Dashoguz is the capital city of northern Turkmenistan’s Dashoguz Province
Dashoguz, Turkmenistan
The following is a guide to Dashoguz in Turkmenistan. It includes all the information on the Dashoguz history, where to stay in Dashoguz and how to get there in the first place.
Feel free to skip below to the relevant area to answer your questions on Dashoguz in Turkmenistan!
Introduction
Dashoguz History
Where to stay in Dashoguz
What to do in Dashoguz
How to get to Dashoguz
Updated March 2024
Introduction
The capital city of northern Turkmenistan’s Dashoguz Province is the city of Dashoguz.
Previous names include Tashauz and Dashkohovuz...
Confused yet? Don’t worry!
This is a small but crucially located and quite distinct city in Turkmenistan. And a place that is well-visited for several reasons.
Dashoguz History
While settlements have existed here since at least the days of the Silk Road, the modern city site was chosen by the Russians in the 19th Century and the city has existed since then.
Uzbekistan lies a mere 10km away. This is a commonly crossed border point.
A large part of the population of Dashoguz city is ethnic Uzbeks too. So there is a common link separated by a somewhat artificial border.
Cotton growing takes place here.
(NOTE: You can buy Turkmen cotton products all over the country, very cheaply usually. Try the Altyn Asyr Shopping Centre in Ashgabat for the best selection).
Cotton is very thirsty... This contributes to the desertification of the area and the draining of the Aral Sea. But whilst the ecological effects of this crop are well-known, it is still a valuable and too-viable cash crop to be replaced.
Most tourists visiting Dashoguz will be doing so not for the city itself. Rather either on their way from/to Uzbekistan and/or most likely to visit the amazing site of Konye-Urgench. The ruins of an ancient civilisation.
One of the highlights of any trip to Turkmenistan!
Konye-Urgench Turkmenistan Travel Guide
What to do in Dashoguz
As with most regional cities in Turkmenistan, the reason for visiting is usually to see what is around them rather than in them.
Nevertheless, over a hundred thousand people live here. So, there is always something to do!
Have a wander around the marble-clad buildings in the centre.
Keep an eye out for some of the remaining gold (or gold-painted!) statues of the Turkmenbashi that remain.
It is one of those somewhat sleepy cities where nothing is open late but there are still cafes and restaurants to grab a quiet drink in. Plus some nice bazaars to wander around.
Where to stay in Dashgoz
The two main options would be either the modern, marble-clad, or fancy-looking Hotel Dashoguz.
Or the simple and quirky Hotel Uzboy (often known to people in the tourism industry as the ‘Hotel Otel’ due to a very confusing sign it once had!).
Hotel Dashoguz
Comfortable and has the potential to be a very nice place. If they could just fix the Wi-Fi and add a little more life to the place...
Hotel Uzboy
Much simpler but a bit more homely.
As any visitor is only likely to stay for one night only, either one of these places will do.
How to Get to Dashoguz
From Ashgabat, the usual way is by plane. There are a few flights per day. They take just over an hour.
Flight
Be warned that the climate up in Dashoguz is quite a lot colder than the capital. So you can get a chill stepping off the plane at Dashoguz airport from a balmy Ashgabat.
Road
Another way would be to go by road.
The highway that runs straight up the country ends here.
Plus, the amazing Darvaza Gas Crater is about halfway between Ashgabat and Dashoguz.
This is at least an 8-hour drive in total though. And the second half of the journey from Ashgabat is considerably bumpier and pot-holier than the first.
From Uzbekistan
From Uzbekistan, you would normally come here from the nearby cities of Khiva. This is about an hour away by road, plus border crossing time.
There is also Nukus which is about 2 hours away, plus border crossing time.
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