National Cuisine

Upon arrival, meet with local representative in the airport. We will transfer you to your hotel. After Check in free time. Dinner in local restaurant with local music and overnight in Baku

After breakfast meeting with guide and beginning city tour. Baku is one of the most beautiful cities in the World. City tour begins with a visit to the Highland Park. Highland Park is located on a hill in the western part of the city. This is the best place to see the city and the Baku Bay. The architecture of the capital is very eclectic; it is a combination of different styles and influences such as barocco, classicism and modern architecture, both Eastern and Western. The rout covers the downtown and shows the most interesting historical and architectural sights. The tourists will visit and see the Flag Square, a new Carpet Museum - design of the building is distinguished by its originality as the museum is built in the form of a folded carpet; stroll through the Baku promenade, enjoy the look of the House of Government, the Philharmonic Theatre named after M. Magomayev, the Baku Mayor's office and will visit the "Governor's garden." Then the tour will continue visiting the "old city" that had preserved and walls and narrow cobbled streets till our days... A number of the Soviet-time movies were shot here. Tourists will see the main attractions of the Old City, including the Palace of the Shirvan Shahs (XV cent), the symbol of the city - Maiden Tower (IX cent), Karvansarays, mosques etc. We will continue our excursion visiting Cultural Center named after Heydar Aliyev. Heydar Aliyev Center is a cultural center, projected as a complex structure that includes the auditorium (convention center), a museum, exhibition halls, administrative offices. The design of the building is also notable for the fact that neither in the interior or exterior of the building has any angles. The project of the center was designed by internationally recognized architect Zaha Hadid. Evening dinner in Local restaurant with local meals. Transfer to hotel.

After breakfast transfer to Gobustan National park. Gobustan is an open-air museum lettered with Neolithic rock drawings. Just 65 km south from Baku, Govustan has come some 4000 inscriptions that go back 12.000 years (with 200 year old Latin graffiti to boot). The well-preserved sketches display ancient populations travelling on reed boats, men hunt antelope and wild bulls, wome dance. Famous Norwegian anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl returned many times to Azerbaijan between 1961 and his death in 2002 to study the site, which he argued to be evidence that modern-day Scandinavians migrated north through the Caucasus in prehistoric times. He found similarities in the drawing to those found in Scandinavia, particularly some in Alta, Norway. According to Iceland Sagas, written in the 13th Century, the Norse God Odin (Wotan) migrated from the Caucasus in the first century AD. After that you will also have a chance to visit quite a unique site where 300 of the planet’s estimated 700 mud volcanoes sit Gobustan, Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea. Many geologists as well as locals and international mud tourists trek to such places as the Firuz Crater, Gobustan, Salyan and end up happily covered in mud which is thought to have medicinal qualities. In 2001 one mud volcano 15 km from Baku made world headlines when it suddenly started spewing flames 15 meters high. Lunch in Local Fish restaurant. Free time. Transfer to hotel.

Transfer to Sheki. Shaki is a city in north-western Azerbaijan, in the rayon of the same name.Shaki is situated in northern Azerbaijan on the southern part of the Greater Caucasus mountain range, 325 km (202 mi) from Baku. The population is 63,000. Sheki is one of the most famous and ancient places in Azerbaijan. Situated in 700 m (2297 ft.) above sea level the city, like an amphitheater, is surrounded by the mountains and forests of oak trees, this ancient city was long famed as a silk Centre and an important stop on the Great Silk Route. Perhaps the best-known aspect of Shaki cooking is its rich sweet dishes. Shaki is traditionally held as the home of special type of baklava, called Shaki Halva Others include nabat boiled sugar and sweet pesheveng. Shaki also has some famous dishes, including girmabadam, zilviya, piti, stew created with meat and potatoes and prepared in a terracotta pot. Check in at hotel. Free time. Evening transfer to dinner with Sheki meals. Special degustation of meals and also master-class for Sheki Bakhlava and local sweeties. Transfer to hotel. Overnight in Sheki.

After breakfast meeting wwith guide and beginning Sheki tour. We’ll start our Sheki tour from visiting the 18th century Khan's summer palace with magnificent frescos and exquisite stained glass work. We will visit “Shebeke” workshop where the tourists will meet with local craftsman who will tell about “Shebeke” make process. After we will also visit workshop of Sheki baklava that is popular all over Azerbaijan. Our acquaintance with Sheki continues with a visit to the Albanian church, which is located in Kish village. As the legend says, this church is the first Christian church built not only on the territory of the Caucasian Albania, and in general - in whole Transcaucasia. This place is also remarkable because the burials of people whose constitution is different from the present inhabitants of the region were found at the temple. Scientists and researchers who have studied the found skeletons have come to the conclusion that they belong to tall people, with blond hair and blue eyes. The famous Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl, who visited these lands, came to the conclusion that the Albanians were the ancestors of the Vikings who immigrated to these places to the north. In 2003, the church was restored with money donated by Norwegian government thanks to personal efforts of Thor Heyerdahl. Here, near the territory of the church you can see a memorial bust in honor of the famous researcher posed as a token of appreciation from the local people and the state. Drive to the hotel. Overnight in Sheki.

After breakfast meeting with guide and transfer to Quba. Check in at hotel. Free time. Transfer to local restaurant. Dinner. Transfer to hotel.

After breakfast meeting with local guide and transfer to local bakhlava shop. Master class about bakhlava and bukme. Its local sweeties.

After breakfast transfer to Baku Airport. Departure.