Читать эту страницу на русском →
We are a tour operator based in Ashgabat, and every year we see the same pattern: enquiries arrive in waves, and those waves are set not by our weather but by the days off in the countries our guests travel from. So we have put the public holidays of eleven countries — Russia, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Türkiye, Japan, South Korea, China, India and Turkmenistan itself — into a single colour-coded calendar running from September 2026 to August 2027.
The idea is simple: look at your own days off, find a block of three or more, and see straight away whether a trip fits. Long windows are marked booking open — those are the dates we put groups together and run private departures on.
The thing that catches people out: Turkmenistan needs lead time
This is not a destination you can leave for next week. Entry requires a Letter of Invitation, and processing takes roughly two weeks after a complete document set is submitted — then the visa itself, at an embassy or on arrival depending on your nationality.
The working rule: send us your documents at least six weeks before departure. The table below gives the latest sensible start date for every long window on this page. Full details on our visa support page.
Holidays by country
A separate page for each country, with the full list of dates, the history behind the holidays, and the paperwork deadline for each window.
The calendar: September 2026 – August 2027
Tap a country to filter the calendar. Tap again to clear the filter.
September 2026
- 25–27 SeptemberMid-Autumn FestivalChina●
- 27 SeptemberIndependence DayTurkmenistan
- 24–27 SeptemberChuseokSouth Korea●
- 19–23 SeptemberSilver WeekJapan●
October 2026
- 2 OctoberGandhi JayantiIndia
- 29 OctoberCumhuriyet BayramıTürkiye
- 3 OctoberTag der Deutschen EinheitGermany
- 1–7 OctoberNational Day Golden WeekChina●
- 6 OctoberDay of RemembranceTurkmenistan
- 3–5 OctoberNational Foundation DaySouth Korea●
- 9 OctoberHangeul DaySouth Korea●
- 12 OctoberSports DayJapan●
- 12 OctoberFiesta Nacional de EspañaSpain●
November 2026
- 6–10 NovemberDiwaliIndia●
- 1 NovemberLa ToussaintFrance●
- 11 NovemberArmistice 1918France
- 3 NovemberCulture DayJapan
- 23 NovemberLabour Thanksgiving DayJapan●
- 1 NovemberOgnissantiItaly
- 1 NovemberTodos los SantosSpain
- 4 NovemberUnity DayRussia
December 2026
- 25 DecemberChristmasIndia
- 25 DecemberNoëlFrance●
- 24 December – 1 JanuaryWeihnachten und NeujahrGermany●
- 12 DecemberInternational Day of NeutralityTurkmenistan
- 25 DecemberChristmas DaySouth Korea
- 29 December – 3 JanuaryOshogatsuJapan●
- 8 DecemberImmacolata ConcezioneItaly●
- 25–26 DecemberNatale e Santo StefanoItaly●
- 5–8 DecemberPuente de la ConstituciónSpain●
- 25 DecemberNavidadSpain
- 31 December – 10 JanuaryNew Year holidaysRussia●
January 2027
- 26 JanuaryRepublic DayIndia●
- 1 JanuaryYılbaşıTürkiye
- 1 JanuaryJour de l’AnFrance
- 6 JanuaryHeilige Drei KönigeGermany
- 1 JanuaryNew Year’s DayChina
- 1 JanuaryNew YearTurkmenistan
- 1 JanuaryNew Year’s DaySouth Korea
- 11 JanuaryComing of Age DayJapan●
- 1 JanuaryCapodannoItaly
- 6 JanuaryEpifaniaItaly
- 1 JanuaryAño NuevoSpain
- 6 JanuaryDía de ReyesSpain
- 7 JanuaryOrthodox ChristmasRussia
February 2027
- 6 FebruarySpring FestivalChina●
- 6–9 FebruarySeollalSouth Korea●
- 11 FebruaryNational Foundation DayJapan
- 23 FebruaryThe Emperor’s BirthdayJapan
- 21–23 FebruaryDefender of the Fatherland DayRussia●
March 2027
- 10 MarchEid al-FitrIndia
- 21–22 MarchHoliIndia●
- 9–11 MarchRamazan BayramıTürkiye●
- 29 MarchLundi de PâquesFrance●
- 26–29 MarchOsternGermany●
- 8 MarchInternational Women’s DayTurkmenistan
- 9–10 MarchOraza BayramyTurkmenistan
- 21–22 MarchNowruzTurkmenistan●
- 1 MarchIndependence Movement DaySouth Korea●
