The Darvaza gas crater and Ancient Merv on one route: an early flight from Ashgabat to Mary leaves a whole day for Merv.
Koneurgench • Darvaza • Ashgabat • Ancient Merv
Four days and three nights, entering at the Shavat border and leaving at the Farap border. A night in a hotel in Dashoguz, a night in tents and yurts beside the Darvaza gas crater and a night in Ashgabat. The last day belongs entirely to Ancient Merv — a city of the Silk Road and a UNESCO World Heritage Site — reached by an early morning domestic flight from Ashgabat to Mary.