Across Turkmenistan in 10 days
- Tour countries:
- Turkmenistan
- Type of tour:
- Adventure, Historical, General
Day 1 Ashgabat
Meeting at Ashgabat airport and transfer to AkAltyn Hotel. Rest and free time. Overnight.
Day 2 Ashgabat - Kow-Ata Lake - Gokdepe - Ashgabat
First half of the day will be spent sightseeing the major landmarks of Ashgabat - the capital and largest city of Turkmenistan. Ashgabat is a relatively young city, growing out of a village of the same name established by Russian officers in 1881 after the Battle of Geok Tepe. It is not far from the site of Nisa, the ancient capital of the Parthian Empire.
Within this tour you will visit Ten Years of Independence Park, Turkmenbashy Square with marble-faced Ruhyyet Palaceand gold-domed Turkmenbashy Palace. The statue in front of Turkmenistan's Justice Ministry and Supreme Court building is an image of Niyazov's mother, Gurbansoltan Eje, holding the scales of justice in her right hand. You will be also taken to grandious Square of Revival (Galkynysh) - a new administrative, business and cultural center of Ashgabat. Have a stroll along Ylham (Inspiration) Park.
After lunch you will be driven to Kow-Ata underground lake which is located 90 km from Ashgabat. The Turkmen name Kow-Ata means "father of caves". At first glance, this underground area appears like a magnificent auditorium: the overall length of the cave is 230 m, its height reaches 20 m, and its width is at some points 57 m. The bottom of the cave is covered with lumps of dissolved limestone (stalagmites), and its warm and gushing water is clear and emerald colored. The water has a constant temperature of 33-37°C.
On the way back visit the Geok Tepe fortress (Siege of Geoktepe) that was attacked in December 1880 by 6,000 Russians under General Mikhail Skobelev against 25,000 defenders. The siege of Geok Tepe lasted twenty-three days, after which the city was taken by storm. Around 15,000 Turkmen soldiers and civilians were killed in the fight. Russian casualties were only 398 killed and 669 wounded. Geok Tepe (Gokdepe Mosque) was built to commemorate the defeat and is noted for its mint-turquoise blue coloured roof and white marble structure.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 3 Ashgabad - Archabil
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive some 35km west of Ashgabat to Archabil located in a pleasant green valley within the Kopet Dag Mountains. Archabil, known as Firuza until 2001, is the traditional summer retreat for the citizens of Ashgabat. It offers temperatures a crucial few degrees cooler than those of the plains. Overnight in Gokdere Hotel.
Day 4 Archabil - Ashgabad - Mary
Morning flight to Mary. The city is an oasis in the Karakum Desert, located on the Murghab river. Mary is known for its Regional Museum. The city lies near the remains of the ancient city of Merv, which in corrupted form gives its name to the modern town. Visit the ancient ruins of Merv, which was an oasis city and a major stopover on the Silk Road. It is claimed that Merv was briefly the largest city in the world in the 12th century. Merv has a rich history, the city was under Persian, Greek, Sassanian and arab rule and from the 11th century was the capital of the Seljuk Turks, who controlled an empire stretching from Afghanistan to Egypt. In the 13th century Merv was destroyed by the Mongols leaving only the ruins of these numerous civilizations. Pay a visit to The History Museum, Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum and Kys Kala. Overnight in Dayanche Hotel.
Day 5 Mary - Ashgabad
Early morning flight to Ashgabat. Drive to horse farm. Today we will visit horse farm near Ashgabat (45km). There you will see what become the symbol and direct association with Turkmenistan - its famous Akhal-teke horses. You will get a chance to ride this marvellous horse, watch some performance with horses, and see some skilful horsemen tricks. We will try traditional Turkmen cuisine including lula-kebab, ishlekli and camel milk. Free time. Overnight at the national yurt on a farm.
