Five Days in Turkmenistan: Ashgabat to Bukhara
Overview
Fly into Ashgabat, see the capital and the crater, then Merv and the border into Bukhara. The cleanest way to combine Turkmenistan with an Uzbekistan trip that starts in Bukhara — and it runs in reverse too, if you are finishing in Bukhara.
Highlights
Is this trip for you?
- Travellers starting an Uzbekistan trip in Bukhara
- Anyone who wants two nights in Ashgabat
- Reverse travellers finishing in Bukhara — ask for the mirror itinerary
- You want Kunya-Urgench and Khiva (take the 4-day crossing)
- You dislike one-night stops
Our honest opinion
- Flights into Ashgabat connect well from Istanbul and Dubai
- The crater and Merv on consecutive days
- The Mary → Farap road is a long last morning
- Basic yurt camp at Darvaza
Ask for the Turkmenabat flight on day 5 if you want to be in Bukhara by lunch.
The trip in numbers
Your route
Line style shows how you travel each leg: solid = train, dotted = car, dashed = flight.
Day by day
Arrival and a city tour: the monuments, Nisa and the Russian bazaar.
North across the Karakum to the crater; dinner by the fire.
Craters at dawn, then the Turkmenbashi mosque and the carpet museum.
Drive east; afternoon in ancient Merv.
To the border and across to Bukhara, where our team collects you.
What’s included
What’s not included
Where you’ll stay
Or equivalent, depending on season. Hotels are inside or beside the historic centres wherever the town has one.
Good to know
Most nationalities enter Uzbekistan visa-free for 30–90 days. If your passport needs an e-visa, it takes 2–3 working days online — we check your case and guide you at booking.
The local currency is the Uzbek som (UZS). Visa and Mastercard work in city hotels, restaurants and supermarkets; keep some cash for bazaars, taxis and tips. ATMs dispense som and sometimes USD.
April–June and September–November are warm and clear — ideal for walking the old cities. July–August afternoons exceed 35°C; winter departures run at reduced prices.
Uzbekistan uses European plug types C and F, 220V. Travellers from the UK, US and Asia need a standard Euro adapter — one per device is enough, hotels have plenty of sockets.
Everyday dress is relaxed across all four cities. Inside mosques and madrasas, shoulders and knees should be covered; headscarves for women are only needed in a few active mosques — your guide will tell you when.
Your included eSIM is activated on arrival, so you’re online from the airport. Hotel Wi-Fi is reliable in all four cities; your coordinator stays reachable on WhatsApp or Telegram throughout.
Free cancellation up to 30 days before departure. 50% refund up to 15 days before; after that the booking is non-refundable, but you can move to another date once for free.
Medical insurance for the tour days is included. We still recommend personal travel insurance covering cancellation and baggage — we can suggest trusted providers.
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