Two-day trip to the Ten Fortresses on the way from Khiva to Nukus
Discover Ancient Khorezm Fortresses in 2 days by sleeping in the Yurt Camps!
-
Route
Khiva - Dumon Kala - Guldursun Kala - Koykirilgan kala - Angka Kala - Janbas Kala - Big Kirkkiz Kala - Ayaz Kala (sleep) - Toprak Kala - Kizil Kala - Chilpik Kala - Nukus
-
Details
Tour Duration: 2 days and 1 night
Driving time: 7-8 hours (400.km)
Included: Only a good driver, car & water
Not included: Yurt Camp, meals, tickets & etc.
-
Price per car
A Sedan (1-3 people) - $133 (Sedan pictures)
An SUV (1-4 people) - $228 (SUV pictures)
A Minivan (1-6 people) - $299 (Minivan pictures)
A Minibus (1-10 people) - $338 (Minibus (1-10) pictures)
A Minibus (1-13 people) - $358 (Minibus (1-13) pictures)
A Bus (1-45 people) - $690 (Bus pictures)
-
How to Reserve
Once you decide to use our services, please confirm and provide the following details in order to make a reservation:
1. Please confirm the name of the transfer, tour, or day-trip (as written on our website);
2. Please confirm the date of the transfer, tour, or day trip
3. Please confirm the type of transport you want to book (sedan, SUV, minivan, or minibus).
4. Please confirm the price of the transfer, tour, or day-trip you want to reserve.
5. Please confirm the number of people (and luggage if available) in your group.
6. Full names of all group members, including information about citizenship, passport, or ID card numbers.
7. Please confirm pick-up & and the starting place of your transfer, tour, or day trip (please state the name of your hotel).
8. Please confirm pick-up and the starting time of your transfer, tour, or day trip (you can see the recommended starting time on our website).
9. Please confirm the drop-off / ending place of your transfer, tour, or day trip.
10. Please provide your contact information: Email, Mobile Phone, or WhatsApp Numbers.
- That is all we need to know from your side in advance to make a reservation and organize the requested services.
- We do not need prepayment to make a reservation or organize the requested services. You will make a full payment directly to our drivers (guides) at the end of each transfer, day trip or tours.
- In order to cancel reserved services without being charged (%20 of the tour), please contact us at least 3 days in advance the tour starts.
- One day before each trip, tour, and transfer, we will send you a reminder email or Whatsapp message with all the details and pictures of your driver, car, and guides.
Please feel free to ask if you have any questions or special requests.
-
Itinerary
First day we can pick you up from Urgench Airport, Urgench / Khiva Train Station or your hotel both from Khiva or Urgench to start the trip. You can start the trip at any time of the day. It is recommended to start the trip in the morning around 08:00 – 09:00 am after breakfast. It takes about 90 minutes to drive from Khiva to the first fortress. You will visit all ten fortresses by the following order:
1. Duman Kala composed of three adjacent sections – a square-shaped western enclosure with corner towers, measuring about 150 by 170 meters;
2. Guldursun Kala is a fortified town date to the 12th century CE. Much ancient and medieval pottery and many bronze items and coins were found within the site during archeological excavations. The coins indicate that the last period of occupation is related to the year 1220, during the rule of Muhammad Khorezmshah and the time of the Mongol invasion of Khorezm.
3. Koykirilgan Kala. While today little is visible but a dusty mound, the original plan of the site consisted of a rounded, two story building 45 meters in diameter fortified by a double ring wall with arrow slits and towers.
4. Angka Kala dates from the Late Antique period of Khorezm, around the 1st to the 3rd centuries AD - the time of the Kushan Empire. It seems to have been established on the eastern edge of Khorezm to guard the main caravan trade route to the east.
5. Janbas Kala has one of the most archaic fortification systems dating from that Early Antique period. All four of its flanking walls are in relatively good condition, reaching in places up to 20 meters in height. It differs from most of the other fortresses in having no towers on its outer walls. This meant that the fort was potentially vulnerable from an attack on the lower sections of its walls.
6. Big Kirkkiz Kala. The fortress dates from the 4th Century BCE to the 7th-8th centuries CE. In the Afrighid period the area within and around the fortress was a pottery production center.
7. Ayaz Kala. That is all for the first day. Our driver drops you off in Ayaz Kala and end his job for the first day, Ayaz Kala Yurt Camps located next to the Ayaz Kala Fortress. You can visit Ayaz Kala by yourself. It was originally constructed in the Late Antique period, 1st to 4th centuries CE, but was abandoned and then rebuilt in the 12th-13th centuries on the eve of the Mongol invasions. There is some debate about how this fortress may have been used in ancient times, with some scholars proposing that it was a garrison barracks for troops, whilst others suggest it was an early example of the many fortified manor houses that were typical of Khorezm in the early medieval periods. On the next day our driver will go to Ayaz Kala Yurt Camps at any time you want to pick you up and start the second day of the trip. He will go to pick you up at any time you want but I recommend you to start the trip around 09:00 am. Next fortress to visit is Toprak Kala. But our driver will stop at the shore of the Akchakul Lake before going to Kizil Kala. It takes about 20 minutes to drive from the Ayaz Kala to the Lake. There are also Yurt camps and restaurants next to the lake where visitors can enjoy local meals, drinks and even Ice-Cream from local milk. It is also possible to enjoy swimming and sand bath in Natural Lake Akchakul.
8. Toprak Kala. It is dated in the Kushan period, around the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE and was the royal residence of the kings of the Khorezm. The place was briefly abandoned in the early 4th century and then after some restorations, was used as an administrative citadel for the city.
9. Kizil Kala. It is located very close to Toprak Kala. It was originally constructed in the Late Antique period, 1st to 4th centuries CE, but was abandoned and then rebuilt in the 12th-13th centuries on the eve of the Mongol invasions. There is some debate about how this fortress may have been used in ancient times, with some scholars proposing that it was a garrison barracks for troops, whilst others suggest it was an early example of the many fortified manor houses that were typical of Khorezm in the early medieval periods
10. Chilpik Kala. Chilpik Kala is a Dakhma or Tower of Silence which was used by people of the Zoroastrian faith for exposure of the dead. The bodies were laid out under the open sky for the birds to eat. When the bones were cleared, families collected them and placed them in clay or stone ossuaries for burial. The building was originally constructed in the first centuries CE.
This is the end of the Daytrip. It takes about 40 minutes to drive from Chilpik Kala to Nukus. We may drop you off in Nukus Airport / Train Station or in your hotel in Nukus at the end of the trip there. - Download Itinerary and Maps
Photo Gallery





















Our Adress:
Uzbekistan, khiva, Zargarlar 60
Our E-mail:
Islambektravel@gmail.com
Phone (WhatsApp, Telegram):
+99899-666-33-22; +99891-999-33-22