Home Tours Turkmenistan Spring Budget Tour

Turkmenistan Spring Budget Tour

Start
Apr 24, 2027
Ashgabat
End
Apr 27, 2027
Ashgabat
Duration
4 days
Price
US$1095.00

TOUR OVERVIEW


This tour is for those who want a snapshot into what Turkmenistan has to offer. As always, we'll begin in Ashgabat, the white and gold capital city. Famous for its magnificent monuments and wide, empty streets, we'll show you everything that this incredibly unique city has to offer. From wide empty streets and mammoth marble monuments, to blingy and bizarre shopping centres, to surprising hipster coffee shops and relaxed beer gardens, there is just so much to love about this city!

We'll also visit Nisa, an ancient city now listed by UNESCO, Turkmenbashy Mosque and Mausoleum, and of course make a road trip into the desert to spend a night at the Gates of Hell.

View the full itinerary


If you'd like to see even more of Turkmenistan while you're there, check out our slightly longer Turkmenistan Spring Tour .


Darvaza, Gates of Hell, Turkmenistan


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.





INCLUSIONS:

✓ Letter of Invitation

✓

Accommodation in twin share at roughly 3 star hotels (breakfast included), camping at Gates of Hell

✓

Transport as per itinerary, beginning and ending in Ashgabat

✓

Entrance fees to all sites mentioned in the itinerary

✓

Western and local guides


SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $150

What is the single supplement? This is paid to guarantee a single room. If you are travelling alone and would like to be roomed with another single traveller, you do not need to pay this.



EXCLUSIONS:

⨯

Visa fee (can be paid on arrival at the airport or land border, or at an embassy beforehand)

⨯

Meals other than breakfast at hotels

⨯

Transport to and from Ashgabat at the beginning and end of the tour

⨯

Accommodation and any other services before or after the tour

⨯

Personal expenses such as souvenirs or any optional activities


Turkmenbashy Mosque, Kipchak, Turkmenistan
Independence Monument, Independence Park, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan


TOUR HIGHLIGHTS


Explore the glimmering white and gold monuments of Ashgabat

Spend the night mesmerised by the horrendous but exhilirating Gates of Hell

Visit the unique and resplendent Turkmenbashy Mosque and Mausoleum


Itinerary
Day 1Sat Apr 24
Ashgabat
  • Wheel of Enlightenment, Alem Merkezi, Ashgabat Our first day in Ashgabat, you’re going to be in awe of everything that the capital has to offer. We’ll spend the day taking in all the main sites of Ashgabat, including all those crazy monuments you’ve probably seen pictures of, as we begin explaining all the weird and wonderful aspects of Turkmenistan that make it such a special place.
  • We’ll 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 – you’ll hear plenty more of these records! ), but unfortunately is closed to the public.
  • A highlight of the day will likely be the Alem Centre, the complex which houses the Wheel of Enlightenment, the largest indoor ferris wheel (yes, there’s another one). And YES, for just $2.50, 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 café – bet you weren’t expecting that!
  • In the afternoon we’ll 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.
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Day 2Sun Apr 25
Nisa, Turkmenbashy Mosque, Ashgabat
  • Old Nisa, UNESCO historical site, Turkmenistan Today we'll start by driving to the outskirts of Ashgabat. On our way we'll pass the new, not-yet-finished "smart" city of Arkadag, which we can't visit but will be able to see as we drive past. We'll also pass the hippodrome, and of course several small monuments and statues.
  • Our first stop today will be at Nisa, a UNESCO site which was once the capital of the Parthian Empire. We'll explore the ruins and learn about the different excavations that have been done, and hear the stories of this once spectacular and incredibly important city. Turkmenbashy Mosque and Mausoleum, Kipchak, Turkmenistan
  • We’ll then continue on to Kipchak to see the resplendent Turkmenbashy Mosque and Mausoleum, where Turkmenbashy is buried beside his mother, father and two brothers in their white marble mausoleum. There aren’t too many Turkmenbashy related sites still around, but this one is truly spectacular.
  • We'll return to Ashgabat and have a bit of free time in the afternoon before heading out for dinner in the evening.
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Day 3Mon Apr 26
Ashgabat, Gates of Hell
  • School girls walking in Erbent village, Turkmenistan This morning we will have free time, so you'll have a chance to organise yourself for the evening ahead. We'll be checking out of the hotel in Ashgabat, but you can leave luggage behind for the overnight.
  • In the early afternoon, we'll set off on our desert adventure, driving the 250km north to Darvaza, The Gates of Hell.
  • One the way we’ll make a few stops – including to see a salt lake, and two other craters (one full of mud, one full of water).
  • Our favourite stop on this drive though is the town of Erbent, where you'll get a real up-close look at how rural Turkmens live - very different to what you've seen so far in Ashgabat and other regional cities and towns. We'll patronise the village shop, no doubt take some photos of some dust, possibly an old motorbike or two, maybe even a camel, and if we're lucky we might bump into some school kids. We will also of course use their toilet (not a luxurious one!) before continuing on our way. Gates of Hell, Darvaza, Turkmenistan
  • Gates of Hell, Darvaza, Turkmenistan Crossing the sand dunes to get to Darvaza, we’ll arrive in time to watch the sunset over the fiery crater and experience dusk turn to dark at this breathtaking site.
  • We will either set up tents near the crater, or stay in one of the nearby yurt camps, depending on many factors, including weather. Either way though, we'll spend the evening viewing the fiery crater from every angle, seeing the colour change as the sun sets and the darkness creeps in, until the crater is in full glow. It's completely mesemerising.
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Day 4Tue Apr 27
Gates of Hell, Ashgabat, End of Tour
  • Gates of Hell, Darvaza, Turkmenistan We'll wake up this morning at the Gates of Hell. What a place to wake up!
  • Make sure you get your fill of fiery pits over breakfast, before we start heading back to Ashgabat, arriving around lunchtime.
  • Arriving back in Ashgabat, you will have some free time until you need to be driven to the airport for your departure flight.
  • If you'd like to see some more of Turkmenistan while you're there, why not join us on the Turkmenistan Spring Tour , where we'll also visit Kow Ata, Nokhur, Balkanabat, Turkmenbashy and Yangykala Canyon.
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image/svg+xml Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Afghanistan Kazakhstan
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