- 21–22 MarchVernal Equinox DayJapan●
- 28–29 MarchPasqua e PasquettaItaly●
- 22–28 MarchSemana SantaSpain●
- 6–8 MarchInternational Women’s DayRussia●
April 2027
- 23 AprilUlusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk BayramıTürkiye●
- 5 AprilQingming FestivalChina
- 25 AprilTurkmen Horse DayTurkmenistan●
- 29 April – 5 MayGolden WeekJapan●
- 25 AprilFesta della LiberazioneItaly
May 2027
- 17 MayEid al-AdhaIndia
- 1 MayEmek ve Dayanışma GünüTürkiye
- 15–19 MayKurban Bayramı ve Gençlik BayramıTürkiye●
- 1 MayFête du TravailFrance
- 6–9 MayAscensionFrance●
- 8 MayVictoire 1945France
- 15–17 MayLundi de PentecôteFrance●
- 1 MayTag der ArbeitGermany
- 6–9 MayChristi HimmelfahrtGermany●
- 15–17 MayPfingstenGermany●
- 27 MayFronleichnamGermany
- 1 MayLabour DayChina●
- 16–17 MayGurban BayramyTurkmenistan
- 18 MayConstitution and State Flag DayTurkmenistan
- 30 MayTurkmen Carpet DayTurkmenistan
- 5 MayChildren’s DaySouth Korea
- 13 MayBuddha’s BirthdaySouth Korea
- 1 MayFesta del LavoroItaly
- 1 MayDía del TrabajadorSpain
- 1–3 MaySpring and Labour DayRussia●
- 2 MayOrthodox EasterRussia
- 8–10 MayVictory DayRussia●
June 2027
- 9 JuneDragon Boat FestivalChina
- 6 JuneMemorial DaySouth Korea
- 2 JuneFesta della RepubblicaItaly
- 12–14 JuneRussia DayRussia●
July 2027
- 15 JulyDemokrasi ve Millî Birlik GünüTürkiye
- 14 JulyFête nationaleFrance●
- 17–19 JulyMarine DayJapan●
August 2027
- 15 AugustIndependence DayIndia
- 30 AugustZafer BayramıTürkiye●
- 15 AugustAssomptionFrance●
- 15 AugustMariä HimmelfahrtGermany
- 8 AugustTurkmen Melon DayTurkmenistan
- 14–16 AugustLiberation DaySouth Korea●
- 11 AugustMountain DayJapan
- 13–16 AugustObonJapan●
- 15 AugustFerragostoItaly●
- 15 AugustAsunción de la VirgenSpain●
When to start the paperwork
| Window | Dates | Send documents by |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Week | 19–23 September 2026 | 8 August 2026 |
| Chuseok | 24–27 September 2026 | 13 August 2026 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | 25–27 September 2026 | 14 August 2026 |
| National Day Golden Week | 1–7 October 2026 | 20 August 2026 |
| National Foundation Day | 3–5 October 2026 | 22 August 2026 |
| Hangeul Day | 9 October 2026 | 28 August 2026 |
| Fiesta Nacional de España | 12 October 2026 | 31 August 2026 |
| Sports Day | 12 October 2026 | 31 August 2026 |
| La Toussaint | 1 November 2026 | 20 September 2026 |
| Diwali | 6–10 November 2026 | 25 September 2026 |
| Labour Thanksgiving Day | 23 November 2026 | 12 October 2026 |
| Puente de la Constitución | 5–8 December 2026 | 24 October 2026 |
| Immacolata Concezione | 8 December 2026 | 27 October 2026 |
| Weihnachten und Neujahr | 24 December 2026 – 1 January 2027 | 12 November 2026 |
| Noël | 25 December 2026 | 13 November 2026 |
| Natale e Santo Stefano | 25–26 December 2026 | 13 November 2026 |
| Oshogatsu | 29 December 2026 – 3 January 2027 | 17 November 2026 |
| New Year holidays | 31 December 2026 – 10 January 2027 | 19 November 2026 |
| Coming of Age Day | 11 January 2027 | 30 November 2026 |
| Republic Day | 26 January 2027 | 15 December 2026 |
| Spring Festival | 6 February 2027 | 26 December 2026 |
| Seollal | 6–9 February 2027 | 26 December 2026 |
| Defender of the Fatherland Day | 21–23 February 2027 | 10 January 2027 |
| Independence Movement Day | 1 March 2027 | 18 January 2027 |
| International Women’s Day | 6–8 March 2027 | 23 January 2027 |
| Ramazan Bayramı | 9–11 March 2027 | 26 January 2027 |
| Holi | 21–22 March 2027 | 7 February 2027 |
| Vernal Equinox Day | 21–22 March 2027 | 7 February 2027 |
| Nowruz | 21–22 March 2027 | 7 February 2027 |
| Semana Santa | 22–28 March 2027 | 8 February 2027 |
| Ostern | 26–29 March 2027 | 12 February 2027 |
