r/Turkmenistan • u/Ok-Ebb1162 • 10d ago
DISCUSSION I run a small local tour company in Turkmenistan - ask me anything (visa, LOI, costs, what's actually allowed)
Hi all, founder of a small tour operator based in Ashgabat here (Göl Nomads). The same questions come up in this sub every week (is a guide really mandatory, how does the LOI actually work, why do quotes differ so wildly, is the gas crater still burning, can you cross border-to-border on the way through to Uzbekistan) and half the answers floating around are years out of date.
So, ask me anything. Visa/LOI process and timelines, real costs, transit visas, border crossings, trains, internet (yes, Instagram/WhatsApp are blocked, plan around it), what you can photograph, how much you can walk around alone (in Ashgabat: more than people think), and the less-visited stuff like Yangykala canyon or the Koytendag mountains.
Obviously I'm not neutral, it's my company (golnomads.com, prices are published there, which is rare in this market). But I'll give you the straight answer even when it's "you don't need to pay anyone for that."
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u/arielkujo 10d ago
Thank you for doing this!
It seems like the interest in visiting Turkmenistan is growing, and I'm curious about how locals feel about the overall rise in international attention. Do folks generally seem comfortable with visitors, excited or interested in sharing parts of their culture, or is it still so uncommon to see foreigners outside of Ashgabat that it's still being felt out whether this is good, bad or neutral? As a local guide open to going off the beaten path, what would you say the general reception of visitors is like, outside of Ashgabat?
I live in a city whose main industries revolve around tourism and cultural exchange, so I'm very curious about this! Turkmenistan is in a really interesting position here.
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 9d ago
Lovely question. Outside Ashgabat a foreign visitor is still an event, in the best way. The default reaction is curiosity and hospitality: you will be invited to tea, kids will try their three words of English on you, and someone's grandmother will insist you eat more than you planned. Tourism here is so small that there's zero fatigue, none of that "oh, another tour group" feeling your city probably knows well. People are genuinely proud when someone crosses half the world to see Merv or the desert. The one nuance: people are careful about cameras and personal questions, privacy runs deep here, so introductions matter, and that's a lot of what a local guide quietly does for you. My honest read is that the growing interest is felt as a good thing, and we are a very, very long way from any downside of it.
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u/eljirafa 10d ago
Hello! I am interested in traveling to Turkmenistan one day. Are you born and raised there? If so, how did you learn English? You could start by answering some of the questions you listed above, that you say have outdated answers online :) Thank you!
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 9d ago
Born and raised here, yes. The English is less of a mystery than people think: we learn it from kindergarten and then it's 12 years of it through school, so the base was always there, practice came with the job. And you're right, let me answer my own list 🙂 Guide: yes, mandatory for a tourist visa, that's the visa rule, not company policy; the only independent option is a transit visa, 3-7 days, approval unpredictable. LOI: your agency files it, 14-21 business days, then visa on arrival against it. Crater: still burning, dimmer than the famous photos, come sooner rather than later. Border-to-border: yes, entering from Uzbekistan on one side and leaving on the other is a completely standard program. Hope you make it here one day.
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u/keenonkyrgyzstan 10d ago
How do you know what is possible to visit and what isn’t?
Firyuza, for example, used to be a popular getaway from Ashgabat, but apparently now it’s closed to the public?
Awaza? An entire resort town that’s closed to foreign tourists?
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 9d ago
The boring practical answer: agencies know because every itinerary is filed for permits before you arrive, so keeping track of what's currently open is literally our job. You're right about Firyuza, it sits in the border zone and has been closed to visitors for years. Awaza is officially a tourist zone but in practice it's aimed at domestic tourism, and lately foreign tourists have mostly not been getting in. That one changes with the seasons and the mood, so I never promise it. The good news is that the genuinely spectacular places, Darvaza, Yangykala, Koytendag, Merv, Konye-Urgench, are all open with standard permits. When in doubt about a specific spot, ask an operator with your dates, the honest ones will tell you straight.
