YPT tours to Turkmenistan – Түркменистан

Young Pioneer Tours are pleased to announce our Turkmenistan Tours and travel packages for 2025 and 2026.

YPT were one of the first companies to offer fully guided tours to Turkmenistan back in 2013. Since then, we have brought hundreds of tourists there, being among the very few to cover the National day celebrations in Turkmenistan, as well as expanding tours into all of the other “Stans”.

Group tours to Turkmenistan

We run a number of group tours to Turkmenistan throughout the year, as well as bespoke Turkmenistan tours that can be arranged according to your schedule and availability. Most of our tours to Turkmenistan start and finish within the country, but we also combine with other “Stans” as part of bigger tours.

We are currently offering the following Turkmenistan tours for 2025 and 2026. This includes standalone Turkmenistan Tours, as well as those combined into our “5 Stans” Combo tours.

Turkmenistan 2025 Tours

Turkmenistan Spring Tour – March 24th – April 1st 2025 – $1495

Make the most out of your spring break and join us on our Turkmenistan Spring Tour! A country that falls well below most traveller’s radars but is one of the most unique countries not only within the Stans, but in the entire world!

Five Stans Budget April Tour – April 2nd – 19th 2025 – $345 / $2895

For exciting road trip aficionados and country collectors alike, join us as we take you to five of the countries in Central Asia, that is Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

Five Stans Budget June Tour – June 2nd – 19th 2025 – $195 / $2895

Due to popular demand, we are running our Five Stans tour in June, taking you around Central Asia to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

Turkmenistan Summer Tour – July 18th – 26th 2025 – $1495

Don’t miss out on our triumphant return to Turkmenistan this summer!

Turkmenistan Independence Day Budget Tour – September 25th – 29th 2025 – $995

We have designed our Turkmenistan Independence Day Budget tour to be short and easy on your wallet as you take part in the celebrations in Ashgabat – easily our most favourite nation of “the Stans”.

Turkmenistan Independence Day Tour – September 25th – October 3rd 2025 – $1495

One of our most favourite Turkmenistan tours. You’ll be part of all the major celebrations, as well as seeing all the essential tourist sites as part of this trip to Turkmenistan.

Five Stans Budget October Tour – October 2nd – 19th 2025 – $195 / $2895

For exciting road trip aficionados and country collectors alike, join us as we take you to five of the countries in Central Asia, that is Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

Turkmenistan New Year Tour – December 28th 2025 – January 2nd 2026 – $1095

Join us in Turkmenistan on our New Year tour as you ring in the new year sipping champagne with fireworks as the backdrop next to the nation’s iconic Davaza Crater, most famously known as the “Gates of Hell”.

All of our group tours to Turkmenistan are accompanied by an expert YPT guide, with us also using the best guides in Turkmenistan. You will notice our tours are extremely unique with our itineraries differing greatly from other companies, this is because we have been going to Turkmenistan for a long time and know the country inside out.

YPT will fully assist you with your visa for Turkmenistan. More details can be found in our Frequently Asked Questions about Turkmenistan section below.

Five Stans – Turkmenistan

YPT were the first company to offer “Five Stans tours”. Turkmenistan being very much a “Stan” is part of this. For those wanting to complete the absolute Stans including Afghanistan and Pakistan please let us know.

You can read more about what are the five Stans here.

Example Group Tour Extensions to Turkmenistan

• Merv and Mary day extension – Merv is the oldest and best-preserved ancient oasis city along the Silk Road. Now UNESCO listed, several areas of the city are able to be visited, each part showcasing a different aspect of the rich history of the area.
• Kugitang Mountains and Dinosaur Plateau Extension – Turkmenistan is known for many things, but you’re most likely unaware that it has the largest concentration of dinosaur tracks in the world. This is your unique opportunity to visit one of the most quirkiest yet least-visited sites in Turkmenistan.
• Arriving / departing from Dashoguz or Konye Urgench borders (Uzbekistan) – Once a thriving metropolis, this ancient city has been destroyed many times over the centuries, but is still home to some of the most interesting mausoleums and buildings in Turkmenistan.
• Day trip around Ashgabat – Explore some of the sites of Ashgabat that aren’t on the regular itinerary. These can include the Turkmenbashi Mausoleum, the Carpet Museum, part of the Walk of Health, the cable car, or anything else that takes your interest.

