but definitely worth it! So definitely a recommendation here! Tipps: bring some water and snacks with you but there a several stops where you can buy cold drinks and snacks. Bring appropriate (respectful) clothes with you for the cemetery. For the Shipwrecks and the fortress bring Sneakers with you, but no need for hiking boots.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Inspire42394000575
Jun 6, 2025
Nice Daytrip all in one - Daytrip was great !!! we recomend to go. around 25 km road is bumpy. in Miynak lunch was perfect . Chilpik Dakhma also big one tower
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kirby
May 20, 2025
Long day. Morat great driver. - Morat was my driver. He really kept the day moving and was a very pleasant person with whom to spend a day in the car. Morat 👍! It is a LOT of driving time but worth it if you really want to see and understand the environmental disaster of the Aral Sea.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Peter_m
May 29, 2025
A great day trip - Excellent tour - not only did the tour include Moynak (once on the shore Aral Sea), but also the necropolis and fortress, both near Nukus. Beg was an excellent driver, who covered almost 900 km of driving in a day
Review provided by Viator
Seaside32430338562
Jun 4, 2025
Long way to see a Sea! - A 12 hour roundtrip to see the sea! Interesting from a historical perspective but not really worth the bumpy and tiring journey. Driver was great.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tamara9476
Oct 11, 2025
Too expensive - It should be noted that the excursion is not a group excursion but private with a driver (important to know for single women) and this is not specified. The price is high for the excursion. Admittedly Moynaq is far from Khiva but knowing that nothing is included in the price either for admission or lunch, the price remains very high. The tour is worth 120th step. I asked the driver to eat before heading back. He took me to a restaurant whose prices are high for the country (kebab has 12th while the average meal is 5/7th drink included). Plus I paid for the two of us, me + the driver. Considering the price of the tour, I think it's being abused. Especially since guides or drivers never eat with tourists in any other country. Maybe you should consider making a gesture (refund) or include at least one snack and lunch in the price!
Review provided by Viator
From $225 (Per Vehicle)
up to 3 guests
1 - Traveler
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).