Baku and Beyond: City Lights and the Gabala Mountains in Four Days Itinerary

A compact first taste of Azerbaijan. Day one pairs arrival with an evening tour of modern Baku - Nizami Street, the Flame Towers and the Caspian boulevard. Day two steps back in time inside Icherisheher, the walled old city, with the Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, then out to the Absheron peninsula. Day three is the mountains: Nohur Lake and the cable car up Tufandag from Gabala, before a final departure from Baku.

Day by Day

Day 1

Arrival in Baku and city tour

Meet your driver at Heydar Aliyev International Airport and check in. In the evening, a panoramic tour of modern Baku: Nizami Street's cafes and shops, the Flame Towers and the seaside boulevard.

Transfers: Airport pick-up and sightseeing vehicle | Activity: Baku city tour | Stay: JW Marriott Absheron Baku (5 star)

Day 2

Old City and Absheron peninsula

The morning inside Icherisheher, Baku's walled old city: the Maiden Tower, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the National Carpet Museum, with a ride on the funicular. In the afternoon, the Absheron peninsula: the Ateshgah fire temple and the eternal flames of Yanar Dag.

Transfers: Sightseeing vehicle | Activity: Baku Old City tour | Activity: Absheron peninsula tour | Stay: JW Marriott Absheron Baku (5 star)

Day 3

Gabala and Tufandag Mountain day trip

Drive into the Caucasus foothills to Gabala. Stroll the shore of Nohur Lake, then ride the Tufandag cable car - one of the longest in the world - for alpine views across the peaks. Return to Baku by evening.

Transfers: Intercity vehicle | Activity: Gabala and Tufandag Mountain tour | Stay: JW Marriott Absheron Baku (5 star)

Day 4

Departure from Baku

Breakfast and a private transfer to Heydar Aliyev International Airport for your flight home.

Transfers: Airport drop

Included

Included:
* Daily breakfast
* Return airport transfers
* All sightseeing and intercity transfers by private vehicle
* Baku city tour
* Baku Old City tour
* Absheron peninsula tour
* Gabala and Tufandag Mountain tour
* Tufandag cable car ride
* All current taxes
Photo credits: File:Maiden Tower in Baku 2015.jpg by AlixSaz (CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons); File:BAKU AT NIGHT .RED TOWERS.באקו בלילה מגדלים באדום.jpg by Avisadehh (CC0, via Wikimedia Commons); File:Fuente en Baku, Azerbaiyán, 2016-09-26, DD 227-229 HDR.jpg by Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons); File:Templo de fuego, Baku, Azerbaiyán, 2016-09-27, DD 33.jpg by Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons); File:Yanar Dag, Baku, Azerbaiyán, 2016-09-27, DD 03.jpg by Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons); File:Cable Car, Gabala, Azerbaijan.jpg by Fanti Salms (CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons); File:Tufandag Mountain March 2015.jpg by Khanlar Mammadov (CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons). Hotel photos from the official hotel websites.

Not Included

International flights
Azerbaijan e-visa fees (assistance provided)
Lunches and dinners not mentioned
Personal expenses and tips
Travel insurance

Packing

Light layers
a hat and sunscreen
comfortable walking shoes for the old city's cobbles and mountain paths
and a warm layer for the cable car summit.