The 11 Best Yurt Camps in the Kyzylkum

1.Yurt stay and Hiking in the Nurata Mountains tour – 2 days

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · from $229Our pick

Travel from Samarkand to Bukhara through the Nuratau Mountains with a private driver and hiking guide. Sleep in one of 11 yurts at Sayyod Yurt Camp, enjoy included meals, walk beside Aydarkul, swim if weather permits, and visit Nurata’s Chashma spring, Juma Mosque, and fortress ruins.

“Such a great experience! Most of the tourists sites in Uzbekistan are cities and having this little escape in the nature it was incredible! The yurts were great and toilettes were clean and practical (more then what we expected) The family is vRead more”

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2.Yurt Camp Tour with Night from Bukhara

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 35 reviews · 2 days · from $215

Travel privately from Bukhara to Aydarkul Lake in the Jizzakh Region, stopping at Navai, Sarmish, and Nurota. You will swim by the lake, ride a camel, watch the sunset, eat dinner, hear local songs around a campfire, and sleep in a yurt. The driver speaks English or Russian, but guide quality can vary.

“We got a driver, not a guide! He was very kind and friendly, but he didn't speak English at all. There was no internet in most places, we couldn't use translation apps and communication was almost impossible. Camel raiding was exciting, but being asked for tips was rude. Yurt camping was fine, but the camp was clearly built for tourists. There was no real cultural exchange with locals, so we were disappointed. We saw some groups with English speaking guides at Yurt, so the problem seems to be this provider. Overall, the experience didn't match what was promised, and it wasn't worth the money. Booking the camp directly and arranging…”

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3.From Khiva To Aral Sea 2-Days One Night In Yurt Stay

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 20 reviews · 1.5 days

Travel privately from Khiva, Urgench, or Nukus to Muynak and the Aral Sea with driver Islom or an English, Russian, or Uzbek-speaking driver. See the ship cemetery, Ustyurt canyons, Kurgancha-Kala, Mizdakhan, and Giaur-Kala, then sleep in a yurt beneath the stars. The long roads and extra yurt fee require careful planning.

“Tour bellissimo e ben organizzato Abbiamo visto molte cose interessanti, come le fortezze e il cimitero delle navi Pick up puntuale Macchina confortevole, abbiamo fatto pause durante il lungo tragitto La nostra guida era molto preparato, parlante un fluente inglese, gentile e disponibile ad esaudire ogni nostra richiesta e rispondere alle nostre domande Abbiamo dormito in una yurta al Aral Plaza Complex. Yurta confortevole e spaziosa dotata di climatizzatore. Letto comodo e pulito, abbiamo dormito bene e al calduccio. In dotazione asciugamani, spazzolino e prodotti bagno. Cena e colazione home made deliziose, abbiamo mangiato benissimo. Aral complex dispone di yurte a due passi dall’Aral Sea...”

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4.Desert Adventure from Samarkand: Yurt Camp & Aydarkul Escape

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 16 reviews · 2 days · from $200

Travel from Samarkand or Bukhara to Nurata, Aydarkul Lake, and a desert yurt camp with an English-speaking driver. You’ll visit Chashma, Alexander the Great’s garrison ruins, a caravanserai, and a pottery workshop, with camel riding, meals, swimming, and Kazakh folk music included.

“Premetto che il grande caldo (picco di 43°C) ha parzialmente compromesso l'attività. Tra le cose migliori c'è sicuramente Khasan, il nostro driver, che ha guidato molto bene (in un paese in cui per esperienza sappiamo che guidano maluccio), è stato disponibile a soddisfare le nostre richieste e a rispondere alle nostre domande, in inglese, da non sottovalutare. Inoltre i pasti erano buoni e abbondanti. I lati negativi sono stati la poca attenzione ai vegetariani, nonostante l'agenzia fosse avvisata, il driver non lo sapeva e alla cena allo Yurt Camp abbiamo dovuto rimediare all'ultimo. Inoltre al campo e al lago ci sono tempi morti un po' troppo lunghi, soprattutto se c'è…”

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5.Desert yurt camp and Mountain tour – 3 days

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 15 reviews · from $325

Travel from Bukhara to Samarkand by sedan through Gijduvan, Nurata, the Kyzyl-Kum Desert, Lake Aydar, and Sentob. You’ll visit a working ceramics studio, ride a camel for 30 minutes, sleep in a yurt and village homestay, and eat included local meals. Drivers speak elementary English, with a mountain escort guide in Sentob.

