Ashgabat
Ashgabat
TOUR OVERVIEW
Turkmenistan is known for many things - horses, dogs, white marble, neon lights, world records, and you got it - carpets!
Home to the largest carpet in the world, the largest handmade carpet in the world, the largest carpet in the shape of a star, the second largest carpet in the shape of a star, Turkmenistan certainly takes their carpets seriously.
The Turkmen flag is the only flag in the world with carpets on it - yep, not just one carpet, but five of them! And those same five carpets you'll see everywhere in Turkmenistan, representing the five main tribes and the five regions of the country.
And for one day only the Carpet Museum in Ashgabat is open and will be buzzing with events and exhibitions, on this special day that is dedicated to carpets.
Of course, as well as experiencing this unique festival, we'll show you all our favourite spots around Ashgabat and elsewhere in Turkmenistan, including of course the Gates of Hell and Yangykala Canyon.
If you like the look of this tour but the dates don't work for you, or you'd like to do part of the tour, please get in touch and let us know. All our tours are able to be split into smaller sections, we're always scheduling new tours and your dates might work for one of them, or we can always organise an independent tour.
If Carpet Day takes your fancy but you don't have time for this whole tour, check out our shorter Turkmenistan Carpet Day Budget Tour . Or alternately, if you'd like to see even more of Turkmenistan, have a look at our longer Turkmenistan Comprehensive Carpet Day Tour .
INCLUSIONS:
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Accommodation in twin share at roughly 3 star hotels (breakfast included), camping at Gates of Hell |
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Transport as per itinerary, beginning and ending in Ashgabat |
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Entrance fees to all sites mentioned in the itinerary |
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SAIGA guide and local guides |
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $450
EXCLUSIONS:
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Visa fee (can be paid on arrival at the airport or land border, or at an embassy beforehand) |
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Meals other than breakfast at hotels |
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Transport to and from Ashgabat at the beginning and end of the tour |
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Accommodation and any other services before or after the tour |
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Personal expenses such as souvenirs or any optional activities |
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Any COVID related expenses |
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Experience the unique festivities of Carpet Day
Explore the glimmering white and gold monuments of Ashgabat
Spend the night mesmerised by the horrendous but exhilirating Gates of Hell
Stand on the edge of the vast and vibrant Yangykala Canyon
Itinerary
Day 1Mon May 25
Ashgabat
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Our first day in Ashgabat, youāre going to be in awe of everything that the capital has to offer. Weāll spend the day taking in all the main sites of Ashgabat, including all those crazy monuments youāve probably seen pictures of, as we begin explaining all the weird and wonderful aspects of Turkmenistan that make it such a special place.
- Weāll start with a driving tour of Ashgabat's main sites, including Independence Park and Independence Monument, the Monument to the Constitution, the Arch of Neutrality, Lenin Park, and a drive-by of the Olympic Complex which was built for the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. The complex is home to the famous Horse Stadium ( the largest structure in the shape of a horse in the world ā youāll hear plenty more of these records! ), but unfortunately is closed to the public.
- A highlight of the day will likely be the Alem Centre, which is the complex in which the Wheel of Enlightenment is, the largest indoor ferris wheel (yes, thereās another one). And YES, for just $1, you can even take a ride!
- Stop for lunch at Berkarar Shopping Centre, where you can go ice-skating, play in the games centre, ride a miniature double-decker bus, and even have a cappuccino in a hipster cafĆ© ā bet you werenāt expecting that!
- In the afternoon weāll visit the university bookshop, a great chance to pick up some very cool, unique Turkmenistan swag, including where you can find amazing coffee table books written by and about the former president (and father of the current president, Serdar Berdimuhamedov), Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, as well as ones about Ashgabat and Turkmenistan. You can even get them in English! They also have postcards and posters, and if you're lucky they might even have a copy of the Ruhnama, the book written by Turkmenbashy.
- Spend the night at the Ak Altyn Hotel.