Azerbaijan - Land of Fire

Azerbaijan - Land of Fire

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8 Days From

$2520

Azerbaijan - Land of Fire

8 Days Starting and ending in Baku

Visiting: Baku, Gabala, Sheki, Mingachevir, Gobustan

Tour operator:

Undiscovered Destinations

Tour code:

ALF

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

1 - 12

Physical rating:

Medium

Age range:

18-99

Special diets catered:

Please advise requests

Tour operated in:

English

Trip Styles:

Small Group

Activities:

Sightseeing

Private Available:

Request A Private Tour

From: $2520

NB: Prices correct on 05-Nov-2024 but subject to change.

This tour is no longer available, please see similar tours below or send an enquiry

Tour Overview

A curious country, Azerbaijan shares the trait of its Caucasian neighbours of not really belonging to either Europe or Asia, taking elements from both but in a class of its own. With flaming hillsides, ancient temples and the grandeur of Baku, this intriguing little country is as unusual as it is enigmatic. Our short tour to Azerbaijan starts in the capital, a mish mash of Soviet planning, medieval architecture and modern buildings, distinctly unique and rather alluring. We explore the surrounding Absheron Peninsula with Yanardag, the fire mountain and the Temple of the Fire Worshippers, and then gaze in amazement at the bizarre mud volcanoes of Gobustan, yet another quirky side of Azerbaijan. After exploring the historic centre of Baku we head away from the big city to Sheki with its centuries old caravanserais, old Khan’s Palace and a distinct flavour of yesteryear, as well as visiting nearby monasteries and churches. Returning back to the capital, we have a little more time to soak up its ambience and also take a boat trip on the Caspian Sea, the world’s largest body of inland water. For those with a little more time to spare, why not extend your visit with a brief stay in Nakhchivan, a landlocked Azeri enclave with some fantastic old monuments and superb scenery.

Highlights

  • Explore Baku, famed for its medieval walled old city

  • See Khan’s Palace in Sheki

  • Visit the fire-worshippers temple of Ateshgah

  • Discover Gobustan’s rock engravings dating back as far as 40,000 years

  • Extend your tour and visit fascinating Nakhchivan, the capital of Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and separated from the rest of the country

  • Continue your adventure and travel across the Caucasus on a combined tour with Georgia and Armenia

Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1 : Arrival In Baku

Location: Baku

Accommodation Name: Boutique 4* Hotel or similar

Arrive in Baku and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore. Overnight Boutique 4* Hotel or similar.Baku is a city with a decidedly split personality. While uber-modern buildings continually spring up and there is talk of turning the city into ‘another Dubai’, much of Baku is still made up of Soviet style apartment blocks. Oil wealth at the turn of the 20th century led to a profusion of rather elegant European style architecture, giving it yet another façade. But without a doubt Baku’s most enigmatic part is the historic centre, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Icheri Sheher with its ancient collection of mosques, palaces and caravanserais, some of which date back to the 11th century. Located on the Absheron Peninsula, Baku can be rather windy – one theory of the origin of its name states that it means ‘wind-pounded place’, and it has numerous parks and squares like many of the old Soviet cities. Its first heyday came at the beginning of the 20th century, when the city produced more than half of the world’s petroleum – after falling into decline during Soviet times, Baku is once again on the up.

Day 2 : Baku - Absheron Peninsula

Location: Baku

Accommodation Name: Boutique 4* Hotel or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Explore Azerbaijan’s capital, including the medieval fortress of Icheri Sheher, the Shirvanshahs’ Palace and the 15th century caravanserai among other sites. From Baku we head to the Absheron Peninsula to visit the ‘flaming mountain’ of Yanardag, continuously alight with burning underground gases that seep through holes in the earth’s surface. We then visit the Gala Museum, the ‘fire-worshippers’ temple of Ateshgah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and continue to the medieval fortress at Amirjan before returning to Baku for the night. Overnight Boutique 4* Hotel or similar. (BLD)

Day 3 : Baku – Lahij – Gabala

Location: Gabala

Accommodation Name: Gabala Gardens or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we will travel west to Gabala city. En route we visit the Diri Baba Mausoleum in Maraza and the Yeddi Gumbaz Mausoleum at Shamakha. We continue across the Muganly Pass, with great views of the mountains along the way. We have a stop at Lahic village, a historical ethnographic reserve with local people producing handcrafts and carpets. There are also metal engravers, ancient mosques, baths and beautiful cobbled streets with original apartment houses in this ancient mountain settlement. From here continue to Gabala city. Overnight Gabala Gardens or similar (BLD)

Day 4 : Gabala-Sheki-Kish

Location: Sheki

Accommodation Name: Sheki Park or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we set off from Gabala to Sheki. The delightful town of Sheki is one of Azerbaijan’s highlights. An important centre on the Trans-Caucasian trade routes, it was an independent khanate up until the 1820s and evidence of its former grandeur is not hard to spot. The splendid Khan’s Palace was built in 1762 without the use of any nails and is elaborately decorated with ornate patterns on its exterior. There are also a number of old caravanserais and mosques to explore. Sheki is a delight to wander around, with winding streets and traditional houses giving the feeling of yesteryear. From Sheki we take a trip to the nearby village of Kish with its interesting Albanian church. Overnight Sheki Park or similar (BLD)

