Khiva to Bukhara through Turkmenistan: 4 Days with Darvaza, Ashgabat and Merv
Leave Khiva for Turkmenistan and rejoin the Silk Road at Bukhara: medieval Kunya-Urgench, a night in a yurt by the Darvaza gas crater, a day in…
Through the Sands to the Caspian: 9-Day Turkmenistan Journey for Groups
A grand traverse of Turkmenistan for groups of 15 to 40, from the dinosaur tracks of Koytendag to the Caspian shore at Avaza: ancient Merv and Nisa, the Darvaza crater, an underground thermal lake and the red canyons of Yangykala, with 5★ hotels throughout. Spring and autumn, on request.
About this trip
Nine days from the Uzbek border at Farap to the Kazakh border at Bekdash, for a group travelling together: the remote Koytendag mountains, a flight to Ashgabat, the Darvaza crater at sunset, ancient Merv, a swim in a warm lake inside a cave, the mountain village of Nokhur, two nights on the Caspian at Avaza and the pink and red cliffs of Yangykala.
It runs for groups of 15 to 40 travellers in spring and autumn, with 5★ hotels, full board, a private coach, a guide in the group's language, a ceremonial welcome at the border and a farewell banquet on the pier. Tell us your dates and the size of your group, and we send you a quote.
The route at a glance
| Day | Route | Night |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Farap border – Kerki – Koytendag | Mountain camp |
| 2 | Koytendag: the Kyrk Gyz cave and the Dinosaur Plateau | Mountain camp |
| 3 | Kerki – flight to Ashgabat: museum, Nisa, Akhal-Teke horses | Ashgabat |
| 4 | Ashgabat – Darvaza at sunset – Ashgabat | Ashgabat |
| 5 | Ashgabat – Mary: Ancient Merv | Mary |
| 6 | Mary – Ashgabat: bazaars and shopping | Ashgabat |
| 7 | Kow-Ata underground lake, Nokhur, to the Caspian | Avaza |
| 8 | Yangykala canyon, farewell banquet | Avaza |
| 9 | Avaza – Bekdash border, into Kazakhstan | — |
Prices
Per paying traveller, sharing a double room, with one free place for the group leader: 15+1 travellers USD 2,405 · 20+1 USD 2,350 · 25+1 USD 2,300 · 30+1 USD 2,275 · 35+1 USD 2,240 · 40+1 USD 2,185. A room to yourself, and other group sizes, on request.
Good to know
- Visa: your Turkmenistan e-visa is included and we apply for it for you. Send us a scan of your passport and a 3×4 or 4×5 cm photo on a white background, without glasses or a hat. Standard processing takes about 7 working days, so please book at least 4 weeks before you travel; express processing costs USD 40 more per person. Once the application is in, the visa fee cannot be refunded.
- Cash at the borders: the migration fee (about USD 15 per person) and, if it is still required, a PCR test (about USD 33) are paid on arrival in clean, recent US dollar notes. Cards are rarely accepted outside large hotels.
- Hotels: Yyldyz 5★ in Ashgabat, Mary Hotel 5★ in Mary and the Tolkun 5★ cottages at Avaza, with two nights in a mountain camp at Koytendag.
- Getting home: Aktau airport is about 5 hours beyond the Bekdash border; we can arrange the transfer.
- To ask for a quote: message us on WhatsApp with your dates and the number of travellers.
- Darvaza: the crater still burns, but much less fiercely than in older photographs.
- Photographs and the internet: government buildings, police, military sites and border posts may not be photographed. The internet is slow and many apps and websites are blocked, so download what you need before you go.
Day by day
- Day 1
Farap border, Kerki and Koytendag
A ceremonial welcome at the Farap border, where girls in national dress greet the group with traditional baursak bread. South to Kerki (210 km, about 3 hours) for lunch, then 310 km on to the Koytendag mountains. Welcome dinner at the camp. Meals: lunch and dinner. Night in a mountain camp.
- Day 2
The Koytendag mountains
A full day in one of Turkmenistan's most remote landscapes: the sacred Kyrk Gyz cave, the Dinosaur Plateau with one of the world's largest sets of dinosaur tracks, and a swim in a mountain pool if you like. A shashlik picnic lunch in the open air, then back to camp for dinner. Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Night in a mountain camp.
- Day 3
Kerki and the flight to Ashgabat
An early start for Kerki airport (about 4 hours) and the late-morning flight to Ashgabat. Lunch at the Milli Tagam restaurant, then the National Museum of History, Ancient Nisa (UNESCO) and an Akhal-Teke horse farm. Dinner at a restaurant with a view over the city, then a drive through Ashgabat lit up at night. Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Night in Ashgabat.
- Day 4
Darvaza at sunset
North into the Karakum desert, with lunch in the village of Bokurdak. You reach Darvaza in the late afternoon and watch the gas crater as the sun sets. Dinner at the yurt camp, then back to Ashgabat late in the evening. Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Night in Ashgabat.
- Day 5
Mary and Ancient Merv
Coffee at a city café, then about 3 hours to Mary. Lunch at the Gadymy Ojak guesthouse and a guided tour of Ancient Merv: the double-domed mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar, the corrugated mud-brick castles of Great and Small Kyz Kala, the ancient cores of Erk Kala and Gyaur Kala, and the Sufi mausoleum of Muhammad ibn Zeyd. Dinner in Mary. Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Night in Mary.
- Day 6
Back to Ashgabat
Back to Ashgabat for lunch, and an afternoon at the Russian Bazaar and the Arkach and Berkarar shopping centres. Dinner at the Berk restaurant. Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Night in Ashgabat.
- Day 7
Kow-Ata, Nokhur and the Caspian
To Bakharden for a swim in Kow-Ata, a warm mineral lake deep inside a cave, then the mountain village of Nokhur. West to Balkanabat for dinner and on to Avaza, the resort on the Caspian. Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Night at Avaza.
- Day 8
Yangykala canyon
A day trip into the desert to the shrines of Gozli Ata and Gaitarmysh Ata and the pink and red cliffs of Yangykala, often called Turkmenistan's Martian landscape. Back at Avaza, a farewell banquet on the pier. Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Night at Avaza.
- Day 9
To the Bekdash border
A late breakfast, lunch in Turkmenbashi, then 250 km (about 4 hours) to the Bekdash border and into Kazakhstan. Aktau airport is about 5 hours beyond the border. Meals: breakfast and lunch.
What's included
- Your Turkmenistan e-visa, standard processing
- 6 nights in 5★ hotels and 2 nights in a mountain camp
- Full board throughout, a ceremonial welcome and a farewell banquet
- The domestic flight from Kerki to Ashgabat
- A private coach with driver for 9 days
- A licensed guide for 9 days in the group's language
- Entrance fees at the museums and monuments
- Souvenir gifts
- Travel insurance in Turkmenistan
Not included
- International flights
- Migration fee at the border: about USD 15 per person, in cash
- PCR test at the border, if required: about USD 33 per person, in cash
- Alcoholic drinks and extra meals
- Tips for the guide and driver
- The transfer from the Bekdash border to Aktau (we can arrange it)
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