Surprising Azerbaijan

Baku (arrival)

After your landing at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, a driver is waiting for you at the arrival hall inside the airport holding a plate with your name on it.

The transfer to your accommodation in Baku takes around 30 minutes.



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Baku

This day is dedicated to Azerbaijan’s capital Baku. First, you get a general idea by viewing the city from above.

Highland Park is offering an exceptional perspective. You walk along the Martyrs' Alley, a cemetery dedicated to the people who were killed during «Black January» 1990 and in the Nagorno-Karabakh War (1988–1994), and visit the Shahidlar Monument with its eternal flame.



You walk down to the old town, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage. The oldest part of Baku is surrounded by walls and contains different remarkable treasures.



You visit the Palace of the Shirvanshahs (15th/16th centuries), the Bukhara Caravanserai and the Maiden Tower, whose history and purpose is still not clear despite numerous theories. The city tour takes about 5 hours.



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Baku, Khinalug, Quba

Today you leave Baku for the first time to have a detour into the wild mountains of Azerbaijan.

After a four-hour drive via Quba, you will reach Khinalug in the Greater Caucasus mountains. The mountain village is considered the oldest, highest and most remote village in the whole country. The inhabitants of Khinalug still speak their own language, the Khinalugian. Due to the village's remoteness, the language has been able to assert itself to this day.



In addition to a walk through the village, a short hike in the surrounding area is also possible, if desired. From Khinalug, you return to the city of Quba, where various sights like an old Hamam and a carpet factory await you. Overnight stay in Quba.



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Quba, Besh Barmag, Baku

From Quba you return to Baku. On the way, a mystical mountain is waiting for you.

On the way back to the Azerbaijani capital you will reach Bech Barmag after a drive of a bit less than one and a half hours. The 382-meter-high hill is one of the most mythical places in the whole country.



Besh Barmag is especially popular with (mainly female) pilgrims who flock in droves either to visit the mosque at the foot of the mountain, to walk up to it, or to ask pre-Islamic deities to bless themselves and their families.



Afterward, it is not far to Baku, where you can spend the evening as you please.



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Baku, Gobustan National Park, Ganja

60 km south-west of Baku you visit another UNESCO World Heritage Site: The Gobustan State Historical and Cultural Reserve.

In the Museum of Petroglyphs, you learn about the long history of this area rich in archeological monuments and more than 6,000 rock carvings on average dating back to 5,000 - 20,000 years. You go for a walk in the Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape to discover carvings, cave paintings and bizarre geological formations.



The next highlights are the mud volcanoes, which you reach after a short 4x4 ride through the wild and dry nature. The scenery seems to be from a different world, where the silence is only interrupted by the gurgling and bubbling noises from the volcanoes with their small eruptions of cold mud.



From Gobustan the journey leads to Ganja, Azerbaijan's second-largest city, where you can visit the Imamzade Mausoleum and the Nizami Monument.



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Ganja, Shamkir, Kish, Sheki

The day starts with a sightseeing tour in Ganja.

The highlights of the city are the Shah Abbas Mosque and an old Hamam. Then you continue to the city of Shamkir, which was once founded by German settlers under the name of Annenfeld.



In 2006 extensive archaeological excavations were started in Shamkir. Among other things, the remains of the old town castle were discovered, which revealed many new facts about the eventful history of this region.



If you are interested, you can also visit the Evangelical Lutheran Church from the German settler era, which is located in Khanlar (formerly Helenendorf).



Before you drive to Sheki, you can also visit the famous Caucasian-Albanian church in Kish.



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Sheki, Nij, Qabala, Lahic

The day starts with a visit to the highlights of Sheki.

Sheki went through a turbulent history and was invaded by the Persians, the Romans, the Parthians, the Arabs, the Mongols and other occupants, in a final step by the Soviets.



In the old town, you visit the Palace of Sheki Khans which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage. And you immerse yourself in the times of the Silk Road when you visit the two Caravansaries from the 18th century.



Sheki is known for its sweet Halva, whose recipes have been passed down from local families to their children for generations. In a masterclass, you will learn how to produce this specialty. Alternatively, you can learn the Shebeke craft in another masterclass. Shebeke is the stained glass windows that, among other buildings, adorn the Khan's Palace.



Via the village of Nij with its Udin Temple, you will head to Qabala, where you will visit the archaeological excavations and the museum. In the evening you will drive into the Caucasus mountains to Lahic, which is considered to be the Azerbaijani center of craftsmanship.



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Lahic, Baku

After a relaxing night in Lahic Guest House with its wonderful host Rustam, you will explore the small town of Lahic.

Lahic is one of the oldest settlements in Azerbaijan, nestled deep in the southern foothills of the Greater Caucasus at an altitude of 1,200 - 1,500 meters above sea level.



It is the main center of craftsmanship in Azerbaijan and kind of a living open-air museum. The small town is also an example of the early urbanization of the country. Lahic is home to historic buildings such as mosques and hammams, paved streets and a unique sewage system, which is, being more than 1,000 years old, one of the oldest, still working sewer systems in the world.



In the afternoon you drive back to Baku.



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Baku, Absheron Peninsula, Baku

After a visit to the Heydar Aliyev Center, designed by the famous architect Zaha Hadid, your day trip to the surroundings of Baku starts.

You leave Baku to explore the Absheron Peninsula, which extends 60 km (37 miles) into the Caspian Sea.



The first stop is the Ateshgakh Fire Temple, a castle-like temple in Surakhani which was used as a place of worship in Zoroastrianism. After Ateshgakh you explore the Mir Movsum Aga Mosque and the fortresses which in medieval times were part of the defense system of the peninsula.



Another stopover will be at Yanar Dag, which means «burning mountain» in the Azeri language. Due to huge natural gas resources, the small hill is burning steadily and continuously. For those who want, there will be the option of swimming in the Caspian Sea as well.



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Baku

Not only the neighboring countries Armenia and Georgia are known for their wine culture, but Azerbaijan also looks back on a long wine tradition as well.

Already in the second millennium B.C. wine was produced on the territory of present-day Azerbaijan, which has been proven by archaeological excavations.



On the last day of your journey, the Azerbaijani wine will be at the center of attention: In a wine factory, you will learn all kinds of interesting facts about its history, the different grape varieties and the production process – including wine tasting. Afterward, you enjoy a free evening in Baku.



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Baku (departure)

We pick you up in front of your accommodation and take you to the airport.

The journey takes around 30 minutes.