Nuratau & Aydarkul: 4 Days
Nuratau Mountains and Aydarkul Lake, Uzbekistan
4 Days / 3 Nights
Max 6 People
Moderate
Tour Guide
Meals Included
Description
The unhurried way from Samarkand to Bukhara: two nights in the villages of the Nuratau Mountains, Asraf and Uhum, with time to settle into village life after the hike, then a day at Aydarkul Lake and a night in a yurt camp.
Along the way: ancient rock carvings, a cooking class with a local family, a camel ride and Kazakh songs by the campfire, the sacred spring of Nurata and the potters of Gijduvan.
The hike is about 10 km (3–4 hours). Bring good walking shoes, a hat and swimwear for the lake in the warm months. Not included: entrance fees in Nurata, personal expenses, souvenirs and travel insurance.
Itinerary
Drive to Asraf in the Nuratau Mountains and check in to a family guesthouse. Home-cooked lunch, then a short hike with a local mountain guide to the ancient rock carvings. In the evening, a cooking class with your hosts, fresh baking and dinner with the family.
Hike from Asraf to Uhum (about 10 km, 3–4 hours) through the mountains. Lunch at a guesthouse in Uhum and a free afternoon to explore the village and its surroundings. Dinner and the night in Uhum.
Drive down to Aydarkul Lake for lunch by the water and free time on the beach. In the late afternoon, settle into the yurt camp, take a 10–15 minute camel ride, and after dinner gather around the campfire for live Kazakh songs and music.
After breakfast, drive toward Bukhara with stops at the Chashma spring in Nurata, the Alexander the Great pass for the mountain views and a ceramics workshop in Gijduvan. The tour ends in Bukhara.
What's Included
- 1 night in Asraf, 1 night in Uhum (family guesthouses) and 1 night in the Aydarkul yurt camp
- Transport Samarkand – Asraf – Uhum – Aydarkul – Nurata – Gijduvan – Bukhara
- 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners
- Local mountain guide (basic English)
- Petroglyphs walk and home-cooking class
- 10–15 minute camel ride and live Kazakh music by the campfire
- Gijduvan ceramics workshop
Tour Map
- 1Samarkand
- 2Asraf village
- 3Uhum village
- 4Aydarkul Lake and yurt camp
- 5Nurata Chashma
- 6Gijduvan
- 7Bukhara
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