Daytrip to Seven Fortresses

Discover 2000 years old Ancient Khorezm Fortresses with us!


  • Route

    Khiva - Urgench - Dumon Kala - Guldursun Kala - Angka Kala - Janbas Kala - Ayaz Kala - Akchakul Lake - Toprak Kala - Kizil Kala - Urgench - Khiva

  • Daytrip Duration: 9-10 hours
    Sightseeing time: 4-5 hours
    Driving time: 5-6 hours
    Driving Distance : 330 km.
    Included: Hands-Free Brochures, a good drivers with new Cars with AC, pick up and drop off at your location and Mineral water (0.5l. per person)
    Not Included: Entrance tickets, meals, camel riding, Yurt Camp stay & etc

  • A Sedan (1-3 people) - $59 (Sedan pictures)

    An SUV (1-4 people) - $94 (SUV pictures)

    A Minivan (1-6 people) - $129 (Minivan pictures)

    A Minibus (1-10 people) - $139 (Minibus (1-10) pictures)

    A Minibus (1-13 people) - $149 (Minibus (1-13) pictures)

    A Bus (1-45 people) - $339 (Bus pictures)

  • 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.

  • Daytrip Details: We pick you up from Airport / Train Station or your hotel both in Khiva or Urgench and start the Daytrip. It is recommended to start the trip in the morning after breakfast. It takes about 90 minutes to arrive to the first Fortress.
    1. Duman Kala composed of three adjacent sections – a square-shaped western enclosure with corner towers; a smaller square-shaped citadel; and an irregular four-sided northern enclosure, the remains of which can no longer been seen. The western citadel is the best-preserved section, especially along its northern side, but only small section of the eastern enclosure remains…
    2. Guldursun Kala is a fortified town. The exterior walls and towers 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. Angka Kala will be next place to visit. The fort 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. The fort seems to have gone into decline between the end of the Afrighid feudal period and the completion of the first millennium.
    4. 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. Janbas Kala 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. The military architects had attempted to overcome this design weakness by including some steeply inclined loopholes so that some archers could fire down along the face of the walls.
    5. Ayaz Kala is the one of the most spectacular fortresses in the area. There are in fact, not one but three fortresses clustered together on and around a prominent hill at the Eastern end of the Sultan-Uiz-dahg range. The fortress provided defense against nomad raids. A gravel road leads up to a small cluster of Yurts, a tourist rest center overlooking a shallow but picturesque lake. It was probable founded in the Afrighid period, sometime around the 7th to 8th Centuries CE…
    There is a lake – Akchakul Lake between Toprak and Ayaz Kala. There are also Yurt camps and restaurants next to the lake where you can enjoy local meals and drinks. In summer time it is possible to enjoy swimming and sand bath in Akchakul Lake.
    6. Toprak Kala 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, having first served as a Royal sanctuary, was briefly abandoned in the early 4th century and then after some restorations, was used as an administrative citadel for the city.
    7. Kizil Kala 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
    After visiting all seven fortresses, it is about 90 minutes to drive back to Khiva. Our driver may drop you off in Urgench Airport, Urgench / Khiva Train Station or in your hotel both in Khiva or Urgench and end the Daytrip there for the same price.

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