7-Day Turkmenistan Highlights Tour with Merv, Darvaza and Kone-Urgench

Meet the tourists at the Farab border and complete customs formalities between 9:00 and 10:00. Then travel to the city of Mary.

Upon arrival, take an excursion to Ancient Merv. Located on the former banks of the Murghab River, Merv was the most important Silk Road center in the region, especially as the regional capital under the Seljuk governor Sanjar. Merv is the name of five urban centers that existed under different names in different periods from the 6th century BC to the 18th century AD.

Return to the city of Mary and visit the museum. Transportation throughout the day is by bus. Lunch will be at a local restaurant, followed by dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Mary or similar.

After breakfast at the hotel, travel to Ashgabat. Upon arrival, check in and take some time to rest before beginning your sightseeing tour of the city.

Visit the Ertogrul Gazi Mosque, built in honor of Ertogrul, the father of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. Continue to Independence Park, a landmark that embodies the spirit of modern Turkmenistan. See the Arch of Neutrality with its observation deck, and visit the National Museum, opened in 1998, which houses the country's main collection of artifacts discovered at various excavations across Turkmenistan.

You will also visit Nisa Historical Park, situated on a natural high platform at the foot of the Kopet Dag Mountains. Nisa owes its importance to the early Parthian rulers who took control of the area in the 3rd century BC. Also visit the "Rukhi" Mosque and the Mausoleum of Turkmenbashi in Kipchak.

Dinner will include a folk performance. Transportation throughout the day is by bus. Lunch will be at a local restaurant, followed by dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Sport or similar.

After breakfast at the hotel, travel to the underground lake Kov-Ata, located 107 km from Ashgabat. The name "Kow-Ata" translates to "Father of Caves" in Turkmen. The cave is 230 m long, 20 m high, and up to 57 m wide in some places. Its floor is covered with lumps of dissolved limestone, or stalagmites, and its warm, gushing water is clear and emerald in color, maintaining a constant temperature of 33-37°C.

Next, visit the village of Nokhur, which fills a small depression valley in the mountains of the Kopet Dag range. The houses here are built from local boulders cemented with mud.

After lunch, continue the route to the city of Balkanabat. Transportation throughout the day is by bus. Breakfast will be at the hotel, lunch at the guest house, and dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the Nebitchi hotel, 3-star or similar.

After breakfast at the hotel, visit the picturesque Yangi Kala canyons, located 165 km north of Balkanabat and 160 km east of Turkmenbashi. "Yangi Kala" translates from Turkmen as "Fiery Fortress." The steep cliffs, carved by wind and rain, display shades of white, yellow, ocher, violet, and red, resembling stone castles from fantasy.

Next, visit Gözli Ata, one of the most remote pilgrimage sites in Turkmenistan, surrounded by bands of pink and white stone escarpments. Gözli Ata was a respected Sufi who lived in the early 14th century, and his mausoleum is a brick building with two white domes standing in an old cemetery with many beautifully carved stone tombs.

Continue the route to the city of Turkmenbashi. Breakfast will be at the hotel, lunch picnic-style, and dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at a 3-star hotel in Turkmenbashi or similar.

Transfer to the airport for a local flight to Ashgabat at 10:25/11:20.

Then travel to Darvaza, with a visit to the village of Yerbent along the way. Darvaza, located in the center of a gas-rich region in the heart of the Karakum Desert, attracts travelers from all over the world with its unique burning crater, which is especially spectacular in the evening.

Transportation throughout the day is by microbus. Breakfast will be at the hotel, lunch at a local restaurant, and dinner in a tent. Overnight in a tent or yurt.

After breakfast in Darvaza, go on an excursion to Kone-Urgench, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was an important center of the Silk Road on the Oxus River and the capital of the Khorezm Empire in the 12th century AD.

Excursions include the Mausoleum of Nehameddin Kubra, the Mausoleum of Sultan Ali, Turabek Khanum, Kutlug Timur Minaret, the Mausoleum of Sultan Tekesh, the Mausoleum of Il Arslan, and the second Mamun minaret.

Transportation throughout the day is by microbus. Breakfast is picnic-style, lunch at a local restaurant, and dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Dashoguz or similar.

In the morning, have breakfast at the hotel before heading to the Shavat border to conclude the tour route.