Day 5 : Sheki – Mingachevir - Ganja

Location: Mingachevir

Accommodation Name: Vego Hotel or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We travel to Mingachevir and take boat trip around the Kur river where we will enjoy a tea with local jam. After visiting Mingachevir we head to Ganja, Azerbaijan’s second city. Upon arrival visit the local bazaar, the 17th century mosque of Shah Abbas and the unique ‘bottle house’ a local building decorated with nearly 50,000 bottles. Overnight Vego Hotel or similar (BLD)

Day 6 : Ganja-Gobustan-Baku

Location: Gobustan

Accommodation Name: Boutique 4* Hotel or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we depart for Gobustan. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007, Gobustan is rich in archaeological monuments with over 6000 rock engravings dating back as far as 40,000 years. The petroglyphs depict ceremonial dances, battles, warriors, boats and many other scenes, as well as more recent Roman ‘graffiti’ from the 1st century. But Gobustan is equally well known for its natural phenomena – mud volcanoes that simmer and belch muddy bubbles from their cones, an incredibly atmospheric place and probably unlike anything you will have seen before. Azerbaijan is home to more than half of the mud volcanoes in the world with nearly 400 of them within its borders. Roughly every twenty years one of them explodes with great gusto, showering tons of mud over the surrounding area. Overnight Boutique 4* Hotel or similar. (BLD)

Day 7 : Baku

Location: Baku

Accommodation Name: Boutique 4* Hotel or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Our last full day in Azerbaijan. We visit the History Museum for an insight into the various cultures and civilisations that have held sway here. We also visit the Heydar Aliyev Center, designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid and noted for its distinctive architecture and flowing, curved style that eschews sharp angles The rest of the day is free for you to explore. Overnight Boutique 4* Hotel or similar. (BLD)

Day 8 : Baku

Location: Baku

Meals Included: Breakfast

Transfer to the airport for your departure flight. (B)

What's Included

  • Arrival and departure transfers

    Transfers from and to the airport at the beginning and end of the tour are included.

  • Overland transport throughout with professional driver

    All overland transportation throughout the tour is provided with a professional driver.

  • All accommodation

    Accommodation for the duration of the tour is included.

  • Services of English-speaking guide / tour leader

    The services of an English-speaking guide or tour leader are included throughout the tour.

  • Entrance fees for sites listed as part of the itinerary

    Entrance fees for all sites listed as part of the tour itinerary are included.

What's Not Included

  • Any airport taxes

    Airport taxes are not included in the tour price.

  • Travel Insurance

    Travel insurance is not included and is recommended for all travelers.

  • Visa - when required

    Visa fees are not included and responsibility for obtaining visas lies with the traveler.

  • Drinks

    Drinks are not included in the tour price.

  • Items of personal nature

    Items of a personal nature such as souvenirs, laundry, and phone calls are not included.

  • Tips (Discretionary)

    Tips for guides and drivers are not included and are at the discretion of the traveler.

  • International Flights

    International flights are not included

Mode of Transport

Transportation includes arrival and departure transfers, ensuring a seamless journey from start to finish. Overland travel is facilitated by professional drivers, offering a comfortable and hassle-free way to explore Azerbaijan's stunning landscapes and historical sites.

Accommodation

Guests will enjoy stays in boutique 4* hotels, offering a blend of comfort and local charm. Accommodations are carefully selected to enhance the travel experience, providing a cozy retreat after a day of exploration.

Check out our Q&As

  • What is included in the tour package?

    The tour package includes arrival and departure transfers, overland transport throughout with a professional driver, all accommodation, services of an English-speaking guide / tour leader, and entrance fees for sites listed as part of the itinerary.

  • What countries will be visited on this tour?

    The tour will visit Azerbaijan.

  • What are the highlights of the Land of Fire tour?

    The highlights of the Land of Fire tour include exploring Baku, famed for its medieval walled old city, seeing Khan’s Palace in Sheki, visiting the fire-worshippers temple of Ateshgah, discovering Gobustan’s rock engravings dating back as far as 40,000 years, extending your tour to visit fascinating Nakhchivan, the capital of Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and separated from the rest of the country, and continuing your adventure by traveling across the Caucasus on a combined tour with Georgia and Armenia.

  • What is not included in the tour package?

    The tour package does not include any airport taxes, travel insurance, visa fees when required, drinks, items of personal nature such as souvenirs, laundry, and phone calls, tips (discretionary), and international flights.

  • Where does the tour start and end?

    The tour starts and ends in Baku.

  • I’m a single traveller – will I feel out of place?

    In a word, no. We get a good mix of single travellers and couples on our group tours.

  • Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?

    We are happy to allocate a twin room to two single same-sex travellers. If there is no one else to travel

  • Can I join the tour once it has departed?