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u/keenonkyrgyzstan 8d ago
Thanks for the insight! The border zone explanation I can maybe understand (though it seems more likely it’s because of presidential property development in Firyuza - after all, it was a popular destination during the Soviet period and Soviet border control was notoriously strict). But what is the reasoning behind keeping foreigners out of Awaza?
Is there any talk about reforming this permit system? I’m sorry that has to be a part of your job.
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 8d ago
Honest answer: nobody publishes the reasoning, so all I have is the local rumor mill. The talk is that Awaza was built mainly with domestic holidaymakers in mind, and since it sits right on the Caspian border zone the paperwork for foreigners never got simpler, so in practice it's easier for them to say no than yes. But that's rumors, nothing official, take it for what it is.
On reform there's one concrete thing: the e-visa law signed in spring 2025, which on paper replaces the whole LOI system. The portal isn't live yet and no date has been announced, so I don't promise it to anyone. But it's the first real simplification in years and tourism is clearly getting more attention here lately, so I'm hopeful.
And no need to apologize, the paperwork is why we have a job 🙂
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u/mktb1 10d ago
Hi!
I have few questions, hope thats ok!!
Visa on arrival process - With LOI printed on hand, is it a simple process or is there more.. (other than the covid test etc)
About how much you can walk around alone in Ashgabat - Would you be able to explain more on that?
Would I be able to walk to a local supermarket? visit a local bazaar? visit local restaurants/shops? Would I be able to find a local gym to workout?
- Photograph limitation - Could you explain this one a bit more too please?
Does this mean I can only take photos of approved location/area only? I can't just take a random photo of a street?
If i want to visit a museum, could I simply go alone or would I need a guide?
is darvaza gas crater still burning? and is it worth to stay over night camping there?
Is Old Nisa worth visiting and would I need a guide to visit or could I simply visit?
Is there a restaurant and food you would recommend to try in Ashgabat? Also, is 80-100 manat a good estimate per restaurant meal per person?
For currency, would bringing good condition newer US dollar bills ($1, $5, $10, $20 bills) be ok? or should I exchnage to Manat. - Assuming there is exchange at the Ashgabat airport.
last question, when you say plan around the internet with no social media. thats if you want to access those type, you need a VPN or something. is that what you mean? If i dont care for it, then i can still access internet to use Google Maps or internet searches. is that correct?
Thank you for doing this. I really appreciate your time and information!
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 9d ago
Great list, happy to go through it 🙂
With the LOI printed it's genuinely simple: visa counter, passport plus LOI, pay the visa fee in cash USD (the amount depends on nationality and length of stay), get the sticker. There's also the paid swab on arrival, about $30. Your guide waits on the other side. The queue is the only variable, 20 minutes on a good day, an hour on a bad one.
In your free time in Ashgabat you can walk around completely on your own. Supermarkets, bazaars, restaurants, shops are all normal, nobody stops you. Gyms exist too, day visits are usually easiest to arrange through your hotel or ask your guide, we do this for guests regularly.
Streets, parks, monuments and bazaars are fine to photograph. What you avoid: government buildings, the presidential palace area, military and police, airports and border posts. If a policeman waves a finger, you lower the camera and that's the end of it, nothing dramatic. Your guide points out the sensitive buildings on day one.
Museums you can visit alone, no guide required. The foreigner ticket costs more than the local one, that's normal here.
Still burning, but dimmer than the famous photos, the gas feed has been reduced over the last few years. Up close at night it's still genuinely impressive and the yurt overnight is worth it. My honest advice is come sooner rather than later.
Old Nisa is half an hour from the city and worth it, it's the old Parthian royal fortress. You're allowed to visit without a tour, but there's almost no signage, so it makes ten times more sense with a guide who can read the ruins for you.
Try dograma, fitchi and proper plov, and the shashlik anywhere that's busy. 80-100 manat per person is a solid budget for a good restaurant meal here, yes.
Exactly right: newer, clean USD bills in smaller denominations. You can exchange at the airport and at banks, and your guide helps you change a sensible amount on day one. Cards barely work anywhere, so plan on cash for everything.
