3-Day Turkmenistan Historical Tour with Merv and Darvaza Crater

• Meet your local guide at the Alat/Farap border point.
• The meeting time depends on when you cross the border.
• Obtain your border visa.
• After crossing the border, you will need to take a Covid test costing US$35.
• Upon arrival at the border point, complete customs procedures and drive to Mary Province.
• The trip takes approximately 4-5 hours by car.
• Upon arrival in Mary Province, visit Ancient Merv, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• A tour of the entire complex, which covers an area with a radius of 10-14 km, takes at least 2 hours.
• One of the major archaeological sites of Central Asia, Merv played an important role in the development of the Silk Road for more than 2,000 years.
• Within the territory of Merv are unique fortresses from different eras, varying in size and degree of preservation.
• These include Erk-kala (6th century BC), Gyaur-kala (3rd century), Kyz-kala (6th century), Sultan-kala (11th century), Abdullakhan-Kala (15th century), and Bairamalikhan-Kala (presumably 18th century).
• Drive to Ashgabat (3 hours).
• 22:00/23:00 - Arrival in Ashgabat, transfer to the hotel, and overnight stay.

• 08:00 - Breakfast at the hotel.
• 09:00 - Begin an excursion with an Ashgabat city tour and a visit to the Old Nisa fortress. Old Nisa fortress, the Sanctuary of Parthian Kings, was the capital of the Parthian Empire, which lasted 600 years and was the greatest enemy of the Roman Empire.
• The tour duration with a professional guide is 1 hour.
• Continue your sightseeing tour of Ashgabat with the Health Trail in the mountains, the Monument and Park of Independence, Neutrality Tower, Ferris wheel, and Wedding Palace - everything is white and dressed in expensive white marble, which is why Ashgabat is called the white marble capital.
• 16:00 - Travel to Darvaza Gas Crater, a huge flaming crater located 270 km north of Ashgabat. The drive takes about 4 hours.
• Continue to the Water Crater and Gas Crater. In the evening, enjoy the spectacular and fascinating view of the Gas Crater.
• To truly enjoy this end-of-the-world landscape, it is best to arrive at the Gate before sunset.
• Only in the dark is the full beauty of this phenomenon revealed.
• 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 created by this giant oven.
• Overnight at the camp in yurts.

• 06:00 - Breakfast at the camp.
• 07:00 - Drive to the northern province of Turkmenistan to visit the architectural monuments of Old Urgench. The journey is 270 km and takes 5-6 hours.
• 12:00 - Arrive at Kunya-Urgench, the capital of Khorezm in the 10th-12th centuries.
• 13:00 - Visit the Mausoleums of Najm al-Din al-Kubra, Tyurabek Khanum, Il-Arslan, Tekesh Ibn Hadzhibey, and the highest minaret in Central Asia, Kutlyg Timur, among other monuments.
• 15:00 - Transfer to the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan border point at Dashoguz (1-2 hours) and cross the border.

End of the tour.