A journey from the Caspian Sea to the Caucasus Mountains

On the second day, after having breakfast at the hotel, at 09:30, we will start the tour.

The first stop of our tour will be Gobustan and Mud volcanoes. You will visit the Petroglyphs Museum in a place called Gobustan, a mountain town located in the southeast of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, 60 km from Baku. Ancient settlements of primitive people have been found here. There are many rock paintings.

One of the cradles of human civilization, Gobustan, included in the UNESCO heritage list, is located one hour away from Baku. It has an amazing collection of over 6,000 ancient petroglyphs depicting lifeways dating back to 40,000 years.

This is an open-air museum. Thousands of people from all over the world visit this art gallery every year.

Not far from Gobustan, a second wonder will amaze you no less than prehistoric paintings on the rocks—these are the Mud Volcanoes.

350 of the world’s 800 mud volcanoes are located here; one of them is in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest (visiting mud volcanoes depends on weather conditions).

On the way back from the Gobustan area, we will pass the Bibi-Heybat mosque and stop there for a while. Bibi-Heybat in Baku City is a historical mosque. The current building, built in the 1990s, is a recreation of the 13th-century mosque of the same name built by Shirvanshah II Farrukhzad II Ibn Akhsitan, which was completely destroyed by the Bolsheviks in 1936. Today, the Bibi-Heybat Mosque is a spiritual center for the region’s Muslims and one of the main monuments of Islamic architecture in Azerbaijan.

The last place we will visit on our excursion will be the world’s first industrially drilled oil well. Industrial production of oil was started in Baku for the first time in history. This event was known in Azerbaijan, but recently, documentary evidence was found in the archive. As a result, the world’s first oil well dug in the village of Bibiheybat near Baku in 1846 at a depth of 21 m was discovered, restored, and turned into an open-air museum.

Lunchtime.

Icherisheher (Old City) The oldest part of Baku, the “Old City”, popularly known as “Gala” or simply “Icherisheher”, is a historical-architectural reserve. Icherisheher, the oldest part of Baku, is surrounded by well-preserved fortress walls. More than 1,300 families live on 221,000 m² of land.

Famous architectural monuments located in Icherisheher, Gizgala, and Shirvanshah are considered pearls of Azerbaijani architecture. In addition, there are dozens of historical-architectural monuments: mosques, caravanserais, baths, residential houses, several museums, embassies, hotels, commercial facilities, cafes, and restaurants.

Return to the hotel.

On the third day, after breakfast at the hotel, at 08:30, we will start the tour.

The first stop of the Shamakhi tour will be Meraza village. There you will visit the tomb of Diri Baba (a 15th-century mausoleum mosque called Diri-Baba located in front of the old cemetery).

Our next stop will be the Shamakhi Juma Mosque. The mosque was built in 743–744 years. Shamakhi Juma Mosque is the oldest mosque in the South Caucasus after Darbend Juma Mosque (built in 734). The mosque, which was restored several times in the Middle Ages, was destroyed during the Shamakhi earthquakes in 1856 and 1902 and was restored first by Gasim Bey Hajibababeyov and then by Iosif Ploshko. The last restoration works in the mosque, which was burned by Armenians in 1918, were carried out in 2010–2013 according to the order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.

Then we continue moving to Shamakhi, the ancient city of Azerbaijan, which was the capital of the Shirvan dynasty in the 9th and 16th centuries and the center of the Shamakhi Khanate in the 18th century. Some distance away from the city of Shahmakhi, you will see the “Yeddi Gumbaz” (“Seven Domes”) mausoleum, which is the tomb of the Shamakhi khans from the 18th century.

After leaving Shamakhi, we will visit Meysari Winery. Branded as “Meysari” (the name of the company’s main base), Shirvan Wines is one of Azerbaijan’s newest wine producers and the only EU-certified organic wine producer in the country. With the first crop in 2017, bottling in 2018 is what we have to go on, but the signs are promising. The vineyard area has now grown to 310 hectares, the new processing unit uses the first high-quality French equipment, and a museum, restaurant, and guest house have been built to facilitate wine tours.

Lunchtime.

We will continue our way to the village of Lahic. The village of Lahij is one of the oldest settlements in Azerbaijan and is famous for its folk artists, rare traditions, and beautiful natural scenery. It is located 180 km northwest of the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku. Lahij is the best example of original architecture preserved by the villagers for centuries. The village of Lahij is one of the best craft and trade centers in the Caucasus and is included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The main fame of the village comes from the hand-made copper products with magnificent designs, which are made in the traditional way in the village. Now the village is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Azerbaijan because, even today, there are dozens of workshops in the village that make beautiful handicrafts made of copper.

On the side of the road to Gabala, there is Nohur Lake, a place of unique beauty. Lake Nohur in Gabala is one of the most famous tourist attractions in our country, and you will talk about an excursion to this lake during our tour to Gabala. The lake is unusual and beautiful, surrounded by mountains and shale deposits, and looks like a mirror through which wooded slopes are reflected.

Overnight at the hotel in Sheki.

On the 4th day, after breakfast at the hotel, we will leave for the tour at 10:00.

Sheki is one of the oldest and most magnificent cities in Transcaucasia. Rich in many historical and architectural monuments, it is considered the craft capital of the country and an important stop on the Great Silk Road. Local artisans have preserved their secrets until today, passing them down from generation to generation. We will visit several workshops to learn how “shebaka” (handmade frescoes), “baklava” (a special sweet popular in Azerbaijan), and “tekalduz” (a type of weaving popular in this area) are made.

