Fire, Silk Road and Mountains

Day by day

1. 01

   Arrival in Ashgabat

   • Meeting at the airport, transfer to the hotel, rest
   • Overnight at the hotel
2. 02

   Horses and the capital

   • The horse farm: the Akhal-Teke, pride of the Turkmen people
   • City tour: Independence Monument, Neutrality Arch, Earthquake Monument, Gulistan Bazaar
   • Berkarar shopping centre, dinner at a local restaurant
   • Overnight at the hotel
3. 03

   Nisa and Darvaza

   • Old Nisa, the sanctuary of the Parthian kings (UNESCO, 3rd c. BC – 3rd c. AD)
   • By 4x4 jeep to the Darvaza gas crater, 270 km north of Ashgabat, stopping at the Water and Clay craters
   • Evening at the crater, dinner at Darvaza
   • Overnight: yurt
4. 04

   Museums and monuments

   • Back to Ashgabat
   • The National Museum of History and Ethnography: over 500,000 exhibits, with finds from Nisa, Merv and Gonurdepe
   • Gypjak Mosque and the mausoleum of the late President S. Niyazov
   • City tour of the main sights, dinner at a local restaurant
   • Overnight at the hotel
5. 05

   Mary and ancient Merv

   • Drive to Mary, short city tour with the local market
   • The historical park of Ancient Merv: Gyz Gala, Erk Gala, Soltan Gala, the mausoleums of Soltan Sanjar, Ashab, Yusup Hamadani and Ibn Zeid
   • Dinner at a local restaurant, flight to Ashgabat
   • Overnight at the hotel
6. 06

   Kow-Ata and Nokhur

   • Kow-Ata underground lake, 107 km from Ashgabat: a cave 230 m long, up to 20 m high and 57 m wide
   • Nokhur village in a valley of the Kopet Dag, with its unique culture, crafts and architecture
   • Back to Ashgabat
   • Overnight at the hotel
7. 07

   Departure

   • Early morning transfer to the airport

Route