Day 01
Ashgabat City Tour and Darvaza Gas Crater Camp
- Land at Ashgabat International Airport and complete the airport visa formalities, paying in American dollars in cash. After receiving your visa at the airport, you will also take the COVID test there, which costs $35. Please be prepared for these procedures to take about 2 hours.
- Your Ashgabat city tour starts with the historical monument of the "Old Nisa" fortress, the capital of the Parthian Empire and, since 2007, under the protection of UNESCO. The guided tour with a professional guide lasts about one hour.
- After the excursion to Old Nisa fortress, continue with a sightseeing tour of Ashgabat, including the "Health" trail in the mountains.
- Visit the Monument of Neutrality, the Monument of Independence, the Ferris wheel, the Wedding Palace, the TV tower, and other attractions of the city. The whole city is dressed in expensive white marble.
- 15.00 - Drive to the Darvaza Gas Crater.
- On the way to Darvaza, visit the village of Erbent or Bahardok to observe the rural life of Turkmen people. Erbent, located in the heart of Turkmenistan about 3 hours north of Ashgabat, is a destination for those interested in the traditions of Turkmen nomads.
- Explore the cultural evidence of Erbent, such as felt products and carpets, camel milk, yurt life, hunting dogs, superstitions, and magical beliefs that make up pastoral life in Erbent.
- Continue to Darvaza to see the Water, Clay, and Gas Craters. In the evening at 20.00, enjoy the spectacular and fascinating view of the Gas Crater.
- Arriving at the Gate before sunset is the best way to truly enjoy this end-of-the-world setting. Only in the dark is the full beauty of this phenomenon revealed. Powerful gas exhausts emit huge tongues of red-blue flame several meters upward at various intervals, creating the illusion of something unreal and otherworldly.
- Stay in a camp with tasty catering and enjoy a picnic-style dinner, the perfect way to experience this highlight. Observe the fantastic view of the crater during daylight and at night, feel the heat, and listen to the sound this giant oven creates. Overnight at the camp.
