Illustration.
From Khiva · 6 hours · Private car
Khiva Fortress Tour
A car and driver from your hotel in Khiva to Ayaz-Kala, Toprak-Kala and Kyzyl-Kala and back. One price covers the car for up to 3 people; the driver is not a guide, and entrance tickets and lunch are extra.
Pick your day
Which Khiva Fortress Tour?
The Khiva fortresses are the ruins of mud-brick strongholds in the desert north-east of Khiva, about 100 km away by road, and most people see them on a day by private car. The one to book first is Khiva Advanture’s Daytrip to Three Ancient Fortresses from Khiva, priced for the whole car, from US$89 on promotion, usually US$99 (checked November 2026), whether one, two or three of you go. It takes 6 hours from your hotel to Ayaz-Kala, Toprak-Kala and Kyzyl-Kala and back. Book it knowing what it is: a driver and a car, not a guide, with the entrance tickets and lunch on top.
Daytrip to Three Ancient Fortresses from Khiva
Khiva Advanture: 6 hours, pickup at your hotel, the airport or a train station, Ayaz-Kala, Toprak-Kala and Kyzyl-Kala, water in an air-conditioned car. No guide; entrance tickets and lunch are extra.
Check dates →Half Day GUIDED Tour from Khiva to Old Fortresses!
Sarvar Bobojonov: the same three fortresses in 6 hours with an English-speaking guide and a driver, for up to 2 people. Entry fees are extra.
See the tour →Khiva: Daytrip to Desert Fortresses with Sunset & Dinner
Khiva Advanture: an afternoon start, Toprak-Kala, Kyzyl-Kala and Akchakul Lake, then sunset at Ayaz-Kala and dinner near the yurt camp, paid separately. Drop-off at Urgench Airport if you fly out that evening.
See the tour →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote. Each price is for the car, not per person.
Going on to Bukhara anyway? A private transfer can stop at the fortresses on the way: see Khiva to Bukhara via the fortresses.
- 4.7 / 5 171+ Reviews
- 106 km By road from Itchan Kala in Khiva to Ayaz-Kala, the farthest of the three fortress sites
- Per car One price for 1, 2 or 3 people; a party of 4 needs a second car
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Car Day Covers
What comes with the car and the driver, and what you pay for yourself on the day.
Highlights
- Professial and experienced drivers
- Comfortable and new cars with A/C
- Discover the Ancient Heritages
What's Included
- Pick up and drop off
- Experienced driver with comfortable A/C cars
- Mineral water 0.5 L
- All taxes and fees
Good to know: Wear comfortable walking shoes, as the terrain is sandy and uneven · Bring sun protection (hat, sunglasses, sunscreen), especially in the Kyzylkum Desert · A camera is highly recommended for stunning landscapes and ancient ruins · Be prepared for limited shade and infrastructure at archaeological sites · Not suitable for: People over 95 years · Not Included: Guide, Entrance ticket, Tips, Lunch
From Your Khiva Hotel to Three Fortresses and Back
A 6-hour day by private car: an early pickup, three fortress sites in the desert north-east of Khiva, a lunch stop if you want one, and the drive back.
Pickup in Khiva
The car collects you at your hotel in Khiva, or at the airport or a train station. On every date we read (14 November and 8 December 2026, 20 April and 11 May 2027) there was one start time: 6:00 AM.
Out into the Desert
The first drive, to Ayaz-Kala, takes about an hour and a half. Ayaz-Kala is 106 km by road from Itchan Kala, the walled old town of Khiva. The car is air-conditioned and 0.5 L of mineral water is included.
Three Fortress Sites
Ayaz-Kala is a group of three fortresses; Toprak-Kala and Kyzyl-Kala stand 4 km apart by road. You walk them on your own: the driver is not a guide, the ground is sandy and uneven, and there is little shade.
Lunch by the Lake, Then Back
You can ride a camel at Ayaz-Kala and stop for a local lunch at Akchakul Lake; neither is among the inclusions. The car then takes you back: 6 hours in all.
