3-Day Tour: Shavat – Darvaza – Ashgabat – Bajgiran (Iran Border)
This three-day journey is designed for travelers entering Turkmenistan from Khiva (Uzbekistan) and planning to exit to Iran through the Bajgiran border. It takes in the country's two most famous attractions, the Darvaza Gas Crater and Ashgabat, the gleaming white-marble capital. A great advantage of this route is the chance to share the car and costs with another traveler coming from Khiva, keeping your budget low. It is one of the most popular and practical routes for overland travelers who want to see the best of Turkmenistan and continue smoothly into Iran.
DAY BY DAY
Day 1 — Shavat Border Entry & Darvaza Gas Crater
Meet your guide on the Turkmenistan side of the Shavat border checkpoint at 10 am and continue to Dashoguz. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant with traditional Turkmen cuisine and some shopping time at the bazaar or supermarket. Take a scenic 4–5 hour, 285 km drive south through the Karakum Desert to reach the iconic Darvaza Gas Crater, also known as the Door to Hell, before sunset. Watch the spectacular burning crater at dusk, enjoy a traditional dinner prepared by local guides, and spend the night in a traditional felt yurt near the crater.
Day 2 — Journey to Ashgabat & City Exploration
Have breakfast at the crater site and take your final photos of the burning pit. Drive roughly 3.5 hours and 270 km to Ashgabat, stopping en route at the Mud Volcano Craters with their bubbling formations and the natural Water Craters of the desert. Spend the afternoon and evening on a tour of Ashgabat's highlights. Overnight in a hotel in Ashgabat.
Day 3 — Final Ashgabat Tour & Departure
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and continue the city tour of Ashgabat. At 15:00 depart for the Bajgiran border crossing on the Turkmenistan–Iran border. After about a 2-hour, 120 km drive you reach the border, where the tour ends.
- Invitation letter support and foreigner registration in Turkmenistan
- Accommodation in standard rooms
- Ashgabat city tour
- Transport and guide
- Meals at Darvaza and yurt night stay at Darvaza
- All breakfasts
- All driver/guide expenses, including fuel, meals and accommodation, transfer to the meeting point at the border, and parting with the guest at the border
- All taxes
- The tour starts at the Turkmenistan border and ends at the Turkmenistan border
- You will see everything possible within the available time, and the tour can be adjusted on the go where feasible
- 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 welcome)
3 STOPS
- 01Shavat BorderDay 1
- 02Darvaza Gas CraterDay 1
- 03AshgabatDay 2
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- 3-Day Tour: Shavat – Darvaza – Ashgabat – Bajgiran (Iran Border)
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- Office
- Ashgabat · Mon–Sat · 09:00–18:00 TMT
