Turkmenistan travel guide

Best time to visit Turkmenistan from the UK

Best value: Mar, Jun, Sep, Nov. Apr–May and Sep–Oct; tourist visas are hard to obtain. Busiest and priciest: Apr–May, Oct.

Each bar is the average temperature in Ashgabat for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

• Our pick: June and SeptemberThe warmest of the best-value months (22–26°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
• Peak season: Apr–May, OctUsually 15–22°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
• Quiet season: Dec–Feb, Jul–AugAround 3–29°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
• Warmest: July (29°C) · coolest: January (3°C)A 26°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.

Festivals and events

• Ahal-Teke Horse Beauty Day Apr · Ashgabat
• Melon Day Aug · Nationwide

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time

About 6h 15m

Distance

4,744 km

Main airport

ASB

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add Turkmenistan to your bucket list Search flights to ASB

Practical info and travel guidance

• VisaVisa needed in advanceNeeds a letter of invitation
• HealthcareSome free urgent careA UK reciprocal agreement covers some urgent state care. Still take travel insurance.
• LGBT+ travellersSame-sex relations are illegal or prosecutedRead the FCDO LGBT+ advice before you go.
• Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Turkmenistan, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 4 June 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Turkmenistan before you book and again before you go.