Awe-Inspiring Turkmenistan  | Yampu Tours

Custom Travel Experiences Since 1998

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Awe-Inspiring Turkmenistan 

PRIVATE/GROUP TOUR - 12 DAY SAMPLE ITINERARY

FROM £$ 5830

Private/Group Tour Highlights

  • Enjoy a picnic lunch to admire the landscape of the outstanding white, pink and orange limestone formations of Yangykala Canyons.
  • Drive along fields and villages through the vast desert on the way to the birthplace of the region's agriculture.
  • Take in the mysterious glow of the Darvaza flaming gas crater with an astounding sunset picnic dinner.
  • Learn of the most intricate handicrafts of the region, carpet making in Ashgabat.
  • Swim in the Kov Ata underground lake located in the largest cave of Kopetdag mountains.
  • Make stops along the old silk road including Dashoguz, and walk the local bazaars.
Interested in this tour?   Let us build you a customized quote based on your budget.

Tour Overview

Get a taste of one of the lesser-known “stans” with a tour through Awe-Inspiring Turkmenistan! Yampu travelers will experience some of Turkmenistan’s most sought out attractions and lesser-known treasures, from Ashgabat to Dashoguz in the north and Turkmenbashi on the shores of the Caspian Sea. After exploring the country’s capital Ashgabat in visiting the local attractions, travelers will travel across the vast desert to Gonur Depe, one of the most important archaeological sites in the region.

Following the ancient Silk Road to the ancient cities of Merv and Mary, visitors will get a sense of Turkmenistan’s importance in world trade through ancient mausoleums, palaces, and tombs before touring the cities of Dashoguz and Turkmenbashi. After an extensive history lesson, voyagers will witness some of Turkmenistan’s most awe-inspiring landscapes including the fiery fortress, Yangykala Canyons, and swimming in an underground lake, 200 feet below the earth’s surface. The tour is then capped off with a sunset picnic, looking over the famous Darvaza Flaming Gas Crater.

Inclusions
Price includes domestic and regional flights within the itinerary; all hotel accommodations including daily continental or buffet breakfast and daily city tax; all transfers between airports and hotels with assistance and baggage handling; guided tours in English including entrance fees.
Exclusions

International airfare (unless specifically included), airport departure taxes that must be paid on-site, gratuities, meals not mentioned, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages with meals, early / late check-out, room service, visa fees/services, and other personal items or services not mentioned.

Best Time to Travel
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN
JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Best Good Consult

Package Price: From £$ 5830

Prices shown above are per person. Hotel categories do not adhere strictly to international ratings; Yampu has evaluated the hotels according to destination and availability. Prices include local airfare (where applicable), hotel accommodation including daily breakfast; all transfers with baggage handling, all guided tours in English and all entrance fees.

Please note that prices are subject to change based on availability and seasonality, especially during the holiday season from December 20th through January 5th each year. Please contact a Yampu Travel Specialist for more information on best times to travel.

Trip Type:

All our trips are operated on a private basis unless specified otherwise. This is only a sample itinerary; your Yampu Tour Consultant will personalize this trip for you according to your available dates, interests and type of hotels. This is your trip and we will work on making it perfect!

Tour Itinerary

Day
1

Welcome to Turkmenistan!

Overnight International Flight to Ashgabat

Overnight International Flight to Ashgabat

Day
2

Ashgabat Sightseeing Tour

Upon arrival at Ashgabat, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Once you are settled in, begin your sightseeing tour of Ashgabat visiting independence-period parks and monuments, including the Neutrality Square. Afterward, visit the Old Nissa fortress (UNESCO) and Turkmenbashi Ruhy mosque and mausoleum before transferring back to your hotel.

Upon arrival at Ashgabat, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Once you are settled in, begin your sightseeing tour of Ashgabat visiting independence-period parks and monuments, including the Neutrality Square. Afterward, visit the Old Nissa fortress (UNESCO) and Turkmenbashi Ruhy mosque and mausoleum before transferring back to your hotel.

Day
3

Ashgabat Turkmen Carpet Museum Tour

In the morning continue your tour of the City. Today you will be visiting the Turkmen Carpet Museum, the largest and only Museum of Turkmen carpets with the best collection of antique and modern hand-made carpets. The largest carpet in the world registered in the Guinness Book of World Records is in this museum too. After that, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Mary.

