About This Kunya-Urgench and Darvaza Tour from Khiva
This 3-day Kunya-Urgench and Darvaza Gas Crater tour from Khiva combines the medieval heritage of northern Turkmenistan with an overnight desert experience beside the famous Darvaza Gas Crater.
Starting at the Shavat Border, travel to UNESCO-listed Kunya-Urgench to explore its remarkable Silk Road monuments. The journey then continues through Dashoguz and the ancient ruins of Izmukshir Fortress before crossing the Central Karakum Desert to Darvaza.
Spend the evening beside the burning crater, enjoy a traditional BBQ dinner and stay overnight in a Turkmen yurt. On the final day, travel back across the desert to Dashoguz before returning to Uzbekistan through the Shavat Border.
This route is particularly suitable for travellers staying in Khiva or Urgench who want to visit Kunya-Urgench and Darvaza without travelling south to Ashgabat.
Route
Khiva / Shavat Border → Kunya-Urgench → Dashoguz → Izmukshir Fortress → Darvaza Gas Crater → Dashoguz → Shavat Border / Khiva
Tour Highlights
- Enter Turkmenistan from Khiva through the Shavat Border
- Explore UNESCO-listed Kunya-Urgench
- Visit the medieval monuments of the ancient Khorezm region
- Discover the ruins of Izmukshir Fortress
- Experience local life at Bai Bazaar in Dashoguz
- Cross the Central Karakum Desert
- Watch sunset at the Darvaza Gas Crater
- Enjoy an open-air BBQ dinner beside the crater
- Spend the night in a traditional Turkmen yurt
- Return to Khiva through the Shavat Border
Day 1 – Shavat Border, Kunya-Urgench and Dashoguz
Meeting at Shavat Border
At approximately 10:00, meet our local guide inside the main hall of the Shavat Border Control Terminal on the Turkmen side.
While you complete migration and passport procedures, the border officers will contact our team. Your guide will then enter the terminal and meet you directly using your photograph for identification.
Drive to Kunya-Urgench
Depart the border and travel towards Kunya-Urgench, approximately 96 km away.
The drive takes around 1.5 hours.
Kunya-Urgench was once an important capital of the Khorezm Empire and is now recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Lunch
Enjoy a traditional lunch upon arrival in Kunya-Urgench or en route in Dashoguz, depending on the exact timing of the day.
Kunya-Urgench Historical Tour
Explore the main monuments of the historic archaeological park.
Kutlug-Timur Minaret
See the impressive medieval minaret, one of the defining landmarks of Kunya-Urgench.
Turabek-Khanum Mausoleum
Visit this important medieval mausoleum, renowned for its intricate geometric ceiling decoration.
Mausoleums of Sultan Tekesh and Il-Arslan
Discover two distinctive medieval monuments featuring characteristic conical domes.
Caravanserai Gate
See a surviving reminder of Kunya-Urgench’s historic role along the Silk Road trade routes.
Return to Dashoguz
After the tour, drive back to Dashoguz.
Enjoy a brief evening orientation drive through the city to experience local life before dinner at a local restaurant.
Overnight in Dashoguz
Stay overnight at a hotel in Dashoguz.
Overnight: Hotel in Dashoguz.
Day 2 – Dashoguz, Izmukshir Fortress and Darvaza Gas Crater
Breakfast
At 08:00, enjoy breakfast at the hotel before beginning the day’s programme.
Bai Bazaar
Visit the lively Bai Bazaar in Dashoguz.
Walk through the local market, experience everyday life and purchase fresh fruit, snacks or other supplies for the journey into the desert.
Izmukshir Fortress
Depart Dashoguz and travel approximately 25 km to the ancient Izmukshir Fortress.
Explore the massive clay ruins of this historic site, known as the birthplace of the medieval scholar Al-Zamakhshari.
Journey Across the Karakum Desert
Continue towards Darvaza through the Central Karakum Desert.
The drive covers approximately 300 km and takes around 4–4.5 hours.
Please note that some sections of the road are rough and uneven, so the journey may be bumpy in places.
Lunch En Route
Stop for a traditional lunch at a roadside teahouse in a local settlement before continuing deeper into the desert.
Darvaza Gas Crater
Arrive at the spectacular Darvaza Gas Crater, also known as the Door to Hell, towards sunset.
Watch the surrounding desert gradually darken as the flames become increasingly visible.
BBQ Dinner and Desert Evening
Enjoy a traditional open-air BBQ dinner freshly prepared by our team at the yurt camp.
After nightfall, spend time beside the burning crater and enjoy opportunities for evening photography beneath the desert sky.
Overnight at Darvaza
Spend the night in a traditional Turkmen yurt at the crater camp.
Overnight: Darvaza yurt camp.
Day 3 – Darvaza, Dashoguz and Return to Khiva
Optional Sunrise at Darvaza
Travellers who wish to wake early can make an optional pre-dawn visit to the crater.
See the flames against the early morning light as sunrise gradually illuminates the Karakum Desert.
Breakfast and Departure
Return to the yurt camp for breakfast, pack your belongings and begin the return journey across the Karakum Desert towards Dashoguz.
The drive covers approximately 300 km and takes around 4–4.5 hours.
Dashoguz and Farewell Lunch
Arrive in Dashoguz and enjoy a farewell lunch at a traditional local restaurant.
This is an opportunity to sample regional dishes before continuing to the border.
Transfer to Shavat Border
After lunch, take a short drive to the Shavat Border Checkpoint.
The transfer takes approximately 15–20 minutes.
Border Formalities and Departure
At approximately 15:00, arrive at the border terminal.
Our team will escort and assist you with Turkmen customs and departure immigration procedures in accordance with official border regulations.
End of Tour Services
