Azerbaijan Elite Discovery

On arrival at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, we meet you for a seamless transfer to your hotel in Baku. You have time to refresh and settle in before the afternoon programme.

In the afternoon, set out on a four-hour guided introduction to the city – starting at Highland Park for sweeping views of Baku and the Caspian, with the Flame Towers dominating the skyline and noted for their evening light displays. Continue to Martyrs’ Lane and the Eternal Flame Monument, where your guide explains the site’s role as a place of remembrance.

As evening falls, you return to your hotel – the rest of the night is at your leisure.

After breakfast, you leave Baku with your guide for a day in the Shamakhi region. Begin at the Diribaba Mausoleum near Qobustan – a striking medieval monument with longstanding spiritual associations – before continuing to Shamakhi’s Juma Mosque, one of the region’s key places of worship. We then explore the Yeddi Gumbaz Mausoleum complex, known for its domed tombs and links to the area’s former ruling families.

Shift pace at the Alpaca Farm for a relaxed rural interlude, then move on to the Abgora Wine House for a guided tasting that introduces local winemaking. There is time throughout for unhurried photography and questions.

As the afternoon softens, pause by Silent Lake, then continue to your hotel. The day runs for approximately 6–8 hours, including guiding, tastings and travel between sites – and concludes with an overnight stay in Shamakhi.

After breakfast at the hotel, set out with our professional guide for a full day travelling from Shamakhi to Gabala via Lahic. Begin at the Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory – a research centre set high in the mountains – where you explore the site and learn about its work in astronomy before continuing into the highlands.

Next, you'll reach Lahic, a beautifully preserved mountain village known for its cobbled lanes and copper craftsmanship. We stroll the stone streets with our guide and step into traditional workshops to see time‑honoured techniques in action.

From Lahic, drive to the Zarnava Suspension Bridge – a striking span across a deep gorge – and pause for views and photography before continuing to Gabala.

On arrival in Gabala, you check in to the hotel for the night. Today’s programme runs for approximately 7–9 hours, with expert commentary throughout, time for photos and comfortable drives between each stop.

After breakfast in Gabala, you'll set out with your guide for a full day to Sheki, balancing mountain scenery with cultural highlights. Begin at Tufandag Mountain Resort for wide highland views, continue to tranquil Nohurlake for a short pause, then head to Yeddi Gozel – the Seven Beauties waterfalls – where cascades run through forest and rock.

Travel on to Nidj’s Udin village to see the Chotari Albanian Church, a rare marker of the Caucasus’ early Christian heritage. Reaching Sheki, explore the Bio Garden to learn about local horticulture, step into the historic Caravanserai – a classic Silk Road inn – and round off at the Sheki halva shops, where the city’s signature sweet is made to long kept recipes.

Today runs for approximately 7–9 hours with expert guiding, unhurried photo stops and comfortable transfers between each stop. We overnight in Sheki.

After breakfast, set out from your Sheki hotel for a compact, craft‑focused tour lasting around 4–5 hours, including comfortable transfers and time for photographs. Begin at the Sheki Khan Palace, where stained‑glass shebeke windows cast coloured light across richly painted interiors and fine woodwork. We then move to the ABAD Ceramic Arts Centre to watch skilled artisans shape clay using methods refined for today.

Continue to the Sheki Museum of History and Local Lore to see artefacts, textiles and archaeological pieces that frame the city’s story, followed by the Art Gallery for contemporary works by local painters and sculptors. A highlight awaits at the Craftsmen’s House, home to the Shebeke Workshop, where master artisans assemble intricate wooden latticework without nails or glue. Close with a reflective pause at the Fazil Necropolis before a smooth return to your hotel in Sheki. Guided commentary is provided throughout, with short drives between sites to keep the pace unhurried.

After breakfast, you'll depart your hotel for a well–paced 5–6 hour exploration of Sheki’s quieter corners, with expert guiding, seamless transfers and time for photographs.

Begin at the Kish Albanian Church, a landmark of early Christian heritage in the Caucasus, then step into the elegant Shekihanovs’ House to appreciate finely crafted interiors that reflect the lifestyle of Sheki’s historic elite. Continue to the Sheki Silk Factory to follow the journey from thread to fabric and the care that sustains this renowned craft. Moving through the old quarter, pause at the Khan Mosque and the historic Abdulkhaliq Hammam – a traditional bathhouse that has served the community for generations.

You then explore the Az Abrau Museum–Wine to see how regional viticulture has evolved – you can choose to taste and compare local flavours – before rounding off at Sheki Bazaar, where you can browse seasonal produce, handmade goods and everyday staples.

Return to your hotel in Sheki by late afternoon. The day includes professional commentary, ample photo stops and smooth transport between each site.

After breakfast in Sheki, you set out with your guide for a day exploring Qakh and the mountain village of Ilisu. Begin at Kurmuk Temple – a hilltop sanctuary with pre–Christian roots – then continue to the quiet ruins of Qum Basilica. Carry on to Sumug–gala Castle for wide valley views, followed by the 18th–century stone Ulu Bridge and the nearby Ulu Mosque, noted for its modest, traditional design.

In Qakh’s Icheri Bazaar, you'll step into the town’s old quarter, then drive to Lekit Village for the Honey House, where you'll sample locally produced mountain honey. Close at the History and Ethnography Museum of Qakh, which brings the region’s cultural strands into focus.

The day runs for approximately 6–8 hours and includes professional guiding, time for photography and comfortable drives between sites. Return to your hotel in Sheki at the end of the day.

