Turkmenistan in review

There's no doubt that Turkmenistan is an interesting country that differs significantly from the other CIS 'stans both in terms of how isolated it is and how difficult it is to travel to, but I was somewhat surprised to see just how much this self-imposed isolation—in combination with the sense of Turkmen nationalism instilled by Niyazov—has resulted in a culture that appears to take pride in its culture and be focused on itself instead of looking to the west or to Russia as many other CIS countries tend to do. 

Unfortunately I, like most everyone who visits Turkmenistan, was only there for a brief time and didn't have a real opportunity to get a better feel for the country and its people. Arriving on a tourist visa obviously allows one more time in the country, but to qualify for a tourist visa you have to travel as part of a tour and be accompanied by a guide, and although everyone seems to acknowledge that the guides really do function more as guides and less as North-Korean-style minders (you can explore cities without the guide accompanying you, but they have to be with you as you move about the country), tours inevitably add a layer of mediation between you and the country, and it's basically impossible to book a tour that doesn't involve a private vehicle as transportation.

As a result, most people visiting Turkmenistan as part of a greater trip to Central Asia usually do so on a transit visa. The upside of transit visas is that they allow you to travel independently without joining a tour. The downsides are that they are typically only for five days (although it appears that if you apply in Tehran you have a very god chance of getting a 7-day transit visa if you claim you'll be cycling across the country), and the entry date, entry port, exit date, and exit port are all set in stone at the time of visa application/collection (of course you can enter and exit at any time within the fixed five-day window, but this means staying for less than five days). The other downside is that sometimes you will only be granted a three-day transit visa, and sometimes they will change your ports of entry and/or exit. Despite this, the transit visa remains the most popular way of visiting Turkmenistan.

Around the Karakum in 5 days

The good news is that you can actually see a good chunk of Turkmenistan's main attractions in five days, especially if you're transiting between Iran and Uzbekistan (as most are). So, with that, here's my suggested five-day itinerary for those on transit visas.

Day 1: Enter Turkmenistan, see Ashgabat, take the night train to Mary/Bayram Ali

Enter in the morning from Iran at Bajgiran. Get there early, as your time is limited and getting through will consume more time than you think. Head to the train station to book the night train to Mary (about $3 for sleeper, but arrives in Mary around 2:00 am... they will let you sleep in the station until morning, though) and leave your bags at the left-luggage office there. Overnighting in Ashgabat is a relatively expensive proposition—the cheapest place seems to be about $30—so overnight trains are a great way to economize while maximizing your limited time in the country.

Even better, see if you can take the train all the way to Bayram Ali, instead of getting off in Mary. Bayram Ali is on the train line to Turkmenabat, but it's also a minor stop so you may have to change to a local train and wait at Mary station a couple of hours until about 4:00. Schedules are unpredictable and you should ask in Ashgabat, but here's the way things looked a few years ago. Taking the train to Bayram Ali will get you there early in the morning (the bus from Mary leaves much later, at around 11:00, which will give you some time to explore Mary if you so desire) and with little fuss. Be sure to check at the Bayram Ali station to see if you can make the connection from Bayram Ali to Mary to the night train to Ashgabat (assuming you have to change trains), or if you'll have to take a taxi back to Mary.

If for some reason you find yourself needing somewhere to stay in Mary—not that there's any reason to overnight there—there is budget place there (Hotel Caravanserai, about $10 per night), but you'll never find it from LP's directions/maps, there's no sign on the building, and most locals don't even know the street it's on. You'll probably need a bit of luck to get there, or this map I've made for you:


The Hotel Caravanserai was in an unmarked house on the eastern side of the street.

Day 2: See ancient Merv

Go to Merv. If you were able to take the night train all the way to Bayram Ali, great! If not, you can take the local train early in the morning, or you can take a public bus to Bayram Ali at around 11:00. If you take the bus, get out when you see ancient walls, just before the bus turns right at a stop light. The train station is just a couple of blocks south of this corner. Use your smartphone's GPS and (offline) maps and you'll know when you're close. This puts you at the edge of the archaeological site, at the Abdullah Khan Kala, in the bottom-left corner of the LP map of Merv.

There is also a sanatorium/spa in Bayram Ali that, like the Kogon Palace by the Bukhara train station, was built in anticipation of a visit from Tsar Nicholas II. He wasn't able to visit either, but the royal villa built for him still survives at the northern end of the sanatorium.


The royal villa for Tsar Nicholas II in the south, the train station, and the ticket gate to ancient Merv.


It's best to have satellite imagery on your phone if you want to visit everything at Merv, as there are canals that aren't marked on maps that make it difficult to walk directly between sites (this applies especially to the ice houses).

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The gorgeous mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar in Merv.

After seeing Merv and the royal villa, return to Ashgabat in the evening. This will likely involve first transiting to Mary, either by taxi or local train, and then transferring to the midnight train back to Ashgabat.

Day 3: see more Ashgabat, then head to Darvaza

See more of Ashgabat in the morning, and consider taking the cable car into the mountains or visiting the TV tower.

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Classic Ashgabat.

In the afternoon/evening, take a share taxi to either Dashogus (relatively easy at all times of the day, was around $10 when I was there) or Konye Urgench (much more difficult, but about same price).

Even better, take an afternoon taxi to either place but ask to be let off at one of the chaikhanas at Darvaza. Sleep in the chaikhana for $10 or so, then wake up in the wee hours and hike to the crater to view it in the dark and at dawn.

Day 4: see Konye Urgench

Hitch, hire a car, or flag down a passing bus on the way to Konye Urgench or Dashogus (which is more likely, but they may let you off at Konye Urgench if you ask). Either way, transit to Konye Urgench and explore the archaeological site just south of town on the road to Ashgabat, as well as mausoleums in town. Stay overnight in Konye Urgench if exiting at Khojeli (good exit point for Nukus); overnight in Dashogus if exiting there for Khiva.

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The main monuments at Konye Urgench.

Day 5: exit to Uzbekistan

In the even you were able to keep the above schedule, exit to Uzbekistan at your leisure. More likely you will have wanted to spend a bit more time elsewhere, or something slowed you down, in which case this buffer is handy.

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