A must-see is the Sheki Khan Summer Palace, covered from floor to ceiling with stunning miniature paintings. Thousands of small pieces of glass were used to make his “grid” window mosaic. The next stop will be the Caravanserai, a historic complex consisting of two magnificent Caravanserai: “Yukhari” (“Upper”) and “Ashagi” (“Lower”). The castle walls, ethnographic museum, and craft shops are also very popular attractions. Sheki has been a major producer of silk for the past four centuries and is famous for a variety of silk products.

You will also visit the ancient Albanian church in Kish village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 5 km north of Sheki.

Lunchtime.

After lunch, you will spend time in the Bio Garden, which consists of eight hectares of green gardens with more than 100 different types of fruit trees, most of which are found in Azerbaijan. It aims to increase interest in agrotourism in Azerbaijan. Fish and poultry are grown here, and a number of exotic birds are brought from other countries. You can pick your own fruits and vegetables (in season) and also learn how to grow them. Peaceful roads with plenty of nice places to sit offer opportunities to relax, while village food and traditional tea sets will help you recharge your batteries.

Overnight at the hotel in Sheki.

On the 5th day, after breakfast at the hotel, we will start the tour at 08:00.

Gabala is one of the oldest cities in Azerbaijan. The name of these lands reminds me of the magnificent fortress walls of the ancient city of Gabala, which was the capital of ancient Caucasian Albania for 900 years.

Gabala is located 225 km from Baku. Gabala is one of the most beautiful places in Azerbaijan. Cool-weather, dense forests, rivers, and lakes can attract the attention of excursionists.

The village of Nic, located a little more than 20 kilometers southwest of Gabala, has the largest number of Udi people anywhere in the world. The Udis are a Christian nation directly descended from one of the main tribes living in the Caucasian Albanians, an ancient state existing in a large part of today’s Azerbaijan. In fact, they still speak an endangered language, which is actually the same as the language of the ancient Albanians. Explore the history and culture of this warm community by visiting the beautifully restored 17th-century Albanian church (Chotari Church), which sits in the shade of majestic plane trees not far from the village center.

The best part of the Gabala tour is the shooting club. This is an amazing institution that combines a professional sports base and a social and recreational institution. On the one hand, athletes-shooters are trained here, and on the other hand, almost everyone, even tourists, can come and shoot here.

Tufandag resort is located 4 km from Gabala, the ancient capital of Caucasian Albania. The distance to Gabala International Airport is 20 km, and from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, it is 220 km. The resort has all the conditions for a great family vacation. Tufandag offers skiing in the winter, cable car climbing in the summer, and many other activities besides the breathtaking panoramic views. There are training schools with qualified instructors who will help you not only to sit on skis and snowboard for the first time but also to improve your skills and reach a new level. Kids will love the indoor playgrounds. Babysitting services are available at hotel complexes. The Tufandagh complex can accommodate up to 3000 guests at the same time. In addition to 5-star hotels, the complex includes restaurants, cafes, bars and recreation areas, ski and adult skiing, and rental and repair equipment. The trails of Tufandag Gabala Ski Center are of varying complexity and the total length of the ski trails is 17 km.

Lunchtime.

The region is rich in natural resources. Lake Nohur has a wonderful location with an amazing view of the Caucasus Mountains. Here, you can enjoy boating or fishing. Yeddi Gozal waterfall is located near the village of Vandam, in a mountainous area covered with dense forests. The name of the waterfall comes from the seven waterfalls that fall from the highest peak of the mountain. Wooden stairs lead to the very top.

On the way to Baku, you will pass through river valleys called the Russian Forest, the famous Chestnut Forest, and numerous picturesque villages. Stop by the authentic bucket market to buy some fruits and vegetables that are measured and sold by the bucket, not the scale.

Return to Baku.

Overnight at the hotel in Baku.

On the 6th day, after having breakfast at the hotel, we will leave at 09:30 to start the tour.

The first place we will visit on our tour will be the Ateshgah Fire Temple. This place, located 30 km away from Baku, was built in the 17th and 18th centuries. From that time until today, the fire temple has continued to burn. Until 1880, Ateshgah was a place of pilgrimage for Hindus. At present, beautiful landscaping works have been carried out in that area and a museum has been established.

Then our destination will be the Yanardag State History, Culture, and Nature Reserve. The history of this eternally burning mountain is unknown.

Today, our excursion will continue with a visit to the village of Gala (40 minutes away from Baku), which has a State History-Ethnography Reserve and an Open-Air Museum, which gives an opportunity to see the original lifestyle of the Azerbaijani people from the 10th–19th centuries. This is a unique place where you can not only take a tour of the past, but also bake bread in the ancient oven “Tandir”, weave carpets, rub clay in the pottery workshop, and feed camels and horses.

Lunchtime.

The next place we will visit will be the Heydar Aliyev Center. The project of the center was developed in 2007 by the world-famous architect Zaha Hadid. Stop by the famous “I Love Baku” sign to take a photo.

Park Bulvar Mall is considered the first modern shopping center in Baku. In addition to the world’s favorite brand stores, there are also a number of entertainment such as a luxurious restaurant, cinema, and bowling.

We will go to Daghustu Park (Highland Park) to see Baku from the highest point. Here, you will enjoy a panoramic view of the city of Baku and the Caspian Sea. You will have a chance to see the Flame Towers, one of the famous buildings in Baku. The height of this complex, which consists of three skyscrapers, is 182 m. The three flame-shaped towers are intended to symbolize the elements of fire and refer to Azerbaijan’s nickname, “The Land of Fire”.

Return to the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to the airport.