8-Day Turkmenistan Tour from Ashgabat with Darvaza and UNESCO Sites

Border crossing at 09:00, meet your guide, and drive to the Kunyaurgench historical and cultural museum-reserve. Kunyaurgench is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and you will visit places such as Turabek Khanum, Sultan Tekesh, Sultan Il-Arslan, Najmuddin-Kubra, Sultan Ali, Kutlug-Timur Minaret, and Kyrk Molla.

After the end of the tour, transfer to Darvaza, a fiery crater that has been burning for more than half a century in the eternal sands of the Karakum Desert. For full immersion, enjoy dinner cooked on the fire and an overnight stay in yurts.

In the morning after breakfast, transfer to the city shining white: Ashgabat entered the Guinness Book of Records as the city with the highest concentration of marble buildings in the world. Every avenue and every boulevard here is an architectural masterpiece of white marble.

Lunch at a restaurant with traditional cuisine. After lunch, you will visit places such as Old Nisa and the Akhalteke horse stables.

Then check in to the hotel and rest until dinner. Dinner in the restaurant, overnight in the hotel.

Spend the day exploring Ashgabat, the dazzling white-marble capital of Turkmenistan. Visit the city's main attractions, including the National Museum, where you can discover Turkmenistan's rich history, art, and culture.

Continue to Independence Park and stroll through beautifully landscaped gardens and monuments. Admire the Neutrality Arch, one of the city's iconic symbols, and visit the Rukhnama Monument to learn about Turkmen literature and heritage.

Also see the striking architecture of the Wedding Palace, an important cultural landmark.

In the evening, enjoy a scenic drive around illuminated Ashgabat, taking in the city's sparkling lights and modern architecture. Overnight in a hotel in Ashgabat.

The trip to the western part of the country starts with a visit to Gyokdepe. This settlement, 40-45 km from Ashgabat, is significant for its history, as Gyokdepe is associated with one of the most tragic and heroic events of the Turkmen people.

Continue with a visit to the underground lake Kov-Ata. Then transfer to the 'Moon Mountains' in Turkmenistan. This is not a geological term, but rather a poetic name given to unusual, surreal landscapes that really resemble the surface of the moon or another distant planet.

Afterward, transfer to Gyzylarbat for an overnight stay in a hotel.

In the morning, transfer to the city of Balkanabad and visit the local market to buy food for dinner. Then continue to the canyons of Yangikala.

Scientists believe that millions of years ago the bottom of the canyon was flooded with the waters of the ancient Tethys Ocean, and later the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Gulf. The retreat of the sea exposed these unique layers of sedimentary rocks.

Afterward, transfer to the Gozli Ata pilgrimage site with its interesting history. Dinner will be prepared by the guide and driver, followed by an overnight stay in air-conditioned yurts.

In the morning, visit the pilgrimage site of Kemal-Ata. This is a place of pilgrimage for visitors from all regions of the country.

Then transfer to the city of Turkmenbashi and visit the shore of the Caspian Sea. Enjoy lunch overlooking the sea.

Afterward, transfer to Gyzylarbat for an overnight stay in a hotel.

In the morning, transfer to Nokhur. Nokhur is a settlement lost among the Kopetdag Mountains, 120-130 km from Ashgabat, and is famous for its flora and fauna, as well as the amazing traditions of the local people.

Visit the local sights, then transfer to Mary for an overnight stay in a hotel.

Visit ancient Merv, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was an important stop on the route of the Great Silk Road and is rich in history and historical monuments that hold the secrets of the ancient East.

After lunch, transfer to the border with Uzbekistan at Farap.