Day 1 Flight from Finland to Central Asia
We meet at Helsinki-Vantaa airport. Flight from Helsinki to Istanbul at 12.35 – 17.10. Connecting flight to Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, at 21.30.
Day 2 Ashgabat – the capital of white marble – Circus show (A, L, I)
Arrival at Ashgabat International Airport. We arrive at 03:15 where the group will be met by a driver and his bus. We will stay at the Sportivnaya 4* hotel, built in 2017, located in the Olympia village of Ashgabat, in the centre of the city.
After lunch, a guided tour of the spectacular Turkmenistan capital where gilding and white marble are not spared. The modern city, built with petroleum and natural gas resources, gives a sense of luxurious affluence and is bewilderingly unrealistic in its perfection.
Tonight’s programme includes a visit to the Turkmenistan National Circus. We will see the ahalteke horse show and horse show. The horse show will be performed by the “Galkynysh” group. The audience will be fascinated by the royal horses and the beauty and speed of the brave riders. They perform various tricks on horseback. Turkmen artists inherited their talent from their ancestors. The “Galkynysh” group was recognised as the best among 32 circus groups from 22 countries and awarded the main prize of the festival – the Gold Cup. “Galkynysh” group performs in Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Turkey and other countries.
Note! The itinerary is subject to change. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight stay in hotel. Hotel accommodation.
Day 3 Ashgabad – Horse Racing – Nisa – Ashgabad (A, L, I)
In the morning we drive towards the International Racecourse, about 20 km from Ashgabad. Horse racing is very popular in Turkmenistan. The winner gets an expensive handmade carpet or a luxury car or an elite apartment. During the horse festival, several races are held in the country.
After the horse races, we drive to the ancient Parthian city of Nisa. The fortress was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007. Nisa is described as one of the first Parthian capitals.
Day 4 Ashgabat – Derwaza (268 km, about 4-5 hours) (A, L, I)
Breakfast at hotel. In the morning we visit one of the best carpet museums and cultural centers of Central Asia in Turkmenistan. The museum has about 2 000 exhibits. For example, the museum has the smallest carpet for carrying keys, as well as the largest carpet in the world with a total area of 301 m². It was woven in 2001 and was added to the Guinness Book of World Records in 2003.
In the afternoon, we drive towards the burning gas crater of Derwaza, also known as the Gates of Hell. According to one story, in 1971 the Soviet Union was digging in the area in search of oil. However, the excavation unearthed natural gas and the discovery caused the ground beneath the drilling platform to collapse, leaving behind a 70-metre deep crater. To avoid the toxic gas erupting, it was decided that the best solution would be to light the gas on fire and let it burn out. Geologists estimated that the burning would be completed within a few days. However, this was not the case and the crater is still burning to this day.
On the way to the crater, we stop in the small desert village of Erbent. Before heading into the evening woods, we enjoy a BBQ dinner near the gas crater.
Overnight in tents (1-2 people). Tent accommodation includes: mattress, sleeping bag and pillow.
Day 5 Derwaza-Kunya-Urgench-Dashoguz-Shavat-Khiva (410 km, about 8 hours) (A,I)
In the morning we will enjoy a picnic-style breakfast at the gas crater. After enjoying breakfast we will start driving towards Kunya-Urgench.
At Kunya-Urgenchs we can see the gate of Caravansaray, once one of the Silk Road’s trading and resting places. It must have been quite an experience to see the gate after a long desert journey.
We will also visit the Mamun Minaret, the Mauseloum of Arslan II, the Mausoleum of Sultaani Tekesh, the Horezm Academy, the Timur Minaret of Kultin and the Turabek Hanum Mausoleum. We will then drive through the town of Dashoguz to the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan border. After crossing the border we drive to Khiva.
In the evening we arrive in Khiva, dinner and accommodation.
Day 6 Khiva is nice (A, I)
Today we explore Khiva. The city was founded on an oasis site and is now divided into two parts: the old city and the new. The old part seems like an open-air museum, the history and the beautifully restored buildings of the city are a must experience. Khiva has magnificent mosques, minarets and turquoise domes, winding streets, old orchards and inns that have welcomed visitors since the days of the caravans. The city was famous for its slave market, which only stopped when Russia conquered the Khiva Khanate.
Day 7 Khiva – Legendary Samarkand (A, I)
After breakfast, free time. At 11.30 am transfer to the railway station. At 12.45 we board the Afrosiyab express train and at 17.20 we arrive in fabled Samarkand. We will be met by a local guide and transferred to dinner.
Dinner will be enjoyed with a local family and we will learn how to prepare the Uzbek pilaf. Hotel accommodation.
Day 8 Legendary Samarkand – Tashkent (A, I)
After breakfast at 11.00 we start our sightseeing tour. There is much to see in Samarkand, and few cities have a more colourful history than Samarkand. The most famous attraction is the Registan Square, located in the heart of Samarkand. The square is flanked on three sides by buildings, minarets and madrasas in perfect architectural harmony. The Ulugh Beg Madrasa dates from around 1417-1420, the Tillya-Kari Madrasa and the Shir Dor Madrasa are all architectural masterpieces protected by UNESCO.
After lunch (self-catering) we will visit the rural village of Konigil, about 20 km from Samarkand. The village has been producing very fine handmade paper for centuries. One of the masters will show us how the bark of a mulberry tree is transformed into fine paper.
At 16.00 we transfer to the railway station, at 17.00 we board the Afrosiyab express train and at 19.10 we arrive in Tashkent. Dinner and hotel accommodation.
Day 9 Return home (A, I)
At 06.30 am transfer to Tashkent airport. Flight Tashkent – Istanbul from 09.00 to 12.20. Onward connection to Helsinki from 14.40 – 18.05.
