Can tourists take a 4×4 desert safari in Uzbekistan?

Tourists can easily book thrilling 4×4 desert safaris to travel through Uzbekistan’s vast arid landscapes, and it usually feels very immediate once you’re there. These off-road adventures mostly happen in the Kyzylkum Desert and on the dried-up seabed of the Aralkum, which is the area around the former Aral Sea.

For getting to the most remote and rugged sights, a jeep safari is basically the only workable option. The routes vary a lot, from overnight excursions to desert yurt camps close to Aydarkul, and then on to harder, multi-day passages that cross the Ustyurt Plateau to see the shrinking remnants of the Aral Sea. Because there’s a complete lack of paved roads and limited mobile reception in those regions, travellers have to hire seasoned local drivers; they also need rugged vehicles and survival equipment.