Arrival at Farap border. After exiting the Uzbek border, use 2 shuttle transfers (each transfer costs $1 per person) to reach the Turkmen border. Complete arrival formalities (COVID19 test, visa stamp, declarations form and customs). The border crossing might take 1.5-2 hours, depending on the number of travellers and arrival time. Transfer to Turkmenabat city for lunch (optional), a 40-minute drive.

After lunch, take a 5-hour drive to Mary and check in at hotel. The rest of the day is free at your leisure. Conclude the day with a dinner at the local restaurant.

Distance: ~290 km | Drive: ~5 hrs.
Accommodation: Hotel in Mary

Meals: –

After breakfast, check out at hotel and drive to Bayramali (25 km, 40 mins). Today we will have the unforgettable opportunity of visiting Ancient Merv Historical Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Merv impresses with its vast size of over 2,000 ha and comprises of 5 different city-sites from 3 millenniums. Historical Park includes ancient cities Erk-Kala and Gyaur-Kala, medieval cities Sultan Kala, Abdullakhan-Kala and Bayramalikhan-Kala, the oldest of still standing corrugated mud-brick palaces – Great and Little Gyz Kalas, mausoleums of Sultan Sanjar and Muhammad ibn Zaid, and tombs of the Profet’s companions, Askhabs, and some others.

After sightseeing, stop for lunch at “Ancient Turkmen Hearth” guesthouse where you can watch Turkmen traditional activities like making “pishme”, embroidery, felt making, ride a camel and enjoy the folk show. After lunch, take a 4-hour journey (350 km) to Ashgabat through the Eastern Karakum Desert, with 2 possible pit stops on the newly built highway. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel for check-in and dinner (optional).

Distance: ~350 km | Drive: ~4 hrs.
Accommodation: Hotel in Ashgabat

Meals: B, L

Morning: start at the State Museum of History and Ethnography to explore ancient artifacts, then travel to the UNESCO-listed ruins of Old Nisa, the former capital of the Parthian Empire, set against the scenic Kopetdag Mountains.

After lunch, visit the Geokdepe stud-farm to see the legendary Ahalteke horses, famed for their speed, endurance, and shimmering coats, with opportunities to ride, feed, and photograph them. The area is also historically significant as the site of the fortress that was the site of a battle during the Great Game in 1881, as well as the Geokdepe Mosque, built in memory of those events. On the way to Ashgabat, explore an impressive complex in Kipchak Village to see the biggest mosque of Turkmenistan “the Spiritual Mosque of Turkmenbashi” and “the family mausoleum of the first president”. Conclude the day with a dinner at the local restaurant.

Accommodation: Hotel in Ashgabat

Meals: B

After a relaxed breakfast at the hotel, discover Ashgabat, the “City of Love,” renowned for its striking white marble architecture and grand boulevards. Drive through lavish streets passing by the Ruhyyet Palace, Parliament, and the Olympic Village. Arrive in Berkarar Mall, one of the biggest and busiest malls in Ashgabat.

Visit the Halk Hakydasy Memorial Complex, honoring national heroes and historic tragedies, before enjoying panoramic city views from the Palace of Happiness. Continue along Archabil Highway to see the Magtymguly monument, ending at Independence Park and the monumental buildings. Conclude the day with a dinner at the local restaurant.

Accommodation: Hotel in Ashgabat
Meals: B

Breakfast at the hotel. Explore the older part of the city built in Soviet times and then hit the road to the center of Karakum Desert. Enjoy a 1-2 hour walk from Ashgabat Park along historic Magtymguly Avenue, to Lenin Square, home to The Monument of Lenin that survived the 1948 earthquake. Continue to the lively Gulistan Bazaar (Russian Bazaar), a Soviet-era landmark, where you can experience local life and browse stalls of dried fruits, famous Turkmen melons, carpets, and traditional souvenirs.

After lunch, drive to the Darvaza Gaz Crater also known as “The Gates of Hell“, a methane-belching fire pit in the Turkmenistan desert. On the way, stop in Yerbent at the monument of victory over Basmatism in Central Asia. The journey includes uneven asphalt roads and a short off-road desert section. Arrive in Darvaza by early evening.

• ~160 km of smooth asphalt / ~103 km of uneven asphalt roads / ~7 km of desert off-road terrain
• comfortable 4×4 vehicles (max. 3 passengers per vehicle) to ensure safety and comfort.

Settle into a traditional yurt camp for dinner and visit the legendary Darvaza Gas Crater, a massive natural gas crater burning continuously since the 1970s. As night falls, the glowing flames create an unforgettable desert atmosphere.

Distance: 270 km | Drive: ~4 hrs.
Accommodation: yurt in Darvaza

Meals: B, D

Morning: After breakfast at the camp we say goodbye to the gas crater and head to Kunya Urgench. Note: Be prepared for the road challenge for the next 5 hours. The road from Darvaza to Kunya-Urgench is quite damaged. Upon arrival to Kunya-Urgench, stop at the local restaurant for lunch and then explore the city’s architectural and spiritual treasures, including the Mausoleum of Turabek Khanym, Kutlug Timur Minaret, Sultan Tekesh Mausoleum, Kyrk Mollah Mound, Il-Arslan Mausoleum, and the shrines of Najm al-Din al-Kubra and Piryar Vali.

After sightseeing, transfer to Dashoguz (100 km, 1,5-hour drive from Kunya-Urgench) and hotel check-in. Conclude the day with a dinner at the local restaurant.

Distance: 285 km | Drive: ~6 hrs.

Accommodation: Hotel in Dashoguz
Meals: B

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the Turkmen-Uzbek border to exit to Khiva.

Meals: B

NOTE: B – breakfast, L – lunch, D – dinner.

Tour price information

ACCOMMODATION

Important Accommodation Policy

In the event of government-level events or official delegations requiring priority accommodation, our company reserves the right to substitute the originally confirmed hotel with an alternative property of the same category and comparable standard.