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This tour is your chance to see Nowruz, but Turkmen style. And everything is more fun Turkmen style! Although Nowruz is originally a Persian holiday, marking the start of spring and the start of their new year, it has been well and truly commandeered by Central Asia. You'll find Nowruz celebrations all throughout Central Asia, with differening extents of extravagance and authenticity, but Turkmenistan has really taken it to the next level and made it their own. As Turkmenistan tends to do!
We'll start off this tour by exploring Turkmenistan's gleaming and sparkly capital of Ashgabat, seeing all that this incredibly unique city has to offer. Heading out of the city, we'll then visit the ancient ruins of Nisa, and the Turkmenbashy Mosque and Mausoleum, before swimming in Kow Ata, which is an underground cave lake that we can swim in, and is one of the few chances you'll have to see locals relaxing a bit.
Venturing into the mountains we'll visit the village of Nokhur, famous for its unique cemetery, and then will continue our journey west towards the Caspian Sea, veering off into the desert to Yangykala Canyon, an old ocean, now a vast canyon with striped coloured walls. Finally we'll fly on Turkmenistan Airlines (an experience in itself!) back to Ashgabat to explore this bizarre sparkly city, and be part of all the Nowruz events.
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.
There is also a shorter budget version of this tour available, for anyone who would like to see Ashgabat, the Gates of Hell and Nowruz, but doesn't have time to explore the rest of the country.
INCLUSIONS:
✓ | Letter of Invitation |
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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: $350
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 |
Join in the vibrant and oh so photogenic Nowruz celebrations
Explore the white marble city of Ashgabat
Bask in the glow of the Gates of Hell
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