Photo Gallery
Mud-Brick Walls in the Desert
Fortress walls above the flat desert, the open country around them and the road out from Khiva.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Khiva Advanture's 6-hour day by private car from your hotel in Khiva, the airport or a train station: Ayaz-Kala, Toprak-Kala and Kyzyl-Kala, with an optional lunch stop at Akchakul Lake. One price for the car for up to 3 people; the driver is not a guide, and entrance tickets and lunch are extra. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Before You Go
Planning a Fortress Day from Khiva
What a car costs and what is extra, the best hours to go, Ayaz-Kala and its yurt camp, the drive to Bukhara through the fortresses, the old town walk and the Aral Sea.
Prices are each page's featured tour: GetYourGuide checked November 2026. Tour prices on GetYourGuide and Viator are in US dollars; entrance tickets at the sites are paid in Uzbek som (UZS).
Four Fortress Days from Khiva Side by Side
A car and driver, a guided half day, the sunset trip and the long day with the lake and camels: when each starts, who explains the sites, what you pay on top. GetYourGuide prices with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE Car and driver, three fortresses | Guide included | Sunset and dinner | Lake, cotton fields and camels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From US$89 per group up to 3 (checked November 2026) (4 people need two cars) | From US$99 per group up to 2 (checked November 2026) | From US$90 per group up to 3 (checked November 2026) | From US$95 per group up to 3 (checked November 2026) |
| Starts | 6:00 AM on every date we read (November and December 2026, April and May 2027) | 8:25 AM or 3:05 PM on 8 December 2026 and 20 April 2027 | Every half hour from 12:00 PM to 4:30 PM on 8 December 2026 and 20 April 2027 | 9:00 AM, or 2:00 PM for the sunset option, on 8 December 2026 and 20 April 2027 |
| Length | 6 hours | 6 hours | 6 hours | 9 to 12 hours |
| Who Explains the Sites | No one: a driver, no guide | An English-speaking guide, with a driver | No one: a driver, no guide | No one: the drivers speak basic English or Russian and do not go into the sites with you |
| Where It Goes | Ayaz-Kala, Toprak-Kala, Kyzyl-Kala; a lunch stop at Akchakul Lake if you want one | Ayaz-Kala, Toprak-Kala, Kyzyl-Kala; a lunch stop on the way back if you want one | Toprak-Kala, Kyzyl-Kala, Akchakul Lake, then Ayaz-Kala at sunset | Cotton fields, melons in Shabbaz, Kyzyl-Kala, Toprak-Kala, Akchakul Lake, Ayaz-Kala and its yurt camp |
| Food | Water in the car; lunch at your own cost | Water in the car; lunch at your own cost | Dinner near the Ayaz-Kala yurt camp, at your own cost | Melon tasting; lunch at your own cost |
| Entrance Tickets | Not included | Not included | Not included | Not included: 20,000 UZS a fortress for each person |
| Limits | Not for people over 95; no alcohol in the car | None stated | None stated; a short climb to Ayaz-Kala | Not for pregnant women, wheelchair users, heart problems or mobility impairments |
| Best For | Three fortress sites with an early start, one price for the whole car | Anyone who wants the history explained at each site | Ayaz-Kala at sunset, with an airport drop-off for an evening flight | A long day with the lake, a swim and the camels as well as the fortresses |
| Check dates | See the tour | See the tour | See the tour |
More Ways to See the Fortresses
Other Khiva Fortress Tours
A car day with hourly starts, five fortresses, ten fortresses, a driver who is also the guide, the camel and lake day, and the transfer to Bukhara.
HOURLY STARTSDay Trip From Khiva To Ancient Fortresses
Amu Transport's 6-hour private day by air-conditioned car from a hotel in Khiva or Urgench or the airport: Ayaz-Kala, Tuprak-Kala and Kyzyl-Kala, seen on your own, with parking fees included. Lunch, entry tickets and a guide are not included, and some of its drivers have beginner-level English.
FIVE FORTRESSESDaytrip from Khiva to Five Ancient Fortresses
Amu Transport's 7-hour private day from Khiva or Urgench to five fortresses, seen on your own: Guldursun-Kala, Ayaz-Kala, Kavat-Kala, Toprak-Kala and Kyzyl-Kala. Air-conditioned car, parking fees and a flexible departure time are included; entry tickets, a guide and lunch are not, and some drivers have limited English.