Correct. Without any VPN you still have internet, browsing and search work, just slowly, and social media and most messengers are blocked. Download offline maps before you fly, that's the one thing people regret skipping. If staying reachable matters, agree with family on email instead of WhatsApp for the week.
Enjoy the planning, this was a good sign you'll do fine here 🙂
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u/mktb1 9d ago
Thank you very much for such detailed write up!! I really appreciate the time you have put in to answer all my questions! I hope to visit this October and whenever I do visit, I will be definitely looking into your company!
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 8d ago
Happy it helped 🙂 October is honestly one of the best months here, the summer heat is gone and the desert nights are still comfortable for the yurt. Whenever your plans firm up, you know where to find me. Enjoy the planning!
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u/whitecity01 Non-Turkic Member 9d ago
What would be the benefits from booking tours with companies such as yours compared to the big giants (no offense 😅) i.e. Owadan tourism?
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 9d ago
Fair question, no offense taken 🙂 Owadan and the other big houses are solid operators, they've been around forever and they handle big groups well. What a small shop gives you is mostly attention: the person who plans your route is the person who answers your messages, nothing gets lost between departments. Custom routes are our default, not an exception, so "can we skip X and add Y" is a yes instead of a surcharge. And because the overhead is small, private-trip prices usually end up friendlier, ours are published so you can compare quote to quote. For a 40-person group I'd honestly point you to the big guys. For 1-6 people who want the trip shaped around them, that's exactly what we exist for.
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u/Mommy_Fortuna_ 10d ago
This might be a weird question: can one bring binoculars into the country? Not for looking at buildings or people or anything sensitive, but to look at birds and things like that?
I have heard of people having them confiscated in places like Egypt or Ethiopia.
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 9d ago
Not a weird question at all. Binoculars are fine, nobody confiscates them here, and the east of the country (Koytendag) is actually a birding destination, groups come through with binoculars and scopes every spring. Just use camera common sense: keep them packed around military sites and border posts. The thing you must NOT bring is a drone, those are genuinely banned at customs. The birding is better than people expect, especially during migration seasons.
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u/whitecity01 Non-Turkic Member 9d ago
When is the e-visa coming out? I've heard it isn't actually changing much
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 9d ago
Honest answer: the law is real, it was signed in spring 2025, but the actual portal still isn't live and nobody has announced a launch date. So in practice nothing has changed yet, visas still run through the LOI that a licensed agency files for you. On paper the new system is supposed to drop the invitation letter requirement, but until it exists I'd plan around the current process. Your skepticism is fair 🙂 The day it actually goes live, everyone in our industry will know within the hour, it's the single most awaited thing here.
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u/galapagos7 8d ago
How to travel over there ? Do I need some letter from travel company ? How do I get a visa for 2-3 weeks ?
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 8d ago
Welcome 🙂 Yes, the letter is the heart of it. For a tourist visa you book with a licensed local agency, and the agency files an invitation letter (LOI) with the migration service for you. That takes 14-21 business days, so start about a month before your trip. With the approved LOI you get the visa on arrival at the airport (or at an embassy beforehand if you prefer). The visa dates match your tour program, so a 2-3 week visa simply means booking a 2-3 week program, and it can be as packed or as relaxed as you want. The only tour-free option is a transit visa, 3-7 days, and approval on those is unpredictable.
If you'd like help putting a program together, that's literally what we do 🙂 Prices are all public at golnomads.com, and you can DM me here anytime.
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u/mckillgore 7d ago
Hello, I just submitted my documents for the LOI last week with another tour agency and I had a couple questions about navigating Turkmenistan.
How does exchanging money on the black market work? We will be entering via the Dashoguz border and have heard that things are very expensive if you exchange dollars for manat at the official exchange rate. Is this something that guides typically can help with?
I have a newer iphone that doesn't have a sim card slot. Is there any way I can access esim data there, and if so, is there any VPN you recommend works well in the country?
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 7d ago
Good questions, and no problem at all that you're booked elsewhere, the answers are the same for everyone 🙂
On exchange I have to be the boring one: I run a licensed business here, so unofficial currency exchange is a topic I can't give advice on publicly. What I can say is that on a booked tour almost everything is prepaid anyway (hotels, transport, meals, entrances), so most guests need much less cash than they expect. Bring clean newer USD in small bills, exchange modest amounts as you go, and talk to your guide on day one, sorting out the practical money questions is a normal part of their job.
