Ashgabat + Darvaza: Dual delight of Turkmenistan

Arrival at Ashgabat airport with Turkish Airlines or other. Greetings and transfer to hotel to rest. Breakfast at the hotel. We begin the day with the introduction to the history of Ashgabat and surroundings. Drive to Bagir village to explore the ruins of Old Nisa Fortress (UNESCO World Heritage Site), located 15 km from Ashgabat city center. The earliest of Parthian Empire capitals (III c. BC – III c. AD). Located in an atmospheric area at the foot of the Kopet-Dag Mountains. Archaeological excavations in two parts of the site have revealed richly decorated architecture, illustrative of domestic, state and religious functions. Situated at the crossroads of important commercial and strategic axes, this powerful empire formed a barrier to Roman expansion while serving as an important communication and trading center between East and West, North and South. After the Parthian Empire the fortress was under the rule of Alexander the Great during his campaigns in Central Asia and later ruled by the Arabs with a spread of Islam. To consolidate the knowledge about the area we will then drive back to the city to visit National Museum of History where you can take a close look at exclusive ancient artifacts and treasuries from different historical and archaeological sites of Turkmenistan. LUNCH at local restaurant. PM we will start exploring the city. We begin the city tour from the oldest part of the city with a walking tour starting at Ashgabat Park. Our professional tour guides will give you an insight of how the city was formed on one of the main streets named Magtymguly – previously known as “Svoboda”, translated from Russian as “freedom”. From the park, we take a walk to the Statue of Lenin, the only statue that stood the 1948 earthquake that destroyed the city. Continue to the “Russian Bazaar” (now known as “Gulistan”), one of the main bazaars of the city since old times and city’s popular landmark. In this bazaar, you can shop for dry fruits, sweetest fruits from the fields of Turkmenistan, melons and watermelons that the country is famous for (if season). In addition, here you can find nice souvenirs, traditional embroideries and Turkmen carpets. We take a walk to the most famous park of Ashgabat named “Ylham Park”, translated as the “Park of Inspiration” with a number of fountains and statues of Turkmen poets and other influencers. A beautiful park where you can see how locals spend their free time with families. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Ashgabat.

Breakfast at the hotel. AM we will drive 50 km to Gokdepe village to visit Arkadash stud-farm where you will have a chance to see, feed and ride the unique breed of Turkmen Ahal-Teke horses. Ahal-Teke horses are sacred for Turkmens and there is a saying “A horse is an equal member of the Turkmen family”. From there we will stop at Gokdepe fortress and the mosque. The village was once a site of the biggest battle for Russian domination in Central Asia in the late 19 c. The fortress is also a site of a beautiful Gok-depe mosque built in 1996 in honor of the fortress defenders. Having finished our photo session with horses, we continue our drive to Ashgabat, en-route make a stop to visit an impressive complex in Kipchak village, consisting of the largest mosque in Turkmenistan and the family mausoleum of the first president of Turkmenistan. Lunch at local restaurant. After lunch, we begin our journey to Darvaza. En route, we will make a stop at Bokurdak village to plunge into the daily life of seminomadic families in the Karakum desert. People here live either in village houses made of unfired bricks (excellent for withstanding the extremes of temperature) or in yurts. Visit local family house, meet with the family and see traditional activities: embroidery, watch how “pishme” is prepared (traditional bakery), baking bread and cooking “ishlekli” (meat pies cooked in the sand). LUNCH at the guesthouse. Learn the significance of the amulets and protective “alaja” strings used in the everyday life of Turkmen semi-nomads. After spending 2-3 hours in Bokurdak we will continue to the crater. On the way to Darvaza we will also see “bubbling water” and “bubbling sulfur-mud” craters. Arrive in Darvaza and exploration of the sight while nomad style kebabs (DINNER) are being prepared. Enjoy the dinner at the sunset with a traditional tea prepared in “tunche”. - The crater was formed in the early 1970s when the ground collapsed during a Soviet gas drilling expedition. Scientists reportedly lit the massive hole on fire to prevent the spread of natural ga, and it’s been burning since then. The National Geographic expedition revealed that some unusual lifeforms were thriving in the inhospitable conditions. Overnight in tents or yurts.

After BREAKFAST in Darvaza, we bid farewell to the flaming crater and drive back to Ashgabat. Arrive in Ashgabat and hotel check-in. After short rest, we will see the parts of city we could not see in previous days. LUNCH at local restaurant. We continue to explore the “the City of Love”. Sightseeing will include the “Bagt Koshgi”-Wedding Palace hill platform with a panoramic view of the city, the Monument of Neutrality, the Park of Independence, and the Monument to the Book of Ruhnama (“a book of soul” written by the first president of Turkmenistan). We will also visit the Ertogrul Gazi mosque. Known as a Turkish mosque (because it looks like the Blue Mosque in Istanbul) it is a present from Turkey to Turkmens in honor of Ertogrul Gazi, a Turkmen leader and the father of Osman, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. Farewell dinner at the best restaurant in the city with a fantastic panoramic view to the city. Transfer to hotel. Overnight in Ashgabat.

After midnight tansfer to Ashgabat International Airport for your international departure. End of services.