Two Pearls of Turkmenistan: Darvaza and Merv

Day 1

Arrival in Ashgabat

• Departure for Ashgabat.
• Arrival. Entry visa at the airport, customs formalities.
• Meeting with the guide holding a LATIF sign. Transfer to the hotel, check-in.

Overnight: Hotel in Ashgabat

Day 2

Ashgabat — Darvaza

• Breakfast at the hotel. Pack a small bag with essentials for the desert.
• City sightseeing tour: the Monument of Independence, the Arch of Neutrality and more.
• Excursion to the History Museum.
• Departure into the Karakum desert to the Darvaza gas crater. Return to Ashgabat late at night.

Overnight: Hotel in Ashgabat

Day 3

Nisa — Baharden — Kov-Ata

• Breakfast at the hotel. Visit to the Russian Bazaar.
• Excursion to Ancient Nisa — the capital of the Parthian Empire.
• Departure for Baharden. Visit to the Kov-Ata underground lake: the water holds 27 minerals and stays at +33 °C year-round.
• On the way back, the Kipchak mosque — the largest in Central Asia.

Overnight: Hotel in Ashgabat

Day 4

Mary — Ancient Merv

• Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Mary.
• Visit to Ancient Merv (UNESCO). Visit to the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin. City sightseeing tour.
• Return to Ashgabat.

Overnight: Hotel in Ashgabat

Day 5

Departure

• Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer from the hotel to Ashgabat airport. Departure. End of the programme.