Tour type: General,
HistoricalPrice: $150.00Duration: 1from January to December
Gobustan reserve is an open-air museum littered with Neolithic rock drawings. Just 65km south of Baku, Gobustan has some 4000 inscriptions that go back 12,000 years (with some 2000 year old Latin graffiti to boot). The well-preserved sketches display ancient populations travelling on reed boats; men hunt antelope and wild bulls, women dance. The famed Norwegian anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl returned many times to Azerbaijan between 1961 and his death in 2002 to study the site, which he argued to be evidence that modern-day Scandinavians migrated north through the Caucasus in prehistoric times. He found similarities in the drawings to those found in Scandinavia, particularly some in Alta, Norway. According to Icelandic Sagas, written in the 13 th century, the Norse God Odin (Wotan) migrated from the Caucasus in the first century AD.
After that you will also have a chance to visit quite a unique site where 300 of the planet's estimated 700 mud volcanoes sit Gobustan, Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea. Many geologists as well as locals and international mud tourists trek to such places as the Firuz Crater Gobustan Salyan mud tourists trek to such places as the Firuz Crater, Gobustan, Salyan and end up happily covered in mud which is thought to have medicinal qualities. In 2001 one mud volcano 15 kilometers from Baku made world headlines when it suddenly started spewing flames 15 meters high.
Unfortunately, the mud volcanoes area has been recently declared a National Park with restricted access, though sporadic visits seems feasible as there is no security. Besides, hardly anyone would have a patience to literally guard tons of mud. But visit there definitely worth a visit as it's one of the rarest things one can find on Earth.
On the way back to Baku a short stop over at Bibi Heybat Mosque. The existing structure, built in the 1990s, is a recreation of the mosque with the same name built in the 13th century by Shirvanshah Farrukhzad II Ibn Ahsitan II, which was completely destroyed by the Bolsheviks in 1936.
The Bibi-Heybat Mosque includes the tomb 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.
Package includes:
- Private vehicle accompanied by an experienced English speaking local guide who will look after you exclusively - Local driver for your vehicle, exclusively for your tour - Sightseeing program including all entrance fees - Guide's and driver's expenses
Not included into the package:
- Fees for taking photos in historical sites - Any personal expenses
Day 1
Arrival to Baku. Meeting at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Free time
Day 2
The first half of the day will be spent primarily by main sites on the Absheron Peninsula. You will be taken to Ateshgah - the Fire Worshippers' Temple located in the village of Surakhany...
Individual tour / English speaking guide
Day 1
Arrival to Baku in the morning. Meeting at the airport. Transfer to hotel. Checking-in. Dropping your baggage, short rest if needed, then start the excursion in Old Town - 'Icheri Sheher'...
This tour is quite intensive due to large distances covered. You will visit some of the most interesting regions of Azerbaijan. After early breakfast at around 08:00 you will be taken from Baku to Xinalyg settlement with the intermediate stop in Quba...
Excursion to the Temple of Fire Worshippers - "Ateshgah" and the fiery mountain "Yanardagh" in the village Mehemmedli (duration 3.5 - 4 hours)
Azerbaijan is one of the few places on earth, where even today one can observe elements of preserved fire cult and the ancient Zoroastrianism religion...
City tour begins with a visit to the Upland Park.
Upland Park is located on a hill in the western part of the city. This is the best place to see the city and the Baku Bay. The architecture of the capital is very eclectic; it is a combination of different styles and influences such as Baroque, classicism and modern architecture, both Eastern and Western...
The day will start early in the morning as it takes around 4 hours to drive from Baku to Quba and then further 2 hours from there to Xinalyg. Be ready to have a lot of driving within a day
Not far from Guba you'll also find the village of Khynalygh, with an ethnic group of 2000 khynalyghs who have preserved the original language, customs and traditions...
Excursion to Gala Reserve (duration: 3.5 hours)
Ethnographic Open-Air Museum "Gala" is about a 40-minute drive from Baku. The museum is created on an archaeological site.
The village is five thousand years, nevertheless there are still some neighborhoods that have survived to the present day...
Gobustan reserve is an open-air museum littered with Neolithic rock drawings. Just 65km south of Baku, Gobustan has some 4000 inscriptions that go back 12,000 years (with some 2000 year old Latin graffiti to boot)...
Day 1: Arrival to Baku
After the checking at the passport control and customs at the Heydar Aliyev airport you will be met by local guide and transferred to your hotel by coach.
Baku sightseeing tour...
Individual tour / English speaking guide
Itinerary:
1 DAY Georgian-Azerbaijan border. Overnight in Sheki.2 DAY Sheki-Ganja-Sheki 3 DAY Sheki-Qabala-Shamakhi-Lahij-Baku.4 DAY Baku/Apsheron Peninsula excursion5 DAY Baku City tour6 DAY Baku/Gobustan7 DAY Baku-Quba-Xinaliq-Qusar8 DAY Qusar-Laza-Shahdag-Qusar9 DAY Qusar-Baku-Novxani-Baku10 DAY End of tour...