Azerbaijan Classic 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.
Meet your guide and driver to begin your private tour:

• Drive to Absheron (25km, 45min) to 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.
• Return to Baku (18km, 25min) and visit Heydar Aliyev Center (2012), a futuristic cultural complex renowned for its symbolic and unusual architecture.
• Continue your private tour in 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), filled with shops selling carpets, souvenirs and antiques.

Overnight at the hotel in Baku.
Meals provided: none

Your guide and driver will pick you up in the morning. Drive to Shamakhi (180km, 2hrs 30min).
On the way, stop at Diri Baba Mausoleum (15th century), located in the village of Maraza. Explore this two-story monument, carved into a rocky cliff as a unique display of Shirvan-Absheron architecture.
Continue driving to ancient Shamakhi, former seat of the Shirvanshah Empire, to visit:

• Juma Mosque (8th century), the oldest mosque in Azerbaijan whose ancient Islamic architecture and interior stone columns, unparalleled in the country, create an aura of antiquity.
• Yeddi Gumbaz Mausoleum (19th century), burial site of the last khan of Shamakhi with unusually- shaped markers and a panoramic view of the city.

Drive through the breathtaking Girdimanchay River Valley to the small alpine village of Lahic (60km, 1hr 15min), situated 2000 meters above sea level. Explore this ancient cobblestone village filled with traditional workshops and uniquely built homes. Shop for unique copperware, leather, jewelry and other souvenirs as artisans demonstrate their techniques.
Tour the Lahic History Museum to learn about the lifestyle of Azerbaijan’s people throughout the centuries.
Return to Baku. Overnight at the hotel in Baku.
Meals provided: breakfast

Depart your hotel in 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. Walk along the trail, enjoying 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. 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.
Drop-off at the hotel or airport. End of Azerbaijan Classic Tour.
Meals provided: breakfast