Wildlife Escape: Day Trip to Jeyran Ecocenter from Bukhara

Most visitors to Bukhara spend their days among madrasas and domed bazaars. Less than an hour's drive away, the Jeyran Ecocenter shows a very different side of the region: open desert, rare hoofed animals and salt lakes where water birds nest. This guide explains what the reserve is, what you see on a visit from Bukhara and how to plan the trip.

Key facts

• Where: Bukhara region, on the edge of the Kyzylkum Desert, about 42 km from Bukhara (40–45 minutes by car, according to our tour data).
• What it is: a breeding centre and protected area for rare desert animals, created in 1977.
• Size: about 16,500 hectares, of which some 5,100 hectares are fenced.
• Main animals: goitered gazelles (jeyrans), Turkmen kulans, Przewalski's horses and Bukhara mountain sheep.
• Time needed: the visit itself takes a few hours; it fits easily into a free half day in Bukhara.
• Good for: nature lovers, families, birdwatchers and anyone who has seen enough monuments for one day.
• Book with: see the Jeyran Ecocenter tour page or contact us; prices depend on group size and season.

What is the Jeyran Ecocenter?

The centre was set up in 1977 to breed the goitered gazelle — called jeyran in Uzbek — which had almost disappeared from the region. Today it covers about 16,500 hectares between Bukhara and Karaulbazar. One part is enclosed by a fence, where animals are bred and watched by specialists; the larger part is open desert.

Besides gazelles, the centre keeps Turkmen kulans (a wild ass), Przewalski's horses and Bukhara mountain sheep. According to the official government figures, more than a thousand gazelles live here, along with dozens of kulans and a smaller herd of Przewalski's horses. Many of these species are listed in the Red Book of Uzbekistan, and the centre's job is to breed and study them.

What you see on a visit

The enclosure complex

The visit starts in the open-air enclosures near the entrance. Here you learn about the centre's mission and the animals that live there. This is the easiest place to see the rarer species up close and to take photos.

A walk across the sand

From the enclosures you continue into the wider reserve. The programme in our tour data includes a walk of about 1.25 km through sandy desert towards the lakes. On the way you pass black saxaul, astragalus and other desert plants. This is also lizard country: desert lacertas and monitor lizards live here, along with Central Asian tortoises. Kulans, gazelles and Przewalski's horses may appear in the distance.

Four salt lakes

The walk ends at a group of four small lakes, known as Small Saline, Beautiful, Duck and Big Saline. Each has a different depth and salinity. A watering point at Small Saline lake draws black-bellied sandgrouse, kulans, gazelles and horses. The banks of Small Saline and Duck lakes are nesting places for white-tailed lapwings, stilts and little ringed plovers, and you may also see herons, ducks, coots and kingfishers. With luck, badgers or muskrats show themselves near the water.

When to go

The reserve can be visited all year, but the desert sets the rhythm. In summer it is very hot by late morning, so start early. Spring brings the greenest landscape and the bird nesting season; autumn is mild and clear. In winter the desert is cold and windy but quiet, and the animals are often easier to spot without the heat haze. Wildlife is wild: what you see depends on the day, the weather and the season.

Practical tips

• Wear closed shoes: the walk to the lakes is on soft sand.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and water, even in spring and autumn.
• Binoculars and a camera with a zoom lens make a real difference here.
• Keep your voice down and follow the staff's instructions near the animals.
• Go early in the morning in the warm months — animals are more active and the light is softer.
• Combine the trip with a relaxed afternoon in Bukhara's old town rather than a full sightseeing day.

Plan it with TravelBliss

We arrange the transfer from Bukhara, the visit to the ecocentre and the return to the city; ask us what the tour includes. The tour runs daily. If you also want a day in the old town, our Bukhara City Tour pairs well with it, and our full-day Bukhara guide helps you plan the rest of your stay. See the Wildlife Escape tour page for the programme. Prices depend on the number of travellers and the season — contact us for a quote.