3-Day Turkmenistan Tour: Merv, Ashgabat & Darvaza
This three-day adventure crosses Turkmenistan from end to end, linking three of the country's greatest highlights in a single overland journey. Beginning at the Farab border near Turkmenabat, you explore the vast ancient ruins of Merv, discover the marble capital of Ashgabat, and spend an unforgettable night beside the flaming Darvaza Gas Crater in the Karakum Desert. The route finishes in Dashoguz before crossing into Uzbekistan at the Shavat border near Khiva. Some roads are rough, but the variety of landscapes and ancient sites makes this one of the most rewarding ways to experience Turkmenistan.
DAY BY DAY
Day 1 — Farab → Merv → Ashgabat
Meet your guide at the Farab border crossing near Turkmenabat and set off on the roughly 4.5-hour drive to Merv (the road is poor). Explore the sprawling ruins of the ancient city of Merv, once one of the largest cities in the world and a key stop on the Silk Road. Continue on to the capital, Ashgabat, where you spend the night.
Day 2 — Ashgabat → Darvaza
After breakfast, enjoy a city tour of Ashgabat, the gleaming white-marble capital. Then begin the roughly 4.5-hour drive to Darvaza (the road is poor), stopping along the way to see the Water Crater and the Mud Crater. Arrive at the Darvaza Gas Crater in the evening, have dinner at the yurt camp, and spend the night in traditional yurts or tents beside the burning crater.
Day 3 — Darvaza → Dashoguz → Shavat (exit to Uzbekistan)
After breakfast, drive about 7 hours to Dashoguz (the road is very rough). Spend some time in Dashoguz before continuing to the Shavat border crossing near Khiva, where the tour ends as you exit into Uzbekistan.
- Invitation letter support and foreigner registration in Turkmenistan
- Accommodation in standard rooms
- Ashgabat city tour
- 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
- You will see everything possible within the time available; the tour can be adjusted on the go as 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 welcomed)
6 STOPS
- 01Farab BorderDay 1
- 02Ancient MervDay 1
- 03AshgabatDay 1
- 04Darvaza Gas CraterDay 2
- 05DashoguzDay 3
- 06Shavat BorderDay 3
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- Ashgabat · Mon–Sat · 09:00–18:00 TMT
