Itinerary
- Day 1
Departure to Ashgabat
Your scheduled flight touches down in Ashgabat during the early morning hours. After a short transfer from the airport, you'll check into your hotel and settle in for the night.
- Day 2
Ashgabat Sightseeing
Following breakfast and completing your hotel check-in, your guide takes you through Ashgabat's modern architecture and white marble buildings. You'll walk through the Altyn Asyr Grand Bazaar, then head to the ancient Nisa archaeological site (a UNESCO World Heritage location that served as a former Parthian capital). The afternoon includes the Arch of Neutrality, Independence Park, and the city center before returning to your hotel by evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Breakfast
- Sightseeing tour of Ashgabat
- Visit Altyn Asyr Grand Bazaar
- Visit Nisa archaeological site
- Visit Arch of Neutrality
- Visit Independence Park
Landmarks/POIs Altyn Asyr Grand Bazaar Nisa Arch of Neutrality Independence Park - Day 3
Ashgabat to Turkmenbashi
This morning starts at a stud farm where you'll see the famous Akhal-Tekkin horses, one of the world's oldest breeds bred for desert conditions. There's an option to try a short guided test ride if you're interested. After lunch, you'll check out the National Museum, then walk through the Russian Bazaar and see the Ertogrul Gazi Mosque. Later you'll transfer to the train station and board an overnight train to Turkmenbashi with dinner included.
- Meals
- Dinner (Dinner box)
Included Activities
- Visit Akhal-Tekkin horse stud farm
- Visit National Museum
- Visit Russian Bazaar
- Visit Ertogrul Gazi Mosque
- Overnight train journey to Turkmenbashi
Optional Activities
- Short guided test ride on Akhal-Tekkin horses
Landmarks/POIs Ertogrul Gazi Mosque Russian Bazaar - Day 4
Turkmenbashi to Yangisuw Canyon
You arrive in Turkmenbashi in the morning and grab breakfast at a restaurant overlooking the Caspian Sea. After visiting the Orthodox church and picking up supplies at the bazaar, you'll drive to the coastal town of Awaza on the Caspian beach. From there, an off-road adventure takes you to the Yangisuw Canyon, where you'll hike through the landscape before setting up camp for the night in tents.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast in a lovely restaurant with a view of the Caspian Sea)
Included Activities
- Breakfast at restaurant with Caspian Sea view
- Visit Orthodox church
- Visit bazaar in Turkmenbashi
- Visit Awaza tourist town
- Hike through Yangisuw Canyon
Optional Activities
- Purchase Turkmen snacks at bazaar
Landmarks/POIs Yangisuw Canyon Awaza - Day 5
Yangikala Canyon to Gözli-Ata
You'll drive to the impressive Yangikala Canyon with massive limestone formations rising 150 to 200 meters high, likely remnants of an ancient coral reef. Spend time searching for ammonites and shells on the plateaus and catch the spectacular sunset colors. Later, you'll head to the pilgrimage site of Gözli-Ata and stay overnight either in a tent or the simple pilgrim hostel.
Included Activities
- Visit Yangikala Canyon
- Hike through Yangikala Canyon
Landmarks/POIs Yangikala Canyon Gözli-Ata - Day 6
Gözli-Ata to Balkanabat
Your drive through the desert leads to the pilgrimage site of Kemal Ata, then to a nearby valley filled with round boulders called the Valley of Balls. If time allows, there's a chance to visit the Mushroom Rocks. Afterward, you'll continue to Balkanabat, the first socialist oil town from the 1970s, and stay overnight in a hotel.
Included Activities
- Visit Kemal Ata pilgrimage site
- Explore Valley of Balls
- Hike in desert valley
Optional Activities
- Visit Mushroom Rocks
Landmarks/POIs Kemal Ata Valley of Balls Mushroom Rocks - Day 7
Balkanabat to Gyzylarbat
Heading south toward the Iranian border, you'll reach Dehistan, an important former Silk Road crossroads. First comes a hike to the ancient mud volcano Boyadag at 110 meters high with its otherworldly, Mars-like landscape. Then you'll explore Dehistan's ruins with preserved minarets and a restored entrance portal. The journey continues through the Moon Mountains of Karakala to Gyzylarbat, where you'll stay in a simple guesthouse.
