Best of Azerbaijan Tour

Arrive in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital. You will be met by our driver for drop-off at the hotel, where check-in begins at noon. Have a rest, followed by a private, guided walking tour of Old Baku (Icheri Sheher) to see several historical monuments:

• Maiden Tower (date unconfirmed), an ancient fortress believed to have once been a fire temple, it is now a city symbol which affords a great view of Baku from the top.
• Palace of the Shirvanshahs (15th century), a UNESCO ensemble and Azerbaijan’s finest example of medieval architecture, it includes a mosque, bathhouse and entrance gates.
• Multani Caravanserai (15th century), built as a haven for Indian merchants and fire worshipers hailing from the city of Multan in present-day Pakistan.
• Juma Mosque (12th century, rebuilt 1899), defined by intricate stone carvings and an adjacent 14th-century minaret, it was constructed on the site of a Zoroastrian temple.
• Market Square (17th century), a plaza filled with winding streets and shops selling carpets, souvenirs and antiques.

Return to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel in Baku.
Tour duration: approximately 4 hours
Meals provided: none

Depart Baku and drive to Gobustan National Park (60km, 1hr), located on the west bank of the Caspian Sea.

• Start your excursion at Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape, an open-air gallery dating back to 10000 BC. Enjoy the gorgeous view as you discover nearly 6000 petroglyph inscriptions.
• Explore the small Petroglyph Museum, which provides a brief introduction to the park’s cultural and ecological history.
• Drive to the Mud Volcanoes (10km, 15min), an unusual natural phenomena where underground gases bubble up from the earth in a mixture of mud and methane.

Return to Baku via the Absheron Peninsula (78km, 75min) On the way, visit Bibi Heybat Mosque (dates vary) to see a central piece of Azerbaijani Islamic architecture, the tomb of the prophet Muhammad’s descendent Ukeyma Khanum.

• In Absheron, visit Yanar Dag (Burning Mountain), a natural gas fire which has been burning for thousands of years due to the large reservoir of gas under the Absheron Peninsula.
• Drive (20km, 30min) to Ateshgah Fire Temple (dates vary), a historic center of Zoroastrian worship and philosophical teaching.

Transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel in Baku.
Meals provided: breakfast

A driver and guide will meet you at your Baku hotel to drive to Quba (170km, 2hrs 30min).
On the way, stop at Besh Barmag Dag (Five-Finger Mountain), a local holy site whose jagged cliffs resemble five fingers.
In Quba District you’ll visit:

• Alti Gumbaz (Six Dome Synagogue, 19th century), located in the town of Qirmizi Qasaba, also known as Red Village. The settlement is home to the Mountain Jews and is one of the world’s largest Jewish-only towns outside of Israel.
• Arched Bridge (19th century), connecting Red Village with Quba city across the Kudyalchay River. Also called Kudyalchay Bridge or Red Bridge, its unique design is seen nowhere else in Azerbaijan.
• Qadim Quba Carpet Workshop, where you’ll learn about the art of traditional Azerbaijani carpet making as you watch skillful local ladies weave gigantic carpets.

Drive from Quba to Khinalig Village (50km, 1.5hrs). Stop on the way at Afurdzhi Falls before continuing through the charming Qechresh Forest and Tanggalti Canyon, whose scenic cliffs drop to a depth of 400 meters.
Arrive to Khinalig Village (also called Xinaliq, Khinaliq or Khinalug), which sits at 2200 meters above sea level and lays claim to 5000 years of history. Enjoy a traditional lunch in a family home and interact with village residents as you relax amid incredible mountain views.
Drive back to the capital. Overnight at the hotel in Baku.
Meals provided: breakfast, lunch

Free morning for packing or independent exploration of Baku. Check out of the hotel by noon and transfer to Baku International Airport. End of Best of Azerbaijan Tour.