Silk Road Treasures of Turkmenistan
Explore the highlights of Turkmenistan on a journey through ancient Silk Road cities, impressive UNESCO-listed monuments, modern Ashgabat, and the breathtaking Karakum Desert. Discover the ancient cities of Merv, Nisa, and Konye-Urgench, meet the famous Akhal-Teke horses, and experience the unforgettable Darvaza Gas Crater.
Tour Highlights
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Arrival on Alat/Farap border (Uzbekistan) – Turkmenabat – Mary
Welcome to Turkmenistan! Your guide meets you at the border early in the morning and helps you through the border and visa formalities. From there you drive on towards Mary and stop for lunch. In the afternoon you visit Ancient Merv, one of the most important cities on the Great Silk Road and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After the tour you return to Mary for dinner at a local restaurant, followed by a short evening city tour before checking in at your hotel.
Mary – Ashgabat
Breakfast at the hotel and check out, then drive to Ashgabat, where lunch is waiting on arrival. In the afternoon you visit the Spiritual Mosque in Gypjak, one of the largest mosques in Central Asia, and continue to Ancient Nisa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the first capitals of the Parthian Empire. From Nisa you drive to an Akhal-Teke horse farm to meet Turkmenistan's famous and beautiful national horses. In the evening you return to Ashgabat for dinner and a tour of the illuminated white-marble capital before checking in at your hotel.
Ashgabat – Darvaza
After breakfast and hotel check-out the Ashgabat city tour begins, taking in the Independence Tower, the Arch of Neutrality and the Alem Ferris Wheel in a capital built almost entirely of white marble. You then visit the Russian Bazaar and stop at a shopping centre to buy supplies for the desert. After lunch you drive north into the Karakum Desert towards the Darvaza Gas Crater, stopping on the way at Yerbent Village and at the Water Crater. You arrive at Darvaza in the evening and have dinner beside the famous burning crater, spending the night in a yurt camp under the desert sky.
Darvaza – Konye-Urgench – Departure Dashoguz/Shavat border (Uzbekistan)
Enjoy an early breakfast in the desert and drive on towards Ancient Konye-Urgench. Here you visit the historical monuments of one of the most important UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Turkmenistan, the old capital of the Khorezm region with its towering minaret, mausoleums and portals. After the visit and lunch you continue to the Dashoguz/Shavat border, where your guide assists you with the crossing formalities for your departure to Uzbekistan.
What's Included
- Turkmenistan visa
- Accommodations
- All in-country transportation (cars, train tickets, plane tickets)
- Local guide for the full duration of the program
- Full-board meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Entrance fees to the sites mentioned in the program
- Bottled drinking water, 1.5 L per person per day
Not Included
- Turkmenistan migration tax
- PCR test
- Photo / video fees
- Tips
- Travel insurance
- Souvenirs and other personal items
- All other charges and services not mentioned under "Included"
Earliest start is 21 days from today, to allow time for bookings and visa processing.
Visa prepayment: 200 to 250 USD per person, paid online before the trip. Everything else is paid on arrival.
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