6-Day Azerbaijan Cultural Tour from Baku
A six-day loop from Baku through Gobustan, Shamakhi, Sheki, Naftalan and Ganja, with three hotel tiers, a licensed guide, private transport and entry fees in one price.
6 days · 5 nights · Baku & Gobustan & Shamakhi & Sheki & Naftalan & Ganja · from $690/pp
Pricing & itinerary last updated June 2026 · Operated by Birtour DMC since 2014
- Duration
- 6 days / 5 nights
- Cities
- Baku · Gobustan · Shamakhi · Sheki · Naftalan · Ganja
- Group size
- 2–16 people
- Tour dates
- Jan 01, 2026 — Dec 31, 2026
- From
- $690/ person
- Culture
- History
- UNESCO
- Nature
Your 6-day route
Day
01
BakuBaku: UNESCO Old City and the Boulevard
A morning inside the walled Old City (Icherisheher) for the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower, then an afternoon along Baku Boulevard on the Caspian shore.
- Icherisheher (UNESCO Old City)
- Palace of the Shirvanshahs
- Maiden Tower
- Baku Boulevard
- Morning walking tour of Icherisheher, the walled Old City inscribed by UNESCO in 2000
- Palace of the Shirvanshahs, the 15th-century royal seat of the Shirvan dynasty
- Maiden Tower (Giz Galasi), the cylindrical stone tower on the Old City wall
- Afternoon stroll along Baku Boulevard, the seafront promenade on the Caspian
- Free evening in the city center
- Meals included
- B
- Overnight
- Baku (hotel by package tier)
Day
02
Baku to Gobustan and backGobustan: rock art and the mud volcanoes
A half-day south of Baku for the Gobustan petroglyphs and the cold mud volcanoes nearby, then an afternoon at leisure back in the city.
- Gobustan rock art (UNESCO)
- Gobustan mud volcanoes
- The Gaval Dash stone
- Afternoon at leisure
- Drive south to the Gobustan National Reserve, about 1 hour from Baku
- Gobustan rock art: thousands of petroglyphs carved over roughly 40,000 years, inscribed by UNESCO in 2007
- Short drive to the Gobustan mud volcano field, where grey cones bubble cold mud and methane
- Return to Baku for an afternoon at leisure
- Meals included
- B
- Overnight
- Baku (hotel by package tier)
Day
03
Baku to Shamakhi, on toward ShekiShamakhi route: Diri Baba and the Juma Mosque
Westward toward the Caucasus, with two stops on the old Shamakhi road: the cliff-set Diri Baba Mausoleum at Maraza and the Juma Mosque of Shamakhi. Overnight on the road to Sheki.
- Diri Baba Mausoleum
- Juma Mosque of Shamakhi
- Caucasus foothill drive
- Depart Baku and drive west into the Shamakhi region
- Diri Baba Mausoleum at Maraza, a 1402 tomb-mosque built into a cliff face
- Juma Mosque of Shamakhi, founded in 743-744 AD in the Umayyad period
- Continue toward Sheki, with photo stops in the Caucasus foothills
- Meals included
- B
- Overnight
- Toward Sheki (hotel by package tier)
Day
04
Sheki and Kish villageSheki: the Khan's Palace, the old town and Kish
A full day in UNESCO Sheki: the Khan's Palace and its shebeke glass, the walled old town and craft museums, then the Church of Kish in the village above town. Overnight in a historic caravanserai.
- Sheki Khan's Palace (UNESCO)
- Sheki old town and fortress
- Church of Kish
- Caravanserai stay
- Sheki Khan's Palace, the late-18th-century summer residence known for its shebeke stained glass, inscribed by UNESCO in 2019
- Walk the Yukhari Bash old quarter inside the fortress walls
- Museum of Folk and Applied Arts in the old town
- Drive up to Kish village for the Church of Kish, a stone church tied to Caucasian Albania
- Check in to a historic Sheki caravanserai
- Meals included
- B
- Overnight
- Sheki, historic caravanserai (hotel by package tier)
Day
05
Sheki to Oghuz to NaftalanSheki to Naftalan via Khalkhal Waterfall
Sheki's central Juma Mosque in the morning, then west into the Oghuz district for Khalkhal Waterfall, before transferring south to the oil-spa town of Naftalan.
