Aral Sea One Day Tour from Tashkent

A unique experience, a very nice guide and driver. Lots of interesting information about culture, history, and the country. I was the only tourist signed up, but the trip still went ahead. It's time-consuming, leaving around 5 a.m. and returning after midnight. But everything was well organized and went smoothly. It was very touching experience.

I had originally booked this tour for April 12, but due to the quick selling out of tickets, the coordinator offered to reschedule my tour. Very kind and accommodating! Upon arrival to Nukus, we went to the museum giving us a small taste of history. Next, we went to Mizdakhan which is a necropolis. Went to a guest house for lunch, and then drove a few hours to Moynaq (it was a bumpy ride, so be prepared!). Moynaq gives a very different vibe. It’s eerie to see the graveyard of abandoned ships. My experience was definitely one of a kind.

I waited for almost an hour and no-one turned up. Tried to contact operator but no reply. Got a call @ 7:52 am to be told no tour because no return flight available. Why did they take the money and accept booking if no flights? Got a refund but because of foreign exchange fees I received $15.86 AUD less refunded than I paid! Was offered an alternative tour to the mountains outside Tashkent for the day supposedly at a discount to compensate for the inconvenience. I later found out I paid the advertised rate. However the 'tour' was a bad joke. It was more like a cheap taxi ride to various locations with no real commentary by the so called guide. The 'guide' spent most of the way there on his phone and fell asleep in the car on the way back except when we stopped at an ATM for 10 minutes so he could do come personal banking. Overall an extremely disappointing experience! Would not recommend!

The trip was great. Kamal informed me well about the history and the culture of Karakalpakstan, Nukus, Moynaq and Aral sea. The food was good and the schedule was no hastle (start at 6.00 and end at 23.00 in Tashkent).

This trip was a long day but a very memorable. We left at 6am and got back at about midnight. We learned so much about this sad, but almost irreversible, man-made environmental disaster. Our tourguide was amazing and taught us not only about the Aral Sea, but about the life and people in the area both in the past as well as now. THis is one of the best things I did in all of Central Asia.

Despite the lack of available flights to Nukus, the team managed to find a last-minute flight via Urgench. Also, the guide (Kuuatbay) and driver were lovely. I recommend this one-day trip as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

An interesting look at this environmental disaster! Guide Quay was fabulous and had excellent English. The museum filled out the day and was a nice contrast to the dried sea.

If you have an interest in what happened to the Aral Sea, and are on limited time, this is the perfectly tailored opportunity. Flights, pickups, and rides are all arranged, and my tour guide, Kamal, was a wealth of local knowledge of this region. Stops included a distinctive Necropolis, wonderful lunch at a guest house, and the centerpiece of the trip, the boat graveyard at Moynaq, with time to see the Visitors Center, and wander amongst the boats. The day concluded with a visit to a nicely curated art museum in Nukus. The drives to Moynaq and back are a bit lengthy, but this is understandable, given the care that has to be shown to the roads of this region. I was pleased to see that this opportunity to visit part of the former area of the Aral existed, and found it well-arranged.

If you’re short on time, this is a great opportunity to see and learn about the tragic demise of the Aral Sea. I was picked up from my hotel and taken to the airport, where I boarded a flight to Nukus. On arrival there, my guide and driver were waiting for me (with a sign with my name on it), and we began our adventure. After a visit to the art museum, we headed out to the town of Moynaq. Note that this is a 3-hour drive, and the roads aren’t brilliant (although our driver did an amazing job avoiding all the potholes!). On arrival in Moynaq, we had a delicious lunch at a local home, before visiting the ‘ship cemetery’. There’s also a small museum to visit which shows a very informative film (although it was unavailable on the day though due to a power cut). It was then 3 hours back to Nukus, with a stop at the Necropolis on the way. The tour was extremely enjoyable and well-organised, with a very friendly guide and driver. NB - it’s worth noting that this is a LONG day, partly due to the fact that you are dependent on the scheduled flight times. I was picked up at 06:00 (for a 07:15 flight) and did not get back to my hotel until shortly after midnight. The tour itself concludes in Nukus early evening, but as you’ll likely have 3-4 hours before your flight leaves, be sure to ask your guide for a recommendation for somewhere to eat it Nukus that’s close to the airport - they’ll happily drop you off there!

Very patient & respectful guide. We visited the following places: • Fine Arts Museum • Necropolis • Aral Sea Monument Note: This 1-day tour goes until the Aral Sea Monument - not the Aral Sea itself. Visiting the Aral Sea would take another day. Delicious lunch was provided at a guesthouse. I appreciate their ability to accommodate my request of having chicken, as they mainly serve beef or vegetarian meals. This was my first time in Central Asia. I felt safe all the while!