Independent tours to Turkmenistan

One of the most closed countries in the world, with even fewer tourists every year than North Korea, Turkmenistan is a truly unique place.

Far from the beaten track, you will spend the entirety of your time in Turkmenistan being in awe at something. This could be it the “Dictator’s Playground” as Ashgabat has come to be known, the giant flaming crater called the “Gates of Hell”, the futuristic, unfinished, ghost town of a beach resort, Awaza, the omnipresent statues and pictures of the President and the former President, or the spectacular and completely untouched natural wonder of the Karakum Desert.

If our dates don’t suit, or the itinerary isn’t what you’re looking for, or if you’d simply prefer to travel alone, please contact us to arrange an Independent Tour.

The types of tours that we can tailor for you are endless, including but not limited to 4WDing, hiking, natural sites, sporting, cultural, ancient cities and many more. If you have any suggestions of what type of tour you’d like to do tell us your idea and we’ll further discuss.

See our overview of all the best tourist sites in Turkmenistan here.

See our Sample Turkmenistan Itinerary here.

Turkmenistan 9 Day Private Tour

Day 1: Ashgabat

•  Arrive at your convenience to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. You will be met with our representatives upon arrival. They will help you exchange money and transfer you to the hotel
• After breakfast introductory city tour in Ashgabat with visits to Sunday bazaar, Independence Park and its monuments, Neutrality Arch, Monument of Constitution, Alem Ferris Wheel (ride it), Olympic Complex (pass by).
• Lunch at local Lezzet restaurants (in AC yurts).
• In the afternoon, continued the city tour with visits to the Russian bazaar, Lenin Monument, Pushkin Monument, University bookshop and transfer to the hotel.

Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2: Ashgabat

• Drive to Magtymguly Monument, the Stairs of Health park, transfer to Earthquake Memorial
• Explore the Wedding’s Palace viewpoint.
• Drive to Anau Mosque and Fortress (Sheikh Jemaladdin Mosque) for an excursion.
• In the evening, a city-by-night tour in Ashgabat. Overnight in Ashgabat.

Day 3: Ashgabat – Darwaza

• After breakfast visit to private Akhalteke horse farm, Ertogrul Gazi Mosque.
• After concluding touring Ashgabat, you will begin the drive to Darwaza burning gas crater – perhaps the most iconic landmark in Turkmenistan and a highlight of the trip! Your transfer will be private.
• On the way to the crater we will stop by two lesser known craters — one that is full of mud and one full of water. They were both formed the same way as the crater of Darwaza.
• Enjoy the last few kilometers of the drive which are off road in the Karakum Desert! This desert actually covers around 70% of the country!
• You will arrive just in time to watch the sunset over the ‘Gates of Hell’.
• You can watch the sun die down and view the crater during dusk and nighttime.
• Tonight you will be a guest in the nearby Yurts.

Day 4: Darwaza – Nohur – Serdar

• After breakfast by the Gates of Hell, you will begin the drive back in the direction of Ashgabat. However, instead of returning just yet, you will turn and continue driving to Kow Ata Underground Lake.
• At the lake, you are welcome to have a swim in this magnificent natural pool.
• After a refreshing dip in the lake, you will continue drinking 175 km northwest towards the Koperdag Mountains to Nokhur — a traditional tribal village still practising their traditional ways of life. This visit will give you an opportunity to view a different side of Turkmenistan and its people.
• Make a stop at the Nokhur Cemetery. Here, every grave stone has the horns of a mountain goat protruding from the gravesite. Be sure to ask your local guide why!
• You will enjoy an included dinner and stay overnight in a nearby city called Serdar.

