Nurata & Aydarkul: A Lake in the Desert

The route starts on the familiar M39 from Tashkent through Gulistan toward Jizzakh. After Jizzakh you turn south toward Nurata — another 100 km or so on a decent road. Nurata is a small town of about 30,000 at the foot of the Nuratau Mountains. The draws here are the ruins of a fortress linked to Alexander the Great and the sacred Chashma spring, where hundreds of marinka fish swim in a pool that you must not disturb.

Nurata: what to see

The Nurata fortress (9th – 10th century, though legend credits the foundation to Alexander) sits on a hill above the town — the walk up takes 15 minutes and the view is worth the effort. Below it is the Chashma complex with the spring, the 16th-century Namazgoh mosque and a market. The whole visit takes about an hour to ninety minutes.

Aydarkul: a lake in the desert

From Nurata to Aydarkul is 50 – 60 km, and this is where the adventure begins. The last 20 – 30 km are unpaved — part sand, part gravel. A regular sedan is risky here: low clearance and sand are a bad combination. A crossover handles it confidently; an SUV has no trouble at all.

Aydarkul is a man-made lake that formed in 1969 after an overflow from the Syr Darya. Today it stretches 250 km and has become a full ecosystem. Several yurt camps along the shore offer overnight stays, dinner and camel rides. Swimming is pleasant from May through September when the water warms up.

• Book yurt camps in advance — spaces are limited, especially in September and October.
• Bring water, snacks and sunscreen — there is no infrastructure between Nurata and the lake.
• Evenings in the steppe are cold even in summer — pack a warm jacket.
• The night sky here is among the best in Uzbekistan — zero light pollution.

Mileage and daily limit

The one-way distance from Tashkent to Nurata and then Aydarkul is roughly 300 – 350 km, depending on how far you drive along the lake. A round trip comes to 600 – 700 km. With the 300 km/day limit you need a minimum 2-day rental (600 km allowance). If you drive around the lakeshore and between camps, add another 50 – 80 km, pushing you over.

An overage of 50 – 80 km costs 100,000 – 160,000 soum at 2,000 soum/km. Our advice: rent for 3 days — that gives you a 900 km allowance and plenty of margin. The third day also means you can spend the night in a yurt instead of rushing back.

Which car to choose

The last 20 – 30 km to the yurt camp are unpaved and sandy. A sedan is not advisable. The Hyundai Tucson is the optimal minimum — enough clearance, manages the sand. The Chevrolet Equinox is a notch simpler but also gets through. For maximum confidence on rough ground, go with the Chevrolet Trailblazer LTZ — its full-time AWD and reinforced suspension are built for exactly this kind of terrain.