Baku

Arrival to Baku, meeting at the airport. Transfer to the hotel, check-in. Baku city tour: Guests may start their tour from overview of Heydar Aliyev Centre. Your tour will start with visiting Heydar Aliyev Centre designed by world-famous architect Zaha Hadid and devoted to national leader Heydar Aliyev. It is vast and jaw-dropping majestic statement of fluid 21st-century architecture forming abstract waves and peaks that seem to melt together. The real delight is simply pondering and photographing the extraordinary exterior from ever-changing angles. Make a stop next to the popular “I love Baku” sign to take some pictures. Want to have a close look at the Baku`s most popular landmark? Baku business and hotel complex Flame Towers Baku is composed of 3 buildings. The surface of the Towers is fully covered with LED screens reflecting different visual characters in motion, easily visible from the far corners of the city in the evening. Walk along the Alley of Martyrs which is usually being included in the protocol visits of the foreign officials. Enjoy the panoramic view of the city and its bay from Baku’s Highland Park (also called Upland Park), the highest point in the Azerbaijani capital. Walk down to Baku Boulevard to view the International Mugham Center created in order to widely promote Azerbaijani ‘mugham’ (folk musical composition) in the world and shaped as the national musical instrument – ‘tar’. Here you will also see Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, designed by Austrian architect Franz Janz and looking like a rolled carpet. Wander between the decorative stone bridges of so-called Little Venice, a small town on the water and one of the jewels of Baku. It has two large and several small islands and its gondolas are travelling in the channels full of still and clean water. Cross the street and enter Icherisheher (Inner City), known as a “Fortress” or “Old City”, a unique historical and architectural conservation area in the center of Baku. This is one of the most ancient places of the country where archaeological excavations revealed burial vaults of the Bronze Age. Maiden Tower (12th century) and The Palace of Shirvanshahs (13th-16th centuries) are the best-known historical monuments located in the Old City. Besides them there are a lot of other unique monuments such as mosques, minarets, the remnants of caravanserais “Multani” and “Bukhara”, ancient baths, etc. Stroll down the paved streets of this ancient city and drop to some of the numerous souvenir shops where you can buy national clothes, kerchiefs, scarves and caps, dishes and handmade carpets. Overnight in Baku.

GOBUSTAN & LANKARAN

Breakfast at the hotel. Pick up from hotel at 9:00 for excursion in Gobustan and Hirkan National Park in Lankaran region, visiting “Citrus Valley” farm. On the way to Gobustan you will visit Bibi Heybat Mosque. Built in the 13th century by Shirvanshah Farrukhzad II Ibn Ahsitan II, which was completely destroyed by the Bolsheviks in 1936 and restored later in the end of the 20th century. The Bibi-Heybat Mosque includes the shrine of Ukeyma Khanum (a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad), and today is the spiritual center for the Muslims of the region and one of the major monuments of Islamic architecture in Azerbaijan. Have you ever seen where civilization has started? Seek no more, because Gobustan Historical-Artistic Preserve is exactly what you need! Included in the UNESCO heritage list, being one of the cradles of human civilization, Gobustan located barely one hour drive from Baku. It has an astonishing collection of over 6,000 ancient petroglyphs depicting the ways of life dating back as far as 40,000 years. Innovative technology will help you to get closer to the prehistoric times in Gobustan State Historical-Artistic Museum using its touch screens provided with special multimedia programs, educational and entertaining games, interactive displays, 3D video, etc. Ideally nestled between the Caspian Sea and the Talysh Mountains, Lankaran is in a very beautiful part of Azerbaijan situated on the south of the country. It is the land of adorable nature and different tastes. This area is also a home to numerous hot springs called Istisu (literally “hot water”), where local long-livers have been healing themselves for centuries. Enjoy citruses, tea, mountains and lake views! We will stop over at “Citrus Valley” plantation located in Istisu district. While showing around the owner of this 18-hectare farm will give a brief view of citrus gardening; you can also take an active part in fruit picking (Oct.-Dec.) or just try (and buy) local oranges, lemons, mandarins, kiwis or feijoa as well as the jams made from these fruits. Excursion will be followed by a tea break with jams made from local fruits. Finally, we will reach Hirkan National Park, one of the pearls of Azerbaijani nature located in the south of the country, in the heart of the Talysh Mountains. Here, you won't find any camping areas, cafes, bars, restaurants and other delights of modern tourism because this area is home to a natural wilderness dating back 60 million years with its own truly unique flora and fauna. This region has existed since the Ice Age and could easily be called a botanical garden. The Hirkan Forest is home to another natural gem – Lake Khanbulan, and while tigers used to inhabit the area until the late 1930s, today it is one of the last habitats of the Caucasian leopard. Driving back to Baku. Overnight in hotel.

