The fire that once turned Turkmenistan's Darvaza Gas Crater into the Door to Hell is fading fast — yet tourist camps continue to sprout around its rim.
A recent trip report from Central Asia reveals what guidebooks aren't telling travelers: the flames that drew visitors for decades are being extinguished by methane-capture efforts, leaving only scattered pockets of fire where a roaring inferno once blazed.
"Seeing the crater in the dark was a letdown compared to pictures online," wrote one visitor on r/travel after their March 2026 trip. "Due to ongoing methane-capture-efforts only a few pockets of fire still exist. Paradoxically, while the fire in the crater is clearly fading, new yurt camps are still being built nearby."
The disconnect is stark. Tour operators continue to sell Darvaza as Turkmenistan's premier attraction — a must-see natural wonder worth the punishing 4-hour drive across deteriorating roads from Ashgabat. But travelers are arriving to find a crater that no longer lives up to its legendary status, even as accommodation options multiply.
The government's decision to harvest methane from the crater while simultaneously developing tourism infrastructure raises questions about transparency in destination marketing. Travelers planning trips based on decade-old photos are being met with a dramatically different reality.
"I do not get why the government is phasing out Turkmenistan's biggest tourist draw," the traveler noted, capturing the confusion many visitors now face.
For those still considering Darvaza, expectations need serious adjustment. The crater remains geologically interesting, but the spectacle that made it famous is disappearing. And with March temperatures requiring multiple layers and jackets to sleep in poorly-equipped yurts, the experience tests travelers' tolerance for discomfort alongside their tolerance for disappointment.
