About This 9-Day Turkmenistan Highlights Tour
This 9-day Turkmenistan highlights tour from Ashgabat brings together the country’s major historical, cultural and natural attractions in one extensive circular journey.
Starting and ending in Ashgabat, the route travels west to the Caspian coast and the colourful cliffs of Yangykala Canyon, continues through the mountain village of Nokhur and the warm underground waters of Kow Ata, and then turns east towards the UNESCO-listed archaeological landscape of Ancient Merv.
The journey also reaches the Bronze Age site of Gonur Depe before continuing north by overnight train to Dashoguz. From there, explore UNESCO-listed Kunya-Urgench and cross the Karakum Desert to the Darvaza Gas Crater, where you will spend the night in a traditional Turkmen yurt or comfortable tent beneath the desert sky.
The itinerary combines hotels, two overnight train journeys, private road transport and off-road desert drives. It is designed for travellers who want to experience a broad cross-section of Turkmenistan within nine days, from the Caspian Sea and Kopet Dag Mountains to ancient Silk Road cities and the Karakum Desert.
Route
Ashgabat → Turkmenbashi → Yangykala Canyon → Balkan Region → Nokhur → Kow Ata → Ashgabat → Ancient Merv → Mary → Gonur Depe → Bayramaly → Ashgabat → Dashoguz → Kunya-Urgench → Darvaza Gas Crater → Ashgabat
Tour Highlights
- Explore the white-marble architecture of Ashgabat
- Travel overnight by train from Ashgabat to Turkmenbashi
- Discover Turkmenbashi and the Caspian Sea coast
- Optional visit to the Gozli Ata pilgrimage site
- Explore the colourful cliffs of Yangykala Canyon
- Visit Nokhur mountain village
- Swim in the warm underground waters of Kow Ata
- Explore UNESCO-listed Ancient Merv
- Visit the Turkmen Ojagy ethnographic complex
- Travel off-road to Bronze Age Gonur Depe
- Take an overnight train from Ashgabat to Dashoguz
- Explore UNESCO-listed Kunya-Urgench
- Cross the Karakum Desert
- Watch sunset at the Darvaza Gas Crater
- Overnight in a Turkmen yurt or comfortable tent
- Visit the Water and Mud craters
- Finish the journey in Ashgabat
Day 1 – Arrival and Ashgabat City Discovery
Night Arrival at Ashgabat International Airport
Upon arrival at Ashgabat International Airport (ASB), complete customs and immigration formalities.
Our guide or driver will meet you at the arrival gate and recognise you using your photograph.
Early Hotel Check-In and Rest
Transfer directly to your hotel for early check-in, allowing time for a comfortable rest after your night flight and a relaxed morning.
Late Breakfast
Enjoy a late breakfast after resting at the hotel.
Private Ashgabat City Tour
Begin your exploration of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s distinctive white-marble capital.
The private programme is fully flexible and can be adjusted according to your pace and interests.
Your guide can combine modern monumental architecture, landscaped parks, cultural attractions and sites connected with Turkmenistan’s history and the Silk Road.
Lunch and Dinner
The day is arranged around your comfort, with breaks for a traditional lunch and a relaxed dinner at local restaurants.
Sample authentic Turkmen cuisine while exploring the capital.
Overnight in Ashgabat
Stay overnight at a hotel in Ashgabat.
Overnight: Hotel in Ashgabat.
Day 2 – Ashgabat and Overnight Train to Turkmenbashi
Breakfast and Hotel Check-Out
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before completing check-out.
Extended Ashgabat Discovery
Continue your private exploration of Ashgabat.
The route remains flexible, allowing the guide to adapt the programme according to your personal interests and any sights not covered on the first day.
Lunch and Evening Meal
Enjoy a traditional lunch during the day.
For the evening, choose an early dinner at a local restaurant or collect freshly prepared Turkmen takeaway dishes to enjoy on board the train.
Transfer to Ashgabat Railway Station
At 17:50, board the overnight train from Ashgabat to Turkmenbashi.
Travel in a comfortable 4-berth compartment.
Overnight Train
Spend the night aboard the train.
Overnight: Overnight train to Turkmenbashi.
Day 3 – Turkmenbashi, Caspian Coast and Yangykala Canyon
Arrival in Turkmenbashi
Arrive at Turkmenbashi Railway Station at 08:05 AM.
Meet your private driver at the platform and refresh before beginning the day’s programme.
Turkmenbashi and Caspian Sea Highlights
Enjoy a short orientation tour of Turkmenbashi, the country’s historic port city on the Caspian Sea.
See examples of pre-revolutionary architecture constructed from local Caspian limestone, visit the 1895 Moorish-style railway station, and enjoy coastal views.
