Friday 18th July – Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

• Arrive at your convenience into Ashgabat – the capital city of Turkmenistan which is well connected from many countries within the Stans, Middle East, Europe and Asia.
• Transfer to our hotel in Ashgabat
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of our hotel at 6:00pm to discuss tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide.
• Head out for dinner for your first taste of the local cuisine and enjoy some Georgian wine.
• Overnight in Ashgabat

Saturday 19th July – Ashgabat

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and the first stop of the day is at Independence Park with its long array of monuments, including the Neutrality Arch, a 75-metre-high rocket-shaped tower with a gold statue of former leader Niyazov.
• Drop by the Monument of Constitution – standing 185 metres tall it is the second tallest structure in the nation.
• Tour the Saparmurat Turkmenbashy Olympic Stadium and Park – an architectural wonder with cohesive white marble aesthetics. It was recently reconstructed between 2013 – 2017 for the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. The same colours are used on the national football teams’ jersey.
• The Olympic complex is home to the famous Horse Stadium – the largest structure in the shape of a horse in the world – you’ll hear plenty more of these records throughout your tour.
• Head to the Alem Centre to ride the Wheel of Enlightenment – the largest indoor Ferris Wheel in the world. Entrance is $1.

Afternoon

• Lunch at a local Lezzert restaurants in air-conditioned yurts to experience a legit Turkmen feast.
• Visit the University Bookshop – here you can find a multitude of books written by and about the president of Ashgabat and Turkmenistan. Postcards and stamps area available, as well as posters of the president holding dogs and riding horses. If you’re lucky, they might even have a copy of the Ruhnama in store – the religious textbook written by Turkmenbashy.
• Stop by the Russian Bazaar – one of the country’s largest and oldest covered markets.
• Take a walk down communist lane in true YPT style as we visit Lenin Park – now called Ashgabat Park located in the very heart of the city. A Lenin and Pushkin monument still stands nearby.
• Dinner and drinks at a local pub popular with locals. Here they serve tasty shashlicks and cheap local frosty draught beer.
• Overnight in Ashgabat

Sunday 20th July – Ashgabat – Nisa – Ashgabat

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel and head to the UNESCO site of Nisa Fortress located just outside of Ashgabat. This was once the capital of the Parthian empire – a major power from the mid 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD stretching from Turkey to Afghanistan. Archaeological excavations in two parts of this site has revealed richly decorated architecture and unique religious functions.
• We’ll head a little north to Kipchak to visit the resplendent Turkmenbashy Mosque and Mausoleum – the resting place for Saparmyrat Nyýazow, the leader of Turkmenistan from 1985 to 2006. This Mausoleum was built and completed two years before his death.

Afternoon

• Return to Ashgabat for lunch
• Drive onto Anau Mosque – this medieval mosque was constructed in the 15th century, but was mostly destroyed by the great Ashgabat earthquake in 1948. It is one of the only mosques in the world to have images of dragons.
• Explore the Anau Fortress – standing on a hill with diameter of about 300 meters. It was built by the Parthians, and is said that it was once in the power of the Arabs, and then destroyed the Mongols before being restored again.
• Afterwards, we will visit a pilgrim site, drink tea with the locals, and hear their stories and experiences. This is a real opportunity in such a meaningful place.
• Check into our hotel in Ashgabat and head for dinner at the Panoramic Restaurant – the newest and most expensive hotel in Turkmenistan, where you can have a legit 5-star restaurant experience for 1-star prices, complete with 360 degree views of the city.
• Before sleep we’ll have a night tour of Ashgabat – the white marble buildings light up by brightly coloured neon lights. Ashgabat is a truly spectacular place after dark.
• Overnight in Ashgabat.

Monday 21st July – Ashgabat – The Gates of Hell

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and we’ll head to the International Akhalteke Equestrian Complex to spectate the famous Turkmen breed horse races. These horses are among the oldest breeds, notorious for their endurance, intelligence, and golden coat. There are currently only 6,600 Akhal-Tekes in the world, mainly within Turkmenistan. The complex has stables for over 600 horses. It also homes the 114 owners of the horses as well as a kindergarten for 160 students, 2 markets, a playground as well as a social-cultural centre.

