Programme and details
Nature & Adventure · private 4×4 expedition, run for your group alone
Wild Expedition: Baysun
Termez · Derbent · Did you know? Boysun's whole way of life is on UNESCO's heritage list In 2001 UNESCO proclaimed the Cultural Space of Boysun District a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, and in 2008 it joined the Representative List: old rituals, songs, crafts and the Boysun Bahori spring festival. Read more → · Did you know? Legend makes the Baysun hills the home of the hero Alpamysh Legend, as told in the Uzbek epic Alpamysh, makes the hero a son of the Boysun-Kungrat land. Scholars think this version took shape among the Kungrat tribe in the south, who brought an older tale with them from the Aral region. Read more → — six days in southern Uzbekistan, where the road doesn’t lead to a hotel, but to the next pass.
Route
The Wild South: Baysun
This isn’t a trip “to see Baysun.” It’s a route for a small group on prepared jeeps: mountain roads, kishlaks, canyons, and places where the schedule is set by the light, the weather and the road itself. Start and finish in Termez; for the length of the expedition, the team works for your group only.
| Day | Area | What’s inside |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Termez → Derbent → Baysun | Start on jeeps, the Iron Gate pass, first mountain miles |
| 2–4 | Baysuntau | Kishlaks, canyons, treks and points chosen by conditions |
| 5 | Sangardak | Mountain road, waterfall, the last big day |
| 6 | Termez | Return, airport transfer or onward journey |
Programme
Day by day
Day 1 · Termez to Derbent to Baysun. The Start
Pick-up at Termez airport, or after a domestic flight from Tashkent. We switch into prepared jeeps and head toward Baysun. Along the way: Derbent and the Iron Gate, a mountain pass that caravans crossed for centuries. In the evening, check-in in Baysun, dinner, and a conversation about the days ahead.
Day 2 · Baysun. Without the Staged Stop
We get to know Baysun without the usual photo-op detours: the local market, the mahallas, tea in someone’s home or a small family ,A teahouse: green tea, plov and conversation on wide wooden beds called topchan. conversations with people who live here rather than “host excursions.” After lunch, jeeps out to viewpoints and toward the mountain kishlaks. The sunset spot is chosen on the day.
Day 3 · Baysuntau. Canyons and Mountain Roads
Deeper into Baysuntau: dirt roads, gorges, slopes, and short walks where the road runs out. The day’s route isn’t fixed in stone — the guide chooses the safe line based on the weather, the surface, and the group’s pace. Lunch is a mountain picnic, or a meal with a local family.
Day 4 · Teshik-Tash and the High Line
A jeep route to the Teshik-Tash area, one of the well-known archaeological sites of the Baysun mountains. Beyond it, panoramas over the Karshi steppe, mountain trails, and time for photography. Not a day of checkboxes — add a light trek, a photo session, or simply more time for the road and the quiet.
Day 5 · Baysun to Sangardak to Termez
The big final drive across southern Surkhandarya. Through the mountain districts to the Sangardak waterfall, where karst springs fall in a cascade over the rock. After the walk, back to Termez, a closing dinner, and a night at the hotel.
Day 6 · Termez. The End, or the Start of the Next One
Breakfast, transfer to the airport. If you’d rather not end here, this point can become a continuation instead — add Termez’s ancient sites, the Amu Darya, Tajikistan, or another region of Uzbekistan. The expedition doesn’t have to end where a standard package would.
Price
Price per person
| Group size | Price per person |
|---|---|
| 2 travelers, twin/double room | $1,910 |
Private departure — the price per person improves with a larger group. Tell us your dates and group size for an exact quote.
Price
What’s included and what’s paid separately
Accommodation, meals, guided excursions, transfers and train tickets can be added to build your final itinerary and price.
Where others see one option — we see ten. AroundCA — MICE & Travel
Expert opinion
Pluses
- Only for your group: A private 4×4 expedition with a driver and a guide for the whole six-day route, run for your group alone.
- Route set by conditions: The guide picks the safe line each day by weather, road surface and the group's pace, and you can add a light trek or more time for photography.
