Hidden Gems of Azerbaijan

We meet you at Heydar Aliyev International Airport or at your hotel in Baku, then travel west to Shamakhi, a historic city and former capital of the Shirvan Kingdom. Our first stop is the Diri Baba Mausoleum, set into a cliff and known for its long‑held legends. We continue to the Juma Mosque – founded in the 8th century and often considered the oldest in the Caucasus – before visiting the Yeddi Gumbaz Mausoleum, resting place of Shamakhi’s former rulers with broad views over the hills.

From here we drive into the Greater Caucasus to the mountain village of Lahij, noted for cobbled lanes, stone houses and an early sewage system. We visit copper workshops to meet local artisans and see traditional techniques passed down through generations.

By evening we reach Gabala, check in to your hotel and you can unwind after a full day. Allow around 10–12 hours in total, including driving – a professional guide accompanies the day and provides historical and cultural context at each stop.

We start the day in Gabala at Tufandag Mountain Resort, taking a scenic cable car that glides over meadows and forested slopes with wide views of peaks capped with snow. We continue to Nohur Lake for a short walk along the shore, then on to Yeddi Gozel Waterfall, reached by a brief forest path – a calm spot to pause. You may choose to stop for tea at a nearby teahouse.

We then drive to Nidj Village to visit the Chotari Albanian Church, an active place of worship for the Udi community – one of the Caucasus’s oldest Christian ethnic groups. En route to Sheki, we break at the Bio Garden to stroll through orchards and sample seasonal fruit and herbal tea. Arriving in Sheki, we round off the day at the historic Caravanserai, exploring its courtyards and arches; you can browse the artisan workshops and small souvenir shops housed within.

Optional this evening: you can take a relaxed stroll through Sheki’s old town and try local sweets, including the renowned Sheki halva. Overnight in Sheki. Today’s touring lasts approximately 5–6 hours and is accompanied by a professional guide who shares insight into the region’s landscapes, culture and history.

We dedicate today to Sheki’s culture and history. We begin at the Sheki Khan’s Palace, an eighteenth-century masterpiece set among chestnut trees. Inside, we admire finely painted frescoes, intricate stained glass shebeke and precise woodwork assembled without nails or glue – a striking showcase of the Sheki Khanate’s craftsmanship.

We continue to the ABAD Ceramic Arts Centre, where local artisans apply traditional Azerbaijani motifs to contemporary ceramics and design. At the Museum of History and Local Lore, we trace Sheki’s role in Silk Road trade, regional politics and its artistic and literary life through a focused collection of artefacts, manuscripts and ethnographic displays.

Moving on to the Art Gallery and the Craftsmen’s House, we observe master shebeke artists at work, preserving time honoured techniques. We round off the day at the Fazil Necropolis, a historical cemetery that holds the graves of notable scholars, poets and thinkers of the city.

Today’s tour is professionally guided and lasts approximately 4–5 hours – overnight in Sheki.

We begin with a short drive to Kish to explore the Kish Albanian Church – regarded as one of the Caucasus’s oldest Christian temples, dating to the 1st century AD and linked to Saint Eliseus, a disciple of the Apostle Thaddeus. Set against a mountain backdrop, the modest stone church includes a small museum displaying early Christian relics and archaeological finds that frame the site’s significance.

Returning to Sheki, we tour the Shekihanovs’ House, a clear example of 19th century residential architecture with decorated wooden ceilings, fine latticework and a traditional layout reflecting the lifestyle of Sheki’s noble families. We then continue to the Sheki Silk Factory to follow the process from raw cocoons to finished textiles and see how delicate kelagayi scarves are produced using time‑honoured dyeing techniques.

We move on to the Khan Mosque – a marker of Islamic Sheki and civic life during the Khanate era – before stepping into the Abdulkhaliq Hammam, an 18th century bathhouse where domed rooms, marble slabs and the historic heating system outline everyday customs of the past. We conclude at the Az Abrau Museum–Wine for a guided tasting and an introduction to local viticulture, including the influence of regional terroirs and the revival of wine production after the Soviet period.

Today runs for approximately 4–5 hours and is fully guided, with expert commentary at each stop. Overnight in Sheki.

We leave Sheki in the morning and drive northwest into the Qakh region, where the scenery shifts from rolling hills to forested slopes. We begin at Kurmuk Temple among the wooded foothills of the Greater Caucasus – once a place of pilgrimage and still a calm spot that reflects the area’s spiritual past. We continue to the ruins of the Qum Basilica, an early Christian site from the Caucasian Albanian period, before ascending to Sumug–gala Castle, a medieval stronghold with wide views across the valley that underline its former strategic role.

Back in Qakh town, we take in the Ulu Mosque and the stone Ulu Bridge over the Kurmuk River – landmarks that show the blend of Turkic, Persian and Caucasian influences in local architecture. We then stroll through Icheri Bazaar, the historic quarter where cobbled lanes and small workshops hint at the town’s diverse communities, including Azerbaijanis, Lezgins, Georgians and Ingiloys. Continuing into the countryside, we reach Lekit Village and the Honey House to learn about traditional beekeeping – you can sample aromatic local honey and enjoy the village’s green surroundings.

We round off at the History and Ethnography Museum of Qakh, where exhibits from everyday tools and textiles to photographs and manuscripts outline the district’s multiethnic heritage and long‑standing traditions. We return to Sheki in the late afternoon. The day runs for around 7–8 hours including travel between sites, and our professional guide provides clear commentary throughout.

After breakfast, we check out and make a short final stop at Sheki Bazaar – a lively market for regional produce and crafts. You can browse the stalls, pick-up last-minute souvenirs and sample favourites such as Sheki halva, dried fruits and nuts.

We then organise your onward transfer – either back to Baku, travelling through the Caucasus countryside for your international departure, or to Lagodekhi, continuing to the Azerbaijan–Georgia border to complete formalities before proceeding into eastern Georgia.