Afternoon

• Stop by the Berkarar Shopping Centre for lunch – this is Ashgabat’s super fancy shopping centre located by prominent monuments. Here you can go ice-skating, play in the games centre, ride a miniature double-decker bus, and grab a good coffee in a trendy cafe. This will also be your best opportunity to buy any supplies you may want for our night camping at the Gates of Hell.
• Begin our 250km journey to the Darvaza (Gates of Hell) on the way stopping at two lesser-known craters. One full of mud, one full of water, and both formed the same way as the Gates of Hell.
• Driving the last few kilometres off-road through the desert, we’ll arrive at the fiery crater just before sunset, and in time to experience dusk turn to dark at this breathtaking site.
• Dinner and overnight camping in yurts near the crater.

Tuesday 22nd July – The Gates of Hell – Kow Ata – Nokhur – Serdar

Morning

• Breakfast in the camp and begin our journey southwest with photo stops and refreshments along the way.
• Arrive at Kow Ata, an underground thermal cave lake which is said to have many medical attributes, but is also used by locals as a swimming hole and makes for a very fun and relaxing swim all year round with waters between 33 to 37 degrees Celsius.

Afternoon

• Enjoy a lunch at one of the restaurants located just outside the entrance to the cave.
• Continue our drive west to the village of Nokhur – situated in the Kopet Dag mountains. Unlike the rest of Turkmenistan, even during the Soviet Union and the era of Turkmenbashy, this village were largely left alone and as such live a much more traditional lifestyle than most Turkmens.
• Pay a special visit to a Nokhur Cemetery – each grave is adorned with the horns of a mountain goat and a small market next to a wishing tree where you can buy all sorts of natural teas and potions.
• You’ll then have the opportunity to learn more about the culture of the Nokhuris directly from them and enjoy some tea whilst relaxing in the mountains.
• A local traditional feast will be served for dinner
• Overnight at guest house in the small rural town of Serdar (same name as the current President)

Wednesday 23rd July – Serdar- Turkmenbashi – Awaza

Morning

• Wake up to breakfast as the sun rises over the valley
• Continue our 450km journey west towards the Caspian Sea – passing through Turkmenbashi and stopping for scenic shots and refreshments on the way.

Afternoon

• We will stop for lunch at a local Chaykhana, a traditional Central Asian resting area for drinking tea and socialising.
• Arrive at Awaza – an extravagant futuristic tourist destination envisioned by Turkmenistan’s former president, Saparmurat Niyazov. It is often considered the least-known peculiar beach resort in the world. Although the facilities are extravagant, the town is best described as a ghost town.
• We’ll show you the amusement parks and take a walk alogn the beachfront and, for the daring, swim in the notoriously cold Caspian Sea.
• Dinner in one of the most glamorous hotels of Awaza and overnight in a hotel

Thursday 24th July – Awaza – Yangikala – Turkmenbashi – Overnight train to Ashgabat

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and head to the Yangykala Canyon – until recently most Turkmens didn’t even know that this place existed, and still not many have been there. Wide and vast, the area was once a seabed, and scattered with all sorts of fossils, it stretches as far as the eye can see. In 4x4s, we’ll drive over the canyon walls, through the canyon itself, and up the other side, stopping at a couple of different stunning viewpoints along the way.

Afternoon

• Next, we stop for lunch at the pilgrim site of Gozli Ata – one of Turkmenistan’s remotest shrine pilgrimage destinations. This is amongst the most beautiful historical sites in the nation.
• For the ultimate YPT experience – we will board an overnight sleeping train to Ashgabat, taking in the scene along the way before having dinner on the train, with vodka and card games with the locals.

Friday 25th July – Ashgabat

Morning

• Arrive in Ashgabat and check into our hotel for breakfast and freshen up
• We have the rest of the day to catch up on any items previously missed in Ashgabat or to do the following activities:

Afternoon

• Visit Serdar Yoly – the “health path”. Stretching 28km along the Kopetdag mountain range, this fitness project was instigated by Turkmenbashy, but being a keen health fanatic himself, Gurbanguly has continued to encourage people to make the trek.
• The TV tower – the largest building in a shape of a star in the world. The building itself is off limits, but you can drive almost right up to the entrance for a great view of the tower and spectacular perspective over the city.
• A final dinner at a stylish restaurant to bid farewell to your fellow travellers and celebrate your trip!
• We’ll do a night tour of Ashgabat where the marble city comes to life with its dazzling lights across the capital!
• Overnight in Ashgabat

Saturday 26th July – Ashgabat

• Breakfast at hotel and tour concludes. Airport transfers can be arranged according to your flight departure times.

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