Group meeting at the border with Uzbekistan - Khiva-Dashoguz. After the customs procedures, the group departs to the city of Dashoguz, where they will be accommodated in the Dashoguz Hotel. After lunch, we will head south to the pilgrimage site - Ismamut-Ata, where we will visit the old cemetery, mosque, and mausoleum with a cenotaph, and interact with the pilgrims. Then, we will visit another architectural monument - Aksaray-Ding, and return to the hotel in the evening.
This day is dedicated to exploring the capital of the Khwarazmshahs - Kunya-Urgench, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We will visit the main architectural objects of the ancient capital of Khwarazm, such as the mausoleums of Nadjm-ad-Din Kubra, Il-Arslan, and Tekesh, the tomb of Turabek-Khanum, and the minaret of the congregational mosque, which is the tallest in Central Asia. After lunch, our group will visit one of the most interesting fortresses - Izmukshir, where we will walk along the highest walls flanked by towers, explore the central part of the citadel, and return to the Dashoguz Hotel in the evening.
In the morning, our group will head to the fortresses dating back to the 7th-5th centuries BCE, which were built during the Achaemenid rule in Khwarazm - Kyzyl-Kala and Kalaly-Kala. This day will impress you with the unique construction of the walls, gates, and turning chambers of the ancient settlements, which are more than 2500 years old. In the evening, we will return to the hotel.
After breakfast and visiting the Eastern bazaar, we will travel to the southern borders of the Khwarazmshah Empire and visit the fortresses from the beginning of the Silk Road era - Shasenem and Gyaur-Kala. After lunch, we will head south to the center of the Karakum Desert, to the gas crater in Darvaza, where we will stay in a tent camp.
In the morning, our group will depart to the capital of Turkmenistan - the white-marble city of Ashgabat. On the way, we will have the opportunity to visit the clay and water craters, as well as stop in the village of Yerbent to learn about the life of the desert dwellers. We will spend the night in one of the hotels in the capital.
On this day, we will take a sightseeing tour of the city, visiting the main architectural landmarks of the capital, including the parks of Neutrality and Independence, the Ruhnama Book Monument, the Square of Remembrance for the Heroes of World War II and the victims of the Ashgabat earthquake. We will also visit the National Museum of History, which houses unique historical artifacts discovered in the country during centuries of archaeological research. The tour will end at the panoramic viewpoint of the Wedding Palace.
On this day, we will bid farewell to the group and accompany them to the Iranian border at Bajgiran or to the airport in Ashgabat.
Included
Transfer and transportation
Tour guide and interpreter
Visa support
Registration
Entrance tickets
Guided tours as per the program
Accommodation in hotels
Drinking water (1 liter) provided daily.
Excluded
Visa fee and tax by arrival
Meals
Personal expenses