Daytrip to Seven Fortresses

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

We provide pick-up from the airport, train station, or your hotel in Khiva or Urgench to start this exciting day trip. The best time to begin is in the morning after breakfast. From Khiva, it takes about 1.5 hours to reach the first stop, Duman Kala.

Duman Kala

This ancient fortress is divided into three parts: a square-shaped western area with towers at the corners, a smaller citadel, and a northern enclosure. The northern wall is the best-preserved part today, while only a small section of the eastern wall is still visible.

Guldursun Kala

Built in the 12th century, this large fortress town still shows its tall walls and towers. Archaeologists have discovered pottery, bronze objects, and coins from around 1220 CE — the time of the Mongol invasion led by Muhammad Khorezmshah.

Angka Kala

Dating back to the 1st–3rd centuries AD, Angka Kala once protected the main caravan route to the east. It declined after the Afrighid dynasty and was mostly abandoned by the end of the first millennium.

Janbas Kala

This fortress is famous for its unusual design. Unlike others, it has no towers on its walls. Instead, it has steep arrow slits for archers, showing the clever military strategies of the Early Antique period.

Ayaz Kala

One of the most impressive sites, Ayaz Kala includes three fortresses standing on a high hill at the edge of the Sultan-Uiz-dahg range. Built in the 7th–8th centuries during the Afrighid period, it defended the region from nomadic tribes. Near Ayaz Kala lies Akchakul Lake, a popular summer spot with yurts and restaurants. Visitors can swim, try local food, or even enjoy natural sand baths by the lake.

Toprak Kala

From the 2nd–3rd centuries CE (Kushan period), this fortress was first used as a royal palace and later turned into an administrative center in the 4th century.

Kizil Kala

Originally built between the 1st–4th centuries CE, this site was rebuilt in the 12th–13th centuries, just before the Mongol invasions. Historians believe it might have been used as either soldiers’ barracks or a fortified manor house of medieval Khorezm.

After exploring all seven castles, the drive back to Khiva takes about 90 minutes. At the end of the trip, you’ll be dropped off at your hotel in Khiva or Urgench, or at the train station or airport — free of charge.