Surprising places in Turkmenistan

---

 

Surprising places in Turkmenistan

Day 1: Ashgabat
Today you will arrive to Ashgabat international airport. You will get acquainted with your guide tour. Then you will begin city tour: visiting squares of the capital, Ertogrul Ghazi mosque, the parks, the archeological site "Nisa" (The debris have mud brick remains of wall and palaces, ceremony hall, temples, treasury building. It covers the remains of Parthian civilization, what mixed culture with Hellenistic and Roman elements and the traditional art. Then you will explore Turkmenbashy spiritual mosque in Kipchak. You will arrive to Ashgabat. Overnight will be in a hotel.

Day 2: Ashgabat - Kov Ata - Nokhur - Ashgabat
Today after breakfast we will explore Kow-Ata subterranean lake. The Turkmen name Kow-Ata has meaning "Father of caves". At first sight, this subterranean territory appears like a great auditorium: its height reaches 20 m, the overall length of the cave is 230 m, and its width is at some points 57 m. The foot of the cave is coated with lumps of dissolved chalkstone (stalagmites), and its warm and gushing water is emerald colored and transparent. The water has a constant temperature of 33-37°C. (Don't miss a chance to swim in a lake). Then you will explore the settlement itself fills a depression valley in the mountains of the Kopet Dag Range, and the houses have been based by local pebbles, cemented with slush. The Nohkur people have difference from other Turkmen tribes. They live this far apart mountain village. You will come back to Ashgabat. Night will be in a hotel.

Day 3: Ashgabat - Mary -Merv - Mary
After breakfast today we will transfer to Mary. On the tour you will go to  Seyitjemaleddin Mosque, Nedir sha fortress and Abiverd historical place. Come to Mary. After lunch you will have a transfer to  Merv, to go Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, Mohammed bin Said Mausoleum, medieval castles - "Kesk" - Gyz Kala, Small Kala- fortresses (6-7 centuries) and others. Night will be spent in a lovely hotel.

Day 4: Mary - Turkmenabad - Koytendag
After breakfast we will explore Repetek biospheric reserve. We will observe museum and aarea  of the reserve. On the tour we will head on to Turkmenabat. Then you will have a lunch. You will go to Koytendag. In course of your tour you will visit Kaynar Baba lake. Overnight.

Day 5: Koytendag
Today you will start with driving along the Koytendag mountain gorge. In Turkmenistan Koytendag is the home of the highest mountains,  the longest caves and the most majestic natural waterfalls in the country, the deepest lake. Koytendag Nature Reserve is the magnificent geological research center, the wealth of which is the rocky plateau with hundreds of dinosaur footprints.  Don't miss a  chance to explore  "Forty Girls" Gorge, "Plateau of Dinosaurs". On the tour you will UmbarDere waterfall. Overnight.

Day 6: Koytendag - Turkmenabad - Ashgabat
Morning you will transfer to Turkmenabad. On the tour we will visit Astana Baba mausoleum. After you will head on to Turkmenabad airport and fly to Ashgabat. You will spend the night in a hotel.

Day 7: Ashgabat - Dashoguz - Kunya Urgench - Darvaza
You will start today with checking out hotel and head on to airport for a regional flight to Dashoguz at 00:00-00:00 am. On the tour you will explore the architectural monuments of Kone-Urgench, capital of Khorezm in X- XII centuries. Historical Parkincludes the mausoleums of Najm al-Din al-Kubra KhanumTyurabek, Il-Arslan, Tekesh Ibn Hadzhibey, the highest minaret in Central Asia KutlykTimur. You will go to Darvaza after lunch - Gas Crater, which is a big burning crater, which is situated 270 km to the north of Ashgabat. Night will be at the tent.

Day 8: Darvaza - Ashgabat
Today you will directly head on to Ashgabat. We will stop on the tour one of the villages Bahardok or Erbentto, you will feel the way of life of Turkmen people. Ashgabat is beautiful capital and largest city of Turkmenistan even though it is comparatively young city. The Guinness Book of Records gave the name Ashgabat "white marbled city" in 2013, here you can observe the biggest number of grits in the world made out of the white marble. Dont miss a chance to visit beautiful monument of Akhalteke horses, Ertogrul Gazy Mosque,  park of "Ylham" (Inspiration), "Altyn Asyr" trade Bazaar  and "Gulustan" market (so called Russian bazaar).

Day 9: Flight
This is the end of your tour. In the morning transfer to Ashgabat International airport.