Turkmenistan Road trips

2 curated road trips in Turkmenistan — Turkmenistan: Gates of Hell, Turkmenistan Silk Road. Mapped stops, distance, duration, best season, and practical route notes.

These 2 routes range from 600 to 1150 km and from 3 to 10 days, across 1 country. Top picks: Turkmenistan: Gates of Hell, Turkmenistan Silk Road.

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  IconicTurkmenistan: Gates of HellTurkmenistan · 600 km · 3–4 daysThrough the Karakum Desert from Ashgabat, the world's most surreal capital of white marble and golden statues, north to the Darvaza gas crater (the Gates of Hell), a 69-metre burning pit ignited by Soviet drillers in 1971 and still flaming today, before continuing to Dashoguz on the Uzbek border. One of the most extraordinary drives on earth.
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  NotableTurkmenistan Silk RoadTurkmenistan · 1,150 km · 7-10 daysTrace Turkmenistan’s Silk Road heartland from the modern capital to the ruins and oasis towns that once linked Persia, Khiva, and Merv. This paved cross-country drive pairs marble Ashgabat, desert landscapes, UNESCO-listed Ancient Merv, and the stark remains of Konye-Urgench on a route rich in history and wide-open emptiness.