Domestic Flight to Mary

Upon arrival at Mary, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

In the morning continue your tour of the City. Today you will be visiting the Turkmen Carpet Museum, the largest and only Museum of Turkmen carpets with the best collection of antique and modern hand-made carpets. The largest carpet in the world registered in the Guinness Book of World Records is in this museum too. After that, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Mary.

Domestic Flight to Mary

Upon arrival at Mary, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

Day
4

Gonur Depe Tour, Lunch Included

This morning, head north-east, towards Gonur Depe, which used to be the capital of the legendary Margush country. After about two hours, drive through fields and villages and another hour through the vast desert. We will arrive at the center of a remarkable Bronze Age civilization, an important archaeological site discovered in 1972. Gonur Depe is a palace complex represented by partly excavated earthen walls of former administrative buildings and religious structures of the Zoroastrian type. This is where first agricultural settlements appeared in the delta of Murgab River, dating as far back as 3 millennium BC. Fertile silt coming from mountains, the abundance of water, and moderate climate had created favorable conditions for good crops and the progress of the ancient economy for several centuries. After sightseeing, enjoy a picnic lunch before driving back to your hotel in Mary. Dinner at a local restaurant. (driving distance & time: 90 km/2.5-3 hrs. one way, including last 40 km of desert off-road). ...read less

Day
5

Ancient Merv & Mary Museum Tour

After breakfast at the hotel, we will drive to Ancient Merv. Consisting of a series of cities, succeeding one another as capitals of the famous oasis, Ancient Merv is the only site of its kind in Central Asia. Being an architectural site as well as archaeological, Merv offers numerous standing monuments. This includes the oldest of still standing corrugated mud-brick "keshks", mausoleums of Sultan Sanjar and Muhammad ibn Zaid, and Arab tombs of the Prophet, Mohammed's companions. After sightseeing in Merv, drive back to Mary for lunch at local a restaurant before visiting the Mary Museum. In the evening take a return flight to Ashgabat. (driving distance & time: 30 km one way/30-40 min by car/minivan; 40 min-1 hr. by bus).

Domestic Flight to Ashgabat

Upon arrival at Ashgabat, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.
...read less

Day
6

Ashgabat - Dashoguz

At the appropriate time, you will be met at your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight to Dashoguz.

Domestic Flight to Dashoguz

Upon arrival to Dashoguz, you will drive to Kunya-Urgench to visit Tyurabek Khanum mausoleum, Kutlug Timur minaret (the tallest medieval minaret of Central Asia), Il-Arslan, Soltan Tekesh, Nadjmaddin Kubra, and Soltan Ali mausoleums. After sightseeing, drive to your hotel in Dashoguz. (driving distance & time: 100 km one way/1.5 hrs. by car/minivan; 2 hrs. by bus).

At the appropriate time, you will be met at your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight to Dashoguz.

Domestic Flight to Dashoguz

Upon arrival to Dashoguz, you will drive to Kunya-Urgench to visit Tyurabek Khanum mausoleum, Kutlug Timur minaret (the tallest medieval minaret of Central Asia), Il-Arslan, Soltan Tekesh, Nadjmaddin Kubra, and Soltan Ali mausoleums. After sightseeing, drive to your hotel in Dashoguz. (driving distance & time: 100 km one way/1.5 hrs. by car/minivan; 2 hrs. by bus).

Day
7

Dashoguz - Turkmenbashi

At the appropriate time, you will be met at your hotel and privately transferred to the airport for your flight to Turkmenbashi.

Domestic Flight to Turkmenbashi

Upon arrival to Turkmenbashi, you will be met at the airport and start with your brief city tour visiting a local bazaar and old town area before heading to your hotel.

At the appropriate time, you will be met at your hotel and privately transferred to the airport for your flight to Turkmenbashi.

Domestic Flight to Turkmenbashi

Upon arrival to Turkmenbashi, you will be met at the airport and start with your brief city tour visiting a local bazaar and old town area before heading to your hotel.

Day
8

Yangykala Canyons, Lunch Included

After breakfast at the hotel, drive to Yangykala canyons. Yangikala means "fiery fortress", which consists of white, pink and orange limestone formations, so amazing that we cannot break away from their sight, and the landscape situated beneath our feet. Soak in the views with a picnic lunch (lunch-boxes taken from BLB). Then we drive to Balkanabat. En-route visit Gozli Ata shrine. Transfer to your hotel in Awaza on arrival to Balkanabat where you will enjoy some time at leisure. Overnight at your hotel in Awaza. (driving distance & time: 200 km/2.5-3 hrs. one way). ...read less