Included Activities
- Visit ancient mud volcano Boyadag
- Hike to Boyadag
- Visit Dehistan ruins
- View Moon Mountains of Karakala
Landmarks/POIs Boyadag mud volcano Dehistan Moon Mountains of Karakala - Day 8
Gyzylarbat to Balishem Desert Camp
The great Karakum Desert crossing starts as you drive north from Serdar until the road ends at Garabogaz, then continues on an old Karwan trail. Part of the route follows the bed of the Uzboy River to the ruins of the Ygdykala fortress from the Parthian Empire. You'll arrive at a desert camp near Balishem where you can stroll through the oasis at sunset, watch local women milking, or visit a yurt to try fermented camel milk.
Included Activities
- Drive across Karakum Desert
- Visit Ygdykala fortress ruins
- Stroll through Balishem oasis at sunset
Optional Activities
- Observe local women milking
- Visit yurt and try fermented camel milk
Landmarks/POIs Ygdykala fortress Uzboy River bed - Day 9
Balishem to Darwaza
You continue eastward across the Karakum Desert as the landscape shifts between vast sand dunes, parched plains, and rock formations. Camels might appear along the way. Your destination is the oasis of Darwaza, famous for its fire crater from a collapsed drilling site where natural gas has been burning since the early 1970s. You'll stay overnight in a recently renovated yurt camp and watch the fiery spectacle, especially after sunset.
Included Activities
- Drive across Karakum Desert
- Visit Darwaza fire crater
Optional Activities
- Evening viewing of fire crater from mountain viewpoint
Landmarks/POIs Darwaza fire crater - Day 10
Darwaza to Murzachirla
Leaving the Darwaza fire crater, you'll drive back into the desert to reach the Damla oasis where roughly 80 families live year-round. You'll visit the village set in a hollow and see women felting carpets while men care for cattle and camels in this archaic way of life. Later you'll continue to Murzachirla and set up camp for the night outside the village.
Included Activities
- Visit Damla oasis village
- Observe carpet felting
- View traditional desert life
Landmarks/POIs Damla oasis - Day 11
Murzachirla to Gonur Tepe
Today centers on the Gonur Tepe archaeological site, located about 60 kilometers north of Merw. You'll explore remains of walls, a citadel with a stately palace, a necropolis, and pottery workshops and kilns from the Bronze Age. You'll camp next to the historical site with a unique opportunity to walk freely through the excavation in the evening while your guide prepares dinner, an experience without admission fees or crowds that feels like stepping back in time.
Included Activities
- Visit Gonur Tepe archaeological site
- Evening exploration of Gonur Tepe excavation
Landmarks/POIs Gonur Tepe - Day 12
Gonur Tepe to Mary
In the morning, you'll have a guided tour of the Gonur Tepe excavation site and may get to speak with anthropologists or watch archaeologists at work. A short drive takes you to Mary, Turkmenistan's second-largest city with around 150,000 inhabitants. After days in the desert, you can enjoy a hot shower and spend the afternoon at leisure exploring the city center bazaar, getting a dress or blouse custom-sewn, or browsing Turkmen souvenirs.
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Gonur Tepe excavation site
Optional Activities
- Interact with anthropologists or archaeologists
- Explore Mary city center and bazaar
- Get clothing custom-sewn
- Browse Turkmen souvenirs
Landmarks/POIs Mary Bazaar - Day 13
Mary to Merw UNESCO Site
You'll explore the historic city of Merw, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest cities in the Islamic world alongside Cairo, Damascus, and Baghdad. This former Silk Road trading center offers the domed mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar and Ibn Zaid, the medieval castle of Keshk, and the distinctive goffered walls of the Kyz Kala ruins. Back in Mary, you'll visit the historical museum, a mosque, and a Russian Orthodox church before heading to your hotel.
Included Activities
- Visit Sultan Sanjar mausoleum
- Visit Ibn Zaid mausoleum
- Visit Keshk medieval castle
- Visit Kyz Kala ruins
- Visit Mary historical museum
- Visit mosque in Mary
- Visit Russian Orthodox church in Mary
Landmarks/POIs Merw Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum Keshk castle Kyz Kala - Day 14
Mary to Ashgabat
After breakfast, you'll return to Ashgabat via the new highway through the desert, a journey that's nearly as quick as flying. The afternoon is free to relax at your pace. In the evening, you'll have a farewell dinner at a particularly beautiful location followed by a nighttime city tour to see Ashgabat's illuminated buildings and their interplay of light before returning to your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Farewell dinner at a particularly beautiful location)
Included Activities
- Return journey to Ashgabat
- Evening farewell dinner
- Nighttime city tour of Ashgabat
Landmarks/POIs Ashgabat - Day 15
Return to Frankfurt
You'll be transferred to Ashgabat airport to begin your return journey to Frankfurt.
