Ancient Merv & the Karakum
Ancient Merv & the Karakum
Merv was once among the largest cities on earth — a jewel of the Silk Road that Persian geographers called “the queen of the world”. This six-day journey is built for travellers drawn to deep history, pairing the immense oasis ruins of Merv with the 4,000-year-old Bronze-Age capital of Gonur-Depe.
The route from Ashgabat also crosses the Karakum for a night beside the burning Darvaza crater, so the trip balances scholarship with spectacle. Short domestic flights keep the long distances comfortable.
A premium private itinerary for up to eight guests, with comfortable hotels, one desert camp and an expert guide who brings the ruins to life.
At a glance
Moments you will carry home
The great oasis of Merv
Walls, fortresses and the Sultan Sanjar mausoleum across a UNESCO site the size of a city.
Bronze-Age Gonur
The 4,000-year-old capital of the Margiana civilisation, raised from the desert sand.
A night at Darvaza
The burning crater and a desert camp on the way south.
Anau & the capital
The dragon-portal mosque of Anau and Ashgabat’s marble grandeur.
The route unfolds
Scroll the itinerary — the map traces your journey as it goes.
Ashgabat
Arrival
Airport welcome and a first evening in the marble capital.
Ashgabat & Anau
Capital & the dragons
The capital’s monuments and National Museum, then the earthquake-touched Seyit Jemaleddin mosque at Anau, once famed for its twin-dragon portal.
Darvaza Crater
The Gates of Hell
North into the Karakum to camp beside the burning gas crater, watching it glow as the desert night falls.
Fly to Mary · Merv
Queen of the world
Return south and fly to Mary, then out to the vast oasis of Merv — city walls, the Great Kyz Kala and the soaring Sultan Sanjar mausoleum.
Gonur-Depe
Bronze-Age Margiana
Into the desert to Gonur-Depe, the 4,000-year-old Margiana capital — its palace, fire temples and royal necropolis.
Mary → Ashgabat · Departure
Homeward
The Mary regional museum in the morning, then fly back to Ashgabat for your onward flight.
What's included
- ✓Private English-speaking guide throughout
- ✓All accommodation per the itinerary (hotels + desert camp where shown)
- ✓Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver
- ✓All domestic flights and transfers in the programme
- ✓Daily breakfast and selected meals
- ✓Entrance fees to the sites and museums listed
- ✓Letter of invitation (LOI) and visa support
- ✓Bottled water and all travel documents
Not included
- —International flights to and from Turkmenistan
- —Visa fee paid on arrival
- —Lunches and dinners not specified
- —Travel insurance
- —Tips for guides and drivers
- —Personal expenses and drinks
Destinations you'll explore
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