Travelers putting off that bucket-list trip to Turkmenistan may need to accelerate their plans: the famous Darvaza Gas Crater — known as the "Door to Hell" — is gradually dying out, and tour guides estimate it may only burn for another year.
A recent traveler who just returned from a 10-day trip through Turkmenistan documented the full logistics of visiting this increasingly rare destination, including visa processes, costs, and the realities of traveling in one of the world's most closed countries.
The Crater's Final Days
The massive burning crater, created in 1971 when a Soviet drilling rig collapsed into a natural gas cavern, has been a surreal attraction for adventurous travelers for decades. But according to local guides working with tour operators like Saada Tours, the flames are visibly diminishing.
"My guide thought it may only have another year," the traveler reported on r/travel. "It's been well documented that it's gradually dying out so I was really grateful to have got the opportunity to see it while it still burns. It's still breath taking seeing the red glow appear suddenly over a sand dune as you approach in darkness."
The crater's deterioration has been noted by multiple visitors over the past few years, with the Turkmen government having previously announced plans to extinguish it entirely due to environmental and economic concerns — though those plans have yet to materialize.
The Logistics of Getting There
Visiting Turkmenistan requires significant advance planning. The traveler applied for a visa at the Turkmenistan embassy in London after receiving a Letter of Invitation (LOI) from their tour operator, a requirement for most Western visitors.
"Visa was granted a few days before travel and passport was collected in person from the embassy," they explained. — though the timing was