SHAMAKHI, ISMAYILLI & LAHIJ VILLAGE

Breakfast at the hotel. Pick up from hotel at 09:00 drive to Shamakhi, Ismayilli region and visiting Lahij village. Shamakhi is an astonishing place with ultra-extraordinary nature and incredible architecture, culture and unique history, interesting customs and traditions. Your first stop on the way to Shamakhi will be at Diri Baba mausoleum, a two-story monument of the 15th century in Maraza village. Peculiarity of the construction is that it was embed in the cliff and it creates an impression that it is suspended in the air. The monument is considered to be a sacred place. Legend says that a saint named Diri Baba (living, immortal old man) was buried here and remained incorrupt for more than 300 years. Then we keep moving to Shamakhi, an ancient city of Azerbaijan which was the capital of Shirvan Dynasty during 9th-16th century and the center of Shamakhi Khanate in 18th century. Not far from Shahmakhi city you will see "Yeddi Gumbaz" ("Seven Domes") mausoleum, the 18th century mausoleum of the khans of Shamakhi. In the city you will visit Juma Mosque, one of the oldest Muslim temples in Azerbaijan, as well as in the South Caucasus and the Middle East and the biggest mosque of the Caucasus. Lunch time. After lunch, we are on the way to Ismayilli. Located on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus, surrounded by dense forests and majestic mountains, Ismayilli region is one of the most beautiful regions of Azerbaijan. A large number of ancient monuments of various periods have been preserved here. The colorful authentic villages deserve special attention and we will visit one of them this time. Road to the beautiful Lahij village built on the canyon of Girdimanchay river runs through high cliffs. This small village is considered a cultural reserve and a popular touristic destination of the Great Silk Road. It is known for its production of copper items, decorated with carved ornaments. Traditional appearance & production processes remain the same till today, as they used to be throughout the centuries. In the numerous souvenir shops you can buy hand-made copper, knitted and weaved goods, wood and leather ware, souvenir knives and many more. Back to Baku. Overnight.

ABSHERON

Breakfast at the hotel. Pick up from hotel at 09:30 for Absheron Peninsula tour that covers three historical places. Let`s begin our interesting tour around “Land of Fire”! Our excursion will start with Ateshgah Fire Temple in the village of Surakhani that for centuries has been attracting crowds of thrill seekers. Built in the 17th–18th centuries around naturally burning flames which were previously worshipped by Zoroastrians, the site then had become an important place of pilgrimage for fire-worshipping Hindus until the 1880s. Today it houses a well-designed open air museum. And the final stop of our “fiery tour” is State Historical, Cultural and Natural Reserve “Yanardag” (literary “Burning Mountain”), a complex built around the hill located on the top of the natural gas pocket causing continuous flame eruption. Most probably the fire has been burning in Yanardag for over 20,000 years. These natural flames were described by Marco Polo in the 13th century and continue to mesmerize those who visit the site. Lunch time. Shopping tour: Visit “Sharg Bazaar” (Oriental Bazaar) or “Yashil Bazaar” is a unique opportunity for tourists to see the ancient Azerbaijani traditions and cultural heritage: taste traditional dishes, buy the best sweets, dried fruits and souvenirs, listen to national music, visit the fair of handicraftsmen who create their works in front of your eyes. Get entertained or spend a relaxed day doing shopping in numerous boutiques and dining in the food courts with wide choice of international and local restaurants in Baku shopping malls: - “Deniz” (Caspian Waterfront Mall), newly opened in June, 2020, with over 70 favorite branded shops and restaurants - “Park Boulevard”, the first shopping mall in Baku - “Port Baku”, a luxury shopping mall providing local and international consumers with a new premium shopping experience Return to the hotel. Free time. Overnight in Baku.

Departure

Check out from the hotel. Transfer to the airport.