2
5 Days
525$ / person
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Explore UNESCO World Heritage sites in Turkmenistan visiting Ancient Nisa, Merv and Koneurgench, visit unique attractions of Ashgabat and take a trip to Central Karakum Desert to see the flaming gas crater in Darvaza.
Darvaza is one of the places that should be on the must-visit list of every serious explorer who likes to visit Earth’s most breath-taking sites. Darvaza is a gas crater the burning gates of which have been flaming for upwards of 37 years. The settlement of Darvaza (Derweze in Turkmen) is located in the Central part of the Kara-Kum desert some 260 km from Ashgabat to the north. On the way to Darvaza lies the Kara-Kum desert, withs its moving sands and its typical sparse vegetation of Saksaul, Acacia and Kandym bushes. The locals from Darvaza have given the burning crater a name that suits it well – The Door to Hell. And everyone who visits Darvaza agrees with the name and finds it appropriate. When you look inside the burning gas crater, you do feel like this is what the door to hell would look like. Seeing the door to hell with your own eyes, however is an experience like no other. You will have long stayed in awe after experiencing the viciousness of the fire within the gorge of the burning crater. The Door to Hell would be an amazing vacation experience for the adventurous wonderers.
Visually, Nohur is unlike any other site found in Turkmenistan. Rich in history, nature and tribal custom, Nohur is set 1,100 m above the Karakum Desert in the cool mountain valleys of southwestern Turkmenistan. The Nohur people have maintained a highly homogeneous society based upon ancestral rights, and tribal custom. Varied images in the stunning silk embroideries sewn by local Nohur women, indicating their particular tribe, make Nohur silk renowned throughout the country. The Nohur felts are also thought to be exclusive to this region. They differ from customary Turkmen felts with their original designs and Zoroastrian ornaments symbolising the worship of fire, and the cult of fertility. Constructing their homes from the stones found around the area, the Nohur people have decorated these simple homes with handcrafted wooden columns and capitals unique only to this clan of people. Accented by two small flowing streams, the flora and fauna of this region is exceptional. There are mountain goats (umga and marhur), Urial mountain sheep, wolves, foxes, jackals, porcupines, and even snow leopards in these mountain-ridges. See this ancient way of life uniquely preserved and rarely seen. – Nohur is reached by a road heading south into the mountains from the village of Archman. A 4x4 is required, though the route can become all but impassable after heavy rains. Since 2004, visits to the Nohur area have required a special border zone permit, to be applied for when you request your letter of invitation for Turkmenistan. The border checkpoint lies 12 km south of Archman. Nohur itself is another 10 km further on, and up, at an altitude of around 1000 m.
Visit the most interesting and mysterious places of Turkmenistan in a fascinating 13 days tour. You will see the modern Ashgabat city with its impressive white marbled buildings entered into the Guinness Book of World Records, visit the World Heritage Sites – Parthian Fortresses of Nisa, Ancient Merv and Koneurgench exploring the past along the mystical Silk Road. You will also make a journey to the heart of the Karakum Desert to see the burning Gas Crater in Darvaza. Furthermore, you will spend a day in a traditional and picturesque Nokhur village in Kopet Dag Mountains, visit pilgrimage sites, explore the magnificent scenery of Yangikala canyons, relax on the shores of the Caspian Sea and take a trip to Koytendag Mountains, which offers dinosaur footprints, waterfalls, a vast network of caves and Turkmenistan’s highest peak.