Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan: Silk Road to the Door to Hell – 19 Days
Bukhara, Samarkand, Khiva, the Darvaza gas crater and Ashgabat. Dates and prices on request.
Tour overview
This 19-day adventure follows the Silk Road across Uzbekistan into little-visited Turkmenistan. A local leader travels with the group, which numbers no more than sixteen, by high-speed and overnight train, minibus and 4×4. You stay eighteen nights in hotels, yurts, a homestay, a guesthouse and on a sleeper train, with breakfast most days.
You explore the domes and minarets of Bukhara, visit a ceramics workshop in Gijduvan, sleep in a yurt camp near Nurata and stay with a Tajik family in the Nuratau Mountains. Samarkand's Registan and Shah-i-Zinda follow, then Tashkent and an overnight train to the walled city of Khiva.
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Crossing into Turkmenistan, you camp in yurts beside the burning Darvaza gas crater, the "Door to Hell", walk through the mountain village of Nohur and discover the marble city of Ashgabat, with a visit to the ancient site of Merv near Mary.
Dates and prices for the next season are on request. This trip suits curious travellers who want somewhere truly off the beaten track.
Trip highlights
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Bukhara (Days 2–3)
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A Tajik village homestay (Day 5)
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Samarkand's Registan (Days 6–7)
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Khiva (Days 11–12)
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The Darvaza gas crater (Day 13)
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Ashgabat and Merv (Days 15–17)
Your route
13 stops from Tashkent to Merv
- Tashkent Days 1 & 8–10
- Bukhara Days 2–3
- Gijduvan Day 4
- Nurata (desert yurt camp) Day 4
- Nuratau Mountains Day 5
- Samarkand Days 6–7
- Khiva Days 11–12
- Dashoguz Day 13
- Darvaza Gas Crater Day 13
- Ashgabat Days 15–16 & 18
- Nohur Day 14
- Mary Day 17
- Merv Day 17
Why choose this tour
Uzbekistan's Silk Road cities plus Turkmenistan. A night beside the Door to Hell.
Best suited to
- Curious and experienced travellers
- History and architecture lovers
- Photographers
- Solo travellers
Day-by-day itinerary
19 days from Tashkent, Uzbekistan to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
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Day 1 · Tashkent Tashkent
A welcome meeting.
- Hotel
- Hotel
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Day 2 · Bukhara Bukhara
By train.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
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Day 3 · Bukhara Bukhara
Silk Road monuments.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
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Day 4 · Gijduvan, Nurata Nurata
A yurt stay.
- Hotel
- Yurt camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
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Day 5 · Nuratau Mountains Nuratau Mountains
A Tajik village.
- Hotel
- Homestay
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Day 6 · Samarkand Samarkand
The Registan.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
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Day 7 · Shah-i-Zinda Samarkand
A full day.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
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Day 8 · Tashkent Tashkent
Back by train.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
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Day 9 · Tashkent Tashkent
A free day.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
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Day 10 · Tashkent Sleeper train
A city tour.
- Hotel
- Overnight train
- Meals
- Breakfast
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Day 11 · Khiva Khiva
A walled city.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Lunch
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Day 12 · Khiva Khiva
A free day.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
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Day 13 · Darvaza gas crater Darvaza
The Door to Hell.
- Hotel
- Yurt camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
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Day 14 · Ashgabat, Nohur Nohur
Mountain village.
- Hotel
- Guesthouse
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
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Day 15 · Nohur, Ashgabat Ashgabat
Village life.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
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Day 16 · Ashgabat, Anau Ashgabat
The marble city.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
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Day 17 · Merv, Mary Mary
Ancient Merv.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
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Day 18 · Ashgabat Ashgabat
Back to the capital.
- Hotel
- Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
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Day 19 · Ashgabat Ashgabat
The trip ends.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Where you stay
- Tashkent (1 night) Hotel
- Bukhara (2 nights) Hotel
- Nurata (1 night) Yurt camp
- Nuratau Mountains (1 night) Homestay
- Samarkand (2 nights) Hotel
- Tashkent (2 nights) Hotel
- Sleeper train (1 night) Overnight train
- Khiva (2 nights) Hotel
- Darvaza (1 night) Yurt camp
- Nohur (1 night) 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 18 nights in hotels, yurts, a homestay, a guesthouse and a sleeper train
- Meals 17 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 4 dinners
- Trains, minibuses and 4x4 vehicles
- Entrance fees in Bukhara, Samarkand and Khiva
- Darvaza gas crater, Nohur and Ashgabat visits
- Merv and a horse-breeder visit
- Local leader throughout
Not included
- Flights
- Meals not included 1 breakfast, 15 lunches and 14 dinners
- Visas and letter of invitation
- Travel insurance and personal spending
This trip might not be for you if…
Honest disclaimer — please read
- You want hotels every night
- You dislike long travel days
- You want a relaxing holiday
- You want flights included — they are not
Good to know
In pictures
Dates & prices
Dates on request – enquire for the next season.
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.
When does this tour run?
Dates for the next season have not been released yet. Enquire and a Travelisto specialist will send dates and prices as soon as they are available.
Do I need a visa?
UK citizens can visit Uzbekistan visa-free for up to 30 days; Turkmenistan needs a visa with a letter of invitation, arranged before travel.
What are the yurt camps like?
Permanent yurts with beds and shared facilities, not camping.
How long are the travel days?
Some are long, including the border crossing and drive to Darvaza.
Which meals are included?
Breakfast most days, plus several lunches and dinners.
How many people travel together?
No more than sixteen travellers, with a local leader.
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.
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