Bizarre bubbling mud volcanoes in Gobustan National Park, Azerbaijan.

French stained glass, Russian timber, Ottoman ceramics & Iranian mirrorwork decorate the Palace of Shaki Khans, Sheki.

Baku, the cosmopolitan capital of Azerbaijan, where ancient Zoroastrian fire temples meet modern glass sky scrapers.

Natural gas burning in one of Gobustan's mud volcanoes

The medieval backstreets of Baku's Old City

Azerbaijan Highlights

A guided discovery of Azerbaijan’s culture, cuisine and contrasts.

8 Days from

$2390 USD

Trip Code: AZE

View dates to Book Essential Information

Extra trip options & supplements

*Prices listed are per person

Single supplement

$370 USD

Solo Traveller supplement

$1310 USD

Duration

8 Days

Activities

6 days adventure touring

Accommodation

7 nights hotel

Meals

6 Dinners
7 Breakfasts

Difficulty Grading

2 / 10

Adventure touring

Trip highlights

Explore Baku’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old City, including Shirvanshah Palace and the Maiden Tower
Visit the Ateshgah Fire Temple and Yanardag burning mountain
Discover Shemakha’s Diri Baba Tomb and the royal mausoleums of Yeddi Gumbez
Wander Sheki’s Khan’s Palace, artisan Shebeke workshops and pakhlava bakeries
Step inside the Albanian church of Kish, one of the oldest in the Caucasus
Share a home-prepared pilaf meal with a local family
Visit Lahij village, famed for copperwork and carpet weaving
See Gobustan’s UNESCO petroglyphs and unique mud volcanoes

Overview

Azerbaijan sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, a land shaped by Silk Road trade. This 8 day guided adventure reveals the country’s contrasts, from the Caspian coastline and the ancient walled city of Baku to the snow tipped Caucasus foothills in the west.

Explore Baku’s UNESCO-listed Old Town, with it's stone caravanserais and mosques. Travel along mountain roads to Shemakha’s royal tombs and Sheki’s Khan’s Palace.

In artisan villages, meet traditional silk weavers and copper craftsmen, learn the art of making pakhlava, and share home cooked pilaf with welcoming families. In Ganja, discover mosques, mausoleums and markets filled with fruit, herbs and saffron. Return east via the Gobustan Reserve, where prehistoric rock engravings and bubbling mud volcanoes hint at a landscape as old as time.

With private vehicle travel, comfortable hotels and expert local guides, this journey blends history, culture and scenery into a richly rewarding introduction to Azerbaijan.

Itinerary

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On arrival at Baku International Airport you’ll be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel. Rest and prepare for the journey ahead. Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, sits on the coast of the Caspian Sea. At its heart is a well preserved, UNESCO-listed medieval walled old city, containing the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, a vast royal complex, and the iconic stone Maiden Tower. Surrounding the old city are elegantly illuminated stone mansions and pedestrianised boulevards and squares filled with exclusive boutiques. Wooded parks and the Caspian-front promenade make it feel a million miles away from the surrounding desert. The more recent oil boom has flooded the city with breathtaking contemporary landmarks such as the Zaha Hadid–designed Heydar Aliyev Centre, and the Flame Towers, 3 pointed glass skyscrapers. Baku is rapidly changing, and now is the perfect time to visit whilst it remains relatively under most tourist radars. Overnight: Midtown Hotel or similar

Meals: Nil

Today we take our time to see the sights of Baku. Begin at Highland Park with sweeping views of Baku’s horseshoe-shaped bay and the Caspian Sea. Explore the UNESCO-listed Old City, including Shirvanshah Palace, Maiden Tower, Juma Mosque and preserved 12th century walls. Visit the Carpet Museum, then stroll Seaside Park and the lively Baku Boulevard. Overnight: Midtown Hotel or similar

Meals: B,D

When Marco Polo visited the then-Persian city of Baku in the 13th Century, he mentioned numerous mysterious flames throughout the region. These fires are considered to have played a crucial part in the creation of Zoroastrianism and gave rise to the moniker, Land of Fire. Drive to the Absheron Peninsula to visit the Ateshgah Fire Temple, once a centre of Zoroastrian worship, where natural flames have burned for centuries. Continue to Yanardag, a hillside where fire seeps perpetually through the earth. Return to Baku. Overnight: Midtown Hotel or similar

Meals: B,D

After breakfast we will drive west into the Caucasus foothills, stopping at Shemakha to see the Diri Baba Tomb and Yeddi Gumbez mausoleums of Shirvan royalty. Continue to Sheki, a historic Silk Road town, set against the Caucasus mountains. Overnight: Macara Hotel or similar

Meals: B,D

Medieval Sheki was once a stop-over on the fabled Silk Road, connecting travellers and cultures from east to west. Nestled on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus, Sheki's main attraction is its blend of small town charm, fresh mountain air and attractive historic architecture. Visit the 18th century Khan’s Palace, famed for its frescoes and colourful stained glass, said to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the Caucasus. Learn traditional craftsmanship at a Shebeke workshop and sample pakhlava at a local bakery. Travel to Kish village to explore its ancient Albanian church, before joining a local family to prepare a traditional pilaf. Overnight: Macara Hotel or similar

Meals: B,D

Browse Sheki Bazaar before travelling to Lahij, a mountain village known for copperwork and carpet weaving. Continue via Mingyachevir to Ganja. Explore the Shah Abbas Mosque, medieval caravanserai, Nizami Ganjavi Mausoleum and the quirky “Bottle House”. Overnight: Premium Hotel or similar

Meals: B,D

Travel back towards Baku, stopping at the remarkable Gobustan National Park which is rich in archaeological monuments. The expansive site features over 6,000 petroglyphs, covering some 40,000 years of rock art. The engravings depict scenes of the daily lives of the local inhabitants of the time, animals, battle-scenes, ritual ceremonies, bullfights, naval ships, camel caravans, images of the sun and stars. The site also contains once inhabited caves, settlements and burials, illustrating the intensive human habitation of the area during the wet period that followed the last Ice Age, from the Upper Paleolithic to the Middle Ages. Home to nearly a third of the world’s mud volcanoes, Gobustan is also famous for the bizarre mud volcanoes which bubble and erupt, sometimes in flames across the landscape. Many locals believe the mud has a special healing quality and it is common practice to apply the mud to the skin. Afterwards we continue onto Baku for dinner and overnight. Overnight: Midtown Hotel or similar

Meals: B,D

After breakfast, trip concludes with transfers to the airport for onward travel. Should you wish to extend your stay in Baku, please discuss post tour arrangements with your World Expeditions consultant.

Meals: B

Ready to start your adventure?

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What’s included?

Included

7 breakfasts and 6 dinners
Accommodation in comfortable hotels on a twin share basis
Local sightseeing & entrance fees to monuments
All internal transport by private vehicle
English speaking local tour guide
Airport transfers (day 1 and 8 only)

Not included

International flights
Visas
Travel insurance
Meals not indicated in the itinerary
Bottled water, aerated and alcoholic drinks
Items of a personal nature such as laundry, porterage, etc.
Tips