Tour in Azerbaijan

Day 1, MONDAY: Baku – arrival Arrivals in Baku. You will be met by our driver and transferred to the hotel for overnight.

At noon, start sightseeing tour in Baku. Visit Memory Alley – “Shehidler Khiyabany”; it opens up a great panoramic view of Baku city. Continue exploring architecture of the 14-20th centuries in the Nizami Street, Fountain Square, Nizami Ganjavi monument, Rasul-Zade Street. Pay a visit to Azerbaijan History National Museum and move to the old part of the city – Icheri Sheher. Visit Maiden Tower, Shirvan Shahs’ Palace, Karavansarai, and market square with numerous art studios and souvenirs stalls. An excellent round-up to the city tour will be a visit to the richest bank of Azeri carpets – National Carpets Museum. Overnight at the hotel.

Today you will explore Greater Baku and Absheron peninsula. Today’s program starts with Gobustan National Park. Pay a visit to the Petroglyphs Museum and explore petroglyphs dating back to 10,000 BC. Continue to mud volcanoes in Gobustan Reserve. Gobustan is home to almost half of the world’s mud volcanoes. Later drive toAteshgah – temple of fire worshippers located in Surakhany village. Zoroastrians from India travelled thousands of kilometers to Ateshgah to worship fire coming out of the earth. Drive to Yanardag Mountain with natural gas burning for several thousands of years. Return to Baku. Overnight at the hotel.

In the morning, depart Baku and drive to Sheki town. On the way, visit Diri Baba mausoleum in Maraza village. Continue to Shamakha, where you will visit historical Juma Mosque, Yeddi Gumbez Mausoleum, and the Shirvan Shah's family grave yard. Drive the Girdimanchay River’s canyon to visit Lahij, unique destination of 5th century that kept rich historic and architectural values till our days. Lahij is mostly famous for magnificent ancient mosques and bath-houses. It is also a vivid showcase to learn medieval water supply and sewage systems. Traditional workshops are another highlight of the city where tourists find memorable souvenirs like jewelry, copperware, carpets, pottery, daggers and iron tools.

In the morning, have sightseeing tour in Sheki. Visit Sheki medieval fortress, Sheki Khans Palace, local History Museum, handicrafts workshop, and mosque-madrassah. Have free afternoon at your leisure. Visit local bazaar and recently launched House of Sheki Khan. Overnight at the hotel.

In the morning, depart Sheki and drive to Ganja, the second biggest city in Azerbaijan. On the way, visit an industrial city of Mingyachevir located on the bank of Kura, the longest river in Caucasus. In Ganja Start sightseeing tour includes visits to the Mosque of Shah Abbas, medieval Ganja caravansaray, the Museum of Miniature, and unique Bottle house decorated with thousands of bottles. Pay a visit to the Mausoleum of famous Azerbaijan poet Nizami Gyanjavi and continue to a local bazaar. Drive out of the city to a small town of Goygol to visit village Helenendorf that was settled in the winter of 1818–1819 by 194 Swabian German families. German architecture of local buildings will surprise you. Overnight at the hotel in Ganja.

After breakfast we will drive back to Baku. Stop on the way at Shamkir town, a prosperous and rich Middle Ages settlement on the bank of Big Shamkir River. Arrive in Baku in the afternoon. Check-in to the hotel. Free time in the city. Overnight at the hotel.

Check-out from the hotel till noon. Free time till transfer to Baku International Airport. End of the tour.