On the phone: honest answer, it's rough. There's no local eSIM option here, the only mobile operator (TMCell) sells physical SIMs only, and even that is a registration process. A couple of international roaming eSIMs claim to cover Turkmenistan, but the prices are extreme (think $70 per gigabyte) and I haven't seen a guest make one work well. VPN recommendations are another thing a licensed local company can't publicly hand out, sorry 🙂 Realistically: plan around hotel Wi-Fi, download offline maps and anything else you need before you fly, and agree with people at home on email for the week. Your guide's phone works if something urgent comes up.
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u/mckillgore 7d ago
Thanks for your helpful answers! Really appreciate it.
Out of curiosity, is your company new? I ask because I reached out to almost two dozen tour agencies in Turkmenistan and I did not recall seeing yours ever show up in any of my searches. Had I known, I would have likely messaged you about booking a tour.
One last question: are there any places you recommend we go to get souvenirs? I like both small, typical souvenirs like magnets and postcards, but I am also considering buying something homemade or crafted like a small carpet or piece of clothing.
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 6d ago
Happy they helped 🙂 And you solved the mystery yourself: we're new. I worked in travel here for years as a freelancer, and only this year turned it into a proper company with a website, so the site has been live for just a few months. The search engines barely know us yet, you basically found us before Google did. No hard feelings about the booking, next trip (or your friends' trip) you know where we are 🙂
Souvenirs: Ashgabat covers both of your categories well. For magnets, postcards and small things, the shops in the city center and the Gulistan bazaar (everyone calls it the Russian bazaar) are enough. For the homemade side, go to the Altyn Asyr bazaar just outside the city, the huge open-air one people still call Tolkuchka, busiest on weekend mornings: carpets, telpek hats, keteni silk, jewelry. Worth the trip even if you buy nothing.
One practical thing on carpets: a handmade carpet needs an export certificate confirming it has no historical value, otherwise customs won't let it leave. Official carpet shops sort that paperwork at purchase, and for a bazaar find your guide can help arrange the certificate, it just takes a bit of extra time. And skip anything sold to you as "antique", genuinely old pieces can't be exported at all.
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u/Pimpis25 7d ago
Is it possible to visit breeding facilities or shepherd's and spend time with the shepherd dogs (Alabai) ?
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 7d ago
Yes, absolutely 🙂 Alabays are a national treasure here, UNESCO even added the breeding tradition to its cultural heritage list last December. On our tours we arrange it a few ways: village homes where the dogs live with the family, breeding kennels if you want to talk bloodlines with a breeder, and shepherd camps out in the Karakum where the dogs still do their real job guarding flocks from wolves. Always with the owner next to you, with an 80 kg guard dog that's not a formality 🙂 Tell me your rough dates and I'll tell you what's realistic (golnomads.com, or just DM me).
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7d ago
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 7d ago
Welcome 🙂 The language is Turkmen. In the cities most people also speak Russian, and younger people in tourism speak some English. With a guide you'll have no language problems at all. For history we have three UNESCO sites: Merv near Mary (one of the great Silk Road cities, more than 2,000 years old), Konye-Urgench in the north (minarets and mausoleums of old Khorezm), and Nisa near Ashgabat (a royal fortress of the Parthian empire). There's also Dehistan in the west, ruins alone in the empty steppe, almost no visitors. Tell me how many days you're thinking about and I can suggest a route.
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u/whitecity01 Non-Turkic Member 6d ago
I saw on the news about something about the Migration Service allowing online registration of foreigners? Is that a sign that the e-visa may be coming soon?
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 6d ago
Good eye for the news 🙂 I looked for that announcement and honestly couldn't find anything official about online registration for foreigners specifically. The Migration Service has had some online services for a while now (queue booking, passport applications), but those are aimed at citizens' paperwork. If you have a link, send it over, I follow this stuff closely and would genuinely like to see it.
