Arrival and Check-In: Arrive at Ashgabat International Airport with Turkish Airlines at 2:00 AM or other. You will be greeted and transferred to hotel for an early check-in.

Enjoy a delicious breakfast at the hotel and a leisurely morning to relax and acclimate.

Kick off the afternoon with a 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.

After dinner, return to the hotel for overnight.

Meals: B
Accommodation: Hotel in Ashgabat

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, we will make a stop to visit 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”.

After lunch, we will visit the Ashgabat Carpet Museum to discover the artistry and symbolism of Traditional Turkmen carpet making art (included in UNESCO, the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity), from the tiniest keychain carpet to the world’s largest handmade masterpiece.

Continue with walking tour in older part of the city with a chance of souvenir or carpet shopping. 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 market), a Soviet-era landmark, where you can experience local life and browse stalls of dried fruits, famous Turkmen melons, carpets, and traditional souvenirs. (Walking tour distance – 2.5 km, about 2 hour walk including stops)

Meals: B
Accommodation: Hotel in Ashgabat

Start the day with breakfast at the hotel.

We will spend the morning visiting Tolkuchka Bazaar is one of the largest markets not only in Turkmenistan but in all of Central Asia. Here you can find and buy almost everything – from souvenirs and toys to cattle and camels. Note: open on SAT and SUN.

Visit 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.

Transfer to the airport for an evening flight to Dashoguz. Arrive in Dashoguz and hotel check-in. Opt to dine at hotel restaurant or to drive to nearby local restaurant.

Flight: Ashgabat → Dashoguz, (ETD 18:00 (or 21:50) / ETA 18:50 (or 22:40) flight schedules are subject to change
Drive: Ashgabat → Tolkuchka ~20km / ~22 min
Ashgabat → Nisa ~24km / ~25 min
Meals: B
Accommodation: Hotel in Dashoguz

Have breakfast at the hotel, and then we’ll head towards Kunya-Urgench.

Arrive in Kunya-Urgench, and start exploring 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. These sites reflect centuries of Islamic culture, medieval scholarship, and stunning Seljuk-Khorezmian architecture.

After lunch, depart by 4WD vehicle toward the Darvaza also known as “The Gates of Hell“, a methane-belching fire pit in the Turkmenistan desert has been spewing fire for decades – but its origin is considered The USSR’s top-secret desert mystery.

Note: Be prepared for the road challenge for the next 5 hours. The road from Kunya Urgench to Darvaza is quite damaged but our experienced drivers have strong wheels to handle it.

Settle into a traditional yurt camp 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. Enjoy a special dinner with nomad style kebabs in yurt camps.

Drive: Kunya-Urgench → Darvaza ~275 km / ~5 hrs.
Meals: B, D
Accommodation: Overnight in yurts (AYAN Travel Camp)
Notes: Travel by 4WD vehicles (max. 3 guests per vehicle); basic facilities at camp

Wake up to breakfast at the camp, take one last look at the mesmerizing flaming crater, and then we’ll head back to Ashgabat.

En route make short sightseeing stops at two gas craters (one with boiling water and the other one with sulfur-bubbling mud; both seeping with gas from the underground). Arrive in Darvaza by early evening.

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

Also we will stop at the Yerbent village, which offers visitors an authentic glimpse into life in the Karakum Desert and features a Soviet-era monument in its center depicting a Turkmen woman with a bowed head, commemorating 11 men who died during the Basmachi Revolt in the struggle for collectivization and the establishment of Soviet rule.

Arrive in Ashgabat by lunchtime. Accommodate in the hotel and rest. The rest of the day is free to explore the city on your own and to relax at the hotel.

Drive: Darvaza → Ashgabat ~ 270 km / 4 hrs.
Meals: B
Accommodation: Hotel in Ashgabat

Early in the morning, take a flight to Mary. Transfer to the local restaurant for breakfast, then drive 40 minutes to Bayramali village to visit Ancient Merv.

Ancient Merv Historical Park includes ancient cities Erk-Kala and Gyaur-Kala, medieval city Sultan Kala, the oldest of still standing corrugated mud-brick palaces – Great and Little Gyz Kalas, mausoleums of Sultan Sanjar, Yusup Hamadani and Muhammad ibn Zaid, and tombs of the Prophet’s companions, Askhabs, and some others. After sightseeing we return to Mary to have lunch, then to visit Pokrovskaya Russian Orthodox Church.

Transfer to Ashgabat via newly constructed highway. Upon arrival transfer to hotel to check-in, free time at leisure.

Flight: Ashgabat → Mary, (ETD 06:30 / ETA 07:10) flight schedules are subject to change
Drive: Mary → Ashgabat ~355km / ~4 hrs.
Meals: B
Accommodation: Hotel in Ashgabat

Depending on your flight schedule, check out and transfer to Ashgabat International Airport for departure. This marks the end of our services.

Drive: Hotel → Airport (approx. 15km / 20 min)
Accommodation: —
Meals: Breakfast (depends on flight time)
Notes: Ensure all personal belonging are collected, prepare the passport, and tickets

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.