- Sheki Juma Mosque
- Khalkhal Waterfall (Oghuz)
- Naftalan oil spa
- Visit the central Juma Mosque in Sheki
- Drive into the Oghuz district for Khalkhal Waterfall, a forest cascade on the southern Caucasus slopes
- Picnic lunch option near the falls (grilled trout is local)
- Transfer to Naftalan, the town built around a medicinal grade of crude oil
- Check in; optional spa screening for an oil-bath treatment
- Meals included
- B
- Overnight
- Naftalan (hotel by package tier)
Day
06
Naftalan to Ganja to Goygol to BakuGanja and Lake Goygol, return to Baku
Ganja's main sights (Shah Abbas Mosque, the Nizami Ganjavi Mausoleum, Heydar Aliyev Park), then up to the earthquake-formed Lake Goygol, before the long drive back to Baku.
- Shah Abbas Mosque, Ganja
- Nizami Ganjavi Mausoleum
- Lake Goygol
- Return to Baku
- Drive to Ganja, Azerbaijan's second city
- Shah Abbas (Juma) Mosque, the 1606 ensemble in the old center
- Nizami Ganjavi Mausoleum on the city edge, the 1991 tomb tower of the 12th-century poet
- Heydar Aliyev Park and its triumphal arch
- Lake Goygol in Goygol National Park, an alpine lake formed by the 1139 earthquake
- Long transfer back to Baku in the evening
- Meals included
- B
- Overnight
- Baku (or departure, by arrangement)
Choose your comfort level
All packages cover the same itinerary, guide, transport, and entries — only the hotels change. Prices are per person in USD.
Econom (3★ and guesthouses)
Comfortable 3-star hotels and family-run guesthouses, including a historic caravanserai room in Sheki. Same guide, transport and entries as every tier.
Hotels
Baku
Representative 3★ hotel in central Baku★★★
Sheki
Sheki Karvansaray (historic caravanserai)★★★
Naftalan
Representative sanatorium-style hotel in Naftalan★★★
Price per person (USD)
| Group | SNG | DBL | TRP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 people | $1,190 | $980 | $920 |
| 3-5 people | $990 | $820 | $760 |
| 6-9 people | $880 | $720 | $690 |
SNG = single · DBL = double · TRP = triple
Deluxe (4★)
Four-star hotels throughout, with larger rooms and stronger breakfasts. The step most couples and small groups choose for the long western legs.
Hotels
Baku
Representative 4★ hotel in central Baku★★★★
Sheki
Representative 4★ hotel in Sheki★★★★
Ganja
Representative 4★ hotel in Ganja★★★★
Price per person (USD)
| Group | SNG | DBL | TRP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 people | $1,690 | $1,390 | $1,320 |
| 3-5 people | $1,450 | $1,190 | $1,120 |
| 6-9 people | $1,290 | $1,080 | $1,020 |
SNG = single · DBL = double · TRP = triple
Lux (5★)
★ premiumFive-star city hotels and the best available property in each regional town, with spa and pool facilities where the town has them.
Hotels
Baku
Representative 5★ hotel in central Baku★★★★★
Sheki
Best available 5★ property near Sheki★★★★★
Ganja
Representative 5★ hotel in Ganja★★★★★
Price per person (USD)
| Group | SNG | DBL | TRP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 people | $2,690 | $2,190 | $2,090 |
| 3-5 people | $2,390 | $1,990 | $1,890 |
| 6-9 people | $2,190 | $1,850 | $1,750 |
SNG = single · DBL = double · TRP = triple
- Rates are per person in US Dollars (USD) and are indicative for planning.
- Final prices are confirmed by quote, since they depend on your exact dates, group size, room split and hotel availability that week.
- Itinerary, guide, transport and entry fees are identical across all three tiers. Only the hotels change.
- SNG = single occupancy, DBL = double-share, TRP = triple-share. A triple is usually a double room plus a third bed.
