Ashgabat - Post Report Question and Answers
What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
People find all kinds of interesting things to do. If you ride, this is a great place for it, or to learn if you don't. Hiking, fishing, and camping are also typical. There are some really beautiful landscapes to see. - Jan 2024
We enjoyed our adventures out of the city including driving to Uzbekistan, eating a whole goat in a yurt in the middle of the desert, visiting the gates of Hell, going to the brewery. - Dec 2020
My adult daughter was recently here and we hired a driver for two days to take us to the mosques, monuments, parkes, museums, and ancient city of Nisa. I also like the cable car ride and resort Gala. - Jun 2018
There is nothing outwardly fun or interesting to do here. There is a gondola that travels up the Kopet Dag mountains that provides great views of Ashgabat (pollution limits the view), the largest indoor ferriswheel in the world is here (but rarely is working) and 3 UNESCO sights (but they are poorly preserved). The biggest gem is the Fire Crater which is about 3 hours outside of Ashgabat and shouldn't be missed if you are located here. - Feb 2016
Visit the many Guinness Book of World Record sites, including the world's largest carpet and indoor Ferris wheel, in Ashgabat. Take a short drive to the huge Kipchak mosque and to Nisa, capital to an ancient empire. Drink tea and haggle over the price of a carpet. Take a 6-7 hour (round trip) drive to the fire crater. Take a cheap domestic flight to the Caspian Sea 'resort' of Awaza. - Jul 2014
Once again, there is nothing to do after you have spent the first week looking at monuments, carpets, and ruins. There are no movie theaters, malls, shopping centers, ski slopes, golf courses, etc. in Turkmenistan. You can exercise and drink. That about covers it. - Oct 2012
The is a fire crater, an underground lake, ancient Merv, dinosaur tracks, and of course all the white marble monuments. - Mar 2012