“This was a very interesting tour into the desert and mountains of Uzbekistan. I'd definitely make sure you have your adventure pants on for this one! My friend and I (two, 30yo women) had a great time snapping pictures and exploring thRead more”

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6.2 Days of Tour in Yurt Camp and Aydarkul

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · from $190

Travel from Samarkand or Bukhara to Nurata, Aydarkul Lake, and a desert yurt camp. Visit Alexander the Great’s fortress, eat at a family home, ride camels for 10 to 15 minutes, and sleep in a private or shared yurt. Driver Hassan handles the transfers, with drop-off in Bukhara or Samarkand.

“Belle expérience même si le côté local est trop peu présent. Hassan le conducteur est super bien (même si encore mieux que le conducteur parle anglais parfaitement) La musique le soir autour du feu dure à peine 20-30min donc la soirRead more”

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7.Desert Yurt Camp tour – 2 days (shared)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 13 reviews · from $206

Travel from Bukhara or Samarkand through ancient Nurata to a Kyzylkum Desert yurt camp. You’ll visit Alexander the Great’s fortress, share lunch with a local family, see Aydarkul Lake, ride a camel, and hear folk music by the fire. Guides such as Vikram and Ikrom have been praised, but English guide service is not guaranteed.

“Vikram was an awesome driver and guide! We truly enjoyed this tour as the highlight of our trip. The star and moon gazing was quite an experience with little to none, light pollution. Everything was really just great! Food was really good! Camp fire, music, singing, camels… loved it! 🥰”

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8.Adventure to Desert Kyzyl Kum and Yurt Camp

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 10 reviews · 2 days · from $230

Travel privately from Samarkand or Bukhara to Nurata, Alexander the Great’s fortress ruins, a desert yurt camp, and Lake Aydarkul. You’ll eat local meals, sleep under the stars, and may ride a camel and swim in the lake. Driver-guide quality varies, so confirm language and included meals before booking.

“è andato tutto come da programma e l'esperienza è sicuramente da fare anche per mettere alla prova lo spirito di adattamento. giusto due punti per migliorare: - almeno ventilatore nella yurta - lettino con telo per bagno al lago”

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9.Kyzylkum Desert tour from Samarkand (1Night 2 Days)

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 7 reviews · 2 days · from $186Best value

This private two-day trip takes you from Samarkand to Nurata, the Kyzylkum Desert, and Aydarkul Lake before ending in Bukhara. You stay in a simple yurt, eat local meals, ride a camel, and hear Kazakh folk songs. English service depends on the assigned driver, so confirm communication before booking.

“Purtroppo l'esperienza in sè sarebbe stata anche carina, nel senso che ti permette di vedere il tramonto nel deserto e provare l'esperienza di dormire in una vera e propria Yurta. Molto bella Norata. Chiaro che è necessario spirito di adattamento e questo era stato messo in conto; infatti il problema non è stato l'adattamento alla struttura in sè ma il fatto che avessimo un accompagnatore che non parlava una parola di inglese e soprattutto che non ci diceva nemmeno a che ora dovevamo partire o cosa dovevamo fare. Addirittura spariva tanto che la sera ho dovuto chiedere al gestore del Campo tendato se sapeva a che ora saremmo ripartiti la…”

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10.Khorezm Fortress and KyzylKum Desert Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews

Travel privately from Khiva to Kyzyl Kala, Ayaz Kala, and Toprak Kala with an English-speaking driver. You’ll also see a traditional yurt camp and Akcha Lake, with a chance to try camel milk. Bottled water, air-conditioned transport, and pickup are included, but lunch and fortress admission cost extra.

“Nous avons passé une super journée avec Sukhrab. En plus des forteresses il nous a emmené manger du Plov dans un restaurant spécialisé apparement apprécié par les locaux et est resté avec nous autant de temps qu'il nous fallait. Encore merci à lui !!”

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11.A Night In The Kyzylkum Desert [2] From Khiva

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews

Travel privately from Khiva or Nukus to Chilpiq, Nukus, Muynak, the Aral Sea ship cemetery, and seven ancient Khorezm fortresses. You will sleep in a Kyzylkum Desert yurt near Ayaz-Kala, with dinner and breakfast available for $50. An audio guide, air-conditioned vehicle, and hotel pickup are included.

“This experience is such an adventure. I always wanted to see the Aral Sea, which is a modern tragedy but also reminder of our action, and also the Yurt’s lifestyle of the real nomadic people of Central Asia. This tour had given me both and so Read more”

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