Day 6 Ashgabad - Darwaza - Dashoguz
Return to Ashgabad in the morning and more sightseeing of the capital. In the afternoon drive to Darwaza Gas Crater, dubbedby locals as "The Door to Hell". The Derweze area is rich in natural gas. While drilling in 1971, Soviet geologists tapped into a cavern filled with natural gas. The ground beneath the drilling rig collapsed, leaving a large hole with a diameter of 70 metres. To avoid poisonous gas discharge, it was decided the best solution was to burn it off. Geologists had hoped the fire would use all the fuel in a matter of days, but the gas is still burning today.
En-route we cross Karakum desert, will make a stop at small nomad village and in the evening watch the spectacular and fascinating view of the gas crater. Drive to Dashoguz (roughly "stone spring" in Turkmen). Early in its history, it was a popular stop on the Silk Road because it had a spring, hence its name. Overnight in Uzboy Hotel.
Day 7 Dashoguz - Kunya Urgench - Dashoguz
Morning drive to Konya-Urgench - one of the greatest cities on the Silk Road, which was formerly situated on the banks of Amu-Darya River. Its foundation date is uncertain, but the extant ruins of the Kyrkmolla fortress have been dated (rather ambitiously) to the Achaemenid period. The 12th and early 13th centuries were the golden age of Urgench, it became the capital of Khorezm Empire and it surpassed in population and fame all other Central Asian cities barring Bukhara. In 1221, Genghis Khan razed it to the ground in one of the bloodiest massacres in human history. The city was revived after Genghis's assault, but the sudden change of Amu-Darya's course to the north and the town's destruction again in the 1370s, this time by Timur, forced the inhabitants to leave the site forever. The area was later inhabited by Turkmen in 1831, but they built outside the old town, using it as a graveyard.
Check localc landmarks, visit the historical site (Mausoleums of Turebek-Khanym, Sultan Tekesh, Sultan Il Arslan, Najmad-din-Kubra, Sultan Ali. Discover the Kutlug Timur minaret & Kyrk Molla (40 Mullahs) hill. Return to Dashoguz for overnight in a Uzboy Hotel.
Day 8 Dashoguz - Turkmenbashy
Morning flight to Turkmenbashi on the Krasnovodsk Gulf of the Caspian Sea. Turkmenbashy is Turkmenistan's only port and sea link to the West. A ferry service connects Turkmenbashy to Baku, Azerbaijan. Niyazov's successor Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow pledged, in July 2007, to invest one billion dollars into a project slated to turn Turkmenbas,y into a major tourist resort – the center of the Avaza Tourist Zone with 60 modern hotels to be built along a 16 km stretch of the Caspian Sea shoreline. Sightseeing. Overnight in a Serdar Hotel.
Day 9 Turkmenbashy - Ashgabat
Morning flight to Ashgabat. Free time. Overnight in AkAltyn Hotel.
Day 10 Departure
Breakfast. Transfer to airport or Iran border, depending on your travel plans
Tour schedule
|
Group (Package cost on Twin/Double basis) |
Price per person in USD |
|
|
4 star hotel |
5 star hotel |
|
|
2 people |
1896 USD | 1944 USD |
|
4 people |
1722 USD | 1770 USD |
|
6 people |
1592 USD | 1640 USD |
|
8 people |
1563 USD | 1610 USD |
|
10 people |
1547 USD | 1595 USD |
|
Single |
305 USD | 345 USD |
|
Early check-in |
||
| Service include | Service does not include |