Day 5: Serdar – Arwaza – Turkmenbashi

• Depart early and drive to the Caspian Sea coast and Awaza resort.
• Enjoy lunch on arrival of fresh seafood and coastal views!
• Check-in to the hotel.
• Afternoon city tour in Turkmenbashi with visit to local bazaar, harbour, Awaza resort. In Awaza you may explore the amusement parks, beaches, and hotels of Awaza, and if you’re game, take a swim in the notoriously cold Caspian Sea! At this time of year, the resort is eerily empty
• Overnight in Turkmenbashi.

Day 6: Turkmenbashi – Yangykala Canyons – Balkanabat (overnight train)

• After breakfast and checking out of the hotel, you will begin the drive to the Yangykala Canyons
• The Yangikala Canyons was once a seabed and was home to all kinds of interesting fossils. The Canyon stretches further than the eye can see.
• In 4×4’s, you will drive over the canyon walls, through the canyon itself and up the other side, stopping at a couple different viewpoints for incredible pictures.
• For lunch, you will stop at the pilgrim site Gozli Ata. Gozli Ata is one of the most remote shrines of Turkmenistan, devoted to the eponymous saint.
• In the evening, drive to Balkanabat to catch a night train to Ashgabat, ETD 1900h. Dinner and overnight on the train.

Day 7: Turkmenbashi – Ashgabat – Mary

• Arrive at 06:10 in Ashgabat.
• 06:20-06:30 Transfer to the hotel for breakfast and luggage drop-off.
• Visit to the National Museum, Berkarar shopping center.
• Transfer to Mary and check into your hotel
• Overnight at the hotel.

Day 8: Mary – Merv – Ashgabat

• In the morning, you will drive to Merv, once one of the most important cities in the Silk Road. Merv is considered one of the oldest cities in Central Asia and it is here that you can see the ruins of the town.
• After a full morning excursion, it is time to drive back to Ashgabat.
• You will arrive back to Ashgabat in the evening. Feel free to head to dinner and enjoy your final night in Turkmenistan.

Day 9: Ashgabat

• Transfer to the airport for your departure flight

Independent Turkmenistan Tour examples

We do not list all of our bespoke Turkmenistan itineraries, as we like to keep much our best bespoke Turkmenistan tours proprietary. Below are merely some examples of independent Turkmenistan trips that we can offer.

• Cultural Turkmenistan Tours – The Turkmen culture is about much more than the current cult of personality, so if you are looking for something more anthropological, then we can arrange this for you.
• School Trips to Turkmenistan – We can arrange school trips to Turkmenistan that cover any area of curriculum related to the country that you desire. Simply get in touch if you are looking for a Turkmenistan school trip.
• Aviation tours to Turkmenistan – Turkmenistan still has a number of old Soviet vehicles, so is therefore interesting to many aviation enthusiasts. These can be tough to organize, so planning is definitely needed.
• Soviet tours to Turkmenistan – It might not look all that much like the old Turkmenistan Soviet Socialist Republic, but there are still enough vestiges to make a tour like this a possibility. If you want a Turkmenistan Soviet tour, then get in touch the experts to talk about possibilities.
• Turkmenistan Tours for journalists – Journalists are not permitted to join regular group tours to Turkmenistan and special permission must be sought. YPT can arrange trips of journalist to Turkmenistan.
• Filming in Turkmenistan – This is ideal for those who are avid photographers and videographers. We can organise everything you need for the contents you require and arrange transports, permits, accommodations, translators and much more so you can focus on your content.

Central Asia Tours

Turkmenistan might well be very central to Central Asia, but there is also a lot of other stuff within the region worth seeing. YPT regularly run tours in Central Asia, inclusive of our legendary Five Stans Tour.

You can check out our dedicated Central Asia Page here.

Turkmenistan Tours FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Turkmenistan Tours

Below are what we are frequently asked about Turkmenistan for those interested in traveling to the country. We feel that we answered pretty much everything you might need to know before you go to Turkmenistan, but please feel free to get in touch about visiting Turkmenistan, it truly is unique, so we no question is too strange!