Turkmenistan travel guide

Getting there

Most visitors fly into Ashgabat International Airport; land borders connect with Uzbekistan, Iran and Kazakhstan, though crossings require advance arrangements.

Best time to visit: Apr–May and Sep–Oct – warm days without extreme heat.

Tougher months: June to August – desert heat regularly exceeds 40°C; December to February can be cold and grey.

Weather by month in Ashgabat

• 8°J●
• 10°F●
• 16°M●●
• 23°A●
• 30°M●
• 36°J
• 38°J
• 37°A
• 31°S
• 23°O●
• 15°N●
• 9°D●

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: Asia/Ashgabat. Compare with your local time.

Visas: in our passport dataset, 0 of 198 other passports can enter Turkmenistan without arranging a visa first (visa-free or visa on arrival), 0 need an e-visa or electronic authorisation, and 198 need a visa in advance. Check your passport.

Background: Visa policy of Turkmenistan (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (U.S. Department of State, updated 2026-08-21). Read the advisory.

Source and more: Turkmenistan travel facts on RoamSun

Stay

Most trips to Turkmenistan are based around Ashgabat, Darvaza Gas Crater or Merv. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$40–70 for a backpacker and US$120–200 mid-range, per person.

Source: RoamSun Turkmenistan page · Browse hotel guides

Connect

Plug types: C, F. Voltage: 220 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +993.

Mobile data: read the travel eSIM setup guide before you fly so the plan is installed and ready on landing.

Source: Advinne eSIM guide · RoamSun

Do

• Ashgabat (Akhal · capital city): A surreal city of white marble, gold domes and grand monuments, plus excellent museums and bazaars.
• Darvaza Gas Crater (Karakum Desert · natural wonder): A burning crater in the heart of the desert, best seen after dark from a nearby camp.
• Merv (Mary · ancient Silk Road city): A UNESCO-listed sprawl of successive cities spanning around 4,000 years of history.
• Kunya-Urgench (Dashoguz · medieval ruins): Elegant mausoleums and soaring minarets recall the glory of the Khorezm empire.
• Nisa (Near Ashgabat · Parthian fortress): UNESCO-listed ruins of one of the earliest Parthian strongholds, an easy trip from the capital.
• Gonur Depe (Mary · Bronze Age site): The excavated palace and temples of the Margiana civilisation, remote and atmospheric.
• Yangykala Canyon (Balkan · desert canyon): Vivid striped cliffs rising from the desert floor in the far west of the country.
• Kow Ata Underground Lake (Akhal · cave lake): A warm, sulphurous lake in a vast cave, popular with locals for a restorative dip.

Things to do

• Camp by the Darvaza gas crater. Watch the 'Door to Hell' roar with flames under a desert sky full of stars.
• Explore ancient Merv. Walk among the crumbling walls and Seljuk mausoleums of a city that once rivalled Baghdad.
• Tour white-marble Ashgabat. Gaze at gleaming monuments, golden domes and vast empty boulevards in one of the world's most unusual capitals.
• Browse the Tolkuchka Bazaar. Haggle for hand-knotted carpets, embroidered robes and camel-wool goods at the sprawling market outside Ashgabat.
• Visit the Carpet Museum. See enormous hand-woven masterpieces and learn the tribal patterns behind Turkmenistan's national symbol.
• Meet Akhal-Teke horses. Admire the shimmering, golden-coated horses revered as a national treasure at stud farms near Ashgabat.
• Wander Kunya-Urgench. Stand beneath the tall Kutlug Timur minaret among the tombs of a once-mighty Khorezm capital.
• See the Parthian fortress of Nisa. Climb the earthen ramparts of an early Parthian royal centre with views to the Kopet Dag mountains.

Source: full Turkmenistan guide on RoamSun

Eat and drink

• Plov – rice with carrots and lamb
• Dograma – soup of torn bread, meat and onion
• Ishlekli – meat pie baked in hot sand or an oven
• Shashlik – grilled meat skewers

Source: RoamSun Turkmenistan guide

Money and safety

Currency: Turkmenistan manat (TMT). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: Not expected; 5–10% in restaurants is appreciated..

Emergency numbers: 02 police · 03 ambulance · 01 fire.

• Bring clean, undamaged banknotes in a major currency and exchange only at official banks or exchange offices.
• Foreign cards are rarely accepted and ATMs that work with them are scarce – plan to rely on cash.
• Street crime is low, but photography of government buildings, police and military sites can cause problems – ask first.
• Carry your passport and registration documents at all times, as checks are common.

Source: RoamSun Turkmenistan facts