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Along Sacredness

Tour 3: Along Sacredness
Duration: 10 days
In short: Ashgabat − Kov Ata – Nokhur – Balkanaba t– Yangykala – Gozli Ata – Turkmenbashi – Avaza – Mary − Merv − Margush − Damla − Darwaza − Ashgabat

Day 1: Ashgabat
You will be met and transferred to Ashgabat city. Tour will start with visiting Nisa fortress- the Sanctuary of Parthian Kings. This fortress was declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. Your next destinations for visiting are the biggest Mosque in Central Asia Ruhy Mosque or Gypjak, Mausoleum of the first President of Turkmenistan.  Also you will see the pride and honor of Turkmen people- Akhal-Teke horses. Horse farm is situated in Gokdepe region where riders will show you their skills in horse riding. Then returning to Ashgabat. Night is in the hotel.

Day 2: Ashgabat – Kov Ata – Nokhur – Balkanabat
Today your destination is Kow-Ata underground lake. It is situated 107 km from Ashgabat; its meaning is father of caves. At first it seems that this underground zone looks like a grand auditorium: the total length of the cave is 230 m, its height reaches 20 m, and its width at some a point is 57 m. The bottom of the cave is covered with blocks of dissolved limestone (stalagmites), and its warm and lush water transparent and emerald color. Water has a constant temperature of 33-37 ° C, you can swim in the lake. Continue our way to Nokhur. It is not very big village that situated on depression valley with lined houses made of local boulders cemented with mud. Excluding the main streets running through the middle of the city, the rest of the streets are so narrow that they only fit the car between the high stone retaining walls on each side. The people who settled this village are quite different from other Turkmen tribes. They live in several villages in the mountainous borderland spanning Turkmenistan and Iran. Nokhur is the largest village, population only a thousand or two thousand people. After lunch, continue on to the city of Balkanabat. Night is in hotel.

Day 3: Balkanabat – Yangykala – Gozli Ata – Turkmenbashi – Avaza
After breakfast the tour starts at Yangikala canyons. This scenic natural object of Turkmenistan is situated at 165 km to the north from Balkanabat and 160 km to the east from Turkmenbashi. From Turkmen yangi kala means “fire fortresses”. And this is true, sheer cliffs of white, yellow, ocher, violet and red colors, whimsically carved by winds and rains, are look like stone castles from fantasy. Ata is one of the most remote pilgrimage sites in Turkmenistan. Its setting is also one of the most beautiful. It lies in the center of a natural bowl, surrounded by protrusions of strips of pink and white stone. Gozli Ata is believed to have been a respected Sufi who lived in the early 14th century. His mausoleum is a brick building with two white domes, standing in an old cemetery with many beautifully carved stone tombs. The two-headed structure of the mausoleum is necessary to accommodate the length of the tomb: a triangular prism, possibly three ordinary graves long. Continue driving to Awaza. Overnight is in the hotel.

Day 4: Avaza – Ashgabat – Mary/Merv
After breakfast you will be transferred to airport for your flight to Ashgabat. After your arrival you will visit Abiverd. It is ancient and abounded city of Turkmenistan. We will continue our tour to ancient Merv. Due to its location the Great Silk Road crossed there the city quickly became one of the largest and biggest of the ancient world. It was one of the most important capitals of Islam along with Baghdad, Cairo and Damascus. You will also visit such sights as Gyz Gala, Erk Gala, Soltan Gala, Soltan Sanjar Mausoleum, Ibn Zeid Mausoleum. Drive back to Mary city and dinner at the local restaurant. Night is at the hotel in Mary.

Day 5: Mary – Margush – Ashgabat
In the morning, the group will visit the Oasis of Merv - the 5th center of civilization. It was an important center for the resettlement of people long before the Achaemen times. There was a wonderful Bronze Age civilization, variously known as Margush, which means "lowland" or in Greek Margiana. Thanks to Professor Victor Sarianidi, he was gradually discovered in the early 1970s. The professor led the Margiana Archaeological Expedition. Places of the Bronze Age can be found at the northern edge of the modern oasis or beyond, on land that is now a desert. The reason for leaving this region was climate change and progressive desertification, due to which the ruins of the Bronze Age settlements were well preserved under desert soils. Sights in Margiana seem to be closely related to sights in Bactria, in modern northern Afghanistan. Sarianidi claims that the Bactria-Margiana complex was a major center of ancient civilization, and suggested that Margiana may even have been the birthplace of Zoroastrianism. Driving to Ashgabat city. Overnight is in hotel.

