2 Day Turkmenistan Tour from Khiva to Darvaza Gas Crater

2 Days | Private Tour | Shavat Border – Darvaza – Shavat Border

Darvaza Gas Crater glowing at sunrise in the Karakum Desert

Darvaza Gas Crater at Sunrise

Turkmenistan Tour from Khiva is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to experience the famous Darvaza Gas Crater on a short 2 day private journey. Starting at the Shavat border near Khiva, the route takes you through Dashoguz and across the Karakum Desert to Darvaza, where you can watch the crater at sunset, enjoy dinner near the yurt camp, and stay overnight in a traditional private yurt. The following morning, the tour returns through Dashoguz to the Shavat border for your journey back to Uzbekistan.

2 Day Turkmenistan Tour from Khiva Itinerary

Day 1: Khiva / Shavat Border – Dashoguz – Darvaza Gas Crater

Your 2 Day Turkmenistan Tour from Khiva begins at the Shavat border crossing, conveniently located for travelers coming from Khiva and Urgench in Uzbekistan. After completing the border formalities, meet your Turkmen guide and driver on the Turkmenistan side of the border and begin your journey through northern Turkmenistan.
Continue to Dashoguz, one of the main cities of northern Turkmenistan, where you will have time for lunch at a local restaurant before heading south toward the Karakum Desert.
After lunch, depart for the famous Darvaza Gas Crater. The journey gradually leaves the city landscape behind and enters the vast Karakum Desert, offering a first impression of Turkmenistan’s remote desert scenery.
Arrive at the Darvaza Gas Crater before sunset. Explore the crater surroundings and watch the landscape change as daylight fades. Darvaza, also widely known as the Door to Hell or Gates of Hell, is especially impressive after dark when the flames illuminate the crater and the surrounding desert.
Dinner will be served at the nearby yurt camp. After dinner, enjoy additional time beside the crater and experience one of Turkmenistan’s most famous sights under the night sky.
Overnight: Traditional yurt or tent at Darvaza Gas Crater.

Day 2: Darvaza Gas Crater – Dashoguz – Shavat Border / Khiva

Start the morning with breakfast at the yurt camp and enjoy the peaceful desert atmosphere around Darvaza before beginning the return journey north.
Depart from the Darvaza Gas Crater and travel across the Karakum Desert toward Dashoguz. On arrival in Dashoguz, stop for lunch and, depending on the available time, enjoy a short city visit or time for local shopping.
After lunch, continue toward the Shavat border crossing between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Your guide and driver will take you to the Turkmenistan side of the border, where the tour services finish.
Complete the border formalities and cross back into Uzbekistan. From Shavat, you can continue your journey toward Khiva or Urgench.
This completes your 2 Day Turkmenistan Tour from Khiva to the Darvaza Gas Crater, a compact route combining the Karakum Desert, local experiences and an overnight stay beside the famous Door to Hell.

Price included:

Visa support. Full assistance with the Letter of Invitation (LOI) and foreigner registration in Turkmenistan.
Accommodation. One night in a private traditional yurt near the Darvaza Gas Crater, including bed linen and shower facilities.
Yurt night stay at Darvaza. Overnight in a traditional yurt near the Darvaza Gas Crater, including dinner, breakfast, bed linen, and shower facilities.
Transport. Comfortable air-conditioned vehicles with experienced drivers throughout the tour.
Transfers. Border pick-up, city-to-city transfers, sightseeing transfers, and drop-off at the border.
Meals. Dinner and breakfast at Darvaza are included.
Guide. Licensed English-speaking guide throughout the route.
Sightseeing and entrance fees. Sightseeing included in the itinerary and any required entrance fees are included.
Medical insurance. Insurance coverage up to 64,000 USD per guest.
Driver and guide expenses. Gasoline, meals, accommodation, and all route-related expenses for the driver and guide are included.
Taxes and organization. All taxes, road fees, and organizational expenses are included.
Border-to-border service. The tour starts at the Turkmenistan border and ends at the Turkmenistan border.
Flexible program. You will see everything possible within the available time. The tour can be adjusted on the go, depending on time, logistics, and local conditions.

Not included:

Visa and border fees. Usually not more than 110 USD per person.
Meals not mentioned in the program. Average cost is 3-8 USD per person per meal.
Personal expenses. Souvenirs, snacks, alcohol, laundry, minibar, SIM cards, extra hotel services, and other personal purchases.
Tips. Tips are not included, but welcomed.

Prices, per person

Group size	Price per person
1 person	US$ 473
2 persons	US$ 365
3 persons	US$ 295
4 persons	US$ 263

Accommodation

Darvaza - 1 night

Private Yurt

2 Day Turkmenistan Tour from Khiva Reviews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We received a lot of information before the trip and help with LOI. All questions were always answered quickly and comprehensively, which left us feeling confident. Our guide also spoke good English and came to help us cross the border. He also told us a lot of interesting information about Turkmenistan and made sure that everything was fine. The city of Dasoguz has interesting architecture and a couple of hours enough time. The guide helped us change money and took us to a shop to buy souvenirs. The trip to Darwaza takes about 5 hours, and 4 of those hours are on a really bad road. Luckily, we took a lot of breaks during the drive. The crater is slowly dying down, but it is a great sight, especially in the dark. The crater itself is absolutely huge. The desert is beautiful and the yurt accommodation was atmospheric. There are also toilets and showers at the camp. The only improvement would be that the trip could include stargazing as an additional service. The camps emit so much light that it is difficult to see the Milky Way, and it would be easy to get to a completely dark place by car to look at the stars.

Review on Google >>

Johanna Juura

July 24, 2026

Why Choose This Turkmenistan Tour from Khiva?

This Turkmenistan Tour from Khiva is ideal for travelers who want to visit the Darvaza Gas Crater without adding a long journey to their Uzbekistan itinerary. The Shavat border is conveniently located near Khiva and Urgench, and the tour includes private transportation, an English-speaking guide, a private yurt stay, dinner and breakfast at Darvaza.