The burning crater · Turkmenistan
A fire in the Karakum desert, best seen after dark.
The Darvaza gas crater is a burning pit about 70 m wide in Turkmenistan’s Karakum desert, often called the "Door to Hell". It is roughly five hours by road from the Shavat–Dashoguz border near Khiva, or four from Ashgabat. Visitors camp nearby and see it after dark. The fire has weakened in recent years.
The Darvaza gas crater, nicknamed the "Door to Hell", is a crater about 70 m across in the middle of the Karakum desert where natural gas has been burning for decades. The usual story is that Soviet geologists drilling for gas in 1971 caused the ground to collapse and set the escaping gas alight, expecting it to burn off in days. Accounts of the date and the details vary, and some suggest the collapse came earlier and the fire later.
After dark the crater glows orange against the black desert, and the heat reaches you on the rim. Visitors camp nearby in tents or yurts. Darvaza means "gate", the same word as in our company name: Darvaza Trip is based in Khiva, the closest Uzbek town to the crossing into northern Turkmenistan.
Don’t miss
Walk around the rim at sunset and after dark, when the flames are most visible.
Dinner and a night under the stars nearby, in tents or yurts.
Two smaller, non-burning craters close by, one filled with water and one with bubbling mud.
Dunes, saxaul shrubs and small settlements along the Ashgabat–Dashoguz road.
Yes, but less than before. Turkmenistan’s government has spoken several times about putting the fire out, and from 2022 announced plans to extinguish it in order to use the gas and reduce environmental harm. In 2025 officials reported that the flames had weakened substantially as nearby gas wells were capped. Travellers who visited recently describe a smaller but still clearly visible fire.
Because this is changing, we check the current state before every departure and tell you honestly what to expect. If the fire were to go out, we would say so here.
From Khiva the route runs through northern Turkmenistan:
This is the route of our Khiva to Bukhara through Turkmenistan journey, which continues to Ashgabat and Merv and re-enters Uzbekistan near Bukhara.
Turkmenistan is one of the hardest countries in the region to visit independently. Tourist visas are issued only against a letter of invitation (LOI) applied for by a licensed Turkmen travel agency, and tourists travel with a guide. Processing usually takes several weeks, and applications can be refused without explanation. Plan well ahead, and keep your dates flexible. See Central Asia visas.
There are no hotels at Darvaza. Visitors stay in tents or in yurt camps a short distance from the crater, set up by tour operators or local hosts. Expect simple facilities, a campfire dinner and a cold night: even in spring and autumn, the desert drops close to freezing after midnight. Bring warm layers and a headtorch.
Safety: there are no railings around the crater. Keep well back from the edge, especially after dark and in wind, and keep children close.
April–May and September–October are best, with warm days and cool nights. Summer days in the Karakum are extremely hot; winter nights are freezing, though the crater itself is impressive in the cold. The fire is most visible from dusk onwards.
Tours
Ashgabat → Darvaza gas crater → Kunya-Urgench → Khiva → Bukhara → Samarkand → Seven Lakes (Haft Kul) → Tashkent → Margilan → Osh → Bishkek → Song-Kul → Issyk-Kul → Almaty
Khiva → Kunya-Urgench → Darvaza gas crater → Ashgabat → Ancient Merv → Bukhara
Yes, as far as recent reports go, though the fire is weaker than a decade ago after nearby gas wells were capped. Conditions change, so we check before each trip and tell you what to expect.
About an hour to the Shavat–Dashoguz border, then about five hours from Dashoguz to the crater, so allow a full day with the border crossing. Most travellers stop at Kunya-Urgench on the way.
Yes, by crossing into Turkmenistan near Khiva (Shavat–Dashoguz) or near Bukhara (Farap). You need a Turkmen visa based on a letter of invitation, and a Turkmen guide, so it has to be planned in advance.
In tents or yurt camps near the crater. There are no hotels. Facilities are basic and nights are cold, even in spring and autumn.
Nearby
Darvaza Trip · Koshona street 75/1, Khiva, Uzbekistan · WhatsApp +998 91 920 94 20 · tours.uzbekistan@gmail.com · darvazatrip.com/destinations/turkmenistan/darvaza/
