Legends of Turkmenistan

Culture and history, the nature of the regions, a vivid route and UNESCO heritage. Individual or group tour.

Day by day

1. 01

   Arrival in Ashgabat

   • Your driver meets you at the airport and takes you to the hotel
   • Free time to rest
2. 02

   Ashgabat and Nisa

   • In the morning you meet your guide at the hotel for the city tour
   • Old Nisa, 15 km from the city: capital of the Parthian Empire, founded in the 3rd century BC (UNESCO)
   • Turkmenbashi Ruhy (Kipchak) Mosque, the largest in Central Asia, with the mausoleum of the first President and his family
   • The Neutrality Arch, a 95-metre tower: a funicular to the viewing platform, a small museum and a panorama of the city
   • Independence Park, with the yurt-shaped Independence Monument, fountains and 27 statues of historical figures
   • The Lenin statue, on a platform richly decorated with Turkmen ornaments
   • The National Museum of History and Ethnography, with over half a million exhibits from all regions
   • Gulistan (Russian) Bazaar, one of the oldest and liveliest markets in Ashgabat
3. 03

   Mary and Merv

   • After breakfast, the drive to Mary and hotel check-in
   • After lunch, Merv, the most ancient trading centre on the Great Silk Road
   • The mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar (12th c.), a masterpiece of medieval architecture with a monumental dome
   • Big and Small Kyz-Kala (8th–9th c.), clay fortresses with no known parallels
   • The Ashab complex (9th–12th c.), an important place of pilgrimage
   • Erk-Kala (6th c. BC), the oldest fortress of Merv, with walls up to 30 metres and a panoramic view
   • Gyaur-Kala (3rd c. BC), with walls about 2 km long
   • The Beni Mahan (Friday) Mosque (7th–9th c.) and a well-preserved ancient cistern
   • The mausoleum of Muhammad ibn Zayd (12th c.), a revered Sufi shrine with Arabic inscriptions
4. 04

   Mary and Ashgabat

   • The Museum of History in Mary, six main halls in a three-storey marble building
   • The drive to Ashgabat
5. 05

   Departure

   • Transfer to the airport

Route