Turkmenistan only 5 days where to go?
 

G'day,

I was just wondering if any one has been through Turkmenistan and could recommend a good route to take from Ashgabat to Uzbekistan? I was thinking something along the lines of just going from Ashgabat to Khiva via Kaplankyr Reserve? Has any one been there or suggest an alternate route?


Cheers,

Zac

Turkmenistan
 

There is only one route from Asghabat to Khiva throught Darvaza.
When you wil be on the border you will get paper with schedule your route.
Everything depends how brave you are.
I drove from Garabogaz to Asghabat but I also visited Yangykala Canion and Darvaze (which was completly off my route).
5 days is to short for more but I recomend you visit in Merv.
It is also off your track but nobody will shot you:D

As Bartosz said, if you are on a transit visa, they will ask you for your exit port and dictate you the most direct route to reach it. You will get papers and a map that has the route drawn on it, and are expected to stick to the route. In remote areas you can stray from your route (depending on your bravery), but don't overdo it, as there are road checkpoints that will ask you for those papers.

So in short, first decide which part of Turkmenistan you want to see, and define your entry and exit ports accordingly. If necessary, double back in Uzbekistan.

I traveled Ashgabat - Darvaza - Kenurgench (I think) in 2009, then up to the Aral Sea before coming back down to Khiva. 5 days are short, but Ashgabat is a crazy place, so plan some time to see it. Also wild camping by the gas craters is a cool experience :-)

A final tip: try to get pre-approval for your Turkemistan visa from whereever, with the option of picking it up in Mashad/Iran. That way you can maximize your chance of having the full 5 days on correct days without trying to adjust dates at the Turkmeni border. Also note the TM border shuts early (4pm I think?).

Thanks for the tips, hopefully if I put Konye/ Urgench near Khiva as my exit point on the visa app they tell me to ride past the Gate Way to Hell gas crater and maybe I can duck into Kaplankyr on the way if there aren't too many police check points.

Upon arrival, did you guys have to present to a Migration office in Ashgabat and register yourself, pay a $12 fee, reveive a green entry/ departure card and then notify the Migration Office (not at a border) of your departure before you could leave the country? As travel wikipedia says something along these lines.

Travel Wiki also mentions that you need a Travel Permit to visit Norther Turkmen such as Konye/ Urgench. Did you guys have to get one or is it perhaps only for people who get the $200/day tourist visa? I guess there is a chance they could reject the Konye/ Urgench exit point insist I take the main highway via Merv/ Turkmenabat.

Firstly a warning regards straying from your route. I've visited Turkmenistan three times on transit visas, and each time have gone off the route. This last time, in the town of Esenguly, I came to regret it.

The police, who came to the hotel I was staying in to register me took my camera, phone, notebook and looked through everything, deleting many of my Turkmenistan photos (all of which I managed to recover). For me, it added up to an unpleasant interrogation and then a lot of time wasting the next day by a group of half-educated passive-agressive thuggish police types. The real problem was for the people I stayed with in Turkmenistan... one is now in trouble with their KGB.

So, by all means go off your route, you will not be caught there. But hide all evidence, and make sure you cannot incriminate anyone else in the country.

Regards places to see...

If you like history, you have to choose between Merv and Konye-Urgench. Merv is the bigger, more important site, though Konye-Urgench has more to see (though more recent, and not all that different from what you will see in Uzbekistan). There is also Dekhistan (Misrian) near Bugdayly in the south-west, which is very atmospheric, but only feasible if you enter at Pol / Altyn Asyr from Iran.

The gas crater is interesting for what it is, and the desert crossing between Ashgabat and Konye-Urgench is mildly interesting. The scenery between Mary and Turkmenabat is less interesting.

City-wise, Ashgabat and Konye-Urgench are the only really interesting ones. Mary and Turkmenbashi are mildly interesting, whereas Turkmenabat and Balkanabat are really rather dull.

There is no way to see just the best sites in one transit, unless you made a truly audacious (and risky) route, but if you really wanted to...

Enter at Pol / Altyn Asyr, pass Dekhistan, drive to Ashgabat. Then up to the gas crater and duble back to the capital. Pass Mary, Merv to Turkmenabat, then head NW along the Uzbek border past Dayhattin Caravanserai (never done this route), through Dashoguz to Konye-Urgench and then north to Nukus in Uzbekistan....

That would be one hell of an itinerary, risky and flat-out travelling. But you'd see the best sites the country has to offer.

Don't forget that a 5 day transit visa is effectively 4 days in the country. The borders operate something like 9 to 6, so you are unlikely to be free on your first day until lunchtime at best (Iranian borders can be hideously slow), and need to be at your exit border mid-afternoon.

Best of luck

hello all,

Thank you for these informations, I also account through Turkmenistan to Iran in 2015 to go to uzbekistan and the M41 if it is open this year. (I've already made ​​in 2013, but it's too nice) after , kirguiz and mongolia by china,
I will start early May in France.
So
Find your fuel easily in turkmenistan? Because I know that oubeck is risky sometimes.
i have read that the police and kgb is really ubiquitous?


What map you have to Turmenistan? , i use also GPS with osm map , OSM map have correct informations?
Thanks you
best regars
Tiger

Turkmenistan
 

1. I saw 2 checkpoints od the route from Asghabat to Darvaze. One on outskirts of capital next in Jerbent. They even don't stop us.
I think that you will be able to drive left into Gaplangyr Nature Reserve.
2. On all road from Garabogaz to Asghabat I was stopped only 2 times. First in Bekdas and second in Garabokazkol (all in area of Caspian See).
I think that is possible to go visit Merv, back to Asghabat and then go north to Konya Urgench.
3. You will pay something about 4-5 USD for entry fee per person and 125 USD per car (insurance and road tax - funny especially from border to Turkmenbasy).
4. No problem with diesel and fuel (diesel 0,12 EUR). Petrol station much more civilised than in Iran.

Thank you very Much Bartosz,
I finish my road trip for Iran. So Now i can begin Turkménistan RT.
Is it true that you have to buy a fuel card?
The road from ashgabat Darvaza crater is a good one?
How Long have you been for this way?
And after i would like to go to Mary /Merv and Turmenabat
Do you think that i's possible?
Cheers,
Thierry

Hello
There is no fuel card in Turkmenistan, normal gas station much more civilised than in Iran
It is good tarmac road with a little holes (I drive toyota hzj and defender so I don't know what is bad road).
From Asghabat to Darvaze about 250 km in 3 max 4 hours. There is almost empty road with few villages.
I was't in Merv ,it would be big detour for me. 5 days is very short time.

the pit of fire
 

Hi, need some registration when I'll be in Turkmenistan? I can't sleep free in my tend?
Thanks

Hi Bartosz, I'm planning 4,5 days across Turkm. fromIran to Uzb. with my Land Rover. Due to fuel shortage in Uzb, can you tell me the bestion to fill up my tanks in Turkm. just before entering Uzb.?
Thanks in advance (if anybody else has good advice/experience about this issue, it's welcome).
RR.

There are not very many fuel stations in Turkmenistan, so I would fill up in Turkmenabat.

Diesel will be available on Uzbekistan, just ask people hanging around at the side of he road for 'dizel' 'diz-toplivo' or 'solyarka'.

N40 15.100 E58 26.280
it's on Google Maps ( The Door to hell ;)

qq réponses :-)

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