3-Day Darvaza & Ashgabat Tour from Shavat Border

Day 1 — Shavat Border → Dashoguz → Darvaza Gas Crater

Approximate driving distance: 300–330 km

Arrival at the Shavat Border Crossing between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

After completing the Uzbek border procedures, cross into Turkmenistan, where your professional local guide will meet you on the Turkmen side of the border.

Your guide will welcome you and assist with the necessary immigration and border-entry formalities, helping make your arrival as smooth and comfortable as possible.

After meeting your driver, continue to nearby Dashoguz.

Stop for lunch at a local restaurant, where you can enjoy traditional Turkmen or Central Asian cuisine before beginning the desert journey.

Lunch is not included in the tour price and is payable directly at the restaurant.

After lunch, travel south through the vast landscapes of the Karakum Desert toward Darvaza.

Along the way, there may be an opportunity to visit the Darvaza Mud Crater, depending on the timing of the journey and local conditions.

Continue to the legendary Darvaza Gas Crater, internationally known as the “Gates of Hell.”

The journey is planned to reach Darvaza before sunset, allowing time to settle into your traditional Turkmen yurt before visiting the crater.

Walk to the crater with your guide and take in the unusual sight of this burning depression surrounded by open desert.

As daylight fades, enjoy the changing atmosphere around the crater and take photographs against the evening sky.

In the evening, enjoy a freshly prepared BBQ dinner at the campsite.

After dinner, there will be time to return to the crater for nighttime views before heading back to camp.

Overnight: Traditional Turkmen yurt camp near Darvaza
Meals included: BBQ dinner
Meals not included: Lunch in Dashoguz

Day 2 — Darvaza Gas Crater → Ashgabat

Approximate driving distance: 290–320 km, including city sightseeing

Wake up in the peaceful surroundings of the Karakum Desert.

Depending on the season and sunrise time, you may have an opportunity for an early morning visit to the crater before breakfast.

Breakfast will be served at the yurt camp.

After breakfast, begin the journey south toward Ashgabat, watching the desert scenery gradually give way to the outskirts of the capital.

Upon arrival, stop for lunch at a local restaurant before continuing with the sightseeing programme.

Lunch is not included in the tour price.

Spend the afternoon discovering Ashgabat’s white-marble architecture, broad avenues and monumental public spaces.

Visit the Independence Monument and its surrounding landscaped grounds, followed by the Arch of Neutrality, two distinctive landmarks of the Turkmen capital.

The programme also includes the Gypjak Mosque, where you can appreciate the architecture and spacious setting of this important religious complex.

Continue with a photo stop at the Alem Center and a panoramic drive through the white-marble central district.

If time and opening hours permit, visit the Russian Bazaar for a glimpse of everyday life among stalls selling fresh produce, spices, sweets and local goods. Otherwise, this visit can be arranged on the following day.

Check in at your hotel and take some time to relax.

In the evening, enjoy a panoramic drive through illuminated Ashgabat, seeing the capital’s monuments and marble buildings in a different light.

Dinner can be arranged at a local restaurant at your own expense.

Overnight: Hotel in Ashgabat
Meals included: Breakfast
Meals not included: Lunch and dinner

Day 3 — Ashgabat Sightseeing → Airport Departure

Approximate local driving distance: 40–80 km, depending on the sightseeing programme

Breakfast at the hotel, subject to your flight schedule.

Continue exploring Ashgabat and its surroundings, with the day’s programme arranged around your airport transfer.

Priority visits include Old Nisa, part of the UNESCO-listed Parthian Fortresses of Nisa. Explore the archaeological remains with your guide and learn about the importance of this ancient centre of the Parthian Empire.

Continue to an Akhal-Teke horse farm, where you can see Turkmenistan’s celebrated horses and learn about their place in the country’s equestrian traditions.

If time permits, visit the Russian Bazaar, if not visited on the previous day, or enjoy additional stops at central monuments, parks and viewpoints.

There may also be an opportunity for lunch before departure.

Lunch is not included in the tour price.

At the appropriate time, transfer to Ashgabat International Airport for your onward flight.

The order and extent of the sightseeing programme depend on your flight schedule and the opening hours of the sites.

The tour ends at Ashgabat International Airport.

Meals included: Breakfast, subject to flight schedule