As a tourist, yes you do need a visa for Turkmenistan. This is a requirement for all tourist visitors. There has been a very short-term transit visa available in the past, but this is unreliable. 

Visa fees vary by nationality and we advise on his on a case-by-case basis.

To obtain a Turkmenistan visa, a Letter of Invitation (LOI) is required.

The Turkmenistan LOI is needed to get the Turkmenistan visa.

Koryo Tours obtains this for our guests, and with this document, a visa can either be collected from any Turkmen Embassy or at an entry point to the country (arriving by air, land, or sea).

To obtain the LOI, we simply need you to complete a tour booking. With basic personal info, passport copy, and then we take care of the rest. 

LOI denials and refusals do occur. They are never explained by the authorities, but our record to obtain the LOI is strong.

We apply early so that a re-application can be made if possible.

As Koryo Tours have operated tours to Turkmenistan for more than twenty years, we know what we’re doing and always apply in full and in good time. 

Fully independent tourism travel doesn’t exist in Turkmenistan and there is a requirement to have a minimum level of service from a host organisation.

This includes pick up and drop off on arrival/departure, hotel bookings, and accompaniment in certain areas and across provincial boundaries.

When located in a city, independent travel is possible and free time, wandering around, choosing what to do on the spot, etc., is very much possible and also recommended as part of an otherwise-guided trip. 

Spring and Autumn.

Winter can be cold, especially in the desert at night, and summer can be brutally hot indeed with temperatures of 40°C not uncommon at all.

Air conditioning exists everywhere so it is still possible to go at that time.

The country is predominantly desert and the climate has the extremes associated with that environment, so check weather and temperature predictions before travelling. 

Yes, it is very safe and incidents of crime against tourists are exceedingly rare.

There is a visible and significant police and military presence in many areas, and it is a highly controlled state, which does lead to an air of security, even if it can be an oppressive one at times.

Care should be taken against opportunistic crimes (such as pickpocketing, not common), and scams such as dodgy currency exchange, and some things which are common elsewhere (such as crossing a road where you like, smoking in public) can cause problems with authorities in Turkmenistan.

Always follow the advice of your guide and there is no reason to expect an issue. 

The national language is Turkmen, a Turkic language written in the Latin alphabet with added diacritical marks for pronunciation.

For many rural Turkmen and an increasing number of younger people, this may be the only language they speak.

For anyone who was educated in the time of the USSR or early independence era, and for the urban population in general, Russia is the main lingua franca. So while officially everything is written in Latin script, many people revert to Cyrillic for notes and their own writing.

The non-Turkmen population of Ashgabat (Russians, Ukrainians, Armenians, and so on) tend to not speak Turkmen.  

English is not widely spoken, but among educated classes and younger people it is increasingly common. Best advice - learn a bit of Russian for greetings and the basics, also some friendly Turkmen greetings go a long way and are appreciated. 

In general, no, there is no dress code for Turkmenistan. However, it is a conservative country, so most local men wear long trousers and shirts, most local women also show little skin.

However, this is a cultural rather than legal norm, and a tourist in shorts and a t-shirt would face no issues.

When visiting a religious site (there are many mosques, as well as various churches in the country), women are asked to cover their heads, legs should not be exposed, etc. However, the enforcement of this for secular visitors is not uniform, and the management of some sites is not too bothered by what visitors wear as long as they act respectfully.

Most religious sites also have some scarves for covering heads, or a hat can simply be worn. 

Most health issues faced by travellers in Turkmenistan are simply an adverse reaction to food, or a more predictable adverse reaction to alcohol.

The usual remedies or rest, fluids, etc, can be used in such cases. Normal medicine is easily found and sourced.

There are mosquitoes and ticks in some areas, so covering up is advised in such areas (guides will advise), and the usual vaccines are recommended as well as insurance for any hospitalisation that may occur.

Any opiate derivative is strictly illegal in Turkmenistan. So, medications like codeine cannot be taken into the country. This is enforced and should be taken seriously. 

The internet situation in Turkmenistan is poor. And it is worse than it used to be.

A local SIM card can be bought by visitors in some cases, but sometimes this is restricted (as your tour organiser in advance).

Most social media sites are blocked, and a VPN is needed. However, these usually do not work. So it is worth asking near the departure date what the best one would be to download.

Many hotels and coffee shops offer WI-FI, but only a few have a built-in VPN.

The internet situation in Turkmenistan is one that changes often, and it is hard to state with certainty if a trip will take place during a time when there is more accessibility or less. But it can be assumed that some access will be available, just not all the time and not without some frustrations. 

Some visitors limit themselves to Ashgabat, the capital city and home to vast numbers (a world record amount indeed) of marble-clad buildings, unusual statuary from the Soviet-era to the present day, wide boulevards, impressive modern shopping centres, a charming and small old town area, as well as museums, government buildings, parks, and so on. 

Leaving the city is a good idea. Secondary settlements such as Mary (near the major historical ruins of Merv, possibly the largest city in the world during the height of the Silk Road), Dashoguz, Turkmenbashi (on the Caspian Sea), are all worthwhile, and various desert sites and villages also have charms and show a very different way of life to the urban areas. 

An overnight excursion to the unique and stunning Darvaza gas crater is highly recommended. An industrial accident that caused a vast pit of flames to materialise in the desert, burning for decades, hypnotic and remarkable. Camping next to this ‘door to hell’ is an unforgettable experience, even without any mod cons being available. 
 

Ashgabat Airport is the main entry and exit point, with flights to Istanbul and Dubai several times a day, and also service to London, Moscow, Frankfurt, various places in South East Asia, and beyond. This is mostly with the national carrier Turkmenistan Airlines, which often does not pop up on flight websites (contact us for help with this). 

By land, the most common route is to finish a trip in Turkmenistan and then exit to Uzbekistan either to the north (cross the border near to Khiva) or the east (to Bukhara).

A land crossing between Iran and Turkmenistan also exists and is a short drive from Ashgabat (the nearest major Iranian city is Mashhad). 

There is also an option to cross the Caspian Sea to/from Baku, Azerbaijan. This is fun, and is usually on a cargo ship of some kind (with passenger capacity), but the schedule is unreliable so care should be taken to have a long enough visa and flexibility in travel plans.