An optional excursion to the nearby Awaza Sea Resort can be arranged upon request, subject to accessibility at the time of your visit.
Lunch
Enjoy fresh Caspian seafood or a traditional lunch at a local restaurant.
Drive Towards Yangykala Canyon
Leave Turkmenbashi and travel east through the desert towards the canyon region.
Optional Gozli Ata Visit
If time permits, make an optional stop at Gozli Ata, one of Turkmenistan’s pilgrimage sites, located among striking white and pink cliff formations.
Yangykala Canyon
Continue your off-road journey across the desert plateau towards Yangykala Canyon.
The journey from Turkmenbashi covers approximately 165 km and takes around 2.5–3 hours.
Explore the dramatic red, pink and pale limestone formations, which reveal layers of the ancient seabed of the Tethys Ocean.
Please note that reaching the canyon plateau involves rough off-road sections.
Dinner
Depending on the season and weather conditions, enjoy a packed picnic dinner in the canyon landscape or a warm dinner after reaching your destination.
Drive to the Balkan Region
Continue south from the canyon towards your hotel in the Balkan Region.
The drive covers approximately 169 km and takes around 2–2.5 hours to the nearest suitable hub.
Overnight in the Balkan Region
Stay at a hotel in Balkanabat or another nearby transit hub, depending on availability.
Overnight: Hotel in the Balkan Region.
Day 4 – Nokhur, Kow Ata and Return to Ashgabat
Morning Departure
After breakfast, leave your hotel and travel east along the road running parallel to the Kopet Dag Mountains.
Nokhur Mountain Village
Take a mountain detour to visit Nokhur, an isolated village known for its distinctive local traditions.
Visit the unusual cemetery decorated with ibex horns, meet local residents and enjoy a traditional home-cooked lunch.
The mountain road includes steep serpentine sections. Access depends on favourable weather and road conditions.
Kow Ata Underground Lake
Continue towards the famous Kow Ata Underground Lake.
The drive from Nokhur covers approximately 71 km and takes around 1.1 hours.
Descend into the limestone cave and enjoy the opportunity to swim in naturally warm, mineral-rich sulphur waters that remain at approximately 35°C throughout the year.
Return to Ashgabat
Continue the final 89 km to Ashgabat, a journey of approximately 1.2 hours.
Dinner
Enjoy dinner at a recommended local restaurant in the capital.
Overnight in Ashgabat
Stay overnight at a hotel in Ashgabat.
Overnight: Hotel in Ashgabat.
Day 5 – Ancient Merv and Turkmen Ojagy
Breakfast and Hotel Check-Out
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and complete check-out.
Drive from Ashgabat to the Mary Region
Leave Ashgabat via the modern high-speed motorway towards the Mary region.
The journey covers approximately 367 km and takes around 4 hours.
Ancient Merv Guided Tour
Explore Ancient Merv, a UNESCO World Heritage archaeological park and one of the major historic centres along the Silk Road.
Mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar
Visit the monumental 12th-century Seljuk mausoleum with its distinctive double-dome structure.
Greater and Lesser Kyz Kala
Explore the striking mud-brick fortresses, known for their characteristic corrugated walls and dating from the 7th to 12th centuries.
Askhabs Mausoleums and Ancient Sardoba
Visit the sacred burial sites and see the traditional desert water-storage system.
Erk Kala and Gyaur Kala
Explore the massive ancient citadels and enjoy views across the archaeological landscape.
Additional smaller historical sites within the archaeological park can be visited upon request, depending on available time.
Turkmen Ojagy Ethnographic Experience and Lunch
Visit the nearby Turkmen Ojagy complex for a cultural programme and traditional lunch.
Alabay Dogs and Camels
Meet Turkmen Alabay dogs and take photographs with Bactrian camels.
Traditional Dress Experience
Try on traditional Turkmen telpek hats and silver-adorned garments inside a traditional yurt.
Bread-Baking Experience
Learn how traditional chorek flatbread is prepared in a tamdyr clay oven.
Drive to Mary
Continue approximately 30 km to Mary city centre.
Dinner and Overnight
Enjoy dinner at a recommended local restaurant before checking into your hotel.
Overnight: Hotel in Mary.
Day 6 – Gonur Depe and Overnight Train to Dashoguz
Breakfast and Hotel Check-Out
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel in Mary and complete check-out.
Off-Road Expedition to Gonur Depe
Travel northeast from Mary into the Karakum Desert towards Gonur Depe.
The journey covers approximately 100 km and takes around 2.5 hours, including rough off-road desert sections.
Explore the archaeological site associated with the ancient Kingdom of Margush and the Bronze Age.
Visit excavation areas including royal tombs, fire and water temples, and ancient residential quarters.
Return to Bayramaly
Drive back from the desert plateau to Bayramaly.
