{"id":56516,"date":"2025-12-22T14:23:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T12:23:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/?post_type=country&p=56516"},"modified":"2026-02-26T20:01:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T18:01:03","slug":"turkmenistan","status":"publish","type":"country","link":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/country\/turkmenistan\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkmenistan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Turkmenistan may lack the world-class Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan<\/strong><\/a>, the mountains of Kyrgyzstan<\/a><\/strong>, or the lively bazaars of Tajikistan<\/a><\/strong>, but it more than compensates by being the most bizarre of all the Stans<\/em>\u2014and, some would argue, one of the strangest countries on Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranked alongside Eritrea<\/strong><\/a> and North Korea as one of the world\u2019s most closed and authoritarian states, Turkmenistan<\/a><\/strong> is precisely the kind of place that draws intrepid travelers: a hermetic nation where everyday life is shaped by eccentric laws, personality cults, and a reality that feels almost surreal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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need to know for traveling in Eritrea<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Quick facts<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Capital: <\/strong>Ashgabat<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Population<\/strong>: 7 million (105th)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Language<\/strong>: Turkmen (a Turkic language closely related to Turkish and Azerbaijani) is the official language. Russian is still in cities and among older generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Area<\/strong>: 491,210km\u00b2 (52nd largest country)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Visa<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Tourist visas can be arranged through a local tour operator, but you must book a full tour with them. Check our Turkmenistan Expeditions here<\/a><\/strong>. Alternatively, intrepid travelers with plenty of time may apply for a transit visa (3-7 days) at any Turkmenistan embassy, like in Tehran<\/strong><\/a>, Aktau, Tashkent<\/strong><\/a>, etc. Processing time is from 2 to 6 weeks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Access internet<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Internet in Turkmenistan is one of the worst in the world, so don\u2019t rely on having connection throughout your trip. Email apps are the most reliable, but WhatsApp and social networks don\u2019t really work, except for a specific caf\u00e9 in Ashgabat. Also, VPNs don\u2019t seem to work in Turkmenistan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Travel Insurance<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

IATI Insurance<\/a><\/strong> is one of the very few that covers travel in Turkmenistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GET A QUOTE<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Tours for Turkmenistan<\/mark><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Against the Compass has several scheduled expeditions to Turkmenistan every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

October 6th to 13th, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CLICK HERE TO LEARN MOR<\/strong>E<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Money<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The official currency is the Turkmenistani Manat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officially, 1 USD = 3.5 TMT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, you can change at the black market and exchange 1 USD for up to 18 TMT, almost six times more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are no ATMs and cards aren\u2019t accepted. Bring all your money in cash.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Independent travel in Turkmenistan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The only place where you are allowed to travel independently is the capital, Ashgabat. In the rest of the country, travel is only permitted with a local, certified guide. The only exception applies to the few travelers on a transit visa, who are allowed to travel on their own directly to an exit border, without deviating from the original route.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Top experiences in Turkmenistan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Camping next to a burning crater<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For many travellers, the never-ending Darvaza crater is the highlight of Turkmenistan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Experiencing a hyper-controlled capital with almost no people<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ashgabat feels like a staged city: spotless marble, monumental scale, almost no pedestrians, and rules you don\u2019t fully understand.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Exploring Silk Road ruins completely alone<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Unlike in neighbouring Uzbekistan, you\u2019ll most likely have these vast ruins entirely to yourself.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Observing everyday life under a closed system<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Visit a bazaar and quietly observe how people live in one of the world\u2019s most closed countries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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tips for Turkmenistan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Accommodation<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

There are decent hotels throughout the country. It\u2019s not possible to book them online, but most can be arranged through a local tour operator. Check our Turkmenistan itinerary to see the hotels we recommend.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Getting in<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Ashgabat International Airport (ASB) has connections with Dubai (flydubai), Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), and now even Rome (Turkmenistan Airlines).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Land borders are also open, but make sure you tell your tour operator to include your exact entry point in your visa.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Transportation<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Taking photos is no longer as restricted in Turkmenistan as it once was (since 2023). However, you will still need to purchase a camera ticket at most tourist attractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Ashgabat, photography is generally allowed in public areas, but there are plenty of undercover security officers who may ask you not to take photos in sensitive places such as train stations and local bazaars.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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ALL MY ARTICLES ON TURKMENISTAN<\/h3>\n\n\n","protected":false},"featured_media":56527,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56516","country","type-country","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country\/56516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/country"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}