- Hotels listed are representative examples at each star level. We confirm the named properties for your dates at the quote stage.
- 5 nights of accommodation with breakfast (bed and breakfast)
- Private air-conditioned transport for the full 6-day route
- English-speaking licensed guide for the whole tour
- All entrance fees listed in the day-by-day program
- Airport transfers on arrival and departure
- 1 bottle of drinking water per person, per day
- International flights
- Lunches and dinners, except where noted in the program
- Travel insurance
- Azerbaijan visa (e-visa where required)
- Optional treatments, such as the Naftalan oil bath
- Personal expenses and tips
- 2-3 pax
- Air-conditioned sedan with driver
- 4-7 pax
- Air-conditioned minivan with driver
- 8-16 pax
- Air-conditioned minibus with driver
- 0-5 yrs
- Free of charge, with no separate seat or bed.
- 6-11 yrs
- Discount on request; depends on room sharing and seat needs.
- 12+ yrs
- Charged at the adult rate.
- Carry cash. ATMs in Azerbaijan often reject foreign cards, and rural areas and small towns run on cash, so draw Azerbaijani manat in Baku before the western legs.
- Buy a local SIM at Baku airport on arrival. Local data holds up better in the mountains than international roaming, which thins out around Sheki, Oghuz and Goygol.
- The mud-volcano field is remote and reached over rough track. Download offline maps and use the arranged transport rather than driving yourself out there.
- Mosques require modest dress. Women should bring a scarf for the head; men should avoid shorts. The Juma Mosque of Shamakhi and the Sheki mosques are active places of worship.
- In Sheki and the smaller western towns, many restaurants take cash only, so keep manat on hand for lunches and dinners on Days 4, 5 and 6.
Birtour is a Baku-based DMC that has run Azerbaijan trips since 2014, and this 6-day cultural tour is our standard west-of-Baku loop. It pairs the capital with the country's strongest regional sights: the Gobustan petroglyphs, the old Shamakhi road, UNESCO Sheki, the oil-spa town of Naftalan, and Ganja with Lake Goygol. One guide, one vehicle, all entry fees, and a choice of three hotel tiers that change nothing about the route.
At a glance
| Length | 6 days, 5 nights |
| Route | Baku → Gobustan → Shamakhi → Sheki → Naftalan → Ganja → Baku |
| Overnights | Baku (x2), toward Sheki (x1), Sheki (x1), Naftalan (x1) |
| Difficulty | Moderate (long drives on the western legs, short walks at each site) |
| Best season | Spring and autumn |
| Group size | 2 to 16 |
Day 1: Baku's UNESCO Old City and the Boulevard
The trip opens on foot inside Icherisheher, the walled Old City that UNESCO inscribed in 2000. Within the walls you reach the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, the 15th-century seat of the Shirvan rulers, and the Maiden Tower, the cylindrical stone tower that anchors the city's skyline on the Caspian side. In the afternoon the route drops down to Baku Boulevard, the seafront promenade, for a slower walk along the water. The evening is yours in the city center.
Day 2: Gobustan rock art and the mud volcanoes
A half-day runs south to the Gobustan rock art reserve, where thousands of petroglyphs were carved into the rock over roughly 40,000 years. UNESCO inscribed the site in 2007. From there a short drive reaches the Gobustan mud volcanoes, a field of grey cones that bubble cold mud, water and methane. The mud is cold to the touch, not hot, and this is a geological process rather than a lava volcano. The track out to the field is rough, which is why the tour uses arranged transport for this leg. The afternoon is at leisure back in Baku.
Day 3: the Shamakhi road, Diri Baba and the Juma Mosque
Day 3 turns west toward the Caucasus, with two stops on the old Shamakhi road. The first is the Diri Baba Mausoleum at Maraza, a 1402 tomb-mosque built into a cliff face, a piece of the Shirvan architectural school rather than a UNESCO site. Note that Maraza sits in the Gobustan district town, which is a separate place from the rock-art reserve you saw on Day 2. The route continues to the Juma Mosque of Shamakhi, founded in 743-744 AD in the Umayyad period and rebuilt several times after earthquakes. It is the oldest mosque in Azerbaijan, and among the oldest in the Caucasus after the one at Derbent. The day ends on the road toward Sheki.