The journey takes approximately 1.5–2 hours.
Traditional Lunch
Enjoy a relaxed Turkmen lunch at a local restaurant.
Drive to Ashgabat
Join the high-speed motorway and travel west towards Ashgabat.
The journey covers approximately 367 km and takes around 4 hours.
Dinner and Railway Station Transfer
Arrive in Ashgabat and enjoy an early evening dinner at a local restaurant or collect freshly prepared takeaway food for the train.
Transfer directly to Ashgabat Railway Station.
Overnight Train to Dashoguz
Board the overnight train to Dashoguz, departing at 20:30.
Travel in a comfortable 4-berth compartment.
Overnight: Overnight train to Dashoguz.
Day 7 – Kunya-Urgench and Darvaza Gas Crater
Arrival in Dashoguz
Arrive in Dashoguz at 08:45 AM.
Meet your private driver at the railway station and refresh before starting the day.
Drive to Kunya-Urgench
Travel approximately 96 km to Kunya-Urgench.
The journey takes around 1.5 hours.
Kunya-Urgench was an important centre of historic Khorezm and is now recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kunya-Urgench Historical Tour
Explore the main monuments of the archaeological park.
Kutlug-Timur Minaret
See one of the most impressive surviving medieval minarets in Central Asia.
Turabek-Khanum Mausoleum
Visit the historic mausoleum known for its intricate geometric ceiling decoration.
Mausoleums of Sultan Tekesh and Il-Arslan
Explore two important medieval monuments distinguished by their conical domes.
Caravanserai Gate
See a surviving reminder of Kunya-Urgench’s role along the historic Silk Road trade routes.
Lunch and Market Stop
Enjoy a traditional lunch in Kunya-Urgench or Dashoguz, depending on the chosen route.
Visit a local bazaar to purchase fresh fruit and snacks for the desert camp.
Drive to Darvaza
Travel south through the Karakum Desert towards Darvaza.
Depending on the selected route:
- Approximately 260 km via the direct Ruhubelent desert road
- Approximately 390 km via Dashoguz
The drive takes around 4–5 hours.
Some sections of the desert road are rough and uneven, making parts of the journey bumpy.
Darvaza Gas Crater
Arrive at the Darvaza Gas Crater, also known as the Door to Hell, towards sunset.
Watch the flames become increasingly visible as darkness falls over the desert.
BBQ Dinner
Enjoy a traditional open-air BBQ dinner prepared by our team at the campsite.
After dark, spend time near the crater beneath the desert sky.
Overnight at Darvaza
Stay in a traditional Turkmen yurt or comfortable tent campsite near the crater.
Overnight: Darvaza yurt or tent camp.
Day 8 – Darvaza, Desert Craters and Ashgabat
Optional Sunrise Experience
Travellers who wish to wake early can take a pre-dawn walk to the crater.
Experience the changing morning light over the Karakum Desert while the flames remain visible.
Breakfast and Departure
Enjoy breakfast at the camp before beginning the journey south towards Ashgabat.
The route covers approximately 270 km and takes around 3.5 hours.
Some road sections are rough and uneven, so the drive may be bumpy in places.
Water Crater and Mud Crater
Make short stops at the Water Crater and Mud Crater on the way to Ashgabat.
These unusual geological features offer another perspective on the landscapes of the Karakum Desert.
Lunch in Ashgabat
Enjoy lunch after returning to the capital.
Final Ashgabat Discovery
Spend the afternoon on a flexible programme.
Visit any remaining attractions, browse local bazaars for souvenirs and carpets, or relax at your own pace.
Evening and Dinner
Enjoy the evening at leisure and have dinner at a local restaurant.
Overnight in Ashgabat
Stay overnight at a hotel in Ashgabat.
Overnight: Hotel in Ashgabat.
Day 9 – Leisure in Ashgabat and Departure
Breakfast and Leisure Morning
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast at your hotel.
Spend the morning resting, using the hotel facilities or packing at your own pace.
Hotel Check-Out
Complete standard hotel check-out by 12:00 PM.
Your luggage will be loaded into our private vehicle, which will remain available for the rest of the day.
Lunch and Flexible Afternoon
Enjoy a leisurely lunch at a local restaurant.
Spend the remaining afternoon according to your preferences. You may walk through city parks, relax at a local café or visit any final attractions with your driver and guide.
Farewell Dinner
Enjoy an early farewell dinner at a recommended local restaurant in Ashgabat.
Depending on your flight schedule, the meal timing can be adjusted.
Transfer to Ashgabat International Airport
Private transfer to Ashgabat International Airport (ASB) will be arranged approximately 3 hours before your scheduled international departure.
Our team will assist with luggage and airport entry formalities.
End of Tour Services
