Destinations
The places we travel — researched, walked, returned to.
Ahal Region, Turkmenistan
Ashgabat
Turkmenistan's gleaming white-marble capital, where Silk Road history meets monumental modern architecture at the foot of the Kopet Dag.
April–June and September–October
Turkmenistan
Darvaza gas crater
A fiery sinkhole in the Karakum Desert, nicknamed the Door to Hell, blazing non-stop for over 50 years.
April–June and September–October
Turkmenistan
Ancient Merv
One of the oldest cities in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Merv was a great center of the Silk Road for over 2,500 years.
April–June and September–October
Turkmenistan
Yangykala Canyon
Where ancient oceans meet fire-colored cliffs in western Turkmenistan's most spectacular natural wonder.
April–June and September–October
Turkmenistan
Kow-Ata – The Underground Thermal Lake of Turkmenistan
A thermal lake hidden 60 meters underground in a limestone cave, with warm mineral waters prized for their healing properties.
April–June and September–October
Lebap Region, Turkmenistan
Lebap
Turkmenistan's eastern province along the Amu Darya, home to dinosaur footprints, desert reserves and a Silk Road caravanserai.
April–June and September–October
Balkan Region, Turkmenistan
Balkan Region
Turkmenistan's wild western frontier, where the rainbow-striped Yangykala Canyon meets the Caspian Sea and the Awaza resort.
April–June and September–October
Ahal Region, Turkmenistan
Ahal
Turkmenistan's south-central heartland, where the Karakum Desert meets the Kopet Dag Mountains and Silk Road ruins.
April–June and September–October
Uzbekistan
Bukhara
An ancient Silk Road city in Uzbekistan, famed for its UNESCO-listed old town packed with minarets, madrasahs and domed bazaars.
April–June and September–October
Uzbekistan
Samarkand
The fabled Gem of the Silk Road, a 2,750-year-old UNESCO city of turquoise domes and Timurid grandeur.
April–June and September–October
Uzbekistan
Khiva
An ancient Silk Road oasis in the Khorezm desert, whose walled old town Itchan Kala is a living open-air museum of turquoise domes and minarets.
April–June and September–October
Turkmenistan
Astana Baba Mausoleum
An 11th–12th-century pilgrimage complex revered for healing and the touching legend of Zuveida, drawing thousands of devoted pilgrims each year.
April–June and September–October
Turkmenistan
Old Nisa
The royal capital of the Parthian Empire and a UNESCO World Heritage Site of imperial power and legacy near Ashgabat.
April–June and September–October
Turkmenistan
Nohur village
A mysterious mountain village in the Kopetdag where centuries-old traditions, legends and crafts are still alive.
April–June and September–October
Turkmenistan
Koytendag Mountain
An unforgettable journey to Köýtendag — dinosaur footprints, healing lakes, sacred mausoleums and mystical caves in Turkmenistan's remote Far East.
April–June and September–October
Turkmenistan
Köneürgenç
The ancient capital of the Khorezm Empire and a UNESCO World Heritage Site of minarets, mausoleums and lost glory.
April–June and September–October
Turkmenistan
Izmukshir Fortress
A 2,000-year-old desert fortress near Dashoguz, once a stronghold of the Khorezmshahs and birthplace of the scholar Al-Zamakhshari.
April–June and September–October
Turkmenistan
Abiverd
The ruined fortress city of Northern Khurasan, once a thriving Silk Road center of craft markets, mosques, and forgotten glory.
April–June and September–October
Turkmenistan
Seyitjemaleddin Mosque
A restored 15th-century Timurid mosque near Ashgabat, famed for its rare dragon-adorned portal blending Islamic art and folklore.
April–June and September–October
Turkmenistan
Dekhistan
A remote, untouched archaeological site in the Misrian Valley, preserving 10th–12th century ruins and early Islamic architecture of the desert Silk Road.
April–June and September–October
Turkmenistan
Gonur Depe
The cradle of the ancient Margiana civilization, a Bronze Age sacred city buried in the Karakum sands near Mary, dating back to the 3rd–2nd millennia BC.
April–June and September–October
Lebap Region, Turkmenistan
Turkmenabat
Turkmenistan's second-largest city on the Amu Darya, an ancient Silk Road hub and the administrative center of Lebap Province.
Spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October)
Mary Region, Turkmenistan
Mary
Southeastern Turkmenistan's historic oasis on the Murghab River, gateway to the UNESCO-listed ruins of ancient Merv.
April–June and September–October
Balkan Region, Turkmenistan
Awaza
Turkmenistan's flagship resort zone on the Caspian Sea, just west of Turkmenbashy, with hotels, beaches and an aquapark.
Summer (June-September), Caspian beach season
Balkan Region, Turkmenistan
Balkanabat
Capital of Turkmenistan's Balkan Province, an oil and gas hub west of the Karakum Desert, founded in 1933 as Neftedag.
Spring and autumn (April-May, September-October)
Dashoguz Region, Turkmenistan
Dashoguz
Turkmenistan's northernmost region, heart of ancient Khorezm, home to the UNESCO ruins of Konye-Urgench and the gateway to the Darvaza gas crater.