Day
9

Transfer to Ashgabat with Kov Ata Underground Lake Tour

After breakfast at the hotel, drive towards Ashgabat. En route we will stop at Parau-bibi shrine near Serdar town. Then, we will stop at Kov Ata underground lake to visit the largest cave of Kopetdag mountains (80m below sea level) and swim in the lake if you wish (water temperature 30-33 C all-year-round). From Kov Ata we proceed to Geokdepe to see a beautiful mosque built in the former Tekke stronghold. Next, we will visit a local stud farm, where you can see famous Akhalteke horses before driving to Ashgabat. Transfer to your hotel on arrival. Overnight in Ashgabat. (driving distance & time: 450 km/5-6 hrs. one way +30min-1 hr. for each stop). ...read less

Day
10

Darvaza Flaming Gas Crater Tour, Dinner Included

This afternoon we will drive to Darvaza, a flaming gas crater known as "The Gates to Hell" with its mysterious flames. En route we will visit two other gas craters with bubbling sulfur mud with underground gasses. Arrival time to the burning crater is around sunset where we will take in the fiery glow of the crater with a picnic dinner. Drive back to your hotel in Ashgabat. (driving distance & time: ca 280 km including 10km off-road)/3.5-4 hrs. one way).

This afternoon we will drive to Darvaza, a flaming gas crater known as "The Gates to Hell" with its mysterious flames. En route we will visit two other gas craters with bubbling sulfur mud with underground gasses. Arrival time to the burning crater is around sunset where we will take in the fiery glow of the crater with a picnic dinner. Drive back to your hotel in Ashgabat. (driving distance & time: ca 280 km including 10km off-road)/3.5-4 hrs. one way).

Day
11

Ashgabat National Museum Tour

This morning, you will continue your tour of the city. Visiting the National Museum of Turkmenistan, whose halls are dedicated to various themes and historical periods. Demonstrating a rich collection of artifacts from all over Turkmenistan, including ivory rhytons from Old Nisa. The museum will also offer us reconstructed models of most of the sites that we are going to visit. Today you will also have a chance to visit some sites of Ashgabat you could not see the previous day. Overnight at a hotel in Ashgabat.

This morning, you will continue your tour of the city. Visiting the National Museum of Turkmenistan, whose halls are dedicated to various themes and historical periods. Demonstrating a rich collection of artifacts from all over Turkmenistan, including ivory rhytons from Old Nisa. The museum will also offer us reconstructed models of most of the sites that we are going to visit. Today you will also have a chance to visit some sites of Ashgabat you could not see the previous day. Overnight at a hotel in Ashgabat.

Day
12

Ashgabat - Home

At the appropriate time, you will be met at your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight.

International Flight Home

At the appropriate time, you will be met at your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight.

International Flight Home

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Mary, Turkmenistan

Dashoguz, Turkmenistan

Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan

Balkanabat, Turkmenistan

Places You'll See

  • Turkmenistan

    One of the least known of the ‘Stans” and notorious for its absurd regime, Turkmenistan has an ancient history along the Great Silk Road that once linked the eastern and western worlds through extensive trade. Turkmenistan’s landscape majorly consists of Central Asia’s largest desert, the Karakum, and other peculiar natural sites such as The Darvaza gas crater, also known as the Door to Hell. Known for its carpet-making, be sure to take home an ornate masterpiece as a remembrance of your travels and of the welcoming hospitality of the Turkmens.

Hotel Options

5 Star Properties

Ashagabat : Archabil Hotel

Mary : Dashoguz Hotel

Turkmenbashi : Yacht Club

Balkanabat : Nebitchi Hotel

Testimonials

Steve M

Traveled April 2019

Excellent tour

Excellent tour. Well organized. Excellent local guides. Some very specific issues I could discuss but are specific to individual guides, accommodations and itinerary. Best addressed with Yampu directly.

Traveled To

Jean C. - Return VIP Yampu Traveler

Traveled June 2018

Excellent tour in Armenia

Excellent tour in Armenia Great guide and driver Amazing country where nature is extremely present and fantastic.Sceneries admirable. Churches and monasteries illuminate past present and future People very welcoming, lunch with Families excellent food Great museum in Yerevan Please visit and enjoy.

Traveled To

Robert

Traveled October 2019

Stephanie Rudolph is the best!!!!!

Stephanie Rudolph is the best!!!!!

Traveled To

Let Us Customize This Trip For You

Our World Experts offer full support and dedication to customizing this tour to fit your wishlist - We can mix and match experiences, hotels and highlights to fit your budget and taste.

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