This 8-day Turkmenistan transit tour from Khiva to Bukhara via Koytendag and Dayahatun<\/strong> is an extensive overland journey combining desert landscapes, Silk Road heritage, mountain scenery and some of the country\u2019s most unusual natural attractions.<\/p>\n Enter Turkmenistan through the Shavat border<\/strong> near Khiva and cross the Karakum Desert to spend your first night beside the glowing Darvaza Gas Crater<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Continue south to Ashgabat<\/strong> for two days of flexible sightseeing before travelling east to UNESCO-listed Ancient Merv<\/strong>. From Mary, board an overnight train to Kerki and continue into the remote Koytendag Mountains<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Explore natural sulfur springs, mountain gorges, sacred caves and the extraordinary Dinosaur Plateau<\/strong>, where fossilised dinosaur tracks are preserved in the limestone.<\/p>\n After two nights in the mountains, descend towards Kerki and visit important medieval monuments before continuing to Turkmenabat<\/strong>.<\/p>\n On the final day, travel north through the Amu Darya region to the remote Dayahatun Caravanserai<\/strong>, return to Turkmenabat for sightseeing, and finish the journey at the Farap border<\/strong> for onward travel to Bukhara.<\/p>\n Khiva \u2192 Shavat Border \u2192 Dashoguz \u2192 Darvaza Gas Crater \u2192 Water Crater \u2192 Mud Crater \u2192 Ashgabat \u2192 Ancient Merv \u2192 Mary \u2192 overnight train \u2192 Kerki \u2192 Gaynar Baba \u2192 Koytendag Mountains \u2192 Dinosaur Plateau (Hojapil) \u2192 Umbar Dere Gorge \u2192 P\u00e4lwan Da\u015f \u2192 Kyrk Gyz Cave \u2192 Kerki \u2192 Astana Baba \u2192 Alamberdar Mausoleum \u2192 Idris Baba Madrasah \u2192 Turkmenabat \u2192 Dayahatun Caravanserai \u2192 Lebap Regional Museum \u2192 Amul Fortress \u2192 Amu Darya \u2192 Farap Border \u2192 Bukhara<\/strong><\/p>\n At approximately 10:00 AM<\/strong>, meet our team inside the main hall of the Shavat Border Terminal on the Turkmen side<\/strong>.<\/p>\n During passport and migration procedures, border officers will contact our local team. Your guide will enter the terminal and recognise you using the photograph provided in advance.<\/p>\n Continue to Dashoguz<\/strong> for a traditional local lunch.<\/p>\n Visit the local bazaar to experience everyday life and purchase snacks or supplies before travelling into the desert.<\/p>\n Leave Dashoguz and begin the journey through the Central Karakum Desert<\/strong> towards Darvaza.<\/p>\n The drive covers approximately 300 km<\/strong> and takes around 4\u20134.5 hours<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Some sections of the road are rough and uneven, so parts of the journey may be bumpy.<\/p>\n Arrive at the spectacular Darvaza Gas Crater<\/strong> towards sunset.<\/p>\n Watch the fiery glow become increasingly visible as daylight fades across the desert.<\/p>\n Enjoy a traditional open-air BBQ dinner prepared by our team at the camp.<\/p>\n After dark, spend time beside the crater and enjoy photography under the desert stars.<\/p>\n Stay overnight in a traditional Turkmen yurt<\/strong> near the crater.<\/p>\n Overnight:<\/strong> Darvaza yurt camp.<\/p>\n Wake before dawn for an optional visit to the crater and experience the changing morning light over the Karakum Desert.<\/p>\n Enjoy breakfast at the camp before travelling south towards Ashgabat<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The journey covers approximately 270 km<\/strong> and takes around 3.5 hours<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Some sections of the road remain rough and uneven.<\/p>\n On the way, make short stops at the Water Crater<\/strong> and Mud Crater<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Enjoy lunch after arriving in the capital.<\/p>\n Spend the afternoon exploring Ashgabat<\/strong> with your guide.<\/p>\n Discover the city\u2019s distinctive white-marble architecture, monuments and cultural sites at a comfortable pace.<\/p>\n Stay overnight at a hotel.<\/p>\n Overnight:<\/strong> Hotel in Ashgabat.<\/p>\n After breakfast, continue your private exploration of the capital.<\/p>\n The programme is flexible and designed to cover landmarks, cultural attractions and architectural highlights that were not visited the previous day.<\/p>\n Your guide can adapt the route according to your interests and preferred pace.<\/p>\n Enjoy a relaxed lunch during the tour and dinner at a local restaurant in the evening.<\/p>\n This is also an opportunity to sample Turkmen and regional cuisine.<\/p>\n Stay overnight at your hotel.<\/p>\n Overnight:<\/strong> Hotel in Ashgabat.