Location highlights from this tour
Eight days through Azerbaijan's best-known sights, from the Old City and modern skyline of Baku to the mountain village of Khinalig, the fire temple and medieval fortress of Absheron, the Silk Road town of Sheki and the green hills around Gabala. This private tour begins and ends in the capital.
You spend the first five nights in Baku, with days out to Gobustan's ancient rock carvings, the mud volcanoes, the Ateshgah fire temple and Ramana Fortress on the Absheron peninsula, and north to the Quba region for the Mountain Jewish community at Red Village and the remote highland village of Khinalig. From there you head inland — through Shamakhi and the copper-smithing village of Lahij — to Sheki, a town of caravanserais under the Caucasus foothills, and on to Gabala before the drive back to Baku.
It's a trip built on contrast: Baku's 21st-century skyline against the stone houses of Khinalig and the wooden balconies of Sheki. A couple of the days carry real driving, but because it's private, the stops and the pace are yours to adjust.
The tour starts in Icherisheher, Baku's walled Old City and a UNESCO site, with its narrow lanes, the Maiden Tower rising above the rooftops, and the Shirvanshahs' Palace, the seat of the region's medieval rulers. From there you drive out to the Heydar Aliyev Center, a flowing white building by the architect Zaha Hadid that has become one of Baku's best-known modern landmarks, before returning to walk the newer part of the city — Fountains Square, the seafront Baku Boulevard along the Caspian, and the view up to the three glass Flame Towers that have come to define the skyline. The day ends with a dinner of Azerbaijani food in the Old City.
A day of the strange and the ancient south of the city. Gobustan National Park, a UNESCO site, holds thousands of rock carvings going back some 40,000 years, scratched onto a hillside of bare stone. Nearby are the mud volcanoes, small cones that bubble and hiss with cold grey mud rather than lava, and there are two ways to see them: the new Mud Volcanoes Complex, which has a safe, comfortable road but fewer volcanoes, or the traditional site, which has more volcanoes and more dramatic scenery but is reached by a dusty, bumpy ride in a Soviet-era Niva vehicle. In the afternoon you visit Ateshgah, a walled fire temple built around a natural gas flame that has drawn Zoroastrian, Hindu and Sikh pilgrims for centuries, and Ramana Fortress, a medieval fortress among the traditional stone houses of a village on the Absheron peninsula, known for its authentic local atmosphere. Back to Baku for the night.
North today, into the mountains of the Quba region. You'll drive up through the Gudyalchay river valley to Quba, then to Qırmızı Qəsəbə — Red Village — home to one of the world's few remaining Mountain Jewish communities, with a visit to the Museum of Mountain Jews and a historic synagogue. From there the road continues to Khinalig, one of Azerbaijan's highest and most remote villages, its stone houses set among the peaks of the Greater Caucasus, with views into the Gudyalchay canyon on the way. You return to Baku in the evening.
West today, into the foothills of the Greater Caucasus. You'll stop first in Shamakhi, once the capital of a medieval khanate, for the Juma Mosque, then climb into the mountains to Lahij, a village of cobbled streets built almost entirely around copper — for centuries its smiths supplied cookware and tools across the region, and their workshops still line the main street, hammering and selling as they always have. From there the road continues to Sheki, a town of caravanserais and craftsmen tucked into the hills, where you settle in for the night.
A morning around Sheki before moving on. You'll visit the Khan's Palace, a small 18th-century summer residence with stained-glass windows and painted walls that took no nails to build, added to the UNESCO list in 2019, and one of the old stone caravanserais that once sheltered Silk Road traders. A stop at Sheki Bazaar, a lively local market filled with fresh produce, spices, traditional sweets and everyday local life, rounds out the visit. In the afternoon you drive to Gabala, once the capital of Caucasian Albania and now a green resort town at the foot of the mountains, where you settle in for the night.
Check out of your hotel by 12:00 p.m. When it's time, we'll transfer you to Heydar Aliyev International Airport for your departure.
Sheraton Baku Intourist stands by the seafront in the centre of Baku, within easy reach of the Old City, the Maiden Tower and the Flame Towers. Its rooms look out over gardens or the Caspian Sea. The hotel has the ABAKUZ Restaurant and the ABAKUZ Lounge & Terrace, a wellness centre offering massages and spa treatments, and a fitness centre open 24 hours a day.
Boutique 19 Hotel occupies a heritage building on Aziz Aliyev Street in the historic centre of Baku, combining period architecture with contemporary comfort. Guests can dine at Sabah Restaurant, enjoy a drink at Bade Wine Bar and relax at Damda Pool & Lounge.
Radisson Hotel Baku stands by the seafront at Azadlig Avenue 1, close to Baku Boulevard. Its 255 rooms include Superior and Junior rooms as well as studios and apartments with a kitchenette. The hotel has the all-day Lagom restaurant and bar, a fitness centre open 24 hours a day and flexible meeting spaces.
Mövenpick Winter Park Baku is a 4-star hotel in the Nasimi district, close to the centre of Baku, with Nizami Street, Winter Park and the Old City within walking distance. The 15th-floor restaurant offers views of the city and the sea, and there is a 24-hour lobby bar. Guests can use the fitness centre, sauna and massage services.
Shah Palace Hotel is a 4-star hotel inside Baku's historic Old City (Icherisheher), a short walk from Icheri Sheher metro station. Its classic-style rooms and traditional decoration are arranged around a central atrium with arched galleries. The hotel has a restaurant, a fitness room, a sauna and Wi-Fi.
Midway Park Hotel is in Baku, close to Nizami Street and the Baku City Circuit. The hotel has a restaurant serving a breakfast buffet, free Wi-Fi and a 24-hour front desk.
Cancellation: 30 days or more before the tour, you lose the deposit; 15–29 days before, 50% of the tour cost; 7–14 days before, 80%; less than 7 days before, 100%.
Payment by bank transfer or online with Visa, MasterCard or American Express (2.5% card fee).
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