Day 4: Sheki, the Khan's Palace and Kish
A full day in Sheki, which UNESCO inscribed in 2019 as a historic center built around the Sheki Khan's Palace. The palace is the late-18th-century summer residence of the Sheki khans, known for its shebeke, latticed stained glass set into wood with no nails or glue. From there you walk the Sheki old town, the walled Yukhari Bash quarter, where the fortress is the walled enclosure and the palace is the building inside it. The Museum of Folk and Applied Arts sits in the same quarter. In the afternoon the route climbs to Kish village for the Church of Kish, a stone church tied to Caucasian Albania, the ancient Christian kingdom of the eastern Caucasus. The standing building dates to roughly the 12th century, on a site that was sacred far earlier. The night is in a historic Sheki caravanserai.
Day 5: Khalkhal Waterfall and on to Naftalan
The morning starts at Sheki's central Juma Mosque, then the route heads west into the Oghuz district for Khalkhal Waterfall, a forest cascade on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus. The falls sit near Xalxal village in the Oghuz district, which is a different place from the same-named village in Sheki district, so the drive is short but specific. It is a picnic-and-trout spot in spring, when snowmelt feeds the cascade. From there the tour transfers south to Naftalan, a small town built around a unique grade of medicinal crude oil. Bathers sit in the warmed brown crude under sanatorium supervision; the therapeutic uses are claimed rather than clinically proven, and a bath is an optional add-on with a screening, not part of the base price.
Day 6: Ganja, Lake Goygol, and back to Baku
The final day reaches Ganja, Azerbaijan's second city. You see the Shah Abbas Mosque, the 1606 ensemble that is also called the Juma Mosque of Ganja, along with Heydar Aliyev Park and its triumphal arch. On the city's edge stands the Nizami Ganjavi Mausoleum, the 1991 red-granite tomb tower marking the burial of the 12th-century poet Nizami Ganjavi. The route then climbs to Lake Goygol, an alpine lake in Goygol National Park that formed in 1139, when the Ganja earthquake collapsed part of Mount Kapaz and dammed a river. Goygol means blue lake. Park access can be seasonal, so we confirm the rules for your dates. The evening is the long drive back to Baku.
When is the best time to go?
Spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) suit this route best. Baku summers run hot, and the western mountains around Sheki and Goygol are far more pleasant in the shoulder seasons. Spring has a second advantage: Khalkhal Waterfall runs strongest from snowmelt, and the foothills are green. Winter departures are possible, but mountain roads slow down and some park access tightens, so confirm conditions for the dates you want.
How do you get around?
The whole loop is by private, air-conditioned vehicle with a driver and an English-speaking licensed guide. The western legs are long: Baku to Sheki is about 300 km and 4 to 4.5 hours, split across Day 3 by the Shamakhi stops, and Day 6 ends with the long return from Ganja. There are no internal flights on this route. For two or three travelers the vehicle is a sedan; four to seven ride in a minivan; larger groups up to sixteen use a minibus.
What is included in the price?
The price covers 5 nights with breakfast, all private transport, the licensed guide for the whole trip, every entry fee listed in the day-by-day program, airport transfers, and bottled water. It does not cover international flights, lunches and dinners (except where noted), travel insurance, your visa, the optional Naftalan oil bath, personal expenses, or tips. Hotel tiers (Econom, Deluxe, Lux) change only where you sleep, never the route, guide, transport or entries.
How do you book this tour?
Pick a hotel tier and a start date inside the 2026 season, tell us your group size and room split, and we send a quote with the confirmed hotels for your dates. The indicative prices above are for planning; final prices are confirmed by that quote. If you want to add Absheron sights like Yanar Dag and the Ateshgah Fire Temple, extend your nights in Sheki, or adjust the pace, we build a custom version and re-price it.
Questions travelers ask
- How many days do you need to see Azerbaijan?
- Five to seven days covers the country's main cultural arc. Two days handle Baku and the Absheron sights, and three to four more reach Gobustan, Shamakhi, Sheki and Ganja in the west. This 6-day route is built to fit that span without a rushed pace.
