Tour overview

This 11-day small-group journey crosses from Uzbekistan into Turkmenistan, one of the least-visited countries in the world, linking Silk Road cities with desert and mountain villages. Groups have no more than 12 travellers aged 15 and over, with a local leader in each country. You travel by private vehicle, 4×4 in the desert and an overnight train, and stay in hotels, with a night in a yurt camp, a night on the train and a night in a village guesthouse. Breakfast is included most days, with a lunch and 2 dinners. The trip is land-only, starting in Tashkent and ending in Ashgabat.

Tashkent, the largest city in Central Asia, mixes Soviet monuments with grand mosques. A city tour takes in Amir Timur Square, the domed Chorsu Bazaar and the Khast Imom complex, home to one of the oldest Qurans in the world, travelling partly by the city's ornate metro. An overnight train then brings you to Khiva, a UNESCO-listed walled city of blue-tiled minarets, madrasas and palaces, with a guided tour and a free day to explore its more than 60 monuments.

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Crossing into Turkmenistan, you meet your new leader and drive by 4×4 across the Karakum Desert to the Darvaza gas crater, known as the Door to Hell, which has burned for decades. You spend the night at a yurt camp nearby, with a picnic dinner beside the flames. Climbing into the Kopet Dag mountains, you stay with a family in Nohur, a village known for its weaving, horned graves and Akhal-Teke horses, with a home-cooked dinner.

Ashgabat, rebuilt in white marble after the 1948 earthquake, is unlike anywhere else, and a full day of touring includes the ruins of Nisa, the first Parthian capital, the Neutrality Arch, the Ertuğrul Gazi Mosque and the Russian Bazaar. A final excursion to Mary takes you to Merv, once one of the largest cities in the world on the Silk Road, before returning to Ashgabat.

The physical rating is medium, with long desert drives and simple facilities at the yurt camp and guesthouse. This trip suits curious travellers who want to see Khiva and the extraordinary sights of Turkmenistan in one journey.

Trip highlights

  • Tashkent's metro, Chorsu Bazaar and the Khast Imom complex (Day 2)
  • The walled city of Khiva (Days 3–4)
  • A night beside the burning Darvaza gas crater (Day 5)
  • A village homestay in Nohur in the Kopet Dag mountains (Day 6)
  • Marble Ashgabat and the ruins of Nisa (Day 8)
  • The ancient Silk Road city of Merv (Day 9)

Your route

10 stops from Tashkent to Mary

11-day route: Tashkent – Khiva – Darvaza – Nohur – Ashgabat – Mary – Ashgabat
  1. Tashkent Days 1–2
  2. Khiva Days 3–4
  3. Dashoguz Day 5
  4. Darvaza Gas Crater Day 5
  5. Ashgabat Day 6
  6. Nohur Day 6
  7. Ashgabat Days 7–8 & 10–11
  8. Nisa ruins Day 8
  9. Merv Day 9
  10. Mary Day 9

Why choose this tour

Turkmenistan is hard to visit independently, and this trip provides local leaders and arrangements on both sides of the border. Combines Khiva with the Darvaza crater, mountain villages and Ashgabat's unique architecture.

Best suited to

  • Travellers seeking somewhere truly off the beaten track
  • Anyone interested in the Silk Road and Soviet history
  • Adventurous travellers happy with a night in a yurt camp
  • Travellers who have already seen Samarkand and Bukhara
The blue-tiled Kalta Minor minaret in Khiva

Day-by-day itinerary

11 days from Tashkent, Uzbekistan to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

  1. Day 1 · Tashkent Arrive in Tashkent

    Welcome to Tashkent, the largest city in Central Asia, where Russian and Uzbek styles meet. Make sure you arrive in time for the important welcome meeting this evening.

    Hotel
    Hotel
  2. Day 2 · Amir Timur Square, Chorsu Bazaar, Khast Imom Tashkent and the night train

    Tour Tashkent, including Amir Timur Square, the domed Chorsu Bazaar and the Khast Imom complex, home to one of the oldest Qurans in the world, travelling partly on the ornate metro. In the evening, board the overnight train to Khiva.

    Hotel
    Overnight train
    Meals
    Breakfast
  3. Day 3 · Khiva, Islom Hoja Minaret, Juma Mosque Khiva

    Arrive in Khiva mid-morning and tour the walled inner city with your leader: the blue-tiled Islom Hoja Minaret and madrasa, the Juma Mosque with its forest of wooden columns, and the Tosh-Hovli Palace.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Lunch
  4. Day 4 · Khiva Free day in Khiva

    A free day to explore Khiva's more than 60 monuments, climb the city walls for sunset, or browse the workshops of woodcarvers and carpet weavers.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  5. Day 5 · Dashoguz, Karakum Desert, Darvaza Gas Crater Into Turkmenistan and Darvaza

    Cross the border into Turkmenistan and meet your new leader. Visit the bazaar in Dashoguz, then drive by 4x4 across the Karakum Desert to the Darvaza gas crater, the Door to Hell, for a picnic dinner beside the flames and a night at a nearby yurt camp.

    Hotel
    Yurt camp
    Meals
    Breakfast, Dinner
  6. Day 6 · Kopet Dag, Nohur To Nohur in the mountains

    Drive via Ashgabat into the Kopet Dag mountains on the border with Iran, stopping at desert craters on the way. Settle into a family guesthouse in the village of Nohur for a home-cooked dinner.

