 |
| Darvaza Gas Crater — Door to Hell |
Turkmenistan was the section of the journey that refused to behave. In ten days it moved from white-marble Ashgabat to the Caspian edge, from canyon dust to crater fire, from Merv’s ruined city walls to Dayahatyn’s brick arches and the Amu Darya.
This hub keeps the five Turkmenistan posts in one place. Start with the full route below, jump to the episode that fits your mood, or use the map when the geography begins doing its usual Central Asian magic trick: making every place look close until the road explains otherwise.
Turkmenistan — Regional Hub Summary
This regional hub brings together the five posts from our 10-day Turkmenistan journey: Ashgabat and the sleeper train to Turkmenbashi, the western loop through Yangykala and Nokhur, Darvaza in the Karakum, Old Nisa and Merv, then Amul, Dayahatyn and the Amu Darya before the flight from Turkmenabat returns us to Ashgabat.
| What's Covered | |
| 🧭 | Start Here — choose the Turkmenistan episode that matches the route or place you want |
| 🗺️ | Full Route at a Glance — five linked episodes across rail, guided roads, local 4x4s and air |
| 🚂 | Part 1 — Ashgabat to Turkmenbashi via the Trans-Caspian Railway |
| 🏜️ | Part 2 — Turkmenbashi to Ashgabat via Yangykala Canyon, Nokhur and Kow Ata |
| 🔥 | Part 3 — Ashgabat to Darvaza Gas Crater through the Karakum Desert |
| 🏛️ | Part 4 — Old Nisa, Mary and Merv by Silk Road Motorway |
| 🐪 | Part 5 — Amul, Dayahatyn and the Amu Darya, then the flight back to Ashgabat |
| 🧳 | Travel Notes — how the guided vehicle, rail, local 4x4 and domestic flight fit together |
Across these five posts, our Turkmenistan route begins and ends in Ashgabat. Guided vehicles and local 4x4s carry the road and desert legs, the Trans-Caspian sleeper takes us west to Turkmenbashi, and a domestic flight from Turkmenabat closes the loop. Between them sit the Caspian side, Darvaza, Merv, Dayahatyn and the Amu Darya. Straight lines were apparently considered optional.
Transport: guided tour vehicle, local 4x4s, Turkmen Railways sleeper train and domestic flight
Series: 5 linked Turkmenistan posts
Map: Open our Turkmenistan route map
Start Here: Choose Your Turkmenistan Episode
Start with Part 1 if you want the controlled weirdness of Ashgabat first: marble avenues, bazaars, mosques, Alabai dogs and the sleeper train to Turkmenbashi.
Start with Part 2 if canyon color, mountain village roads and an underground thermal lake sound better than another government building with excellent posture. This leg also closes the western loop by returning to Ashgabat.
Start with Part 3 if you came for Darvaza, but still want the road, camels and desert stops that make the crater feel earned.
Start with Part 4 if ruins are your weakness: Old Nisa, Mary, Merv and the splendid oddity of reaching them by Silk Road Motorway.
Start with Part 5 if caravanserais, Amul and the Amu Darya are the words that make your inner map nerd sit up politely.
The Full Turkmenistan Route at a Glance
- Part 1 — Ashgabat and the overnight Trans-Caspian Railway sleeper west to Turkmenbashi.
- Part 2 — Turkmenbashi through Yangykala Canyon, Balkanabat, Nokhur and Kow Ata, then back to Ashgabat.
- Part 3 — Ashgabat north through the Karakum Desert to Darvaza Gas Crater.
- Part 4 — Old Nisa, Mary and Ancient Merv, with the eastbound leg using the Silk Road Motorway.
- Part 5 — Mary and Merv to Turkmenabat, Amul, Dayahatyn and the Amu Darya.
- Travel notes — the complete component mixes guided road travel, local 4x4s, sleeper rail and the domestic flight from Turkmenabat back to Ashgabat.
Part 1 — Ashgabat to Turkmenbashi via the Trans-Caspian Railway
 |
| Our Ashgabat - Turkmenbashi overnight sleeper train at Ashgabat Railway Station |
Route: Ashgabat → Anau → Gypjak → Ashgabat Railway Station → Turkmenbashi.