- Three named highlights: The Did you know? The Iron Gates pass really was shut by iron-clad doors In 630 the pilgrim Xuanzang described the narrow Iron Gates gorge near Derbent as a passage closed by double doors sheathed in iron. The wall across it is older still: it is dated to the Graeco-Bactrian king Euthydemus, 3rd century BC. Read more → pass near Derbent, the Did you know? A Neanderthal was found in a cave in the Baysun mountains In 1938 Alexey Okladnikov found a Neanderthal child's skull in Teshik-Tash cave, with pairs of ibex horns around it. Some see an early ritual, others chance. DNA has since confirmed the find as Neanderthal. Read more → area and the Sangardak waterfall are all in the route, which can be continued after Termez.
Minuses
- Long road days: Day 5 is a big drive across southern Did you know? Central Asia's largest ancient gold hoard came from Surkhandarya In 1972 archaeologists at Dalverzin Tepe, an ancient Kushan city in Surkhandarya, found 115 gold objects weighing 36 kg in all: ingots and jewellery of the 1st century AD. It is the largest gold treasure ever found in Central Asia. Read more → back to Termez, and days 2 to 4 are on bumpy dirt roads and through gorges, with long hours in the jeep. We send the exact timings for your dates when you book.
- No fixed daily plan: The day's route is not fixed in advance and depends on weather, road conditions and the group, so the order and points can change.
- Flights and meals extra: Flights to and from Termez, meals (on request), tips and insurance are not in the price.
AroundCA numbers
How we counted
By the AroundCA programme: we count only what is written in the day-by-day programme of this tour. If the programme gives no figure, we show nothing.
- Hotel changes
- 1
- Walking
- Light
Walking: Light: most of the route is by jeep. On foot: short walks where the road runs out (day 3), an optional light trek (day 4) and a walk at the Sangardak waterfall (day 5); the guide sets the pace for your group.
A typical day
Day 3, Baysuntau: the jeeps go deeper into the mountains on dirt roads, through gorges and along slopes, with short walks where the road ends. The guide chooses the safe line by weather, surface and the group's pace. Lunch is a mountain picnic or a meal with a local family.
What the price includes
What is included
- Private 4×4 jeep with driver for the full 6-day route
- 4 nights in Baysun, 1 night in Termez
- Guide for the whole expedition
- Entrance fees
- Drinking water
- All local taxes
Not included
- Flights to and from Termez (a Tashkent–Termez flight can be added)
- Meals (on request)
- Personal expenses, tips, travel insurance
- Flights to and from Termez — a domestic Tashkent–Termez flight can be added from $70 one-way
Good for
- Travellers who have seen the classic cities and want wild country
- Small groups who like an open-ended route set by weather and road
- Photographers and people happy with dirt roads and short walks
Maybe not for you if
- Those who want a fixed, minute-by-minute programme — each day's route is chosen on the spot
- Travellers wanting a shorter mountain trip near Tashkent — see the 4-day High Tashkent jeep expedition
Questions about this tour
What is included?
A private 4x4 jeep with driver for all six days, 4 nights in Baysun and 1 night in Termez, a guide for the whole expedition, entrance fees, drinking water and local taxes. What the price includes
Are meals included?
No, meals are paid separately and can be arranged on request.
How do I get to the start?
The expedition starts and ends in Termez; flights there are not included, but a domestic Tashkent–Termez flight can be added.
Is the route fixed?
Not completely: on the mountain days the guide picks a safe line depending on weather, road surface and the group's pace.
Does the price depend on group size?
Yes, it is a private departure and the per-person price drops as the group grows; send your dates and group size for an exact quote.
Didn’t find your answer? Ask about this tour →
Make it your trip
Tick what you’d like to add — it goes into your request, and the manager confirms the final price.
Arrival, departure, transfers
© Photos
A gorge in the Baysun district, Surkhandarya — Артем Карпов 8б / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0; Sangardak waterfall, Surkhandarya — Jonibek Qo'zimurodov / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