<\/p>\n Leave Ashgabat at approximately 07:30 AM<\/strong> and travel east along the modern Ashgabat\u2013Mary motorway<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The journey covers approximately 360 km<\/strong> and takes around 3.5\u20134 hours<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Enjoy a traditional lunch in Mary or Bayramaly<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Explore Ancient Merv<\/strong>, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the great historic centres of the Silk Road.<\/p>\n Visit the monumental 12th-century Seljuk mausoleum with its famous double-dome construction.<\/p>\n Explore the distinctive mud-brick fortresses with their characteristic corrugated walls.<\/p>\n Visit sacred burial sites associated with the companions of the Prophet Muhammad.<\/p>\n Also see the nearby medieval baths and the historic desert water-storage system known as a Sardoba<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Explore the ancient citadels and enjoy panoramic views across the archaeological landscape.<\/p>\n Additional smaller ruins can be visited depending on available time and interest.<\/p>\n Return to Mary in the late afternoon.<\/p>\n The evening can be adapted to your preferences. You may explore central landmarks with your guide or simply relax over dinner at a local restaurant.<\/p>\n Transfer to the railway station and board the 21:25 overnight train to Kerki<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Travel in a comfortable four-berth compartment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Overnight:<\/strong> Overnight train to Kerki.<\/p>\n Arrive at Kerki Railway Station at approximately 07:00 AM<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Meet your private driver and continue to a local caf\u00e9 for a warm traditional breakfast.<\/p>\n Begin the scenic overland journey east towards the Koytendag Mountains<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The drive covers approximately 185 km<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Watch the landscape change gradually from open plains to rugged mountain foothills.<\/p>\n Stop at Gaynar Baba<\/strong>, a naturally warm sulfur spring regarded locally as an important natural and traditional site.<\/p>\n Walk around the spring and enjoy a short break before continuing into the mountains.<\/p>\n If time and local availability permit, an optional traditional rural therapeutic experience known locally as a \u201cgoat massage\u201d<\/strong> may be arranged.<\/p>\n Reach the mountain village of Koyten<\/strong> in the afternoon.<\/p>\n Check into a traditional guesthouse or tourist base.<\/p>\n Spend the remainder of the day at leisure and enjoy the fresh mountain atmosphere.<\/p>\n In the evening, have a home-cooked traditional dinner prepared by your hosts.<\/p>\n Overnight:<\/strong> Guesthouse or tourist base in Koytendag.<\/p>\n At approximately 08:30 AM<\/strong>, travel higher into the mountains to visit the famous Dinosaur Plateau at Hojapil<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Walk across the limestone slope where numerous fossilised dinosaur footprints from the Jurassic period are preserved.<\/p>\n Continue to Umbar Dere Gorge<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Walk through the narrow stone canyon and discover a hidden mountain waterfall.<\/p>\n Enjoy a fresh picnic lunch surrounded by the dramatic mountain landscape.<\/p>\n Stop at the legendary roadside boulder known as P\u00e4lwan Da\u015f<\/strong>, or the Hero\u2019s Stone.<\/p>\n According to local tradition, visitors can test their strength and make a wish here.<\/p>\n Explore the sacred Kyrk Gyz Cave<\/strong>, also known as the Cave of the Forty Girls.<\/p>\n The cave is a local pilgrimage site and is known for the many wish-cloths hanging from its ceiling.<\/p>\n Return to your accommodation in the late afternoon.<\/p>\n Enjoy another home-cooked dinner and a relaxed evening.<\/p>\n Overnight:<\/strong> Guesthouse or tourist base in Koytendag.<\/p>\n After breakfast, leave the Koytendag Mountains and travel back towards Kerki<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Explore several important historic monuments in the region.<\/p>\n Visit the Astana Baba Complex<\/strong>, an 11th\u201312th-century pilgrimage site with several interconnected domed structures and tombs.<\/p>\n See the Alamberdar Mausoleum<\/strong>, an important Seljuk-period monument known for its decorative brickwork.<\/p>\n Visit the historic Idris Baba Madrasah<\/strong>, associated in local tradition with the education of the Turkmen poet and philosopher Magtymguly Pyragy.<\/p>\n Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before continuing the journey.<\/p>\n Travel north towards Turkmenabat<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The drive covers approximately 230 km from Kerki<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Check into your hotel and enjoy dinner.<\/p>\n An optional evening drive through the illuminated modern avenues of Turkmenabat can be arranged.<\/p>\n Overnight:<\/strong> Hotel in Turkmenabat.