27

I have stumbled across this photo while surfing the net:

Door To Hell

Turkmenistan's Door To Hell in Wikipedia does not say much about the how to visit it, it only says that there were 50,000 visitors in the past five years.

My question: How can I visit it? are there roads to there? can I just show up? or does it have to be with an arranged group and a reservation?

Improve this question
3
  • 4
    Turkmenistan is about as weird as North Korea, though less well known at least in the west. It's notoriously difficult to travel there independently but there are tour companies and this is probably the #1 attraction of the country.
    – hippietrail
    Commented Dec 27, 2015 at 22:09
  • 5
    WikiTravel doesn't have an article on the Gates of Hell, but WikiVoyage does. There's at least four tour companies, two international and two local. You apparently can drive there but it requires a 4x4 and you'll be driving across the sand rather than on a road.
    – hippietrail
    Commented Dec 27, 2015 at 22:26
  • 1
    If you don't succeed in getting there, you can go to Epic in Verona, Wisconsin and take their walking tour. Somewhere deep in their complex is a "door to hell." reflectionsfrom.wordpress.com/2011/11/12/intergalactic-tour
    – WGroleau
    Commented Dec 28, 2015 at 1:18

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
30

WikiTravel doesn't have an article on the Gates of Hell, but WikiVoyage does.

There's at least four tour companies listed. Two international and two local.

You apparently can drive there but it requires a 4x4 and you'll be driving across the sand rather than on a road. They suggest that you won't be able to get there in a rental car but don't give any details about renting a 4x4. But to sum up:

For those who are more a bit more adventurous or daring, it is possible to arrange a Derweze trip oneself, but it takes considerable work to make sure you end up with a safe trip. It probably helps to have Turkmen contacts who can point you to someone with the correct type of vehicle.

There's a ton of extra information in the WikiVoage article I could quote here, or you could just pull your finger out and read it all yourself (-;

Promoted my comment to an answer under threat.

Improve this answer
1
  • 11
    "Promoted my comment to an answer under threat" hahahahaha
    – Nean Der Thal
    Commented Dec 28, 2015 at 9:47

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .