Frequently Asked Questions

Browse our available tours, pick your route and dates, and pay a small booking fee online to reserve your spot. The rest is paid in cash when you meet your guide on the first day. After booking we will confirm your details and start the Letter of Invitation process.

Yes, payment in other currencies is possible. Message us on WhatsApp.

No. You pay a booking fee online to secure your spot. The balance is paid in cash, in USD, on the first day of the tour.

Yes. Prices go down as more people share the vehicle. If you book alone, we try to connect you with others traveling the same route at the same time. You can also browse upcoming open departures on our groups page.

Contact us as early as possible. We do our best to accommodate rescheduling. In most cases your booking can be moved to new dates. Message us on WhatsApp.

Most nationalities need a Letter of Invitation (LOI) from a registered Turkmen tour operator before they can get a visa. When you book with us, we apply for the LOI on your behalf. Once approved, you can collect your visa at the Turkmen embassy or pick it up at the border or airport on arrival. See our visa guide for full details.

A passport scan valid for at least 6 months beyond your travel dates, a passport-style photo (neutral expression, light background, no glasses), and your full name, nationality, date of birth, and planned travel dates.

Urgent processing usually takes 7 to 12 days. Standard processing can take up to 21 days. Timing depends on the Migration Service, public holidays, and whether all documents are submitted correctly. See our visa page for current information and what to expect.

Yes. With a valid LOI, you can get your Turkmenistan visa at most open land borders and at Ashgabat International Airport on the day you arrive.

Typically between $55 and $110 per person, depending on your nationality. This is paid at the border and is not included in the tour price.

From Uzbekistan: Farap (near Bukhara), Dashoguz (near Khiva), Koneurgench (near Nukus), Tallymerjen, Gazojak. From Iran: Sarahs, Howdan (also called Bajgiran), Altyn-Asyr, Artyk. From Afghanistan: Serhetabat. From Kazakhstan: Garabogaz. By air: Ashgabat International Airport (ASB). By Caspian Sea ferry: Turkmenbashi ferry terminal, with connections from Baku (Azerbaijan) and Aktau (Kazakhstan). Not all crossings are open 24/7 or available to all nationalities. Contact us before finalising your route.

Farap, on the Uzbek side near Bukhara, is where most of our tours begin. It is the most used tourist crossing and the process is well established. Dashoguz (near Khiva) is a popular exit point for tours that finish in the north.

Aim for 08:00 to 09:00 AM. Most borders open at 09:00 AM, but there may be queues. Border formalities, including customs, visa issuance, and migration registration, can take 1 to 3 hours.

Yes. Border counters often cannot make change, so bring $5, $10, and $20 USD bills for your visa fee and any other charges. There is also a border bus running between the Uzbek and Turkmen checkpoints (they are a bit apart), which can be paid in USD, Uzbek som, or Turkmen manat.

Yes. From Iran you can enter at Sarahs, Howdan (also called Bajgiran), Altyn-Asyr, or Artyk. From Afghanistan, Serhetabat is the main crossing used by tourists. Contact us to plan a cross-border route. Message us on WhatsApp.

LOI application and processing, Travel Pass, Travel Tax, accommodation throughout (hotels and a yurt camp at Darvaza), an English-speaking guide and driver, all transport and fuel, entrance tickets to sites on the itinerary, daily breakfast, and dinner at the Darvaza Gas Crater.

Visa and border fees ($55 to $110 per person), most lunches and dinners, alcohol, health insurance, the border bus between checkpoints, tips for your guide, and personal expenses.

English is standard on all tours. Russian-speaking guides are also regularly available. For German, Japanese, Chinese, or Korean, let us know when you book and we will try to arrange it.

Sedans or jeeps depending on route and group size. All standard itineraries, including Darvaza, are comfortable in either.

Spring (April to May) and autumn (September to October) offer the most comfortable temperatures. Summers in the Karakum Desert regularly go above 45°C. Winter tours still run, and the Darvaza crater is especially striking on cold, clear nights.

Yes, for personal use. Avoid photographing military installations, government buildings, border checkpoints, and uniformed personnel. Your guide will advise you. The Darvaza Gas Crater and Yangikala Canyon are among the most photogenic spots in Central Asia.

Foreign SIM cards and roaming generally do not work in Turkmenistan. Local SIMs are available but many foreign websites are not accessible inside the country. Download offline maps before you travel. Your guide will have a local phone for communication.

About 4 to 4.5 hours (271 km). The first section is on a reasonable highway heading north. The last stretch to the crater is unpaved desert track.

Around 6 to 7 hours (approximately 300 km). The road north of Darvaza is rough in places. Plan for an early start from the yurt camp.

About 4 hours (388 km) on a paid highway in good condition.

33 km, roughly 30 minutes by car. The road is paved and in good condition.

About 3 hours from Mary to Turkmenabat on the new highway that opened in 2026, then roughly 1 hour from Turkmenabat to the Farap border.

About 6.5 hours in total. Ashgabat to Balkanabat is roughly 5 hours (430 km) on a good highway. Balkanabat to Turkmenbashi is about 1.5 hours (150 km) and also a good road.

Not comfortably. It is over 700 km and the route passes through Ashgabat. It is not a realistic single-day drive.

About 2 hours (142 km). The road to Yangikala is unpaved and rough in places.