DRIVER-GUIDEGuided Tour to Ancient Fortresses and Cotton Fields with a Local
Khiva Fortress Adventures' 6-hour private trip from Khiva or Urgench with a local who is both the driver and a certified English-speaking guide: Ayaz-Kala, Toprak-Kala and Kyzyl-Kala, with a short stop for somsa on the way back. The fortress fees, which it puts at US$1.5 a person at each site, are extra. Not recommended in pregnancy.
TEN FORTRESSESDay Trip from Khiva to the Top 10 Fortresses and Akchakul Lake
Islambek Travel & Hotels' 10 to 12-hour private day from Khiva or Urgench to ten fortresses: Guldursun, Koy Krylgan, Angka, Janbas, Big and Small Kirkkiz, Ayaz, Kavat, Toprak and Kizil Kala, with a swim or sand bath at Akchakul Lake, cotton fields and a melon tasting. The drivers have basic language skills; tickets at Ayaz, Toprak and Kizil Kala are paid on site, and lunch and a guide are extra. Up to 3 travellers a booking.
ON TO BUKHARAKhiva to Bukhara: Transfer with Top 5 Fortresses & Akchakul Lake
Islambek Travel & Hotels' private transfer from your hotel in Khiva to your hotel in Bukhara, luggage included: a melon tasting in Shabbaz, cotton picking, Kizil Kala, Toprak Kala, a lunch stop and swim at Akchakul Lake, Kavat Kala, Ayaz Kala and Guldursun Kala, then the desert road to Bukhara. Air-conditioned Chevrolet car and 1 L of water a person; the drivers speak basic English and Russian and do not go into the sites with you. Entrance tickets (20,000 UZS a person at each of Kizil Kala, Toprak Kala and Ayaz Kala) and meals are extra. Not for pregnant women, wheelchair users or people with back or heart problems.
Khiva fortress tours
A Car, a Guide or the Sunset: What Each Day Gives You
The car days, the guided day and the long days, set out by what is included, what you pay on top and who explains the sites.
What the car day is, and what it is not
Khiva Advanture sells a private car with a driver. It collects you at your hotel in Khiva, at the airport or at a train station, drives about an hour and a half to Ayaz-Kala and then takes you to Toprak-Kala and Kyzyl-Kala. The car is air-conditioned and 0.5 L of mineral water is included. A guide, the entrance tickets, lunch and tips are not.
That matters at the sites. Three reviews, from July, August and October 2026, point out that the fortresses have no information boards, so on a driver-only day you see the walls and read the history yourself, before or after. If that suits you, it is a fair price for a car: on every date we read, 1, 2 or 3 people paid the same.
The day started at 6:00 AM on every date we read. Ground at the sites is sandy and uneven and there is little shade, so bring comfortable shoes, a sun hat and sunglasses.
The three fortress sites
Ayaz-Kala is a group of three fortresses, 106 km by road from Itchan Kala and the farthest of the three sites. Uzbekistan’s tourism site describes three settlements on separate hills and a yurt camp nearby with camel rides. Toprak-Kala was a fortified city and royal residence; Uzbekistan’s text on the UNESCO Tentative List gives it as 500 by 350 m, with walls still standing up to 8 to 9 m. Kyzyl-Kala, the “Red Fortress”, stands 4 km by road from Toprak-Kala.
None of the three is a World Heritage Site. Toprak-Kala and Ayaz-Kala are on Uzbekistan’s Tentative List, the sites the country may nominate later; Kyzyl-Kala is not named there. The World Heritage Site is Itchan Kala itself, the walled inner town of Khiva, inscribed in 1990 (UNESCO World Heritage Centre, checked November 2026). Ayaz-Kala and the yurt camp has more on the farthest site and the night out there.
Akchakul Lake, near Toprak-Kala, is a stop on several of these days: Khiva Advanture’s car day pairs it with a local lunch, and Islambek Travel & Hotels’ longer days add a swim.
