Turkmenistan, home of the Akhal Teke and the gates of Hell

Turkmenistan is a dynastic dictatorship and one of the world’s least visited country Entry requirements are harsh, it’s expensive and a bit remote Is it worth it? That depends on you. This article is part of a longer one through central Asia This was a guided tour, but I leave it open for those that can travel freely

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Itinerary done quick

(Insert TM flag here) Turkmenistan

Woah, that’s a short article less work for me, yay. Anyway, let’s dive straight in. You have questions, I have answer:

• Can I do it by myself? No.
• Do I need a LOI? Yes.
• Can I walk freely in Ashgabat? Yes ^^
• Can I visit with x style? Yes.
• Is there any ATM in the country? No.
• Can I get USD/EUR? No.
• Is Internet blocked? Yes.
• Any VPN? I couldn’t get a single one to work. It’s tough.
• Can I speak with the inhabitants? That’s on them.
• Do I still need a COVID Test? August 2025: Yes.
• Is the leader glorious? Not as much as the supreme lord Xi Jinping.

I hope I covered everything. If not, drop a comment.
And here are some tips by the way

• Flights are cheap with the official website https://turkmenistanairlinestr.com/tr-TR
• Get your guide on getyourguide, you can get a good one
• This is not a good solo destination if you’re poor like me
• Better to have a group

Tips on how to travel Turkemnistan

Day 1 Konye

First thing first, find your way in the country. I started from Uzbekitan. The logical road used to be UZ-TM-IR nowadays, it’s only possible to go from UZ to TM. So I went to the Shavat border in Uzbekistan, taking a shared taxi from Khiva One hour later I was at the border, filled with Turkmen coming home with their shopping (TVs, PS4, computer stuff, air fryers…).

After a very long and stupid trip (you have to pay a bus to cross 200m through the No man’s land), I reached the Turkmen outpost, met my guide, Ruslan there. Here are his info:

Contact:

• Phone: +993 61 67 22 66
• Mail: ruslanhydyrov@gmail.com

If you get in touch, tell him you come thanks to Timothé Paris (that’s me). He’ll know.

(He’s aware I’m putting his contact info here, I asked for permission. I’m not gaining anything from this)

After paying the necessary 100$ or something for the visa, entry and covid test, I was in!

The price is not the same for everyone, check with your guide and our nationality Also, carry a lot of cash with fresh USD notes, it’s mandatory

So, yeah, I got in the country, my guide met me at the border, we got a driver and went all the way to Konye Urgench to see the ruins. Felt a bit meh compared to Uzbekistan, much more ruined and spread out. It’s still nice for history buffs, especially when doing a guided tour, thing I didn’t do back in UZ.

After Konye, we went to Darva- not. Back to the border town of Dashoguz. Yup, the road to Darvaza is not finished from Konye, so enjoy the long detour.

Finally, after a bumpy road that was dreadful, I arrived at Darvaza, the gates of Hell!

We visited at night to see the beautiful flames and the stars.

See the pictures:

Nice isn’t it?

Day 2 Darvaza

This is a bit mixed with the previous day, sorry.

(After a barbecue and some wildlife spotting, I slept in a Yurt near the crater until sunrise. The Darvaza crater during the day is quite a worrying sight, dying out and not much to boast. The gates to Hell are soon to be just a hole in the desert.

Anyaway, we continued, seeing other craters on the way as well as the sand dunes, through the bumpy road. To where? Ashgabat of course.

A city of white marble, of elegance, of rules (And of a ruler), dazzling in the desert. Ashgabat is only missing Aladdin and his flying carpet to be complete.

I thoroughly enjoyed the visit, mostly by car, to the grand buildings and all the center of interests. Everything is so spread apart and most of the touristic attractions are actually outside of the lively city. It’s not a ghost town, just that most things you see on the internet are located near government buildings and near a soon-to-be forest.

At night, the city is also quite lively, I walked freely, met some people, spoke with soldiers, shook I don’t know how many hands, said hi to everyone and well… just enjoyed the city by myself

Day 3 Ashgabat

Depending on you tour, you may have more time to have an in depth visit of Ashgabat. I think it’s worth it. The mosque is beautiful and the acoustic is incredible, it’s nice to see the busy train station, the roundabouts deserve their own tour, the indoor ferris wheel is stupid, the marriage center might be where you will find a bride, the station, a bribe… The commercial centers are nice for shopping too, shop for the dried apricots, they are lovely (Best I had so far).

On your way out, admire the airport built like a bird and enjoy the cheap, fixed rate, flights to europe and more. I went Ashgabat-Milano as Paris is not deserved since covid, it was inexpensive for the quality, the only downside was the 100€ bus to go back home. One hundred for a bus, sheesh, what a bunch of loonies. Turkmenistan > Italy.

• That’s it folk. That was a short article, I know. I’m open to edit it if needed.

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