- Is 6 days enough for this Azerbaijan itinerary?
- Yes. Six days covers Baku's UNESCO Old City, the Gobustan rock art and mud volcanoes, the Shamakhi road, UNESCO Sheki, Naftalan and Ganja with Lake Goygol. The western legs involve long drives, so this is a touring trip rather than a slow one, but the pace stays comfortable.
- How much does the 6-day tour cost and what is included?
- Indicative prices run from about 690 USD per person in a group of six to nine sharing a triple on the Econom tier, up to the Lux tier for two. The price covers 5 nights with breakfast, private transport, a licensed guide, all listed entries, airport transfers and water. Final prices are confirmed by quote.
- What is the best time of year to visit Azerbaijan?
- Spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) are best for this route. Baku summers are hot, and the western mountains around Sheki and Goygol are most pleasant in those shoulder seasons. Khalkhal Waterfall runs strongest in spring from snowmelt. Winter trips run, but mountain roads can be slow.
- Do I need a visa for Azerbaijan?
- Most nationalities can apply for a 30-day e-visa online at evisa.gov.az before travel. Some passports enter visa-free, and rules change, so check your own nationality before booking. Birtour can advise based on your passport, but we do not issue visas, we only facilitate.
- How do you get from Baku to Sheki?
- Sheki is about 300 km northwest of Baku, roughly a 4 to 4.5-hour drive. On this tour you travel by private vehicle and break the journey with the Shamakhi stops on Day 3, so the long leg is split rather than driven in one stretch. There is no direct flight.
- Is Azerbaijan safe for tourists?
- Azerbaijan is generally safe for travelers, with low street crime in Baku and the regions on this route. Take the usual precautions with belongings and cash. Mountain roads and remote sites like the mud-volcano field are the main practical risks, which is why we use arranged transport and a local guide throughout.
- Is Azerbaijan expensive to travel in?
- Azerbaijan is mid-range for the region. Baku hotels and restaurants cost more than the regional towns, where meals and guesthouses are inexpensive. Budget roughly 15 to 35 USD per person for a restaurant meal in the regions, less for local cafes. Many places outside Baku are cash-only, so carry manat.
- What should I pack for this tour?
- Bring comfortable walking shoes with grip for the Old City cobbles and the Khalkhal trail, a scarf for mosque visits, and a light layer for the mountains around Sheki and Goygol, which stay cooler than Baku. Pack a power adapter for European-style sockets and enough cash in manat for the western legs.
- Can the itinerary be customized?
- Yes. The 6-day route is a fixed framework we run often, but the dates, group size, hotel tier and room split are all set per booking. We can add or drop a stop, extend nights in Sheki or Baku, or adjust the pace. Tell us what you want and we re-price it in the quote.
destination
Old City of Baku (Icherisheher): walls, Maiden Tower, and how to visit
destination
Baku Boulevard: the Caspian seafront promenade and what to do there
destination
Gobustan Rock Art: petroglyphs, museum, and how to visit
destination
Gobustan Mud Volcanoes: cold mud cones and how to visit from Baku
destination
Yanar Dag (Burning Mountain): the ever-burning hillside near Baku
destination
Ateshgah Fire Temple, Baku: history, the piped flame, and how to visit
destination
Diri Baba Mausoleum: the 1402 tomb built into a Maraza cliff
destination
Juma Mosque of Shamakhi: history, three halls, and how to visit
destination
Sheki Khan's Palace: shebeke glass, frescoes, and how to visit
destination
Things to do in Sheki: the UNESCO old town, fortress and caravanserais
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Church of Kish: the Caucasian Albanian temple near Sheki
destination
Khalkhal Waterfall: how to visit the Oghuz forest cascade near Sheki
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Naftalan: Azerbaijan's medicinal crude-oil spa town
destination
Things to Do in Ganja, Azerbaijan: a one-day city guide
destination
Nizami Ganjavi Mausoleum near Ganja: visitor guide
destination
Lake Goygol & National Park: the earthquake-formed alpine lake near Ganja