Turkmenistan: When to Go

As summers are ferociously hot and winters bitterly cold, spring (April to June) and autumn (September to November) are the best seasons to visit Turkmenistan. In April the desert blooms briefly and the monotonous ochre landscapes explode in reds, oranges and yellows. Autumn is harvest time, when market tables heave with freshly picked fruit. If you do decide to battle the winter, be aware that many domestic flights are grounded and finding food can be a problem since lots of eateries close for the season.

Weather

Turkmenistan is by far the hottest of the Central Asian countries, although its dry desert climate and low humidity means that despite the soaring temperatures, it's not always uncomfortably warm. That said, only the insane or deeply unfortunate find themselves in Ashgabat in July and August, when the temperature can push 50°C (122°F). Winter days see highs of just 3°C (38°F) in January, but as the hours of sunlight are about a third of that in summer, nights make little difference, usually averaging around -4°C (25°F). Proximity to the Caspian Sea blunts conditions along coastal Turkmenistan, with cooler summers and warmer winters. Rainfall is infrequent over the country and only mild in southcentral regions outside of summer. The major area affected by the weather is Dekhistan, in the south-west, which is virtually unreachable after rain because of impassable road conditions.