Turkmenistan & Kazakhstan 2026

Arrival at Ashgabat International Airport. Our representatives will meet you and transfer you to the hotel (early check-in). Free time until noon. Hotel check-out is at noon, and you will meet your guide at the hotel.

In the afternoon, drive to the Darvaza Burning Gas Crater (276 km, 4h), a top international tourist destination. The area is rich in natural gas, and the crater has been burning for over 50 years, making it shine like a pearl in the Karakum Desert. You will also see water and mud craters. The trip provides an opportunity to experience the fresh air of the desert and the nomadic life.

You will camp in a Turkmen national yurt or private tents and enjoy a barbecue dinner while admiring the light of the Gas Crater under the night sky. This unique landscape will fascinate you and make you want to return.

Accommodation: Yurt or private tent at Darvaza
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Picnic-style breakfast in Darvaza. Drive back to Ashgabat (276 km).

In the afternoon, enjoy an Ashgabat city tour. You will see the Wedding Palace, modern Yildyz Hotel, Ferris Wheel, Constitution Monument, Arch of Neutrality, Monument and Park of Independence, Ertogrul Gazi Mosque, and the Halk Hakydasy Memorial Complex.

Accommodation: Hotel in Ashgabat
Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel. In the early morning, drive to Nokhur mountain village (150 km). The village fills a small depression valley in the Kopet Dag Mountains. Apart from the main street, the other streets are so narrow they barely fit a car between the high stone retaining walls. The Nokhuri people who inhabit this remote village differ from other Turkmen tribes.

According to legend, this was the place where Noah’s Ark was moored, and animals were released while various seeds were planted. Nature here is indeed different from surrounding areas. Visit the Great Tree and one of the unique cemeteries, where nearly every grave is marked with a wooden post adorned with mountain goat horns. Make a sacred wish at the wish tree named after Kyz Bibi.

In the afternoon, drive to Karakala (106 km, 3h) via the Sumbar Valley. This area includes the Syunt-Khasardag Nature Reserve, covering ecosystems of the Western Kopetdag Mountains (dry subtropics) and adjacent plains. The reserve is home to 37 species of mammals and 217 species of birds. The flora includes 1,266 species of higher plants from 233 genera and 500 families – with 150 species endemic.

Admire the so-called “Moon Mountains”, resembling the paintings of Nicholas Roerich: a yellow hill, behind it grey hills, above them a blue strip of mountains, topped by a white fog, and then a blue sky. If you want to see space on Earth, the Lunar Mountains will not disappoint.

Drive to Gyzylarbat.

Accommodation: Hostel in Gyzylarbat
Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast at the hostel. Then, drive to Yangykala Canyon (386 km, 6h) via Balkanabat – the capital of the Balkan Region. Yangykala Canyons are one of the most scenic natural landmarks of Turkmenistan. “Yangy kala” translates from Turkmen as “fire fortress”. Indeed, the sheer cliffs of white, yellow, ocher, purple and red colors, fancifully carved by winds and rains, resemble stone castles from a fantasy world.

Explore the canyons. After experiencing a beautiful sunset at Yangykala, drive to Turkmenbashi (180 km, 3h).

Accommodation: Hotel in Turkmenbashi
Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, drive to Zhanaozen via the Turkmen–Kazakh border (548 km, 8h). In Zhanaozen, there will be a transport change and transfer to Aktau. Upon arrival, hotel check-in and rest.

Accommodation: Hotel in Aktau
Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, depart from the hotel.

The first stop is Kapamsai Canyons – a narrow chalky canyon with sheer walls up to 70 meters high. The weathered niches serve as secluded shelters for alpine birds. Deep in the canyon lies a grotto where rainwater nourishes a small grove of mulberry and hawthorn trees. Even on hot days, it stays cool.

Next, visit the Shakpak-Ata underground mosque, the most fascinating in the Mangystau region. Carved into a cliff and dating back possibly to the 10th century, it features a cross plan, three entrances, and four rooms decorated with ancient inscriptions and weather-worn shapes.

Continue to Shakpakatasai Canyon, unofficially called Dragon’s Tail because of the intricate cliff formations. A picnic lunch will be served here with marvelous views of the Martian-like landscape.

After lunch, continue to the Torysh Valley (Valley of Balls), famous for its large spherical rock formations. According to legend, these are enemies turned into stone by heavenly forces.

Next, explore the Kok Kala Gorge, where Jurassic sedimentary rock layers can be seen in vivid colors — a paradise for geology enthusiasts.

Arrive at the village of Kogez, where you'll connect with local culture and daily life.

Accommodation: Guesthouse in Kogez ethnic village
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, depart to Ybykty Sai, a paleogenic canyon with porous sedimentary rocks.

The journey continues to Sherkala, the 'Lion of the Rock', an extraordinary limestone formation rising over 300 meters from the plateau. From certain angles, it resembles a massive yurt.

Next, visit the Airakty Ridge (locally known as Shomanai), famously described as the “Valley of Castles” by the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko in 1851 during his exile.

Return to the village of Kogez for overnight.

Accommodation: Guesthouse in Kogez ethnic village
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, we head through another Valley of Balls toward Tuzbair Gorge. Tuzbair is one of the most remote canyons, characterized by white rock formations. At the top, you can experience an aerodynamic phenomenon: what you throw may come back to you due to airflow.

Tuzbair is a majestic creation of natural elements. Here, the Ustyurt Plateau is cut off by a cascade of clay-limestone and chalky steps, at the base of which lies an expansive salt flat known locally as a “sor.” The Cretaceous ridges are interrupted by gullies and deep channels forming intricate columns. At the very base, a giant semi-arch created by wind erosion towers above. During snowmelt and rainy periods, water fills the mudflat, forming a huge salt mirror that reflects the sky and white chalk formations.

This night will be spent under the stars at the mountain foothill in a campsite.

Accommodation: Guesthouse or tent camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Continue the journey by jeep to explore Bozzhira and its surrounding rocky peaks. The snow-white plain of Bozzhira, part of the Ustyurt Plateau, features striking chalk cliffs and an almost alien Martian landscape. Millions of years ago, this area was the bottom of the ancient Tethys Ocean.

You will drive to the top viewpoint of Bozzhira Mountain and later camp at its base to enjoy the surreal scenery. Overnight in tents.

Accommodation: Tent camp at Bozzhira base
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Mount Bokty emerges on the horizon — a mountain whose shape changes depending on the viewing angle. From the south, it resembles a pyramid. Nearby is the Kyzylkup Formation, with layers of white and pink sediment that make it look like a slice of strawberry millefeuille.

Enjoy lunch at the foothills of the Kyzylkup Canyons, where fossils can be found.

After lunch, drive through the Karagiye Depression, one of the lowest points on Earth at 132 meters below sea level. The depression is filled with white stones, marine fossils, and limestone slabs arranged in geometric forms on the plateau.

Arrive in Aktau, check in to the hotel and rest.

Accommodation: Hotel in Aktau
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner