Darwaza and Damla Tour

Tour 4: Darwaza and Damla Tour
Duration: 6 days
In short: Ashgabat – Darwaza – Damla – Ashgabat

Day 1: Ashgabat
The local guide will meet you at the airport. You will be drive to Ashgabat city, capital of Turkmenistan.  It is situated between the Karakum Desert and the Kopet Dag mountain range. The name of the city comes from the Persian word ashkhabat, which means “city of love”. Upon arrival you will check in to the hotel and have free time to rest. In the afternoon you will have a guided city tour. The city concentrates a huge amount of government institutions and agencies, as well as interesting monuments and attractions. You will visit the Arch of Neutrality, with a golden statue of Turkmenbashi at the top, the Presidential Palace, Lenin Square and Independence Park during your travel. Also you will have an excursions in Museum of Ethnography and Museum of Fine Arts. Overnight is in a hotel. 

Day 2: Ashgabat – Darwaza
Today you will be transferred to Darwaza Gas Crater. In the morning you will drive 12 km to the southeast of Ashgabat to visit Seyit Jemaletdin mausoleum and Ertogrul Gazi mosque. Then you will continue driving through the Karakum desert. Along the way, you will stop at small nomadic village, where you will learn about the traditions of locals and watch their daily routines during your tour. In the middle of the desert you will see Darvaza gas crater, nicknamed by locals "The Door to Hell" or "The Gates of Hell". The view of the flame burning in the crater is fascinating. Tonight you will sleep in the tents.

Day 3: Darwaza – Damla
Today you will cross into the Northern Karakum and traverse the Uzboy - the former riverbed of the Amudarya River to reach the Damla village. It is a little heaven of traditional Turkmenistani life. You can witness simple and beautiful nomadic traditions throwing you back in the time. Located to the east of the fiery crater at Darvaza and connected to other civilization by endless sandy dunes, Damla is very isolated place during your travel. The villagers trek miles to neighboring towns on foot or carried camels or horseback to get food and other necessary things.  After excursion of Damla you will drive to Ak Molla village. Night is in a guesthouse. 

Day 4: Damla – Ashgabat
After a breakfast in the guesthouse, you will drive to Murze Chirla village. On the way you will have plenty of stops to enjoy the nature and take pictures. Today you will drive back to Ashgabat. A magnificent and clean city of Turkmenistan with lavish palaces and mosques surrounded by vast expanses of manicured parkland, the city was noted in the Guinness World Records several times. You will have a chance to have an evening tour of the city.

Day 5: Ashgabat
In the morning you will have an excursion in National museum. Then you will drive to the Old Nisa. About 18 kilometers to the West of Ashgabat lie the ruins of Nisa, an important city of the ancient Parthian Empire. In 2007 the fortress was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. After the lunch time You will visit Gypjak Mosque, also known as Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque. Unlike most mosques, the walls of Turkmenbashi Ruhy, are inscribed, controversially, with scriptures from not only the Quran but also the Ruhnama, Niyazov’s own spiritual guide to life. Next to the mosque is the equally stunning mausoleum where the remains of the first president of modern Turkmenistan and his family rest. Then you will visit a horse farm to see the pride of Turkmenistan, Akhal Teke horses. Overnight in a hotel. 

Day 6: Flight
Night transfer to the Ashgabat International Airport to board a flight to next destination.

Transport:
– Minibus

Price per person:
02 pax – 800 $
04 pax – 645 $
06 pax – 525 $
08 pax – 465 $
10 pax – 430 $
Single – 60 $

Early check-in – 35 $
Single early check-in – 50 $ 

Half board – 55 $
Full board – 105 $
 

Service includes:
- Driver with a car
- Hotels and Guesthouses:
      Ashgabat – “Menzil” Hotel 3*
      Darwaza – Tents with dinner
      Damla – Guest house with dinner
- Visa support
- English speaking guide
- Entrance fees to all museums
- Botlled water during the tour                                            

Service does not include:
- Visa
- Full board
- Single rooms             
- Early check-in
- Travel insurance
- Migration tax (12$)
- Fee for using cameras on monuments 

Note: Each Traveler should have 2 photos (5×6) to be presented at the points of entry.