All the way to the water: the ship graveyard at Moynaq, the cliffs of the Ustyurt plateau, and the retreating shore of the Aral Sea itself — with a night in a desert yurt under some of the darkest skies in Uzbekistan.
Estimated price — availability and the final quote are confirmed by our team. No payment is taken on this page.
Private tour — price per person depends on group size:
| 1 traveler | $590 / person |
| 2 travelers | $395 / person |
| 3 travelers | $315 / person |
| 4 travelers | $270 / person |
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Within living memory Moynaq was a fishing port on the Aral Sea. Then the rivers that fed the sea were drained for cotton and the water retreated — more than a hundred kilometres — leaving the fishing fleet stranded on the sand. The ship graveyard that remains is one of the most haunting sights in Central Asia.
This is the full version of the trip: not just the boats, but a 4WD run out to the water itself. From Moynaq you cross the old seabed and climb onto the Ustyurt plateau, following it to the current shore of the Aral, where you spend the night in a yurt camp — dinner round the fire, and a sky thick with stars.
It is a real expedition, with long drives and simple comforts, and one of the few tours in Uzbekistan that ends at genuine wilderness.
An early start and the drive north-west across Karakalpakstan, past Nukus, towards Moynaq.
Down onto the dry seabed where the old fishing fleet lies rusting on the sand, the sea long gone from sight. The small Aral Sea museum in town tells the story of the port and the disaster.
The real drive: off-road across the former seabed and up onto the Ustyurt plateau, its cliffs falling away to the north, and on to the current shore of the Aral Sea — the water that Moynaq lost.
Into a felt yurt near the water, with dinner cooked at the camp and a fire under an enormous, unpolluted sky.
Breakfast and time at the shore in the soft morning light, with the chance to walk the beach and, in the warm months, to swim in the salty water.
The return across the plateau and the steppe to Khiva — a long day on the road, arriving in the evening.
Questions about this itinerary? We reply within 24 hours, and there is no payment to enquire.
The Savitsky avant-garde museum and Chilpik, as a single day — no camping.