Ashgabat opens with disciplined strangeness: polished avenues, enormous monuments, museums, mosques, bazaars and Alabai pride lined up as if the city planner owned both a ruler and a fog machine. The mood changes at the railway station, where the overnight sleeper turns the capital into a moving line across the Karakum toward the Caspian Sea.
Read Part 1: Ashgabat to Turkmenbashi
Part 2 — Turkmenbashi to Ashgabat via Yangykala Canyon, Nokhur and Kow Ata
 |
| Yangykala Canyon: Crocodile's Mouth |
Route: Turkmenbashi → Yangykala Canyon → Balkanabat → Nokhur → Kow Ata → Ashgabat.
The second leg leaves the Caspian side and enters the wild west of Turkmenistan: cracked roads, camel crossings, Yangykala’s colored cliffs, a night in Nokhur and the descent into Kow Ata’s underground thermal lake. After Kow Ata, the route returns to Ashgabat and closes the western loop.
Read Part 2: Turkmenbashi to Ashgabat via Yangykala and Nokhur
Part 3 — Ashgabat to Darvaza Gas Crater via the Karakum Desert
|
| Darvaza Gas Crater - Door to Hell |
Route: Ashgabat → Altyn Asyr Bazaar → Erbent → Water Crater → Mud Crater → Darvaza Gas Crater.
Darvaza is the postcard with smoke damage, but the approach is what gives it teeth. The day includes camels, rough pavement, fuel stops, nearby water and mud craters, and the odd sensation of arriving at a famous burning hole that remains, after all these years, a bad idea with excellent lighting.
Read Part 3: Ashgabat to Darvaza Gas Crater
Part 4 — Old Nisa, Mary and Merv by Silk Road Motorway
 |
| Great Kyz Kala, Ancient Merv — a ribbed mud-brick köshk. |
Route: Ashgabat → Old Nisa → Mary → Ancient Merv.
The fourth leg changes the scale of the trip. Old Nisa brings the Parthians into view, Mary works as the base, and Merv spreads out as a city field rather than a single stop. Merv’s story is told by mausoleums, fortified buildings and ruined walls. They are quiet, but not shy.
Read Part 4: Old Nisa, Mary and Merv
Part 5 — Amul, Dayahatyn and the Amu Darya
 |
| Dayahatyn Caravanserai entrance |
Route: Mary → Karakum Canal → Turkmenabat / Amul → Dayahatyn Caravanserai → Amu Darya → Turkmenabat Airport → Ashgabat.
The fifth leg belongs to water, brick and distance. After the Karakum Canal and Turkmenabat, ancient Amul points toward the river world, while Dayahatyn stands in the desert like a memory that forgot to fall down. The Amu Darya is the last major road stop; the domestic flight from Turkmenabat returns us to Ashgabat and closes the Turkmenistan component.
Read Part 5: Amul, Dayahatyn and the Amu Darya
Turkmenistan Travel Notes for Overlanders
Turkmenistan was not one continuous self-drive road trip. Guided vehicles handled much of the route, the Trans-Caspian sleeper carried us to Turkmenbashi, local 4x4s handled desert access at Darvaza and Dayahatyn, and a domestic flight returned us from Turkmenabat to Ashgabat. Four transport modes for five posts. The route had clearly been attending committee meetings.
The map is the easiest way to keep those jumps straight. Central Asian distance remains very good at looking harmless on a screen.
Open the Turkmenistan route map
Turkmenistan compressed several Silk Road layers into one regional component of our 2025 journey: the modern capital, the Trans-Caspian Railway, Karakum desert roads, Parthian Old Nisa, Merv’s ruined cities, Dayahatyn and the Amu Darya. Rail, guided road travel, local 4x4s and air kept changing the mechanics. The historical thread kept going. This Turkmenistan component ends back in Ashgabat; the later Shehzadi overland phase belongs to another route component of the same 2025 journey, not to one uninterrupted road line through Turkmenistan.
The wider 2025 journey is gathered in our 2025 Silk Road/world-overland expedition hub.
