Arrival + Sightseeing Baku Tour

Baku Old City - The tour begins at the main entrance of Icheri Sheher (Old City), known as the Double Gates. Participants will explore landmarks such as the Chain, Sailor, and Cat Houses, Bukhara and Multani Caravanserais, Juma Mosque, and Maiden Tower. The guide will share the rich history of Icheri Sheher and its notable structures. The Shirvanshah Palace, a gem of Azerbaijani architecture and former residence of Shirvan rulers, is located in central Baku. This stunning complex includes the Divan-Khan courtyard, a tomb, a mosque from 1441, a bathhouse, and the mausoleum of court scholar Seyid Yahya Bakuvi. The Bukhara caravanserai, built in the late 15th century along Icherisheher’s trade route, features a quadratic shape with a prominent portal and an octagonal courtyard surrounded by balconies and chapels. Travelers and merchants once gathered here after daily trade activities. Restoration in 1964 revealed the caravanserai’s grand structure amidst surrounding buildings. The Maiden Tower, Baku’s equivalent of the Eiffel Tower, served as a 12th-century fortress for the Shirvanshahs. Its architectural design includes thick walls that taper from five meters at the base to four meters at the top. Today, it houses a display of historical photographs and a souvenir shop, with a rooftop offering breathtaking views of Baku Bay and the Old City.

Highland Park - Known as “Viewing Square” and formerly “Sergei Kirov Park” during the Soviet era, Highland Park is a beloved spot in Baku for strolling, relaxing, and enjoying sea views. Visitors can unwind with fresh air, city views, and tea at the Highland Park Café, accompanied by classic lounge music. It’s an ideal place to relax, located in the heart of Baku. A nighttime visit is recommended for the stunning lighting on the park’s stairs. On hot summer days and nights, the park offers a cool and breezy atmosphere.

Baku Boulevard - Baku Boulevard, also called the National Seaside Park, is a favorite promenade for locals and visitors, and the second largest in Europe after Paris’s Seine River park. Established over a century ago by Baku’s oil barons, it stretches 3,750 meters along the Caspian Sea’s southern coast, from National Flag Square to Freedom Square. The Boulevard features museums, cultural venues, malls, and entertainment centers, including the modern Devil’s Wheel ride with views of Baku Bay.

Little Venice - “Little Venice” in Baku Boulevard is a charming town built in 1960, now expanded to 10,000 sq.m. It includes two large and several small islands, with expanded channels, new bridges, and two restaurants offering Western and Eastern cuisine. Visitors can enjoy gondola rides for four, with one seat for the guide. Located near the Caspian seashore, “Small Town of Venice” offers a Venetian experience. The island restaurants serve diverse cuisines, including Azerbaijani dishes. Visitors can explore by gondola and enjoy a meal on the islands. Mini Venice features several islands connected by ornate bridges, with gondolas available for hire. The complex includes one Eastern and one Western restaurant.

Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum - The Azerbaijan Carpet Museum showcases various carpet schools and techniques from across the country, highlighting the history and development of carpet weaving. In August 2014, the museum moved to a new building shaped like a rolled carpet, designed by Austrian architects Franz Janz and Walter Mari. The museum houses over 14,000 exhibits, including rare carpets, jewelry, clothing, embroidery, glass pieces, wood, and felt. The first floor features flat-weave carpets and applied arts, the second floor displays pile carpets from different Azerbaijani regions, and the third floor focuses on modern designers, the museum’s history, and a children’s room. The museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00-18:00, and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00-20:00, closed on Mondays.

Guba - Khinalug Tour

Qecresh Bag - En route to Khinalig (Khinalug) Village, visitors can stop for photos in the Qecresh forest, where locals offer horse rides. Qechresh, one of Guba’s largest villages, is 12 km from the district center and surrounded by forest. It’s known for natural springs and diverse flora, including wild walnuts, hazelnuts, cranberries, hawthorn, hips, apples, pears, and pine trees. The village is home to gazelles, wolves, bears, foxes, and other wildlife. Fishing is possible in Gudjalchay, adding to the village’s charm.

State Historical, Architectural and Ethnographic Reserve Khinalig - Khinalug is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited places, with a 5,000-year history. Its high altitude and isolation have helped it withstand invasions. Historical sites include a 12th-century mosque, a 15th-century mosque, and ancient cemeteries in the mountains, along with ancient holy caves.

The Guba Genocide Memorial Complex - Visitors will stop at the Guba Genocide Memorial Complex, where thousands have gathered to commemorate the 1918 Genocide of Azerbaijanis. Discovered in 2007, the Guba burial site contains remains of over 400 people from various ethnic groups, including Azerbaijanis, Lezgins, Jews, and Tats, who were victims of the 1918 genocide by Armenians. In 2009, a memorial was established to honor the victims.

Gabala - Tufandag - Sheki

Juma Mosque - On the journey from Baku to Gabala, travelers visit the Juma Mosque in Shamakhi, a popular tourist attraction included in the Shamakhi and Gabala tour. Unlike many mosques, non-Muslims can enter the Juma Mosque, provided they remove their shoes. The floor is covered with thick carpets, and women must cover their heads, with free head coverings available at the entrance.