| - Accommodation DBL/TWN as per program & options -Tents at Derweze (inc. sleeping bags, self inflated mattress & pillow, folding table & chair, cooking tools & etc -Hotel Standard Breakfasts ONLY -Visa Support (Letter of Invitation) -Entry Travel Pass -Registration at the CTB (2 colored photos are required) -English Speaking Escort-Guide per program -Excursions according to program -Airfares on Boeing 717-200: 1) Ashgabat-Mary 2) Mary-Ashgabat 3) Dashoguz-Turkmenbashy 4) Turkmenbashy-Ashgabat -Transport per program on Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10 a) Sedan with A/C for 1-2 pax b) Minivan with A/C for 3-4 pax c) Minibus with A/C for 5-7 pax d) Midibus with A/C for 8-9 pax e) Tourist Bus with A/C for 10+ pax -4WD Transport per program on Days 5, 6 a) 1 SUV 4WD for 1-2 pax b) 2 SUVs 4WD for 3-5 pax c) 3 SUVs 4WD for 6-8 pax d) 4 SUVs 4WD for 9-11 pax -Picnic Kebap/Chishlik Dinner on Day 5 (Dinner includes: 1 Lamb or Chicken & Vegetarian Kebap, 1 Fresh Cucumber & Tomato, Water, Bread, Tea/Coffee) -Picnic Style Breakfast on Day 6 (Bfst includes: 2 pcs of Fried Eggs with Sausages, Honey or Jam, Butter or Cheese, 1 Fresh Cucumber & Tomato, Water, Bread, Tea/Coffee - -Local Style Lunch at Kekirdek (local style meals) on Day 5 -Nomad Life Introduction/Excursion at Kekirdek -Entry Fees ONLY for: Old Nissa, Old Merv & Koneurgench Historical Reserves. |
- Visa Fees. -Immigration fee paid upon arrival in the border $12 p/p. -Video and photo camera charges at historical reserves -Tips to the guides, drivers & etc. -Kow Ata Underground Lake - 40 Manat (~14USD) p/p paid on spot at the entry -Geokdepe Stud Farm-20USD p/p paid on spot at the entry -National Museum of History in Ashgabat (closed on Tuesdays) -10USD p/p if only entry without local guide, 20USD p/p if entry & local guide (tour guides are not allowed in this museum) Turkmen Carpets -Museum of in Ashgabat (closed on Sundays) -33 Manat (~12USD) p/p if only entry without local guide, 66 Manat (~24USD) p/p if entry & local guide (tour guides are not allowed in this museum). -Regional United Museum of History, Ethnography, Flora & Fauna in Mary-05USD p/p if only entry without local guide, 05USD p/p for excursion by museum guide -Pre-booked fixed Lunch at local restaurants: (Local Standard Portions: 1 Soup, 1 Hot Meal, 1 Salad, Water, Bread, Desert, Tea/Coffee): 12USD p/p -Pre-booked fixed Dinner at local restaurants (Local Standard Portions: 1 Hot Meal, 1 Salad, Water, Bread, Desert, Tea/Coffee): 13USD p/p -Any Extra Expenses (Entry Fees, Beverages & etc) not mentioned in the includes part of the tour costs |
Note:
All programs are calculated without AIR FARE FOR INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS.
We have a right to change destination places of the program without inform in advance at any forms in case of unavailability reaching those destinations by case of force majeure &/or any acts of authorities, trying to replace them with other destinations with the same or close to the same interest & value.
Hotel accommodation:
*S/S means Single Supplement and is charged for those who want to have a single bed hotel room (1 room for 1 pax)
4* hotel
Note:
a) At Hotel Ak Altyn Wi-Fi internet is available at present at the lobby & rooms for 5USD per hour basis & there is internet caf? in ~100 meters from the hotel from 09.00 till 18.00 open every day except Sundays for 6 TMM (2,5USD) per hour (prices & conditions are subject to be change)
b) At Hotels in Mary, Dashoguz & Turkmenbashy Wi-Fi Internet is not available. Internet is available only from nearby internet cafes or in the business centers of hotels for prices 5USD per hour basis (prices & conditions are subject to be change)
5* hotel
Note:
a) At Hotel Grand Turkmen Wi-Fi internet is not available at present. There is a business center at the hotel where the LAN internet is available for 5USD per hour basis & there is internet caf? in ~300 meters from the hotel from 09.00 till 18.00 open every day for 6 TMM (2,5USD) per hour (prices & conditions are subject to be change)
b) At Hotels in Mary, Dashoguz & Turkmenbashy Wi-Fi Internet is not available. Internet is available only from nearby internet cafes or in the business centers of hotels for prices 5USD per hour basis (prices & conditions are subject to be change)
