Turkmenistan travel guide

If you only visited Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s capital, you’d form a pretty weird impression of this desert country, bordering the Caspian Sea. After a devastating earthquake in 1948, the city was rebuilt in Soviet style, but wealth from its oil and gas reserves drives an ongoing modernisation scheme, with huge, white, marble buildings continually popping up, in amongst the bizarre monuments and golden statues erected by one-time dictator-president Niyazov.

A bonkers, bling capital set within a country of desert, canyons and plateaus – Turkmenistan does contrasts brilliantly.

It’s definitely worth exploring, but Ashgabat scarcely prepares you for the true Turkmenistan beyond – a land of sweeping desert, deep canyons, bazaars selling brilliant red carpets, plateaus peppered with dinosaur footprints and ancient cities that once thronged with Silk Road merchants. It is one of the least-explored of Central Asia’s ’stans, but rewards the adventurous traveller with more than just unique sights. There’s fascinating recent history, too, weird natural wonders and tasty food.

Discover more in our Turkmenistan travel guide.

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Turkmenistan is...

waiting to reward the 21st century traveller with ancient sites, modern follies and mysterious landscapes.

Turkmenistan isn't...

crowded. This is a huge country covered mostly by desert with a population of around 5 million people.

Things to do in Turkmenistan…

Leave the hotels behind for a real taste of Turkmenistan. Camping in the desert brings you thrillingly close to this wild, dry landscape and a night near the burning gas crater at Darvaza is an unmissable chance to appreciate its weird, otherworldly glow. Just make sure you leave no trace of your stay behind – particularly important in a desert environment, as waste takes longer to degrade in the arid climate. Some tours also include a homestay or a night in a small village guesthouse. This gives an authentic insight into the lives of local people and also brings tangible benefits to small communities that may otherwise be overlooked by tourism. Most tours through Turkmenistan involve a fair bit of road travel, but do take time to explore its natural wonders on foot. There are nature reserves dotted around the country, with many tours taking in the Kugitang Mountains near Uzbekistan, where there’s great hiking through canyons and valleys. In western Turkmenistan, Yangikala canyon, its sides striped with layers of pink, red and yellow rock, is one of the most beautiful places to hike around in the country. Parts of Central Asia are very traditional, and as Turkmenistan doesn’t get lots of visitors, its people are not always accustomed to outsiders. Do respect local sensibilities. Open displays of affection will be frowned on and homosexuality is illegal.

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Things not to do in Turkmenistan…

Ashgabat’s out-there monuments, the flaming gas crater at Darvaza, the windswept ruins of ancient cities – there is so much that’s extraordinary about Turkmenistan that you’ll want to photograph. So, don’t forget your camera, but do use it wisely. It’s forbidden to photograph public buildings, and photography in the Teke, Russian and Tolkuchka bazaars in Ashgabat is also sometimes frowned on. Arid conditions, long journey times on often rough roads and lack of child-friendly activities mean Turkmenistan is not the most obvious destination for a family break, so don’t bring young kids. Teens with a sense of adventure and a penchant for archeology, on the other hand, might be in heaven! You would be hard-pressed to visit Turkmenistan and ignore its rich history and archeological heritage, but it’s worth remembering that any trip here will focus on visiting ancient sites, learning about the Parthian Empire which ruled from Nisa, and the cross-pollination of ideas promoted by the Silk Road. Don’t come if you’re after a relaxing beach break or activity holiday – that’s not the Turkmenistan offer. The food in this part of the world gets a bad press, but in Turkmenistan it’s actually not bad, just don’t expect haute cuisine. Soup and meat – the Turkmens are big meat eaters – are often served, but veggies do fine, tucking into all kinds of fresh, tasty salads.

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Written by Joanna Simmons

Turkmenistan travel guide