Kurgan-Tyube (now officially Bokhtar) is not a destination in itself but a useful base for two worthwhile excursions. The Ajina-Tepe Buddhist Monastery ruins, 12 km east of the city, are one of the most significant Buddhist archaeological sites in Central Asia and easy to visit in a half-day. The Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve to the south, one of the few remaining tugai (riverine forest) habitats in Central Asia, requires advance arrangement but rewards serious nature travellers.
The city itself has a modest bazaar worth an hour's browsing, particularly for its dried fruit, nuts, and cotton textiles from the surrounding agricultural plain.