Itinerary

1. Day 1: Explore Mary City and Ancient Merv

   • 9:00-10:00 - Meet tourists at the Farab border, passing through customs formalities. Travel to the city of Mary. 
   • Upon arrival, take an excursion to Ancient Merv. Merv, located on the former banks of the Murghab River, was the most important Silk Road center in the region, especially as the regional capital under the Seljuk governor Sanjar. Merv is the name of five urban centres that existed under different names from the 6th century BC to the 18th century AD. 
   • Return to the city of Mary and visit the Museum. 
     • Transportation is constantly by bus. Lunch and dinner are at a local restaurant. Overnight is at a hotel in Mary will be 4 stars or similar.

2. Day 2: Reach and explore Ashgabat City

   • Stories, rest, and overnight at the hotel. Morning breakfast at the hotel, followed by a trip to Ashgabat. 
   • Upon arrival, check-in and take some time to rest. 
   • Then, embark on a sightseeing tour of Ashgabat, including a visit to the Ertogrul Gazi Mosque in honour of Ertogrul, the father of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. 
   • Visit Independence Park, a landmark of the city that embodies the spirit of modern Turkmenistan. 
   • See the Arch of Neutrality with its observation deck and the National Museum, which opened in 1998 and houses the main collection of the country's artifacts discovered at various excavations in Turkmenistan. 
   • Visit Nisa Historical Park on a natural high platform at the foot of the Kopet Dag Mountains. Nisa is important to the early Parthian rulers who took control of the area in the 3rd century BC. 
   • You will also visit the "Rukhi" mosque and the Mausoleum of Turkmenbashi in Kipchak. Dinner will include a folk performance.
     • Transportation is constantly by bus. Lunch and dinner will be at a local restaurant, overnight at a hotel in Sport—4-star or similar.

3. Day 3: Visit Kov-Ata, Nokhur Village, and Balkanabad City

   • Breakfast at the hotel, followed by a trip to the underground lake Kov-Ata, located 107 km from Ashgabat. “Kow-Ata” translates to “Father of Caves” in Turkmen. The cave is 230m in length, 20m in height, and up to 57m wide in some places. The bottom of the cave is covered with lumps of dissolved limestone (stalagmites), and its warm, gushing water is clear and emerald in colour, maintaining a constant temperature of 33-37°C. 
   • Next, visit the village of Nokhur, which fills a small depression valley in the mountains of the Kopet Dag range. The houses are built from local boulders cemented with mud. 
   • After lunch, continue the route to the city of Balkanabat. Transportation is constantly by bus. Breakfast at the hotel, lunch at the guest house, and dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel in Nebitchi - 3* or similar.

4. Day 4: Explore Yangi Kala, Gozli Ata, and the City of Turkmenbashi

   • Breakfast at the hotel, followed by a visit to the picturesque Yangi Kala canyons, located 165 km north of Balkanabat and 160km east of Turkmenbashi. “Yangi Kala” translates from Turkmen as “Fiery Fortress”. The cliffs, carved by winds and rains, display colours of white, yellow, ocher, violet, and red, resembling stone castles from fantasy. 
   • Next, visit Gözli Ata, one of Turkmenistan's most remote pilgrimage sites, surrounded by bands of pink and white stone escarpments. Gözli Ata was a respected Sufi who lived in the early 14th century. His mausoleum is a brick building with two white domes, standing in an old cemetery with many beautifully carved stone tombs. 
   • Continue the route to the city of Turkmenbashi. Have breakfast at the hotel, lunch picnic-style, and dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at a hotel in Turkmenbashi—3* or similar.

5. Day 5: Turkmenbashi City, Ashgabat, and Darvaza

   • Transfer to the airport for a local flight to Ashgabat at 10:25/11:20.

   • Take a trip to Darvaza and visit the village of Yerbent on the way. Darvaza, the center of a gas-rich region in the heart of the Karakum Desert, attracts travellers worldwide with its unique burning crater, which is especially spectacular in the evening.

     • Transportation is constantly by microbus. Breakfast is at the hotel, lunch is at a local restaurant, and dinner is in a tent. Overnight is in a tent or yurt.
       

6. Day 6: Visit Kone-Urgench, City of Dashoguz, and Shavat

   • After breakfast in Darvaza, go on an excursion to Kone-Urgench under the auspices of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was an important center of the Silk Road on the Oxus River and the capital of the Khorezm Empire (12th century AD).
   • Excursions include the Mausoleum of Nehameddin Kubra, the Mausoleum of Sultan Ali, Turabek Khanum, Kutlug Timur Minaret, the Mausoleum of Sultan Tekesh, the Mausoleum of Il Arslan, and Mamun the second minaret. 
     • Transportation is constantly by microbus. Breakfast is picnic style, lunch at a local restaurant, and dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at a hotel in Dashoguz - 4* or similar.

7. Day 7: Reach Dashoguz Shavat

   • In the morning, have breakfast at the hotel before heading to the Shavat border to conclude the tour route.