Journey to the Famous City of the Greatest Tragedy of Our Century. Muynak is a town where an entire sea disappeared.
Duration: 2 days / 1 night
Route: Nukus – Mizdakhan Necropolis – Muynak, Ship Cemetery – Aral Sea Bed – Uchsay – Kipchakdarya – Nukus
Tour formats: group, private, shared, corporate
Tour type: historical and ecological
Accompaniment: guide, driver
Route distance: 550 km (342 miles)
Transport: comfortable cars, minibuses, buses
Starting and ending point: Nukus
Difficulty level: 3 out of 10
Accommodation: guesthouses hosted by local families
Meals: served in local family guesthouses
What awaits you on this journey
- Mizdakhan Necropolis
- Mazlumkhan Sulu Mausoleum, 12th century
- The World Clock of Khalifa Erejep, 12th century
- The mystical Jomart Kassap Hill
- The Ship Cemetery
- The Museum of the Disappeared Sea
- Visit to a traditional fisherman’s house
- Local history museum with an excellent collection of paintings by artists inspired by the Aral Sea
- A traditional Karakalpak yurt with a fully furnished interior
- Muynak — a town learning to live without the sea
- Uchsay — a dying fishermen’s settlement
- The site of the great Uchsay port, where hundreds of ships remain buried beneath the former seabed
- Climb to Tiger Tail Cape
- The barren seabed of the vanished sea
- Aral ethno-village, once an island
- Kipchakdarya ethno-village with a reservoir, perfect for swimming and a picnic
- The Amu Darya River, also known as Jayhun and Oxus
- Memorial of Ajiniyaz, the great poet of Karakalpakstan
- A fishermen’s bay with no water
- Saxaul forests
Get ready to capture plenty of amazing photos and videos!
What to bring: drinking water, wet wipes, and a fully charged power bank. If your trip includes a visit to Kipchakdarya village, be sure to bring swimwear, as there is a large reservoir there.
Safety guidelines:
Wear comfortable long-sleeved clothing, lightweight closed shoes, and a hat
Do not pick plants, as many of them are protected and subject to fines
Local dishes and products
Only natural products are used here. The traditional cuisine is light, healthy, and suitable for everyone. Be sure to try local rice pilaf, gurtik, traditional bread made from sorghum and wheat flour, crushed roasted sesame, and dry-roasted sorghum. Caution is advised with shubat, a traditional лечебный drink made from horse milk.What to bring back from the trip
Karakalpak skullcaps and hats, felt handicrafts, triangular amulet pendants, as well as hand-embroidered and handwoven bags.
Brief description
- Duration: 2 days
- Total distance: 550 km
- Transportation: Comfortable sedan/SUV/Minivan
- Meals: Included
- Season: All year round
Day 1
Departure from Nukus. The first stop on the way is the famous Mizdakhan Necropolis. You will climb to the very top of the city of the dead and visit mystical, historical, and sacred sites. There will be many mysteries, legends, and a touch of mysticism.
Departure to Muynak, famous for its tragedy. A town that lost an entire sea. Along the way, you will have stops where you will see unique saxaul forests, the empty basin of Fishermen’s Bay, and the beautiful Karakalpak steppes.
Arrival in Muynak. Here you will descend to the Ship Cemetery, take photos in this apocalyptic landscape of ships frozen on the bed of the vanished sea. You will visit the iconic Sea Museum and hear chilling stories about how an entire sea disappeared. Afterwards, you will enjoy a delicious lunch in a hospitable Karakalpak home.
After lunch, you will take a sightseeing drive through the streets of Muynak, see unique old fishermen’s houses made of clay and reeds, and the ruins of former fish production sites. You will visit a museum that brings together the history, daily life, traditions, and culture of Muynak. You will also have the chance to take photos inside a real Karakalpak yurt.
In the halls of the local museums, you will have the opportunity to buy souvenirs to remember your trip.
Dinner. Accommodation in a welcoming Karakalpak home. Late in the evening, a walk to the night-time ship cemetery, where the starry sky looks especially beautiful from the former seabed.
Sleep. Overnight stay.
Day 2
Breakfast at the guesthouse.
Departure to Uchsay. From Muynak, you will travel to the dying fishing village of Uchsay, climb Tiger Tail Cape, and drive to the sandy empty seabed.
You will see with your own eyes how people live in a town without water. In a town that once stood on the shore of the sea.
Departure to the place where the Amu Darya once flowed into the Aral Sea. Visit to the ethno-village of Kipchakdarya.
Lunch in a rural guesthouse or, if you prefer, a picnic by the reservoir. Relax by the water and listen to stories about why the Aral Sea disappeared and how the river changed its course.
From the old channel of the Amu Darya, you will continue with an экскурсионная drive through the village of Aral, which was once an island in the sea. You will visit the memorial of the country’s greatest poet, Ajiniyaz, and learn who the Karakalpak people consider a true national hero.
Departure to Nukus.
Filled with vivid impressions and remarkable stories, you will return to Nukus.
Tour map
| Type of vehicle / (capacity) | Price per vehicle | Add-ons |
|---|---|---|
| Sedan / (1-4 pers) | 150$ |
The total price includes:
|
| Minivan / (up to 12 pers) | 260$ | |
| Jeep/4WD/SUV / (1-5 pers) | 300$ |
