5 Day Turkmenistan Tour from Bukhara: Merv, Darvaza & Ashgabat
Discover the heart of Turkmenistan on this 5-day tour that begins at the Uzbek border near Bukhara and ends in the capital, Ashgabat. You will explore the UNESCO World Heritage site of ancient Merv, stand before the fiery Darvaza Gas Crater known as the Gates of Hell, and admire the gleaming marble architecture of Ashgabat. It is the perfect route for travelers who want to experience the country's history, desert and city life in just a few unforgettable days.
DAY BY DAY
Day 1 — Farab Border (Bukhara) → Turkmenabat → Merv → Mary
You are met at the Farab border crossing on the Turkmenistan side near Bukhara and driven to Turkmenabat for lunch. From there you continue to the ruins of ancient Merv (about 220 km, a 4-hour drive), once one of the greatest cities of Central Asia before it was destroyed by the Mongols and later the Timurids. After exploring this pearl of the region you travel on to the city of Mary, the regional capital, where you have dinner at a restaurant around 19:00 and spend the night.
Day 2 — Merv → Ashgabat
After breakfast you set out around 09:00 for the long drive to Ashgabat, reaching the capital by about 14:00 for lunch at a restaurant. At 16:00 you check in to your hotel and enjoy some free time to explore the city at your own pace. In the evening, around 20:00, you have dinner at a traditional restaurant before spending the night in Ashgabat.
Day 3 — Ashgabat → Darvaza Gas Crater
After breakfast you have more free time in Ashgabat, easily getting around by the city's inexpensive taxis, with lunch at a restaurant around 12:00. At 14:00 you stock up on supplies at a market and head into the desert toward the Darvaza Gas Crater, also known as the Gates of Hell, arriving around 19:00 for photography. Dinner is prepared locally at a yurt camp near Darvaza, and at night the guide shares the story of this burning pit as you admire the crater at its most spectacular. You spend the night at the crater in a yurt or tents.
Day 4 — Darvaza → Ashgabat
After breakfast around 08:00 you head back toward Ashgabat, stopping along the way to see two more craters: the Water Crater, especially beautiful with its turquoise water, and the Mud Crater, both about the same size as the gas crater with gas bubbling at the bottom. You also make several stops to photograph camels, goats and local village life. Reaching Ashgabat around 15:00 you have lunch, then free time to explore by taxi, with dinner at 20:00 and an overnight stay in Ashgabat.
Day 5 — Ashgabat City Tour → Ashgabat Airport
After breakfast you enjoy a full sightseeing tour of Ashgabat lasting 6-7 hours, covering all the main highlights. You visit the National Museum and the Carpet Museum, the ruins of Nisa and Anau, the bazaar, the monuments of Independence, Neutrality and the Constitution, the giant indoor Alem Ferris wheel and an Akhal-Teke horse farm. After lunch around 14:00 and dinner in the evening you return to the hotel for the night, with an early departure for your international flight out of Turkmenistan. End of the tour.
- Invitation letter support and foreigner registration in Turkmenistan
- Accommodation in standard rooms
- Ashgabat city tour
- Transport and guide
- Meals at Darvaza and the yurt overnight stay at Darvaza
- All breakfasts
- All driver/guide expenses, including fuel, meals and accommodation, plus transfer to and from the meeting point at the border
- All taxes
- The tour starts and ends at the Turkmenistan border
- You will see everything possible within the available time; the itinerary can be adjusted on the go as needed
- 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 along the tour (roughly no more than $10 per day if any)
- Tips (tips are welcome)
9 STOPS
- 01Farab BorderDay 1
- 02BukharaDay 1
- 03TurkmenabatDay 1
- 04Ancient MervDay 1
- 05MaryDay 1
- 06Ancient MervDay 2
- 07AshgabatDay 2
- 08Darvaza Gas CraterDay 3
- 09AshgabatDay 4
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- Ashgabat · Mon–Sat · 09:00–18:00 TMT