Nohur Gol - Nohur Lake, near the Gabala-Ismayilli-Baku motorway, is a natural attraction visited by tourists. Located 5 km east of Gabala city and 200 km from Baku, the lake is surrounded by the Yumuru, Goydag, and Gulluburun mountains. It measures 1925 m in length, 1355 m in width, and covers 240 ha, with a maximum depth of 24 m and a water volume of about 16 million m3. The lake is situated 700 meters above sea level.

Seven Beauties Waterfall - This waterfall, located in Vandam village of Gabala, flows from the Caucasus Mountains’ highest peaks. The name “Seven Beauties” (Yeddi Gozal) comes from the seven mountain roads leading to the waterfall. In winter, the waterfall freezes, making access difficult, but in spring and summer, tea houses along the roads offer traditional Gabala jam with tea. At the waterfall’s highest point, a tea house with a wooden mattress provides a unique tea experience with the waterfall’s sound and scenery. The tea’s water is sourced from the waterfall, giving it a distinct flavor.

Tufandag Mountain Resort - Located 4 kilometers from Gabala city, Tufandag Winter-Summer Tourist Complex offers extreme sports and tourism activities in harmony with nature. Visitors can ski in winter, ride cable cars in summer, and enjoy mountain climbing with ATVs. The resort features a 1000-meter vertical downhill, 15-kilometer ski slopes, and 4 rope lines, with green and blue slopes for beginners and red and black slopes for professionals. Snowmobiles enhance the skiing experience, and equipment rental and ski lessons are available.

Sheki City Tour

Church of Kish - En route, visit the first Albanian church in the Caucasus, dating back to the 1st century AD. The beautifully restored round-towered Albanian church in Kish village is now a well-presented trilingual museum, offering insights into Caucasian Albania, the Christian nation that once spanned northern Azerbaijan.

Sheki Khan’s Palace - The Sheki Khans’ Palace, an 18th-century Azerbaijani monument, was built using raw bricks, river stones, plane trees, and oaks, without nails or glue. The palace features 6 rooms, 4 corridors, and 2 mirrored balconies, with windows and doors crafted from wood and colored Venetian glass. The palace’s light is rich in rainbow colors, and each room is uniquely decorated with miniatures of mythical birds, flowers, and animals.

Karvansaray - The “Caravanserai” historical complex in Sheki includes two caravanserais, “Yukhari” and “Ashaghi,” meaning “Upper” and “Lower” in Azerbaijani. Built in the 18th-19th centuries, the “Lower” caravanserai has a rectangular shape with a central courtyard and pool. It covers 8000 m2 and measures 55x85 meters, with 242 rooms. Originally, the first floor housed merchant stores and storage rooms, while the second floor accommodated guests. Since 1988, the lower caravanserai has operated as a hotel complex with a national cuisine restaurant and luxury suites.

Gobustan + Absheron Peninsula Tour

Gobustan Rock Art - The tour begins with a hotel pickup, heading to Gobustan, an archaeological site 56 km from Baku. Discovered in 1939-1940, Gobustan features over 3,500 petroglyphs and 20 suburban shelters. Mesolithic monuments are displayed in the reserve, with caves, springs, and carvings by primitive humans. Visitors will explore the Gobustan Museum for historical insights before heading to Rock Mountain to view the carvings.

Mud Volcanoes - After Rock Mountain, the tour continues to the Mud Volcanoes, with transportation switching to Soviet Lada Cars. Visitors can bring plastic bags to collect mud, known for its skin benefits. After 10 minutes at the volcanoes, guests return to their original vehicle.

Bibi-Heybat Mosque - The Bibi-Heybat Mosque, housing the tomb of Ukeyma Khanum (a descendant of Prophet Muhammad), is a spiritual center for regional Muslims and a significant Islamic architectural monument in Azerbaijan. Known locally as “the mosque of Fatima,” it was described by Alexandre Dumas during his 1840s visit. The mosque’s original structure included a 20-meter minaret, later expanded with a crypt and niches bearing inscriptions of Fatali Khan, whose tombstone is now in the State Museum of History.

Ateshgah - Fire Temple - The tour proceeds to the Fire Temple, located 30 km from Baku in the Surakhani settlement of the Absheron peninsula. Built in the 17th-18th centuries over natural gas flames, Ateshgah’s earliest structure dates to 1713, with the central temple constructed in 1810 by merchant Kanchanagara. The temple was sanctified by Zoroastrians, Hindus, and Sikhs at different times. Zoroastrians from India traveled to Ateshgah to worship the eternal flames.

Yanardag State Historical, Cultural and Natural Reserve - The final destination is the Fire Mountain, a natural burning flame resulting from natural gas emergence at the hill’s base. Burning for approximately 4,000 years, even in rain and snow, the gas roots extend to the Caspian Sea.

Departure Day

Heydar Aliyev International Airport - The tour concludes with breakfast at the hotel, followed by check-out and transfer to Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

• Admission to top attractions including Shirvanshah Palace, Ateshgah, Yanardagh, Gobustan Reserve, Sheki Khan Palace, and Kish Temple
• Services of an English-speaking guide throughout the tour
• Complimentary airport transfers for both arrival and departure
• Comfortable travel with in-vehicle air conditioning
• Covered taxi fees for visits to Mud Volcano and Kish Temple
• Lada car ride for groups of 7-15 people to ascend Khinalig
• Included Gabala Cable Car rides on 2 lines

• Meals & Drinks
• Personal Expenses
• Things not marked on include part

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.