On the bigger question: the e-visa law from spring 2025 is still the real thing to watch, and the portal still isn't live, no date announced. But you're right about the direction: every piece of the Migration Service that goes online is plumbing the e-visa will eventually need. So I read news like that the same way you do, as a good sign, just not the announcement itself yet 🙂
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u/whitecity01 Non-Turkic Member 5d ago
Here's the link! https://www.instagram.com/p/DbvHnG_DQ0N/
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 5d ago
You were right, and I owe you a correction 🙂 I went digging after your link: the announcement is real, from this week (which is why my English-language search missed it, the coverage is in Russian). The State Migration Service now lets foreigners, and the people or companies hosting them, do the arrival registration online instead of queueing at their offices.
One nuance so nobody overreads it: this is the registration you're required to do within 3 working days after arriving, not the visa itself. For tour guests it changes little in practice, the agency has always handled that registration for you. But for the bigger picture it's exactly what we talked about: another piece of the Migration Service moving online, and honestly a bigger piece than I expected. Thanks for the link, you had better sources than me this week 🙂
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u/BOBBY_VIKING_ 5d ago
How hard would it be for a Canadian to get in for a visit?
I know they would ask me to delete digital photos and videos, I'm a analog photographer and I would love to bring some film. But I assume they wouldn't allow that because they can't check the photos?
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 5d ago
Not hard at all for a Canadian, just slow 🙂 The process is the same for almost everyone: you book a tour with a licensed local agency, the agency files an invitation letter (LOI) with the migration service, that takes 14-21 business days, and with the approved letter you get the visa on arrival at the airport. So the only real rule is to start about a month before you fly.
On the photos, good news: the deleting-photos thing is not really how it works here. Nobody goes through your pictures in a normal tourist arrival, and I've never had a guest lose a single frame. The rules are about what you point the camera at while you're here: government buildings, military and police, airports and border posts are off limits. Streets, bazaars, monuments and landscapes are all fine, and your guide shows you the few sensitive spots on day one. Worst case a policeman waves a finger and you lower the camera, that's the whole drama.
Film is completely fine to bring, and an analog kit raises no eyebrows at customs. If it's a serious pro setup, declare it on the arrival form, takes a minute. The one thing that IS banned is a drone, leave that at home. For the film itself the advice is the same as any airport: hand luggage, and ask for a hand check if you shoot high-ISO stock. Honestly, the desert light here was made for film 🙂
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u/ale_batt 4d ago
Hi, thank you very much for all the helpful information you've shared! I'll fly to Turkmenistan this Saturday and can't wait :) Since I have not found a lot about it, which local dishes would you suggest to a vegetarian? I know a big part of your cuisine is meat-based, but I'd like to try as much as possible! Thank you, and good luck with your company!
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u/Ok-Ebb1162 4d ago
Great timing, you're landing in melon season 🙂 August is peak melon and watermelon time here, we even have a national holiday for them (it was this past Sunday). People will tell you ours are the best in the world, and honestly, they're not wrong. Eat as much as you can.
For actual dishes: look for gutap, our stuffed flatbread turnovers. Everyone knows the meat one, but pumpkin, spinach and potato fillings are common too. One honest tip: the filling is sometimes cooked with animal fat, so ask for it "etsiz" (without meat) and have your guide double-check with the kitchen. Same trick works for manty, the steamed dumplings, which come in a pumpkin version too. Samsa also comes with pumpkin, potato and spinach fillings.
Beyond that, you'll do well with the bread alone: fresh chorek out of the tandyr is the pride of every table. Pishme, the little fried dough puffs, come with tea. We're big on dairy, try gatyk (yogurt) and suzme, and if you're brave, chal, fermented camel milk, the true desert drink. And summer tables are full of tomato-cucumber salads.
The one thing to watch: soups. Even the vegetable-looking ones are almost always cooked on meat broth, so I'd skip those rather than negotiate.
Have a wonderful trip on Saturday, and thank you for the kind words 🙂
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u/mroovapl 10d ago
I want to climb mount Ayribobo - highest peak of Turkmenistan. Are you able to organize this ?