3-Day Authentic Rural Homestay Experience in the Nuratau Mountain

You arrive around lunchtime, where your host welcomes you and shows you the homestay so you can settle in. The homestay has six simple but comfortable guestrooms, furnished with carpets, kupacha mattresses, and pillows. The owner, Parda Musaev, also works as a warden in the Nuratau Nature Reserve. After lunch, take a leisurely walk through the village and visit the nearby breeding enclosure of the highly endangered Severtsov’s wild sheep. Continue up to the ruins of the Shaxi Korgon fortress on the hill opposite, then walk further into Hayat Valley to enjoy the diverse flora, fauna, and lush green scenery, especially beautiful in spring. In the late afternoon, return to the homestay and relax in the shady garden along the mountain brook, resting on tapchans or benches. In the evening, enjoy a home-cooked dinner with your host family.

The route is about 12 km and takes roughly 4 hours at a relaxed pace. Along the way, you will see ancient irrigation channels that have supported local agriculture for generations, rock petroglyphs that recall early settlements in the area, and the small mausoleum of an Islamic priest, reflecting the spiritual history of the region. You return to the homestay around midday and share lunch with your host family. In the afternoon, you are driven to Sayyod village. On arrival, you settle into your new homestay and can take a short walk around the village or simply relax and enjoy the calm mountain atmosphere. In the evening, a traditional dinner is served at the homestay.

The route is about 6 km and takes around 3 hours, with gentle ascents and descents. From the viewpoints, you can enjoy wide panoramas of the Nuratau Mountains and, on clear days, distant views towards Lake Aydarkul. This final walk is a chance to soak up the landscape and peaceful atmosphere before returning to the city. You return to the homestay in time for lunch. In the early afternoon, your driver picks you up and transfers you back to Samarkand, where your mountain adventure comes to an end.