| Pasqua e Pasquetta | 28–29 March 2027 | 14 February 2027 |
| Lundi de Pâques | 29 March 2027 | 15 February 2027 |
| Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı | 23 April 2027 | 12 March 2027 |
| Turkmen Horse Day | 25 April 2027 | 14 March 2027 |
| Golden Week | 29 April – 5 May 2027 | 18 March 2027 |
| Labour Day | 1 May 2027 | 20 March 2027 |
| Spring and Labour Day | 1–3 May 2027 | 20 March 2027 |
| Christi Himmelfahrt | 6–9 May 2027 | 25 March 2027 |
| Ascension | 6–9 May 2027 | 25 March 2027 |
| Victory Day | 8–10 May 2027 | 27 March 2027 |
| Pfingsten | 15–17 May 2027 | 3 April 2027 |
| Lundi de Pentecôte | 15–17 May 2027 | 3 April 2027 |
| Kurban Bayramı ve Gençlik Bayramı | 15–19 May 2027 | 3 April 2027 |
| Russia Day | 12–14 June 2027 | 1 May 2027 |
| Fête nationale | 14 July 2027 | 2 June 2027 |
| Marine Day | 17–19 July 2027 | 5 June 2027 |
| Obon | 13–16 August 2027 | 2 July 2027 |
| Liberation Day | 14–16 August 2027 | 3 July 2027 |
| Asunción de la Virgen | 15 August 2027 | 4 July 2027 |
| Assomption | 15 August 2027 | 4 July 2027 |
| Ferragosto | 15 August 2027 | 4 July 2027 |
| Zafer Bayramı | 30 August 2027 | 19 July 2027 |
When Turkmenistan is actually comfortable
Holidays are half the decision; weather is the other half. Honestly, without the gloss:
| Period | What to expect |
|---|---|
| March – May | The best time. The desert is in flower, daytime is 20–30 °C, and nights in the yurt at Darvaza are cool. Nowruz, Horse Day and Carpet Day all fall here. |
| June – August | Genuinely hot: 40 °C and above, and the Karakum can hit 45 °C. It is doable, but the programme shifts to early morning and evening. Ferragosto and Obon land on this peak — we say so in advance. |
| September – November | The second-best window. The heat breaks, melons fill the bazaars, and the sky is clear for photographing Darvaza. Silver Week and Chuseok 2026 fall here. |
| December – February | Around freezing to 10 °C by day, below zero in the desert at night. The Darvaza crater is at its most striking in winter, but you need warm clothing. The Russian New Year break and Korean Seollal are winter dates. |
Want to travel in one of these windows?
Tell us which country you are travelling from and which dates you have free — we will build a route around your days off and price it.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate are these dates?
Fixed holidays are checked against official calendars. The movable ones were each worked out separately: Catholic and Orthodox Easter from the canonical formulas, the Japanese Happy Monday holidays and equinoxes from the observance rules, Korean Seollal and Chuseok from the lunar calendar, and Oraza and Gurban Bayramy from the Umm al-Qura calendar. Two groups may still shift: transferred days off in Russia are confirmed by government decree, and the dates of the Islamic holidays in Turkmenistan are announced by presidential decree and can move by a day.
Why these countries?
Ten of them are the places our guests most often travel from, or from which the journey is straightforward. The eleventh is Turkmenistan itself: some of our own holidays are a reason to plan a trip in their own right, and it would be dishonest to leave them out.
What does “booking open” mean?
That we are taking enquiries for that window and are ready to form a group or run a private departure. It does not mean a date and price are already fixed — we build the route and quote around your party and what you want to see. Write to us and you will get a concrete programme back.
What if my days off do not match any window?
Not a problem. All our tours are private and the start date is yours. This calendar is for people working the other way round — starting from their days off and looking for somewhere to spend them.