Day 6: Ashgabat
In the morning, city tour in Ashgabat. You are going to visit such places: Revival Park, Russian Market, Lenin’s square, Ertogrulgazy mosque, Park of Independence, Arch of Neutrality.  Then you will go to Museum of Ethnography and Museum of Fine Arts. Overnight is at hotel.

Day 7: Ashgabat – Damla
Damla village is your next destination. It is located in the middle of the arid thickets of the vast Karakum desert in Turkmenistan. The village is quite small in size- paradise where you can enjoy traditional Turkmen life. Among only 60 dwellings in swirling sands, local people calmly and simply engage in their daily lives. To visit this ancient place is a unique opportunity to see and experience part of their lifestyle. It is isolation that creates its charm. You can see and experience this miracle of peace and tranquility of a preserved piece of real Turkmenistan right here in Damla. Night is in tents.

Day 8: Damla – Darwaza
In the morning drive to Darwaza to see famous “door to hell”. But before it you will see another 2 craters. They are located in the village of Darwaza, in the west of the main road. The first crater is a deep round hole; a metal barrier surrounds this small crater. You won’t see fire, although it also offers a strong smell of gas. Second is located about 18 km south of Darwaza, on the western side of the main road and is almost invisible from it. This crater does not have fire, nor does it have a pungent odor. Instead, it is partially filled with water through which the gases gently rise. The village was once a sulfur production site, which was closed in the 1960s. The search for gas during the Soviet period led to an interesting series of attractions around: several large round craters, one of which is on fire. To get to the flaming crater, you need an off road car, as well as a good driver who knows the route. The gas crater in terms of approximately is round, with a diameter of about 60 meters. Its floor crackles from hundreds of small lights; the flame is strongest around the edges. Night is in camp.

Day 9: Darwaza – Ashgabat
You will be transferred to Ashgabat. You will visit Annau “Seit Jamaleddin Mosque", the main attraction of which remains for the visitor today, is the ruins of the 15th century Seyit Jamal ad-Din mosque. Driving back to Ashgabat.

Day 10: Flight
Transfer to airport.

Hotels 3*,
Price per person:
02 pax – 1 420 $
04 pax – 1 130 $
06 pax –  975 $
08 pax –  895 $
10 pax –  935 $
Single – 160 $

Early check-in – 30 $
Single early check-in – 45 $  

Hotels 4*,
Price per person:
02 pax – 1 560 $
04 pax – 1 270 $
06 pax – 1 115 $
08 pax – 1 035 $
10 pax – 1 075 $
Single – 205 $

Early check-in – 50 $
Single early check-in – 70 $  

Half board – 90 $
Full board – 180 $
 

Transport:
For 2 person Sedan (3seats)
For 3 – 8 person Minibus (14 seats)
For 10 and more person Bus (20-30-40 seats)
SUV cars (4x4) we are organize for Damla, Darvaza, Canyons and Margiana                

Service includes:
- Transport
- Accommodation:
      Ashgabat – “Menzil” Hotel 3*/ “Ak Altyn” Hotel 4*
      Balkanabat – “Sport” Hotel 3*/ “Nebitchi” Hotel 4*
      Avaza – “Hazina” Hotel 5*
      Mary – “Merv” Hotel 3*/ “Mary” Hotel 4*
      Damla – Tents or Homestay
      Darwaza – Tents or Yurts
- Visa support
- English speaking guide
- Entrances to all museums
- Mineral water during the tour
- Domestic flights Turkmenbashi – Ashgabat              

Service does not include:
- Visa
- Full board
- Single rooms           
- Early check-in
- Travel insurance
- Migration tax (12$)
- Fee for using cameras on monuments

Note: Each Traveler should have 2 photos (5×6) to be presented at the points of entry.

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