5 Day Turkmenistan Tour from Iran: Ashgabat – Darvaza – Nokhur – Yangykala – Turkmenbashy
This 5-day Turkmenistan tour starts at the Iran border and finishes at the Kazakhstan border (Garabogaz), making it ideal for travelers on a "5 Stans" journey or those continuing toward the Caspian coast and Baku. You will stay in Ashgabat, watch the Darvaza Gas Crater glow at night, swim in the warm Kow-Ata underground lake, and visit the ancient mountain village of Nokhur. The route also includes the colorful Yangykala Canyon and a stretch of the Caspian coast at Awaza. Simple, practical, and full of adventure, it brings together desert, culture, and the sea in one unforgettable trip.
DAY BY DAY
Day 1 — Iran – Ashgabat
You enter Turkmenistan from Iran, most likely at the Bajgiran border point near Mashhad; it is best to cross before noon as it closes early. After lunch and check-in at Bagt Köşgi Hotel, the Ashgabat city tour begins with Ancient Nisa, the UNESCO-listed capital of the Parthian kingdom. You then visit the grand Gypjak (Turkmenbashi Ruhy) Mosque, the Monument of Neutrality with its rotating gilded statue and observation deck, and the National Museum of Turkmenistan. In the evening you admire the city lights at the Arch of Neutrality, enjoy dinner with a panoramic view, and make a stop at a modern shopping center. Overnight at Bagt Köşgi Hotel in Ashgabat.
Day 2 — Ashgabat – Darvaza
After breakfast, the morning tour visits the colorful Tolkuchka Bazaar, the country's largest market, followed by the Museum of Turkmen Carpets and the Ottoman-style Ertugrul Gazi Mosque. After lunch in a national restaurant, you drive about 300 km (4 hours) toward the Darvaza Gas Crater, the famous "Gates of Hell," passing camels, sheep flocks, and desert villages with photo stops along the way. You arrive around sunset, when the crater is at its most mesmerizing, and the guide prepares a campfire dinner of grilled meat, vegetables, tea, and drinks. Under a starry sky you watch the burning crater. Overnight in a traditional Turkmen yurt near the Darvaza Crater.
Day 3 — Darvaza – Kow-Ata – Nokhur – Turkmenbashy (Awaza)
An early breakfast at the crater is followed by the sunrise over the desert, one of the most beautiful moments of the trip. You then drive back toward Ashgabat and stop at Kow-Ata, the famous underground lake whose water stays a warm +37 to +41°C year-round and is perfect for swimming. Next you visit Nokhur, an ancient mountain village with stone houses, mulberry trees, an old cemetery marked with ram horns, and local craftsmen at work. In the evening you continue about 4 hours to Turkmenbashy (Awaza) on the Caspian coast. Overnight at Beyik Ýüpek Ýoly Hotel in Turkmenbashy.
Day 4 — Turkmenbashy – Yangykala Canyon – Turkmenbashy
After a buffet breakfast you drive about 3 hours toward Yangykala Canyon, one of the most striking natural sites in Turkmenistan. On the way you visit Gozli-Ata, a holy pilgrimage site with ancient Arabic inscriptions, where you can have lunch in a yurt with traditional Turkmen cuisine. At Yangykala, once part of the ancient Tethys Ocean, you can still find fossils and shark teeth in rocks layered in pink, white, and red. You spend a few hours enjoying the panoramic views and walking along the canyon edge before returning to Turkmenbashy around 18:00–19:00 for an evening walk along Awaza and a seaside dinner. Overnight at Beyik Ýüpek Ýoly Hotel in Turkmenbashy.
Day 5 — Turkmenbashy – Garabogaz (Kazakhstan border)
After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, you prepare for the onward journey to Kazakhstan. You drive about 1.5–2 hours to the Garabogaz border, where representatives will meet you and your journey through Turkmenistan comes to an end. You say farewell to your guide and driver. Your unique tour of Turkmenistan is complete.
- 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 and guide expenses, including fuel, meals, and accommodation, plus transfer to the meeting point at the border and farewell at the border
- All taxes
- The tour starts at the Turkmenistan border and ends at the Turkmenistan border
- You will see everything possible in the available time; the itinerary can be adjusted on the go
- Visa and other border fees (usually no more than $110 per person)
- Meals ($3–8 per meal per person)
- Entrance fees to museums and other sites on the tour (roughly no more than $10 per day if any)
- Tips (tips are welcomed)
10 STOPS
- 01Bajgiran BorderDay 1
- 02AshgabatDay 1
- 03Darvaza Gas CraterDay 2
- 04Kow-Ata LakeDay 3
- 05NokhurDay 3
- 06TurkmenbashiDay 3
- 07AwazaDay 3
- 08TurkmenbashiDay 4
- 09Yangykala CanyonsDay 4
- 10TurkmenbashiDay 5
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- Ashgabat · Mon–Sat · 09:00–18:00 TMT
