An 8-Day Cultural Investigation Across Turkmenistan

Arrive on an overnight Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul. The approval letter was checked again at the gate, and arrival processing included checks, Covid testing and approximately $130 in visa-related payments.

Use the arranged tour bus transfer to the hotel rather than attempting an independent arrival. Foreign visitors cannot obtain SIM cards, and connectivity may be limited immediately after landing.

Walk through the capital’s unusually empty central streets to photograph the concentration of white and silver cars against the enormous marble cityscape.

Visit the park containing the Vladimir Lenin statue, a remaining Soviet-era monument that provides historical contrast with the newer marble capital.

Stop at the central cafe identified by the guide as having functional Wi-Fi. It was useful for checking email and messages when hotel connectivity and social apps were not working.

Use a local car taxi only with the guide’s help and agree the fare beforehand. A 35-minute walk was replaced by a ride costing 50 manats, approximately $3 in the account given.

Photograph the record-oriented capital landmarks: the large flagpole, the architectural star and the marble Wedding Palace. The palace includes a restaurant reported to seat up to 600 people.

Ride the indoor Ferris wheel for about $3. Its enclosed structure limits the view, but the descent offers a striking perspective over the empty city.

See the Monument of Independence, whose lower form is shaped like a yurt, connecting the monumental capital with Turkmenistan’s nomadic heritage.

Visit the Ruhnama monument beside the Independence complex. The book’s state-enforced role under Saparmurat Niyazov is central to understanding the capital’s political symbolism.

Walk the Walk of Health at the foothills near Ashgabat only with appropriate preparation and guide approval. The exposed 36-kilometer route can be hazardous in desert conditions and elevation.

Visit the Türkmenbaşy Mausoleum, where Niyazov was buried with members of his family. Treat the site respectfully and follow the guide’s instructions about photography.

See the Türkmenbaşy Mosque beside the mausoleum. Its scale and interior decoration are major architectural highlights, but the account noted that the complex was nearly empty during the visit.

Explore Russian Bazaar for fruit, vegetables, spices, souvenirs, sweets, nuts and money exchange. Ask before filming because filming rules can vary, and keep the 25-manat watermelon chocolates in mind as a specific souvenir.

Walk through the surviving ruins of the 15th-century mosque outside Ashgabat. The site was damaged by the 1948 earthquake and remains a place of pilgrimage.

Tour Old Nisa Fortress, the UNESCO World Heritage site and former capital of the Parthian Empire. The surviving walls and reconstructed sections reward a slow historical walk.

Travel north from Ashgabat to the Darvaza area on the long, rough road. The crater is the country’s most famous attraction, but the journey is a substantial overland transfer.

Stay in a tourist yurt near Darvaza. The accommodation is basic, with two beds, a roof opening, solar lighting and no power sockets; expect a hard bed and limited facilities.

Photograph Darvaza Crater after dark, when the flames are far more dramatic than during daylight. The fire began after a 1971 Soviet natural-gas drilling accident and may eventually be extinguished.

Stop at the underground thermal cave during the return route for a short swim in approximately 36°C water. The stop lasted around 45 minutes, so follow the group schedule closely.

Continue west to Nokhur village, a community described as culturally distinct from other parts of Turkmenistan and historically less nomadic than many other Turkmen groups.

Visit the Nokhur cemetery, recognizable for tombstones topped with horns. The cemetery is the clearest material expression in the route of the village’s distinctive identity.

Try the local Turkmen meat pie from the village bakery. The account found the meat filling flavorful but the bread somewhat dry, making this a useful stop for regional food curiosity rather than a guaranteed culinary highlight.

Attend the Ashgabat restaurant dinner featuring Turkmen dances, participatory dancing, tender pilav and the Soviet-influenced custom of a lunch or meal-time vodka shot. The pilav was described as very greasy, so pace yourself.

Stay in Gyzylarbat as a controlled overnight stop. The account noted that the group was not legally allowed to leave the hotel premises, so treat this as a rest and logistics phase.

Travel through the western desert toward Türkmenbaşy. The route revealed large sand dunes and unexpectedly frequent camel traffic.

Walk around Türkmenbaşy’s port-city center and market only within the group’s permitted freedom of movement. The city was renamed after Niyazov’s self-appointed title and had very few visible tourists.

Take a dip in the Caspian Sea from the Türkmenbaşy coast. Even in late September the water was described as icy cold, so treat this as a brief swim rather than a long beach session.

Take the 4x4 excursion from Türkmenbaşy to Yangykala Canyon. The drive took about three hours, involved deep desert terrain and required tire deflation before reaching the canyon.

Explore Yangykala Canyon’s layered cliffs and ocean-bed formations. The remote setting was nearly empty of visitors, while the high viewpoints could feel chilly despite warmer conditions at the coast.

Use the canyon’s cliff and ridge viewpoints for wide landscape photographs. The ridge was compared with a Lion King scene and used for a Titanic-style composition; stay well back from unstable edges.

Board the Soviet-era overnight train from Balkanabat to Ashgabat. The journey lasted approximately 11 hours, departing around 7 p.m. and arriving around 6 a.m., with cabin bunks for sleeping.

Return to Ashgabat by train and use the final day for departure preparation. The outbound flight left in the middle of the night, so keep documents, cash and luggage ready before the last evening.