Driver or guide
If you want someone to tell you what you are looking at, pay for a guide. Sarvar Bobojonov’s Half Day GUIDED Tour from Khiva to Old Fortresses comes with an English-speaking guide and a driver, collects from more than a hundred hotels in Khiva, Urgench International Airport and Khiva railway station, and spends an hour on a guided visit to Ayaz-Kala before Toprak-Kala and Kyzyl-Kala. It costs US$99 for up to 2 people, and its 136 reviews average 4.96, with one at three stars and none lower.
Khiva Fortress Adventures’ Guided Tour to Ancient Fortresses and Cotton Fields with a Local, sold on Viator, pairs the same three sites with a driver who is also a certified English-speaking guide, for US$90 (checked November 2026).
The other car days work like Khiva Advanture’s. Amu Transport's Day Trip From Khiva To Ancient Fortresses is US$85 for the car, starts on the hour from 6:00 AM to 12:00 PM on the dates we read and has no guide; some of its drivers have beginner-level English. Asli Travel's three-fortress tour is 5 hours, with pickup at the Ata Darwaza west gate of Ichan Kala or your hotel.
Morning or sunset
The car day leaves early and is back by midday or soon after. Khiva Advanture’s Daytrip to Desert Fortresses with Sunset & Dinner turns the day round: it left every half hour from 12:00 PM to 4:30 PM on the dates we read, sees Toprak-Kala, Kyzyl-Kala and Akchakul Lake, and reaches Ayaz-Kala for the sunset, with dinner near the yurt camp afterwards at your own cost. It can drop you at Urgench Airport instead of Khiva. The best time for a fortress day sets the start times side by side.
More fortresses, the lake and the camels
Three sites is the usual day. Amu Transport’s Daytrip from Khiva to Five Ancient Fortresses adds Guldursun-Kala and Kavat-Kala in 7 hours for US$112 a car. Islambek Travel & Hotels’ Top 10 Fortresses day, sold on Viator, takes 10 to 12 hours over ten sites for US$135 (checked November 2026).
Islambek Travel & Hotels’ Fortresses, Yurt Camps, Camels & Desert Oasis Lake is the long, easy-going version: cotton fields, a melon tasting in Shabbaz, Kyzyl-Kala and Toprak-Kala, a swim or a sand bath at Akchakul Lake, then Ayaz-Kala and the yurt camp, where a camel ride costs extra. It runs 9 to 12 hours, for US$95 a car. Its drivers speak basic English or Russian and do not go into the sites with you.
What reviewers mention
Khiva Advanture’s car day has 171 reviews on GetYourGuide, all from April to November 2026, at an average of 4.7. Fourteen give three stars or fewer. Eight of those have text, and seven of the eight say the driver spoke little or no English or hardly spoke at all; three describe fast or frightening driving. One three-star review from September 2026 makes the point that the day is run by a company, not by the one driver named in other reviews, so the driver praised in a review may not be yours.
The five-star reviews name a number of different drivers. Several say theirs spoke good English and talked about the history; in two others the travellers got by in Russian. If commentary is the point of your day, take the guided tour above rather than hoping for a talkative driver.
Before you book
- Party size. Khiva Advanture’s car day is priced for a car of up to 3. Four people paid US$198 on 11 May 2027, the date we read for four, the price of two cars. The guided half day is priced for up to 2.
- Entrance tickets. None of the day trips above includes them. Islambek Travel & Hotels' lake and camel day puts them at 20,000 UZS (Uzbek som) a person at each fortress. Prices and what is not included adds it all up.
- Who it is not for. Khiva Advanture’s car day is not for people over 95 and allows no alcohol in the car. Islambek Travel & Hotels' long day is not for pregnant women, wheelchair users or people with heart problems or limited mobility.
- Cancelling. Every GetYourGuide day here can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before, and you can reserve now and pay later.
- Visas. Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs lets citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and many other countries in without a visa for up to 30 days; check its list for your passport (checked November 2026).
- The old town. Most people spend the rest of the stay inside Itchan Kala; the Itchan Kala walking tour covers the guided walks and the tickets inside the walls.
Three Fortresses, Back in Khiva by Afternoon
Khiva Advanture's 6-hour day: a private car and driver from your Khiva hotel, airport or train station to Ayaz-Kala, Toprak-Kala and Kyzyl-Kala, with water in the car. Entrance tickets, lunch and a guide are extra. Starting from US$89 per group up to 3 (4 people need two cars) on promotion, usually US$99, checked November 2026.
