Azerbaijan Grand Discovery

On arrival at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, we meet you and provide a smooth transfer to your hotel in Baku – you then have time to freshen up and relax. In the evening, you'll set out on a panoramic city tour of around four hours with an expert guide and comfortable transport.

Begin at Highland Park for wide views over the Caspian Sea and Baku’s skyline, with the Flame Towers in clear sight, before continuing to Martyrs’ Lane and the Eternal Flame Monument – sites of national remembrance that reflect the country’s modern history. We round off the evening with a comfortable return to your hotel – ready for the days ahead.

Spend a full day exploring Baku’s historic heart and modern highlights. We begin inside Icherisheher – the UNESCO‑listed Old City – winding through its lanes to the House of the Baku Khans, the Multani Caravansarai and the Maiden Tower. You continue to Juma Mosque and Muhammad Mosque, pause at St Bartholomew Church and the Aga Mikayil Bath House, and complete the old quarter at the Palace of the Shirvanshahs.

Thereafter, shift to contemporary Baku at the Heydar Aliyev Centre – a landmark by Zaha Hadid that showcases the city’s forward‑looking design.

In the afternoon, you follow Baku Boulevard along the Caspian shore. Explore the Carpet Museum’s collection tracing centuries of craftsmanship, then take a relaxed boat ride through Little Venice for a fresh view of the waterfront. Round off the day along Nizami Street and Fountain Square – lively hubs for shopping and entertainment – before returning to the hotel. Today’s guided programme runs for approximately 6–8 hours.

Leave Baku for Gobustan National Reserve – about 60 kilometres southwest – to explore deep prehistory and striking geology. You'll start at the Gobustan Museum, where interactive displays set the scene, then walk among the petroglyphs – rock carvings over 10,000 years old that portray early human life and natural symbols. Continue to the nearby mud volcanoes, a geological rarity where gas and thick mud bubble up to shape an unusual landscape.

Back in Baku, the rest of the day is yours to enjoy the city centre – you can dine, browse boutique shops or take a relaxed stroll. Today’s programme runs for approximately 6–7 hours with expert guidance and comfortable transport throughout and concludes with a smooth return to your hotel.

Spend the morning exploring the Absheron Peninsula’s fire heritage. With your guide, explore the 17th–century Ateshgah Fire Temple, built over natural gas vents and once a pilgrimage site for Zoroastrian fire–worshippers, where the architecture and inscriptions reflect a meeting of cultures and beliefs. Then continue to Yanardag – Burning Mountain – where natural gas seeps fuel an open hillside flame that has burned for centuries.

Return to Baku in the afternoon, when you can enjoy free time in the city centre – browse the shops, seek out cultural encounters or simply pause in a café.

Today’s programme runs for about 5–6 hours with guided commentary and comfortable transport, ending with an overnight stay in Baku.

Depart Baku by road into the Shamakhi region for a day of history, scenery and local flavour. Your first stop is the cliffside Diribaba Mausoleum, its chambers carved directly into the rock. In Shamakhi, you'll explore the Juma Mosque – among the oldest in the Caucasus – then continue to the Yeddi Gumbaz mausoleum complex for broad views over the surrounding hills.

A change of pace follows at a local alpaca farm, where you meet these gentle animals, before a guided tasting at Abgora Wine House introduces regional winemaking traditions. Finish the afternoon by the still waters of Silent Lake – a calm pause before evening. Today’s programme runs for around 5–6 hours with comfortable transport throughout, ending with an overnight stay in Shamakhi.

Set off from Shamakhi for the Astrophysical Observatory – a key research centre in the Greater Caucasus – to gain an insight into its telescopes and decades of astronomical study. Thereafter, drive through Ismayilli’s mountain scenery to Lahij, a historic village of stone houses and cobbled lanes where master coppersmiths keep their craft alive.

In Lahij, you can watch artisans at work in the coppersmiths’ workshops and explore the narrow streets at your own pace. If you’d like an adrenaline boost, you may choose to cross the Zarnava Hanging Bridge – a suspension walkway over a deep gorge with wide valley views. By late afternoon you continue to Gabala for an overnight stay. Expect a full day of travel and sightseeing – around 8–10 hours in total with road transfers and unhurried stops.

