5-Day Turkmenistan Silk Road Tour with Darvaza Gas Crater

• Meet your local guide at the Alat/Farap border point. The meeting time depends on your border crossing schedule.

• Complete border procedures, including obtaining a visa under the LOI. A Covid-test may be required after crossing, costing approximately $35 USD.

• Drive to Mary province, which takes approximately 4-5 hours.

• Visit Ancient Merv, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and explore fortresses from different eras spread across a 10-14 km area. Merv was a key centre of the Silk Road for more than 2,000 years.

• Explore fortresses including Erk-kala (6th century BC), Gyaur-kala (3rd century), Kyz-kala (6th century), Sultan-kala (11th century), Abdullakhan-Kala (15th century), and Bairamalikhan-Kala (18th century).

• Drive to Mary city and visit shopping areas such as Green Bazaar.

• Continue the journey to Ashgabat and transfer to your hotel.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

• Breakfast at the hotel.

• Begin the Ashgabat city tour with a visit to Old Nissa Fortress, the ancient capital of the Parthian Empire and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007.

• Continue sightseeing in Ashgabat, including the Health Trail in the mountains, the highest flagpole in the world at 133 metres, and the Olympic City.

• Visit the Monument and Park of Independence, Neutrality Tower, Magtymguly Monument and Park, and the Earthquake Victims Complex.

• Experience Ashgabat's record-breaking attractions, including the Ferris Wheel, the International Airport, and the sculptural ensemble of Oguzkhan and his six sons with 27 synchronized light fountains.

• Explore the Wedding Palace, Ruhnama Book, and Ertogrul Gazy Mosque.

• Optionally visit a shopping or entertainment centre in the evening.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

• Breakfast at the hotel.

• Visit the Museum of History and Ethnography of Turkmenistan with a professional guide. The museum tour takes approximately 2 hours and is divided into seven thematic galleries housing more than 166,000 unique exhibits.

• Explore artefacts from the excavations of Nisa Fortress, Merv, and Gonur, including vintage Turkmen carpets, national clothing, jewellery, antique weapons, and Parthian-era relics such as silver-gilded griffins, ivory rhytons, and gold medallions.

• Drive to Gypjak city to visit the Turkmenbashi Mausoleum and Mosque.

• Explore Altyn Asyr Bazaar, Turkmenistan's largest market and the fifth-largest in Central Asia, known for handicrafts, traditional clothing, jewellery, food, and unique local goods.

• Travel approximately 270 km (4 hours) north to the Darvaza Gas Crater, a spectacular flaming crater in the Karakum Desert.

• Enjoy a sunset dinner and observe the crater's dramatic flames by daylight and at night. Stay overnight in a yurt camp with picnic-style catering, fully immersed in this unique natural spectacle.

• Breakfast at the camp.

• Depart from the camp and drive back to Ashgabat, a journey of approximately 4 hours by car.

• Upon arrival in Ashgabat, drive to Kow-Ata Underground Lake, located 107 km from the city, about 1.5 hours away.

• Explore the cave, also known as the "Father of Caves." The underground lake resembles a magnificent auditorium, measuring 230 metres in length, 20 metres in height, and up to 57 metres in width.

• Swim in the clear emerald waters, maintained at a constant temperature of 33-37°C, and enjoy the unique limestone stalagmite formations.

• Return to Ashgabat for an optional evening visit to a shopping or entertainment centre.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

• Breakfast at the hotel.

• Enjoy free time for last-minute shopping or sightseeing.

• Check out from the hotel.

• Transfer to the International Airport for your departure flight.

• End of the tour.