Check datesMore from Khiva
Tours from Khiva with Open Dates
Day trips and walks from Khiva with live availability. Where each starts, what it includes and the cancellation terms show before you book.
Khiva Fortress Tour: Questions
Which day trip, how far, guide or driver, what it costs for a car, entrance tickets, sunset, Bukhara and visas.
If you are happy to walk the sites on your own, Khiva Advanture's Daytrip to Three Ancient Fortresses from Khiva: a private car and driver for 6 hours, from US$89 on promotion, usually US$99 for the car for up to 3 people (checked November 2026). If you want the history explained at each site, Sarvar Bobojonov's Half Day GUIDED Tour from Khiva to Old Fortresses comes with an English-speaking guide, from US$99 for up to 2 people. For Ayaz-Kala at sunset, Khiva Advanture's sunset and dinner trip leaves in the afternoon.
Toprak-Kala and Kyzyl-Kala are 96 to 97 km and Ayaz-Kala 106 km by road from Itchan Kala, the walled old town of Khiva; Kyzyl-Kala is 4 km by road from Toprak-Kala. The fortresses lie north-east of Khiva. Khiva Advanture's car day allows about an hour and a half for the first drive, to Ayaz-Kala.
On most of the car days, no: you get a driver. Khiva Advanture's three-fortress day, Amu Transport's day trip and Islambek Travel & Hotels' lake and camel day all exclude a guide. Two that include one are Sarvar Bobojonov's guided half day, with an English-speaking guide and a driver, and Khiva Fortress Adventures' trip on Viator, where the driver is also the guide.
Most are priced per car, not per person: one price for a group of up to 3 people. Khiva Advanture's three-fortress day is from US$89 on promotion, usually US$99 a car (checked November 2026), and four people paid US$198 on 11 May 2027, the price of two cars. Amu Transport's day trip is from US$85 a car, and the guided half day from US$99 for up to 2. Entrance tickets, lunch and tips come on top. See prices and what is not included.
On the day trips compared here, no: you pay at each site. Islambek Travel & Hotels' fortress, camel and lake day puts the tickets at 20,000 UZS (Uzbek som) a person at each fortress, and two reviews of Khiva Advanture's day from April and July 2026 mention the same 20,000 som. Both two-day trips with a night at the Ayaz-Kala yurt camp, Islambek Travel & Hotels' and GLOBAL CONNECT UZBEKISTAN's, include the tickets.
No. Itchan Kala, the walled inner town of Khiva, is a World Heritage property (inscribed in 1990); the desert fortresses are not. Toprak-Kala and Ayaz-Kala appear on Uzbekistan's Tentative List, the list of sites a country may nominate later, under 'Desert Castles of Ancient Khorezm' (submitted in 2008) and 'Ancient towns and fortresses of the Aral Sea region' (2025). Kyzyl-Kala is named in neither (UNESCO World Heritage Centre, checked November 2026).
Yes: several private transfers stop at them and drop you at your hotel in Bukhara. Islambek Travel & Hotels' transfer with five fortresses and Akchakul Lake takes 11 hours and costs from US$190 for the car; Amu Transport's transfer via three fortresses takes 9 hours. By road, Khiva to Bukhara is 456 km direct and 575 km by way of Toprak-Kala and Ayaz-Kala. See Khiva to Bukhara via the fortresses.
Yes, on an afternoon trip. Khiva Advanture's sunset and dinner trip started every half hour from 12:00 PM to 4:30 PM on the dates we read, visits Toprak-Kala, Kyzyl-Kala and Akchakul Lake first, and ends with sunset at Ayaz-Kala and dinner near the yurt camp, which is not included. It can drop you at Urgench Airport for an evening flight. See Ayaz-Kala and the yurt camp.
Many passports do not: Uzbekistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France and Italy among those who may enter without a visa for up to 30 days. Others apply for an electronic visa at e-visa.gov.uz. The list changes, so check the Ministry's page for your own passport before you travel (checked November 2026).
Still have questions? Email us at info@khivafortresstour.com