Yurt Camping, Hiking And Lake Aydarkul Tour - 3 Days

At 9:00 depart for Sayyod Yurt Camp located in the Nuratau Mountains (316 km / 4,5 hours) On the way to the mountain yurt camp,  stop in Nurata city (about a 2,5-hour drive from Bukhara)  to visit the ruins of Nurata fort believed to be built by Alexander the Great, you will also see the holly spring and a local pilgrimage site located next to each other.  You will have your lunch in a traditional guesthouse in Nurata.  After lunch continue to the yurt camp.  Arrive at the mountain camp in the afternoon and settle in one of 11 traditionally decorated yurts. Depending on the size of the yurt, there are 2 to 4 beds in each yurt. The yurt camp has an onsite restaurant, ablution block that consist of showers and toilets, and an outdoor swimming pool. After settling in the camp, start an easy 3 hours /6 km hike to the mountains. The hike offers picturesque views of the Nuratau Mountains and Lake Aydarkul from distance.  Return to the yurt camp in the late afternoon. After dinner, you may relax around the swimming pool or make a campfire.

After early breakfast, start the whole day’s hike to the top of the mountain plateau (15 km / 7 hours). Start hiking through the valley up to the plateau, then hike on the plateau before descending down to the lush green valley. The scenery during the hike is stunning as you will have the opportunity to see the vast Kyzyl-Kum steppe, lake Aydarkul, and neighboring villages from the top of the mountains. The picnic lunch will be taken by the guide.  Before returning to the camp we will visit Sayyod village.  People in the village mainly live on farming, they keep livestock, have large vineyards, grow their own vegetables and fruit trees. Walking through the village you will see local women baking bread in the tandir oven or doing other household chores such as collecting firewood, harvesting, butter making, corn grinding or preserving of fruits. Many people will welcome you to enter their yards and watch what they are doing.  Return to the camp in the afternoon. After dinner, you may relax in the camp.

After breakfast, we will drive to explore the vast Kyzyl-Kum steppe and Lake Aydarkul located at a 28 km distance from the camp (1-hour driver). The Lakes Aydar and Tuzkan and their adjacent wetlands are habitat types that cover extensive areas of the region. They are important breeding, resting, and wintering areas for more than a hundred species of birds. Arrive at the lake and walk around the lake shores to get to know the area. Depending on the temperature you may also swim.  Have your picnic at the lake and then be transferred via Jizzakh to Samarkand. Arrive in Samarkand in the afternoon.