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BY DINOSAUR STEPS
Ashgabat - Mary - Turkmenabat - Kugitang - Turkmenabat - Ashgabat
Day 1 / Arrive Ashgabat
Flight to Ashgabat.
Arrival in Ashgabat. Meet & assist at the airport and transfer to hotel in Ashgabat . / Meals: -
Day 2 / Ashgabat
Breakfast. Sightseeing tour of Ashgabat including: Lenin Monument, new mosque, Turkmenbashi revolving statue, local Russian bazaar, etc. Visit Museum of History and ethnography. About 500,000 exhibits are displayed in the museum. It boasts a full collection of Turkmenistan's most significant architectural finds of the XX century; a large number of ancient Turkmen carpets and rugs; examples of national dress and fabrics; traditional household equipment; musical instruments; weapons; jewelry; orders and medals, and historical documents. Its unique collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures includes not only Turkmen fine arts but also masterpieces of some Russian and Western European artists of the nineteenth-twentieth centuries. The collection includes early paintings, watercolors and icons among its exhibits. Moreover the museum reveals the variety of Turkmenistan's landscape: its flora and fauna, fossils and rare geological finds.
Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon visiting to Ancient Nisa, the capital of the Parthian Empire (25 km from Ashgabat), mentioned in the Zend-Avesta - holy book of Zoroastrianism. In the 4th century B.C., Parthia was a part of Alexander the Great's Empire. Then it became an independent state. It was a large city and the family residence of kings. The peak of Parthia's military success and political might was achieved in the second and first centuries B.C. Its territory stretched from Syria to India. The Parthian army defeated the army led by the Roman commander Crassus, famous for his defeat of a slaves' revolt headed by Spartacus. Now you can see the remains of the royal fortress. Dinner at Turkmen jeweler family. Overnight. / Meals: B. L. D.
Day 3 / Ashgabat - Mary
Breakfast at Hotel's restaurant. Drive to Mary. Visit of Meane-Baba-Mausoleum, a monument to an eleventh century Sufi teacher, is unique because of its extraordinary tile-work on the outer walls and the beauty of its simple interior. The Mausoleum as a day-trip from Ashgabat and Abiverd. Lunch en route. Lunch will be at Hauzhan which is located close to the big lake with the best fish in our country so if you wish you can have there a nice and delicious peace of fish. Arrival in Mary. Accommodation at Hotel. Dinner Overnight. / Meals: B. L. D.
Day 4 / Mary
Breakfast. Drive to Margoush. Gonur-Depe (Margoush), the main site of Zoroastrian Margush, is located some 70 km north of Merv and is the center of a great four thousand year fire-worshipping civilization famous for its seals and unusual burial practices. The capital city-site is the only entirely excavated site of this size in the country and visitors can explore the ancient alleyways and shrines. Merv and extremely well set-up Mary Museum require at least a day to visit and can be reached overland from Ashgabat or Bukhara in one day. Margush is a four-hour off-road ride to the north. It's a day trip very worth your time especially when the archaeologists are on site in spring and autumn. Picnic lunch. Drive to Mary. Dinner. Overnight./ Meals: B. L.D.
Day 5 / Mary - Turkmenabat
After breakfast drive to Turkmenabat. En route excursion to Ancient Merv, is by far Turkmenistan's most recognized heritage site. It impresses in its vastness of 2,000 ha including five different city-sites from three millennia and with numerous monuments and shrines remaining from the Muslim period. Merv has recently been included into the UN List of World Heritage Monuments. The important architectural monuments include Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum and Gyz Gala Fortress. Arrival in Turkmenabat. Lunch and Dinner at local restaurant. Accommodation at the Hotel and overnight. / Meals: B. L.D.
Day 6 / Turkmenabat - Kugitang
Breakfast. Drive to Kugitang via Kaynar-Baba lake. The Kaynar-Baba lake is one of the nature wonders of Kugitang area. It has clean water which contains some minerals and considered to have the medical qualities. The lake located in a picturesque valley between mountains and lowlands of Gowurdak plateau. Picnic lunch en route. Arrival and accommodation at the hotel. Dinner at the hotel. / Meals: B. L. D.
Day 7 / Kugitang
Breakfast. Visit Dinosaur Plateau and other beutiful natural sites of Kugitang. The "Dinosuar Plateau" conserves about 200 clear footprints of dinosuaurs, which became extinct about 150 million years ago. After lunch at Hojapil village trek to picturesque place with 27 m watrefal in Umbardere canyon and visit to "Kyrk Gyz" "Forty girls" cave. The "Kyrk Gyz" cave is a holyshrine where according to a local legend forty girls died, escaping the enemy. Afternoon return to Koyten. Dinner and overnight in Hotel / Meals: B. L. D.
Day 8 / Kugitang
After breakfast drive to Daray-Dere canyon.The Daray-dere canyon is another of numerous gorges of Kugitang mountains, where one can see an amazing mountain landscape with rich fauna and flora. The whole day trekking in the canyon. Picnic lunch. Afternoon return to Koiten village. Dinner. Overnight in Hotel / Meals: B. L. D.
Day 9 / Kugitang - Turkmenabat - Ashgabat
Breakfast. Drive to Turkmenabat. Lunch en route. Arrival in Turkmenabat. Evening flight to Ashgabat. Arrival and transfer to the Hotel. Dinner at hotel's restaurant. / Meals: B. L. D.
Day 10 / Ashgabat
After breakfast visit the Tolkuchka Bazaar (Oriental Market - in Ashgabat should not be missed. This colorful bazaar is where practically the entire country comes together to trade on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Anything and everything is sold here from camels and cars to antiques, carpets, and jewelry.). Lunch at local restaurant. Visit the great Mosque in Kipchak and Geok-Depe fortress. Dinner at local restaurant.
Day 11 / Ashgabat - Home
transfer to Airport for flight home
Flight home / Meals: -
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