Description
Period: All year around
Individuals dates available on request
Group size: min 1-15 persons
Trip length – 3 days
Ashgabat & Darvaza: A 3-Day Turkmenistan Adventure
Embark on a captivating 3-day tour through Turkmenistan, starting with the modern marvels and cultural treasures of Ashgabat. Explore the city’s striking white marble architecture, including the Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque and the National Museum, as well as bustling local markets and the grand Tolkuchka Bazaar. On the second day, venture into the desert to witness the spectacular Darvaza Gas Crater, a surreal “Gateway to Hell” that has been burning for decades, creating a mesmerizing, fiery spectacle. The tour also includes stops at nearby ancient sites and stunning landscapes, offering a perfect blend of Turkmenistan’s history, culture, and natural wonders.
Additional Information: PCR test
Upon arrival in Turkmenistan, all travelers (including Turkmenistan nationals) are required to undergo a PCR test, regardless of their vaccination status. The cost of the PCR test is $33 and is not included in your tour package.
For updates on any changes to regulations or restrictions, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Exclusions
- Visa Fees
- Immigration fee paid upon arrival in the border
- Video and photo camera charges at historical reserves
- Tips for guides and drivers.
- Entry to National Museum of History in Ashgabat (closed on Tuesdays)
- Entry to Museum of Turkmen Carpets in Ashgabat (closed on Sundays)
- Pre-booked lunch at local restaurants on Days 1,3: (Local Standard Portions:1 Soup, 1 Hot Meal, 1 Salad, Water, Bread, Desert, Tea/Coffee)
- Pre-booked dinner at local restaurants on Day 3: (Local Standard Portions:1 Hot Meal, 1 Salad, Water, Bread, Desert, Tea/Coffee)
- Any additional expenses not mentioned in the program.
Inclusions
- Local Village Banya (sauna)
- Hotel stays
- Tent at Darwaza (inc. sleeping bags, self inflated mattress & pillow, folding table & chair, cooking tools & etc)
- Hotel standard breakfasts
- Visa support (Letter of Invitation) and registration in Turkmenistan on arrival
- English speaking guide
- Transport: 4WD SUVon Days 1, 2 with air-con
- BBQ Dinner on Day 1(lamb/chicken grill, salads, bread, tea/coffee/water)
- Breakfast on Day 2 (Fried eggs with sausages, bread, honey, jam, butter, cheese, coffee/tea/water)
- Excursions according to program
- Entrance fee to Old Nissa
Tour itinerary
Half-day sightseeing tour in Ashgabat. Drive to Darwaza
After dropping your bags at the hotel, our guide takes you round Ashgabat. If you thought the highlight of your trip would be the gas crater, you might already have to readjust your opinion. The architecture of the White City is mind-blowing (and we do not intend to use that word lightly).
You get to see the remnants of the personality cult of Turkmenbashi: golden statues of the man himself and his book, Rukhnama. Monuments to Turkmen independence and mad attempts to get into the Guinness book of World Records. The footprint of Arkadag, the new leader of the nation, is getting bigger – you will get to see his follies too. And of course the endless blinding marble of palaces, ministries, hotels and done-up apartment buildings, all along perfectly manicured boulevards, fountains and parks in the middle of the desert.
Late afternoon, we start off by 4WD towards Darwaza. Expect 280 km of desert sands bridged in about 4 hours. We arrive just before dusk, the best time to see the unique gas crater flame away into the remoteness of the Karakum desert. Enjoy for as long as you want, then tear yourself away for a barbecue. Accommodation tonight is in a tent or yurt near the crater.
Note: If meals are not included then food for dinner & breakfast at Darwaza should be bought in Ashgabat.
Back to Ashgabat, or onward to Konye-Urgench
In the morning, after a hearty breakfast cooked in the light of the desert morning sun, it’s either back to Ashgabat, or onward to Konye-Urgench. Either way, it will be a 4-hour drive through the Karakum desert to your destination.
Ashgabat: more sightseeing, this time just outside of Ashgabat’s city boundaries: the UNESCO-listed archaeological site of Old Nissa, and the Kipchak mosque, Central Asia’s biggest and another one of Turkmenbashi’s monumental follies. The Russian bazaar is the city’s main bazaar and it is a good place for some souvenir shopping just before heading out.
Konye-Urgench: Visit the ruins of once-thriving Konye-Urgench before it was ruined by Genghis Khan and Tamerlane. The monuments still standing remind us of the wealth, skill and knowledge of this oasis city. The large stretches of nothing in between them create a palpable sense of the size of this city before its irreversible destruction.
Morning flight / border transfer
You could keep this visit limited to 2 days if your budget is constrained by leaving at the end of day 2. If you prefer to stay overnight, we will help you on your way to the airport or the border with Uzbekistan or Iran, onward to your next destination.
Tour Map
Tour Gallery
Tour Prices
On Request
For group the price is negotiated