After breakfast in Sheki, check out and travel with your guide to Ganja for a full day of culture and craft. On arrival, begin at the Mausoleum of Nizami Ganjavi, dedicated to the renowned poet–philosopher. Continue to the Imamzadeh Mausoleum – an 8th–century shrine with turquoise domes honouring a descendant of Imam Muhammad al–Baqir.

Next, we explore the Shah Abbas Mosque – a 17th–century Safavid landmark known for its red brick and precise geometry – before paying our respects at the Mausoleum of Javad Khan.

Carry on to the historic Shah Abbas Caravanserai, a Silk Road relic that once sheltered merchants and travellers. A change of pace follows at the Bottle House – an eye–catching private creation built from more than 50,000 glass bottles – and you round off your time in Ganja with a calm stroll through Khan Baghi Park, the city’s oldest garden. If you’d like a light–hearted finale, you can add an optional stop at GanjLand amusement park.

In the late afternoon, you'll drive back to Baku. On arrival, check in to your hotel and settle in for the evening. Today’s programme runs for approximately 10–12 hours and includes expert guiding, comfortable transport between sites and time for photography.

You leave Baku and drive north into the Caucasus foothills towards Quba. Your first stop is Krasnaya Sloboda – the Red Village – recognised as the only all–Jewish settlement outside Israel and the United States with an uninterrupted Jewish presence. Here we step inside the Grand Synagogue and the Museum of Mountain Jews to learn about the community’s enduring traditions and history.

Continue through the beech and oak of Qechresh Forest for a calm pause with fresh mountain air and time for photographs, then visit the Gedim Quba Carpet Weaving Centre to watch artisans at the loom and see how Quba designs carry regional motifs and meaning in every knot. Today runs for around 8–9 hours and includes expert guiding, unhurried photo stops and scenic driving between sites.

After breakfast, you'll drive into the foothills of the Greater Caucasus, pausing at Chanlibel Lake for a short break and photos. Continue to Quba to see the brick-built Juma Mosque, take a relaxed walk through Quba Bazaar and enjoy a tasting at the Honey House. From here the road climbs in steady switchbacks to Khinalug – at over 2,300 metres, one of the region’s oldest and most isolated mountain villages.

On arrival, explore the settlement with your guide, learning about its remarkable continuity of life and the distinct Khinalug language. As evening approaches, we settle into a local village house for a simple overnight stay – rooms are heated by wood stoves, and the mountains provide a quiet, starry backdrop. Today runs for approximately 8–9 hours, including guiding, photo stops and travel between sites.

Begin with breakfast in a Khinalug village home – hot bread, mountain tea and wide views across the high valley. After a warm farewell to your hosts, you'll descend by road with your guide, following a scenic series of switchbacks from the high plateau to the Caspian plain.

Along the way, pause at Besh Barmag – the dramatic Five Fingers outcrop – to take in the coastal panorama. Continuing through the Siyazan region, a stop at the Candy Cane Mountains, where mineral oxides band the hills in red–and–white – ideal for short photo breaks and a closer look at these unusual formations.

Back in Baku, we visit the National Carpet Museum to explore Azerbaijan’s weaving traditions – from regional techniques to patterns rich in symbolism – then take a guided walk through Icherisheher, the Old City, where narrow lanes, stone walls and courtyards reveal the historic core of the capital.

End the day with a comfortable transfer to your hotel in Baku. Today’s programme runs for approximately 8–9 hours, including guided visits, scenic stops and driving intervals.

After breakfast in Baku, check out and drive south with your guide and driver as the climate warms and the scenery turns lush on the approach to Lankaran and Astara. In Lankaran you'll explore the Circular Castle and Old Prison Tower – an 18th century complex designed for surveillance and control – then step into the Lankaran Khan’s House, now a museum that offers a clear look at regional governance and refined domestic design. Pause at Railway Station Square to see the lighthouse, a practical coastal marker that has become a local landmark.

Continuing through the subtropical belt, visit a tea plantation to learn how the region’s humid microclimate, irrigation and terroir shape cultivation and character. If you wish, you can add time at the Ibadi Thermal Spring Bath House to bathe in naturally heated, mineral rich waters often noted for circulatory and skin benefits.

Thereafter, travel to Yanar Bulag near Astara, where a steady flame rises from methane present in spring water – a simple yet striking geological phenomenon. The day ends with a smooth check in at our hotel in Lankaran.

Today runs for approximately 7–9 hours, with expert guiding, comfortable driving intervals and short stops for photography.

After breakfast at your Lankaran hotel, we collect you for a smooth start. Begin at Boyuk Bazar – Lankaran’s main market – where stalls brim with seasonal produce and local specialities shaped by the region’s subtropical climate.

Afterwards, you'll drive inland to the Khanbulanchay reservoir on the edge of Hirkan National Park – a UNESCO recognised forest zone known for relict species and rich biodiversity. We pause to take in the setting and to understand how conservation and water resources are managed here.

Climbing into the Talysh Mountains, you'll reach Lerik, a district noted for remarkable longevity. At the Longevity Museum, explore exhibits that connect altitude, diet, mineral content in water and lifestyle with exceptional age records – a clear overview of why this area draws interest from health researchers.

The return to Baku is unhurried and well-paced – you can choose brief rest or photo stops along the way. On arrival, make a final stop at the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre, an architectural landmark whose flowing lines and innovative form reflect a forward-looking national identity.

You can then choose a drop off at your Baku hotel or an escorted transfer to the international airport. Today’s programme runs for approximately 8–9 hours, including expert guiding, curated photo pauses and interregional transfers.