While the walk only takes two hours through the dunes, you’ll have to spend the night here, as finding your way back to the road without the reference of a huge burning crater is very hard. Even in daylight you may get lost – it’s much better to pay for a tour.
There are no hotels in the area, but most of the chaikhanas that line the main road just north of the turnoff to the crater offer beds for the night, provide meals and even sell petrol. As there are no signposts for either the turnoff or the chaikhanas; look out for the train line crossing the main road. If coming from Ashgabat, the turnoff for the crater is about 1km before the railway line, and the chaikhanas are a few kilometres afterwards.