<\/p>\n Depart at approximately 07:00 AM<\/strong> and travel north along the Amu Darya valley towards the remote Dayahatun Caravanserai<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The journey covers approximately 170 km<\/strong> and takes around 3.5 hours<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Enjoy breakfast en route.<\/p>\n Please note that the final sections of the road are rough and unpaved.<\/p>\n Explore the impressive 11th-century Dayahatun Caravanserai<\/strong>, one of the outstanding surviving examples of medieval Silk Road architecture in eastern Turkmenistan.<\/p>\n After the visit, begin the return journey to Turkmenabat.<\/p>\n The drive takes approximately 3.5 hours<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Arrive back in the city at around 14:30<\/strong> and enjoy a hearty lunch at a local restaurant.<\/p>\n Continue with a focused cultural programme in the city.<\/p>\n Visit the Lebap Regional Museum<\/strong> to explore archaeological and ethnographic collections connected with the Amu Darya region.<\/p>\n Explore the mud-brick remains of Amul Fortress<\/strong>, an ancient Silk Road stronghold located near modern Turkmenabat.<\/p>\n Stop beside the Amu Darya River<\/strong> for photographs while continuing towards the border.<\/p>\n Drive approximately 40 km<\/strong> from Turkmenabat to the Farap Border Checkpoint<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Upon arrival, our team will assist with Turkmen customs and departure immigration formalities in accordance with official border procedures.<\/p>\n After crossing into Uzbekistan, continue towards Bukhara<\/strong>.<\/p>\n End of Tour Services<\/strong><\/p>\n This 8-day Khiva to Bukhara via Koytendag and Dayahatun tour<\/strong> combines Darvaza Gas Crater, Ashgabat, UNESCO-listed Ancient Merv, the remote Koytendag Mountains and Dayahatun Caravanserai in one extensive overland journey across Turkmenistan. The route also includes an overnight train to Kerki, Dinosaur Plateau, Kyrk Gyz Cave, Turkmenabat and the Farap border for onward travel to Bukhara.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1546,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[111],"product_tag":[],"dts_route_point":[125,164,123,122,172,159,166,124,105,145,171,170,157,167,168,143,169,165,162,174,112,160,109,173],"class_list":["post-2311","product","type-product","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","product_cat-misc","first","instock","shipping-taxable","product-type-simple"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTour Route<\/h2>\n
Tour Highlights<\/h2>\n
\n
Day 1 \u2013 Shavat Border, Dashoguz and Darvaza Gas Crater<\/h2>\n
Meet at the Shavat Border<\/h3>\n
Dashoguz Stop<\/h3>\n
Drive to Darvaza<\/h2>\n
Darvaza Gas Crater<\/h3>\n
BBQ Dinner<\/h3>\n
Overnight at Darvaza<\/h3>\n
Day 2 \u2013 Darvaza, Desert Craters and Ashgabat<\/h2>\n
Optional Sunrise Visit<\/h3>\n
Breakfast and Departure<\/h3>\n
Water Crater and Mud Crater<\/h3>\n
Lunch in Ashgabat<\/h3>\n
Ashgabat City Tour<\/h2>\n
Overnight in Ashgabat<\/h3>\n
Day 3 \u2013 Full-Day Ashgabat City Tour<\/h2>\n
Flexible Ashgabat Exploration<\/h3>\n
Lunch and Dinner<\/h3>\n
Overnight in Ashgabat<\/h3>\n
Day 4 \u2013 Ancient Merv and Overnight Train to Kerki<\/h2>\n
Morning Departure<\/h3>\n
Lunch in the Mary Region<\/h3>\n
Ancient Merv Guided Tour<\/h2>\n
Mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar<\/h3>\n
Greater and Lesser Kyz Kala<\/h3>\n
Askhabs Mausoleums and Ancient Sardoba<\/h3>\n
Erk Kala and Gyaur Kala<\/h3>\n
Evening in Mary<\/h3>\n
Transfer to Mary Railway Station<\/h3>\n
Day 5 \u2013 Kerki, Gaynar Baba and Koytendag<\/h2>\n
Arrival in Kerki<\/h3>\n
Drive to the Koytendag Mountains<\/h2>\n
Gaynar Baba Sulfur Spring<\/h3>\n
Optional Traditional Local Experience<\/h3>\n
Arrival in Koyten<\/h3>\n
Evening and Dinner<\/h3>\n
Day 6 \u2013 Dinosaur Plateau, Umbar Dere and Kyrk Gyz Cave<\/h2>\n
Dinosaur Plateau at Hojapil<\/h3>\n
Umbar Dere Gorge<\/h2>\n
Mountain Picnic<\/h3>\n
P\u00e4lwan Da\u015f<\/h3>\n
Kyrk Gyz Cave<\/h2>\n
Return to Guesthouse<\/h3>\n
Day 7 \u2013 Kerki Heritage and Turkmenabat<\/h2>\n
Scenic Mountain Descent<\/h3>\n
Kerki Historical Heritage<\/h2>\n
Astana Baba Complex<\/h3>\n
Alamberdar Mausoleum<\/h3>\n
Idris Baba Madrasah<\/h3>\n
Lunch in Kerki<\/h3>\n
Drive to Turkmenabat<\/h2>\n
Evening in Turkmenabat<\/h3>\n
Day 8 \u2013 Dayahatun, Turkmenabat and Farap Border<\/h2>\n
Morning Departure<\/h3>\n
Dayahatun Caravanserai<\/h2>\n
Late Lunch in Turkmenabat<\/h3>\n
Turkmenabat City Tour<\/h2>\n
Lebap Regional Museum<\/h3>\n
Amul Fortress<\/h3>\n
Amu Darya Photo Stop<\/h3>\n
Transfer to Farap Border<\/h2>\n
No scheduled departure dates are currently available. Contact Darwaza Travel to request a private tour or choose your preferred travel date.<\/strong><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"