8 Day Turkmenistan Expedition

Turkmenistan is among the strangest places you will ever travel to—it’s beyond unusual.

This expedition starts in Ashgabat, the capital, where driving a dirty automobile is forbidden and all the buildings are glaringly alike, embellished with gold and sided in white marble.

Starting in Ashgabat, this itinerary will take you through the arid hinterlands of Yangikala, the ancient cities of Mery and Merve, Turkmenbashi, a port city named after the country’s first “forever president,” and lastly, the Door to Hell, a pit that has been on fire since 1971.

Ready to reserve your spot?

Turkmenistan Expedition Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Turkmenistan

Arrivals in Ashgabat will take place throughout the day. After completing the immigration procedures, you will be taken to our hotel.

We have scheduled a welcoming meeting in the evening, which will be followed by an optional group dinner.

Accommodation: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 2: Explore Ashgabat

We’ll see for ourselves why Ashgabat has developed a reputation as one of the world’s most peculiar capital cities today. Ashgabat is a sight to behold, with a smattering of peculiar communist-era monuments and buildings covered in white marble and adorned in gold.

Accommodation: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 3: Day Trip to Mery & Merv

We’ll head to the airport in the early morning to catch our flight to Mery, a city in the Karakum Desert known for its neighboring Merv UNESCO World Heritage site.

After arriving, we’ll travel to the historic site of Merv, which was once one of the biggest cities on Earth. The majority of the day will be spent exploring historic mausoleums, minarets, and fortresses.

We will drive back to Ashgabat in the late afternoon.

Accommodation: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 4: Yangikala Canyon

Today we have another early morning flight that will take us to Turkmenbashi, a city on the coast of the Caspian Sea. When we get there, we’ll hop into 4WD cars and start the lengthy drive to Yangikala Canyon, sometimes referred to as “The Grand Canyon of Central Asia.”

One of Turkmenistan’s most remarkable natural features is Yangikala, which stretches miles in all directions toward the Garabogazköl Basin and displays vibrant bands of pink, orange, and yellow.

On our way to Kyzylarbat, where we will be spending the night, enjoy a picnic lunch.

Accommodation: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 5: Nokhur & Kow-Ata Lake

We start our road trip back to Ashgabat on the fifth day of our Turkmenistan Expedition, making stops in the Nokhur region along the way.

Nokhur is well-known for its stunning rural villages, distinct dialect, and age-old customs.

After Nokhur, we’ll explore Kow Ata, the enticing subterranean lake.

We plan to arrive back in Ashgabat in the evening.

Accommodation: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6: Journey to the Door to Hell

The most well-known location in Turkmenistan is the fiery crater of Darvaza, also referred to as the Door to Hell. We save the greatest for last.

Before arriving at the Gates of Hell in the early evening, we will stop at a mud crater and the historic Parthian settlement of Nissa.

We’ll spend the evening at the hellish gas crater, which the Soviets set on fire in 1971 when it collapsed during explorations of the area for natural gas.

Before spending the night camping in a yurt, enjoy an outdoor BBQ dinner.

Accommodation: Yurt camp
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7: Road Trip back to Ashgabat

We’ll start our return trip to Ashgabat with a leisurely breakfast at the yurt camp, making stops along the way to break up the long drive.

Accommodation: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8: Departures from Ashgabat

Departures throughout the day, transfer to Ashgabat Airport.

Meals: Breakfast

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