6-Day Turkmenistan Heritage Tour with Darvaza, Nisa and Merv

• Meet your local Ashgabat guide at Ashgabat International Airport.

• Complete the border formalities, followed by a transfer to the hotel.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

• Have breakfast at the hotel.

• Then, at 9:30, set out on an Ashgabat city tour to visit the Arch of Neutrality, stroll through the Park of Independence, admire the Wedding Palace, and enjoy a ride on the Ferris wheel.

• After lunch, visit the Carpet Museum. Established in 1994, it houses the largest collection of Turkmen carpets, ranging from the medieval period to the 21st century, including more than 1,000 carpets originating from the 18th and 19th centuries.

• Have dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

• During the first half of the day, visit the Museum of Fine Arts. You will be impressed by its massive collection of sculptures, paintings, graphics, carpets, tapestry, ceramic vessels, and precious jewels created mainly by Turkmen, Russian, and foreign artists.

• After lunch, drive through the Karakum Desert to the Darvaza Gas Crater.

• Visit a small nomadic village on the way to the main attraction and immerse yourself in the traditional lifestyle of the Turkmen people.

• Explore the gas deposit.

• Stay in a camp and enjoy tasty catering, the perfect way to experience this highlight.

• Observe the fantastic view of the crater in daylight and at night, feel the heat, listen to the wind, and hear the sound created by this giant oven.

• Savour a traditional dinner near the crater.

Overnight in a tent under the starry sky.

• After a picnic-style breakfast, return to Ashgabat through the Karakum Desert. The trip takes about 3-5 hours.

• Transfer to the hotel.

• Have lunch at a local restaurant.

• Drive to Ertogrul Gazi Mosque and Turkmenbashy Ruhi Mosque, the biggest mosque in Central Asia.

• Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

• After breakfast at the hotel, visit Oriental Bazaar "Tolkuchka," the biggest marketplace in Central Asia. Here, you can find anything from camels and cars to antiques, carpets, and pottery.

• Walk through the booths to witness the impeccable beauty of Turkmen handmade clothes and silver handmade jewellery, and purchase souvenirs.

• In the second half of the day, travel to the village of Bagir to visit the ruins of Old Nisa, a UNESCO site.

• Explore the remnants of one of the most important cities and the capital of the Parthian Empire, a major power between the III millennium BCE and III millennium CE.

• Return to Ashgabat.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

• Have an early breakfast and proceed on an early morning drive to Mary city (350 km) to visit the highlights of Ancient Merv: Gyz Gala, Oglan Gala, the complex of Askhabs, Gyaur Gala, Erk Gala, Soltan Gala, Soltan Sanjar Mausoleum, and Ibn Zeid Mausoleum.

• Relish lunch at a local restaurant.

• Drive back to Ashgabat.

• Enjoy dinner in Ashgabat, followed by a transfer to Ashgabat International Airport.