Travel from Gabala’s mountain scenery to the heritage city of Sheki. You'll begin at Tufandag Mountain Resort, ascending by cable car for broad Caucasus views, then pause at Nohur Lake before continuing to Yeddi Gozel Waterfall – the Seven Beauties. Thereafter, drive to Nij, an Udi village, to see the Chotari Albanian Church – a rare survivor of the ancient Caucasian Albanian civilisation and still significant to the Udi community.

En route to Sheki, you'll stop at Bio Garden for a short, seasonal produce break. On arrival, explore the historic Caravanserai – an authentic Silk Road inn – and round off at traditional sweet shops where Sheki halva is prepared according to time–honoured methods. Today’s programme runs for around 8–10 hours including road transfers and sightseeing, and we stay overnight in Sheki.

Spend the day immersed in Sheki’s living craftsmanship and heritage. You begin at the 18th century Sheki Khan’s Palace – a masterpiece of symmetry and colour – to admire its intricate shebeke stained glass assembled without nails or glue, and frescoes depicting hunting scenes, flora and courtly life.

Continue to the ABAD Ceramic Arts Centre, an active workshop where traditional Azerbaijani motifs are expressed in contemporary ceramics, before exploring the Museum of History and Local Lore, whose exhibits span archaeology, ethnography and domestic life across the region. A short stroll brings us to a local art gallery showcasing works by regional artists, then to the Craftsmen’s House (Shebeke Workshop) to see artisans demonstrate the precise shebeke technique of fitting coloured glass into wooden lattices without adhesive. You end at the Fazil Necropolis, a historic cemetery known for its distinctive tombstones with symbolic carvings.

This guided programme runs for around 4–5 hours. We return to the hotel in Sheki for the evening.

Continue your Sheki immersion with a morning visit to the Kish Albanian Church – founded in the 1st century and later rebuilt in stone – a key spiritual centre of the ancient Caucasian Albanian civilisation. You'll then explore the Shekihanovs’ House, a well‑preserved 19th century merchant residence with decorative ceilings, fine woodwork and ornamental glass that reflect Sheki’s Silk Road era.

Next, you'll see silk production in motion at the Sheki Silk Factory – from cocoon to loom – before a quiet pause at the Khan Mosque, a serene focal point of local religious life. You'll also step inside the 18th century Abdulkhaliq Hammam, a historic bathhouse associated with longstanding traditions of cleansing and social connection.

In the afternoon, enjoy a tasting at the Az Abrau Wine Museum, introducing regional winemaking and local varietals. We round off at the lively Sheki Bazaar, where stalls brim with handwoven textiles, copperware, dried fruits, nuts, spices and regional delicacies. Today’s guided programme lasts around 5–6 hours, after which we return to the hotel for an overnight stay in Sheki.

Depart Sheki for a highland day trip to Qakh and Ilisu, focusing on layered history and local life. Begin at Kurmuk Temple, a Christian pilgrimage site set among wooded hills, then continue to the Qum Basilica to view remains that reflect the area’s early Christian heritage. Explore Sumuggala Castle – a medieval fortification that once guarded routes through the mountains – before heading to Ilisu to see the Ulu Bridge and Ulu Mosque, enduring landmarks still used by the community.

In Qakh’s Icheri Bazaar you'll walk the old market quarter to take in traditional trading spaces, followed by the History and Ethnography Museum, where curated displays outline the region’s tribal, religious and agrarian past. Round off at the Honey House in Lekit Village for a tasting of locally produced high altitude honey.

The excursion runs for around 5–6 hours, including road transfers. We return to Sheki for the final overnight stay.

After breakfast and check out in Sheki, you'll set off for Baku. The drive takes approximately 4.5–5.5 hours as the scenery shifts from forested highlands to open plains. You'll make brief comfort stops en route – you can stretch your legs, pick up a snack or make a small purchase if you wish.

On arrival in Baku, we provide a direct drop off at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in line with your departure schedule. Tour services conclude upon arrival in Baku.