Turkmenistan is still an unfamiliar country to most travelers, so real feedback from people who have actually gone matters more than it does for well-trodden destinations. Below are reviews from our clients, collected on YouTravel.me, an independent tour marketplace where travelers rate and review trips after they return. We haven’t edited or cherry-picked the wording — these are excerpts from the original reviews, translated from Russian, with a link to the full review profile so you can read every review yourself, including the more critical ones.
Our rating on YouTravel.me
| Average rating | 4.7 out of 5 |
|---|---|
| Number of reviews | 27 |
| Platform | YouTravel.me (independent, third-party) |
What travelers say
“The trip was fantastic, an incredibly beautiful country! Ashgabat is a pristine white city, drenched in greenery — I have 35 countries behind me, but I had never seen anything like it. Darvaza is simply unimaginable — the road there is rough, but it’s worth it. A must-see! Don’t believe the myths you read online.”
“Turkmenistan is one of the most ‘closed’ countries. Honestly, I came here without many illusions. But the country got to me — the contrasts, the sense of being untouched by tourism, the authenticity. There are no crowds here (yet), and there are thousands of years of history: Merv, Nisa, Abiverd, museums with unique exhibits, magnificent mosques. Ashgabat is ideally clean and white, with a lot of greenery and genuinely good cafés and restaurants.”
“My parents took a private tour to Ashgabat and came back thrilled. Thank you for the organization and for taking our wishes into account. Especially huge thanks to our guide Yakub — the tour was one of a kind. We will definitely book with you again!”
“Crossing the border and getting the visa took about an hour, no problems at all. Turkmenistan is absolutely worth visiting — the tour combines natural, historical and religious sites. The guide answers every question and explains everything about the places you visit. Thank you to the organizers, and especially to our guide and driver, who made the trip safe, informative and unforgettable. Our guide, Shah, really knows his subject!”
“I visited Turkmenistan with a group of 7 travelers. I want to point out that the myth that you can’t get a visa is false — the company arranges the invitation, and at the Turkmen consulate the visa was issued without any problems within two weeks. Over 8 days we covered all the country’s main sights. Special thanks to our guide Yakup — thanks to him we crossed the border quickly, took a huge number of good photos, and saw as much of Ashgabat as possible.”
“I’d wanted to visit Turkmenistan for a long time, but I really didn’t expect it to be this interesting! The places, the food, the stories — all wonderful. Rich historical heritage, welcoming people, very tasty national dishes. I really appreciated that there are no crowds of tourists (though that probably won’t last). The guides’ care and their readiness to solve any problem instantly were very much appreciated.”
“A very packed and varied tour — canyon, sea, Ashgabat, and of course Darvaza.”
Read all 27 reviews on YouTravel.me →
Planning your own trip to Turkmenistan?
Tell us your dates and what you’d like to see, and we’ll put together a route and a price for your group.
Frequently asked questions
Are these reviews genuine?
Yes. Every review shown here was posted by a traveler on YouTravel.me, an independent third-party marketplace, not on our own website. You can visit YouTravel.me directly and read the complete review history for our tours, including the more critical reviews, which we haven’t hidden.
Why aren’t all 27 reviews shown here?
We’ve highlighted a representative selection. The full set, including a couple of more critical reviews about road conditions and hotel standards on some routes, is visible on our YouTravel.me profile — we’d rather you read the honest picture there than a filtered one here.
How can I leave a review after my trip?
If you booked through us, you’ll usually receive a link to review your specific tour on YouTravel.me. You’re also welcome to email us directly with feedback at any time — good or bad, it helps us improve the trips we run.
Do you read the feedback about guides and logistics?
Yes — travelers can also leave private notes about their guide and the trip logistics, visible only to us. We use that feedback to adjust pacing, transport and communication on future departures.