    Hotel
    Village guesthouse
    Meals
    Breakfast, Dinner
  7. Day 7 · Nohur, Ashgabat Nohur to Ashgabat

    After a traditional breakfast, learn about village life with the Nohur people: their weaving, their graves marked with goat horns and a visit to a breeder of Akhal-Teke horses. Return to Ashgabat.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  8. Day 8 · Nisa, Neutrality Arch, Ertuğrul Gazi Mosque, Russian Bazaar Ashgabat and Nisa

    A full day of touring: the ruins of Nisa, the first Parthian capital, the Halk Hakydasy memorial, the Neutrality Arch, the Ertuğrul Gazi Mosque and the Russian Bazaar, in a city rebuilt in white marble.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  9. Day 9 · Mary, Merv Mary and Merv

    Drive to Mary and visit the ruins of Merv, once one of the largest cities in the world and a major stop on the Silk Road, with its great mausoleums and fortress walls.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  10. Day 10 · Mary, Ashgabat Back to Ashgabat

    See the Orthodox church and centre of Mary, then return to Ashgabat, the City of White Marble, arriving in the late afternoon for a final evening.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  11. Day 11 · Ashgabat Trip ends in Ashgabat

    The trip ends after breakfast. Your leader can help arrange a transfer to the airport.

    Meals
    Breakfast
The walls of Khiva lit up at night

Where you stay

  • Tashkent (1 night) Hotel
  • Tashkent to Khiva (1 night) Overnight train
  • Khiva (2 nights) Hotel
  • Darvaza (1 night) Yurt camp
  • Nohur (1 night) Village guesthouse
  • Ashgabat (2 nights) Hotel
  • Mary (1 night) Hotel
  • Ashgabat (1 night) Hotel

Hotel names are indicative and may be replaced with a property of similar standard and location.

What's included

Included

  • Accommodation — 10 nights 7 in hotels, 1 in a yurt camp, 1 on an overnight train and 1 in a village guesthouse
  • Meals 9 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 2 dinners, including a picnic dinner at Darvaza and a home-cooked dinner in Nohur
  • Transport private vehicle, 4x4 in the desert, metro and an overnight train
  • Guided visits Tashkent, Khiva, Dashoguz bazaar, Darvaza, Nohur, Ashgabat, Nisa, Merv and Mary
  • Local leaders in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan

Not included

  • International flights to Tashkent and from Ashgabat
  • Airport transfers
  • Visas, including the Turkmenistan letter of invitation fee
  • Meals not listed and optional activities
  • Single supplement, tips, travel insurance and personal spending
The Hazrati Imam complex in Tashkent

This trip might not be for you if…

Honest disclaimer — please read

  • You want flights included — they are not
  • You need a private bathroom every night — the yurt camp and guesthouse are simple
  • You dislike long drives — desert days are long
  • You want most meals included — 9 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 2 dinners

Good to know

FCDO advice UK FCDO travel advice for Turkmenistan · UK FCDO travel advice for Uzbekistan
The Amir Timur Museum in Tashkent, Uzbekistan

In pictures

Departures & prices

From £2,240 per person, twin share, tour only. 27 upcoming departures.

Frequently asked questions

How do I book this tour?

Tap any "Enquire" button on the page and one of our travel specialists will be in touch within 24 hours (often same day). We'll confirm availability on your preferred date, run through anything you need to know, and only ask for the deposit once you've decided.

What financial protection do I get?

Every Travelisto booking is 100% financially protected. Your money is held in a ring-fenced Trust account until you return from your trip, and we are members of the Protected Trust Services scheme (PTS 6035). Most tours also include ATOL protection where flights are part of the package.

How do I get a visa for Turkmenistan?

Turkmenistan requires a letter of invitation before a visa can be issued, so book well in advance and allow plenty of time. Uzbekistan is currently visa-free for UK passport holders for short stays.

What is the Darvaza crater?

A huge crater in the Karakum Desert that has been burning natural gas for decades, known as the Door to Hell. You visit at dusk, have a picnic dinner beside it and sleep at a nearby yurt camp.

What are the yurt camp and guesthouse like?

Simple and traditional, with shared facilities. They are among the highlights of the trip, but single rooms are not available on those nights.

How active is the trip?

The physical rating is medium. There are long drives in the desert and walking in cities and villages, but no strenuous hiking.

What meals are included?

9 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 2 dinners, including a picnic dinner at Darvaza and a home-cooked dinner in Nohur.

Is photography restricted?

Photography of some government buildings in Ashgabat is restricted. Your leader will tell you where photos are not allowed.

Can you tailor the trip?

Yes — every escorted tour can be modified into a private tailor-made version with your own dates, adjusted pace, upgraded hotels and add-on extensions. Tell us what you'd like changed when you enquire and we'll quote it both ways so you can compare.

What if my flight is delayed or cancelled?

If your international flight is part of your booking through us, we re-book at no cost. If you've booked flights separately, the tour's local team holds your transfer slot until you arrive. We strongly recommend a comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes delay and cancellation cover.

ATOL protected 100% financially protected in a Trust bank account PTS 6035 4.7 on Trustpilot
Tailor-made option

Not quite the right fit? Make it tailor-made.

If this group tour doesn't match your ideal trip, our specialists will turn it into a private tailor-made journey — your own dates, your own pace, upgraded hotels where you want them, and the parts you don't love swapped out. Same destinations, just rebuilt around you.

Contact us for a tailor-made version of this itinerary

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