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8-Day Tour Through Darvaza, Karakum Desert & Dark Gorge From Ashgabat
  • Tour Category

    Group Tour

  • Tour Types

    Nature, Camping, Desert

  • Duration

    8 Days

  • Activity Level

    Easy

  • Language

    Azerbaijani, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Turkish

Description

Explore the most exciting and mysterious places of Turkmenistan in this desert tour, starting with the unique Burning Gas Crater in Darvaza. Witness the traditions of Damla village with a Tazy hunting dogs show and continue to the timeless village of Nokhur. Visit the Yangykala also known as the "Fiery Fortress", see the underground Lake, Kow-Ata and end the trip with a visit to the Dark Gorge.

Highlights
  • Marvel at the famous Burning Gas Crater in Darvaza
  • See the Archman fortress cave “Div-Govok”
  • Explore the traditional village life in Damla and Nokhur
  • Visit Yangykala to see the unique canyons during the sunset
  • Travel to the lake of Kow-Ata, which also means Father of Caves
  • Day-1: Ashgabat - Darvaza expand_more
    • Meet your tour guide upon arrival at Ashgabat airport and transfer to hotel accommodation.
    • Rest and grab breakfast at the hotel.
    • Drive to Darvaza, Gas crater and witness two more craters on the way; the first one is deep with no fire but a strong gaseous smell. The other, lying 18km towards South is visible from the west side of the main road.
    • Have dinner at Darvaza.

    Overnight in tents or yurts.

  • Day-2: Darvaza - Damla expand_more
    • Get on a 2-3 hours drive to Damla village, located in the midst of the arid sprawl of the vast Karakum desert; the tiny village is a little haven of traditional Turkmenistani life.
    • Enjoy the traditional style lunch and dinner, witness the Tazy hunting dogs show, sparrow hawks and listen to the traditional music on dutar.

    Overnight in tents.

  • Day-3: Damla - Ashgabat expand_more
    • Drive to see camel cattle and local shepherd after grabbing breakfast at Damla
    • Taste freshly cooked lunch by the shepherds.
    • Enjoy a drive to Ashgabat city with your tour guide and rest at the hotel.

    Overnight at the hotel.

  • Day-4: Nokhur - Yangykala expand_more
    • An early morning drive to Nokhur, a village in a slight depression valley in the mountains of the Kopet Dag Range. The streets in the middle of the town are so narrow that they can only fit a car between each side's high stone retaining walls. Nokhur is the largest village with just a thousand or maybe two thousand people.
    • Have lunch at the guest house.
    • Continue your way to Yangykala. The name is translated from Turkmen as “fiery fortresses”. Indeed, the sheer cliffs in different colours, fancily carved by winds and rains, are very similar to the stone castles. The most beautiful canyons are during sunset when everything is painted in a red-hot colour and have dinner.

    Overnight at tents.

  • Day-5: Gozli Ata – Kow Ata expand_more
    • After breakfast at Yangykala,  drive to Gozli Ata, where a respected Sufi lived in the early part of the 14th century. His mausoleum is a brick building with twin white domes, standing in an old graveyard containing many nicely carved stone tombs.
    • Continue to Kow-Ata, an underground Lake. The Turkmen name "Kow-Ata" means Father of Caves. The bottom of the cave is covered with lumps of dissolved limestone, and its warm and gushing water is clear, emerald-coloured.
    • Drive to Ashgabat and stop for dinner at a local restaurant.

    Overnight hotel accommodation.

  • Day-6: Ashgabat - Dark Gorge expand_more
    • Drive from Ashgabat city to Gokdepe city.
    • Continue to Dark Gorge and head back to camp for rest.

    Overnight in tents.

  • Day-7: Dark Gorge – Ashgabat expand_more
    • Early morning, view an ancient settlement, Archman fortress cave “Div-Govok”, and stream.
    • Stop for lunch and head back to camp at Ashgabat city.
    • Enjoy dinner with folk show performances like dance, music and traditional wedding ceremony.

    Overnight at the hotel.

  • Day-8: Ashgabat expand_more
    • Night ride to the Ashgabat International Airport to board a flight to the next destination.
What's Included
  • Letter of Invitation
  • Registration fee and tourist tax
  • Hotel stay
  • Guide
  • Transport
  • Meals
  • Daily 1.5l water
  • Transfers during the route
  • Entry ticket
What's Excluded
  • Visa fee
  • Insurance
Know before you go
  • The Price for two people is 1650 USD Per Group.
Meeting Point

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Cancellation Policy

For cancellations upto 2 days before the tour -

Refund of 80% of the tour price.
Price Details
Standard
1 To 1 USD 2976 Per Person

This is a group tour

Starting From

Fromss

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USD 2976 / person