 Urgench is a crossroads when traveling towards Khiva. Beyond this asset, the city has no particular appeal.

Asia

Assalomu alaykum! Welcome to Uzbekistan, an epicentre for many civilisations, a place steeped in world history and tradition, and home to rare, untainted landscapes. Once a witness to the grandeur and decadence of the Mongol and Persian Empires and a privileged step of the Silk Road, Uzbekistan still has countless treasures from its multicultural past. From the Bukhara Madrasas to the gems of Timurid architecture, we come to the Khanate of Khiva in the heart of the desert, which seems almost timeless . You can feel the weight of history pervading the whole area. The country also offers great excursions, on foot and by camel, and the opportunity to discover wildlife which, despite the drought, remains as varied as it is exotic. During walks in the steppes and mountains, you will have the opportunity to observe gazelles, scorpions, lynx, mountain sheep and even snow leopards in their natural habitats.

Uzbekistan

Urgench

Khiva is a small, fortified town located in the middle of the Uzbek desert. The town is an open-air museum with an enormous number of Islamic religious monuments that are open to visitors.

Khiva

 Bukhara is considered to be the holiest city in Central Asia. It's a key stop on a  trip to Uzbekistan between mosques, madrassas (Islamic schools), and even mausoleums that have been here for thousands of years. 

Bukhara

Tashkent is a nice city to visit - Uzbekistan has some economic development here, far from the traditions of the East and very touristy cities of the West.

Tashkent

The appeal of Nukus as a destination boils down to the Savitsky Karakalpakstan State Museum of Art, which - for what it's worth - is absolutely fantastic. Otherwise... there's not much else.

Nukus

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The capital of Karakalpakstan, Nukus is the last "city" in western Uzbekistan. The town isn't particularly interesting, but I stayed there during my <a href="/uzbekistan/">journey to Uzbekistan</a> for several reasons: Igor Savitsky brought together an incredible school of Russian artists who had been censured by the Stalinist regime. The museum that displays their work is a cultural oasis in the middle of the desert. It's also the last city to speak of. As you head further west, you have to make do with a very Spartan level of comfort, and cuisine that is highly tailored to local tastes! If you want to see the Aral Sea up close, you need to organize your trip here (there is an agency that offers trips to the Aral Sea by 4×4), and heading out further before making your arrangements would be extremely complicated, or even impossible if you don't have a vehicle!

The appeal of Nukus as a destination boils down to the Savitsky Karakalpakstan State Museum of Art, which - for what it's worth - is absolutely fantastic. Otherwise... there's not much else.

It goes without saying that, as soon as you set foot in Nukus, one of Uzbekistan's largest cities, you will be overwhelmed with a single, all-consuming desire... to get out of there as soon as possible. Sketchy, dirty, polluted and dusty, with massive concrete boulevards clogged with virulent traffic jams, Soviet tower blocks crumbling all around you: there is seemingly nothing in the town to offset the overwhelming sense of despair. On top of all that, the climate seems to amplify the hostile atmosphere with sweltering summers and glacial winters. However, despite the catastrophic backdrop, there is a museum that stands out from all the doom and gloom: the Savitsky Museum, also known as the Nukus Art Museum, reveals an utterly exceptional collection of historic artifacts, as well as the world's second greatest collection of avant-garde Russian art. In fact, it's shocking to find such a concentration of artworks in a town in the southern reaches of the <a href="/uzbekistan/">Uzbek</a> desert. However this unpredictability is actually a hallmark of the region and, in my view, that is what gives it its charm.

Deep in the depressing concrete jungle of Nukus is, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, one of Uzbekistan's finest museums.

Nukus Vacations

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