The Grand Fortress Circuit — Chilpik-Kala Route
The same comprehensive Ellik-Qala circuit, opening with petroglyphs and a riverside nature reserve, and overnighting beneath Chilpik-Kala's Zoroastrian Dakhma.
In this guide
Overview
This route covers the same full set of Ellik-Qala highlights as our Ayaz-Kala circuit — Guldursun-Kala, Kyzyl-Kala, Toprak-Kala, Ayaz-Kala, plus the Sultan Uvays Dag petroglyphs — but reorders the two days around a different overnight: a yurt camp near Chilpik-Kala, the circular Zoroastrian tower closest to Khiva, with its own distinct sunset experience. The pace is kept dynamic throughout, with efficient, focused stops rather than long lingering visits at each site.
Day 1: Khiva to Chilpik-Kala
Depart Khiva and head first into the Sultan Uvays Dag mountains for the ancient petroglyphs — carved rock art that predates every fortress on this route. From there, a quick stop at Badai-Tugai Reserve, a riverine nature reserve along the Amu Darya protecting one of the region's last stands of native tugai forest — a genuinely different landscape from the desert fortresses either side of it. The day ends at the yurt camp near Chilpik-Kala, with a sunset climb up to the circular Zoroastrian Dakhma itself — a "tower of silence" used for ancient funerary rites, and one of the most atmospheric single structures in the whole Khorezm region.
Day 2: Chilpik-Kala back to Khiva
After breakfast at camp, the second day works back through the core Ellik-Qala fortresses in sequence: Toprak-Kala, Kyzyl-Kala, Ayaz-Kala and Guldursun-Kala, each visited efficiently before returning to Khiva.
Ready to book? Lunches both days are quick, authentic stops at local roadside chaikhanas — not tourist resorts. Enquire →
Pricing
Private vehicle (fuel, parking included), an English-speaking guide/driver for both days, entrance fees at all ticketed sites plus the nature reserve, two local chaikhana lunches, and one night at the Chilpik-Kala area yurt camp with dinner and breakfast — all in the price below. Same resources, same price as our Ayaz-Kala route — the only real difference is the overnight and the order of the sites.
| Group size | Price per person |
|---|---|
| Solo traveler | $495 |
| 2 travelers | $290 |
| 3 travelers | $235 |
| 4 travelers | $195 |
| 5–6 travelers | $160–175 |
Prices in USD, per person, for the full 2-day/1-night circuit. Larger groups quoted on request.
Practical details
- Pace: Dynamic and efficient — shorter stops at each site to cover the full circuit comfortably in two days.
- Food: Lunches are local roadside chaikhana stops, the kind drivers and locals actually eat at — not resort dining.
- Signature moment: The sunset climb to Chilpik-Kala's Zoroastrian Dakhma is the one experience you won't get on the Ayaz-Kala route.
- Prefer the Ayaz-Kala overnight instead? See The Grand Fortress Circuit — Ayaz-Kala Route, the same comprehensive circuit with a different overnight and sequencing.
- Season: Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) offer the mildest desert temperatures for two full days outdoors.