    No, sorry this is not possible.

  • What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?

    We offer fully transferable group tour deposits (excluding any flight payments which are always non-refundable). You can change your group tour booking up to 10 weeks before departure and not lose your deposit – we will put your deposit towards any new group booking as long as you travel within 2 years of the original departure date.

  • Can I alter the tour?

    On our scheduled departures this isn’t possible, simply due to the fact that you’ll be travelling with other people. However, if you like the look of one of our advertised trips but want to tweak it slightly, then we can offer tailor made itineraries just for you, to accommodate your specific requirements.

  • Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?

    There are no hard and fast rules about what type of people travel on Undiscovered Destinations’ group tours – we attract people from all ages, nationalities and walks of life. What you are likely to find though is that travellers share a similar outlook about travel. We tend to attract people with a curiosity about the lesser visited corners of our planet.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    We have been going since 2004.

Reviews of this operator

Amelia Fish (Google Reviewer)  

Very many thanks to Mark...

15-Oct-2020

Very many thanks to Mark Huggins at Undiscovered for helping us to arrange a private tour of the best of cape Town/ wine lands followed by an unforgettable safari in Greater Kruger Park. Having been on safari before we can say that this part of the holiday was really exceptional with regards to Marks knowledge of location whilst also very good value for money. We will certainly be back for our next big holiday!

Veronica  

Albania Explorer

05-Apr-2022

We had a fantastic time touring the length and breadth of Albania. Despite Covid it actually felt like we were doing normal things for the first time in a long time! Amazing scenery, ancient towns and ruins, fabulous hotels and food and so cheap - we can't believe Albania isn't on more people's radar. This is the 2nd time we've travelled with Undiscovered Destinations and both times they've offered full flexibility in terms of changing dates. On this occasion we also switched to a different tour & country only a month beforehand - we were originally booked to go to Lebanon in 2020 and postponed to 2021, but we were offered full flexibility with our plans (go, postpone again, refund or book something else). Knowledgeable & helpful staff and great value for money. Highly recommend.

MattS,  

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Beth Sinclair (Google Reviewer)  

Had the most wonderful holiday...

08-Sep-2014

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Olivps  

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Fantastic cultural tour with diverse experience of multiple tribes in Western Africa. Undiscovered Destinations offers a very nice package of tours to Africa and other countries

Susan Talbot (Google Reviewer)  

We did an Undiscovered Destinations...

23-Jul-2014

We did an Undiscovered Destinations tour to Burma and it was excellent. When looking into trips we found most of the tours offered by the larger companies to be very similar. We wanted something different. This was our 3rd trip with UD, and we're already looking at number 4!

Jason  

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JuliaK  

An immersive tailor made trip in lesser travelled parts of India staying in heritage hotels with superb wildlife experiences

20-Dec-2019

With a car and driver we travelled through Rajasthan and Gujarat , staying at beautiful hotels and experiencing varied local life . We visited temples and with local guides explored udaipur, Mount Abu and the temples of palitana. We had a number of jeep safaris to spot leopards, lions and wild ass, each safari a magical experience. Undiscovered destinations, worked with us to tailor make our trip based on a group tour they run. We were keen not have only one night anywhere and ensure the travelling each day was restricted to half a day. We gave a budget we could afford and they came up with an amazing experience, with one driver and being joined by local guides where appropriate.

Julia Johnston (Google Reviewer)  

We booked through UD for...

20-Aug-2020

We booked through UD for our first family worldwide trip to Sri Lanka. We have always been keen travellers, and what an introduction for our 6 year old son, to the amazing world of travel. The destinations, the recommendations, the guide, the itinerary, the balance, all was faultless for a memorable trip. The sound knowledge given by the UD consultant was what made us book, and on returning from the trip, has given us the confidence to book again. WE as a family are back on the travelling circuit.

Sarah Tinsley (Google Reviewer)  

We had a fantastic tour...

06-Sep-2023

We had a fantastic tour of Madagascar with this company, really detailed itinirerary with lots of variety including animals, scenery and time to relax. The hotels they booked us into were not what we requested and all transfers private which was unnecessary. Other than that, great!

Want a private tour?

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    Make changes to the itinerary, accommodation, or transport method

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    Your tour guide can focus all their attention on your group

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1 Select your preferred date

Friday - Friday

May 16, 2025 - May 23, 2025
$2520

Friday - Friday

Sep 26, 2025 - Oct 03, 2025
$2520

Book with Confidence

  • Free Date Changes

    Undiscovered Destinations allows you to make 2 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 70 days before the start of the tour.

  • Transfer as credit to Future Tours

    Undiscovered Destinations allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform undiscovered destinations, 70 days before departure.

  • Low Deposit

    Undiscovered Destinations requires a minimum deposit of 350 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 70 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of undiscovered destinations charges.

    Up to 71 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 40% of booking price.

    At 34 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.

    At 20 days before tour starts: Forfeit 80% of booking price.

    At 7 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

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