2-Day Tour: Darvaza Gas Crater from Uzbekistan
One of the easiest and most popular ways to reach the famous Darvaza Gas Crater, this short but rich two-day route starts on the Turkmenistan side of the Shavat border, just across from Khiva and Urgench in Uzbekistan. The logistics are simple and the border is close, so you can enjoy many highlights in only two days. You spend an unforgettable night beside the burning crater in a traditional Turkmen yurt camp deep in the Karakum Desert before returning the next day. Some sections of the road are still under construction, but most travelers find the journey comfortable and well worth the adventure.
DAY BY DAY
Day 1 — Shavat Border → Dashoguz → Darvaza Gas Crater (overnight)
Meet your guide on the Turkmenistan side of the Shavat border crossing, opposite Khiva/Urgench, and complete the border formalities before departing for Dashoguz. After lunch at a local restaurant in Dashoguz, you set off on the 300 km drive across the Karakum Desert to the Darvaza Gas Crater, arriving before sunset. Enjoy free time to explore the spectacular burning crater, followed by dinner at the nearby yurt camp and an unforgettable evening watching the crater glow in the darkness. Overnight in traditional Turkmen yurts or tents at Darvaza.
Day 2 — Darvaza → Dashoguz → Shavat Border
After breakfast at Darvaza, you depart on the 300 km drive (about 4.5 hours) back to Dashoguz, where you stop for a lunch break. You then have time to explore the city and shop for souvenirs in Dashoguz before continuing to the Shavat border crossing. The tour ends on the Turkmenistan side of the border, where you proceed through border formalities to return to Uzbekistan.
- Invitation letter support and foreigner registration in Turkmenistan
- Accommodation in standard rooms
- Transport and guide
- Meals at Darvaza and overnight yurt stay at Darvaza
- All breakfasts
- All expenses of the driver/guide, including fuel, meals, accommodation and transfers to and from the border meeting point
- All taxes
- The tour starts and ends at the Turkmenistan border
- Visa and other fees at the border (usually no more than $110 per person)
- Meals ($3–8 per meal per person)
- Entrance fees to museums and other sites as per the tour (roughly no more than $10 per day if any)
- Tips (tips are welcomed)
5 STOPS
- 01Shavat BorderDay 1
- 02DashoguzDay 1
- 03Darvaza Gas CraterDay 1
- 04DashoguzDay 2
- 05Shavat BorderDay 2
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