Highlights of Azerbaijan Express

We meet you at Baku Airport or your agreed meeting point and drive about 90 minutes via the Maraza region to Shamakhi. Your first stop is the Diribaba Mausoleum – a 15th‑century shrine carved into the cliff and dedicated to the Sufi saint Diribaba – where we spend around 40 minutes with our professional guide.

You'll then continue for roughly 30 minutes to the Juma Mosque – among the oldest in the Caucasus, with origins in the 8th century and noted for its classical Islamic architecture and resilience through several earthquakes – for a guided visit of about 20 minutes.

Your final stop is Yeddi Gumbaz Mausoleum – the hilltop necropolis of the Shirvan royal family with seven domed tombs and wide valley views – where we spend around 20 minutes with the guide. From here it is approximately 120 minutes to Gabala, where you end the day with a hotel drop off and overnight.

Today you'll explore Gabala and Sheki’s cultural highlights – a blend of history, crafts and local wine. Depart from the hotel in Gabala and drive 20 minutes to Nidj Udi village to see the Chotari Albanian Church, spending about 20 minutes here with our guide to introduce the Udi community, descendants of the Caucasian Albanians.

From there, you'll then continue to Sheki Khan Palace – an 18th century residence recognised by UNESCO – reached after a 90-minute drive and explore its interiors for around 30 minutes with guided commentary.

Within the palace grounds we also stop at the ABAD Ceramic Arts Centre, the Art Gallery and the Craftsmen’s House Shebeke Workshop to watch artisans at work – including traditional shebeke stained glass crafted without glue or nails – allowing around 60 minutes in total with our guide.

From the palace it is a five-minute walk to the historic Caravanserai, where you'll spend roughly 20 minutes. Round off the day with a guided tasting at Sheki Sherab Winery, sampling locally produced wines from regional grape varieties, then return to the hotel in Sheki.

You start in Sheki at the Kish Albanian Church – believed to be one of the oldest in the Caucasus – spending about 30 minutes with your guide. Thereafter, drive for around 30 minutes to Kurmuk Temple, a small yet significant place of worship known for its setting and history, where you'll spend roughly 10 minutes with your guide. From here, continue into Gakh (Qax region) to Qum Basilica – noted for early Christian architectural features – a drive of about 15 minutes, with around 15 minutes on site.

Next is Sumug-gala Castle, a medieval fortress on a strategic hilltop, where we spend about 20 minutes with our guide. We stop at Ulu Mosque – among the oldest in the area and valued for its architecture – for roughly 15 minutes, then pause at Ulu Bridge on the return towards Sheki, a historic stone bridge that showcases traditional engineering, for about 10 minutes.

You'll finish at Abdulkhaliq Hammam in Sheki – a traditional bathhouse reflecting the region’s social and architectural heritage – reached in about 20 minutes from the bridge, where we spend around 15 minutes with our guide. The day concludes with a drop off at your hotel for the night.

After check out, we spend 1–2 hours at Sheki Bazaar – the city’s lively central market, open daily 09:00–21:00 – to experience the local atmosphere and seasonal produce. We then transfer to your chosen drop off: Baku or Baku Airport – around 5 hours by road – or the Georgian border at Lagodeki in the Balaken region – about 2 hours. On arrival, we drop you at the agreed point and the trip concludes.