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Encounter the warmth behind austere facades in Azerbaijan and Georgia

Spend 10-days in Azerbaijan and Georgia, where historical old towns and monasteries sit comfortably alongside towering skyscrapers. Discover warmth and pride among the ostensible austerity of Azerbaijan culture, then cross into Georgia to devour medieval ruins and traditional wines alike. Visit one of Europe's largest open-air rock museums, warm your hands against a mountain that is forever on fire, walk through the gardens of a local Kakheti family and then chat to them about provincial life over a hearty lunch. From cities to mountains, this trip guarantees encounters that will stay with you forever.

Start
Baku, Azerbaijan
Finish
Tbilisi, Georgia
Destinations
Azerbaijan, Georgia
Style
Original
Code
KFSB
Physical rating
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 1, Max 12

Why you'll love this trip

  • Take a guided walking tour of Azerbaijan's Old Town, where views of the Palace of the Shirvanshahs are made even more spectacular by the modern skyscrapers in the background.

  • The Caucasus Mountains will take your breath away in more ways than one during a hike to the 14th-century Gergeti Trinity Church, which sits in splendid isolation at 2170 m.

  • Break bread (or puri) with a local family in Telavi, where you’ll be treated to a home-cooked meal with some delicious Georgian favourites, traditional wine and chacha (pomace brandy).

  • Navigate the organised chaos of the farmers markets in Telavi. Your leader will be there to help you order as much fresh fruit, nuts or pigs heads as you desire.

  • Discover what is believed to be the heart of Zoroastrianism – the permanently aflame hillside of Yanardagh Fire Mountain which scholars believe influenced the religion.

Is this trip right for you?

  • There’s so much to see in this part of the world and we don't want you to miss anything. The itinerary is densely packed, but there will be the odd free afternoon or evening to explore at your own pace. Please read the itinerary carefully to determine if this will suit you.

  • Some of the best scenery in the region is found on foot. So, while this trip doesn't require a high level of fitness, it’s essential to be at least moderately fit if you want to partake in all activities. Make sure you bring comfortable walking shoes with good support.

  • This trip has a strong historical focus and is perfect for anyone with an interest in the Caucasus region. Even if you know nothing about the area, you’re bound to find yourself fascinated by the various political and social machinations that have shaped the area.

  • If you enjoy experiencing new food, good wine and breathtaking scenery then this is the right trip for you, keep in mind that altitudes can be high (over 2000m) so even in summer a sweater is a good idea.

Map of Highlights of Azerbaijan & Georgia including Azerbaijan and Georgia
Azerbaijan Baku

Itinerary
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Welcome to Azerbaijan! Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 1 pm. After the formalities are out of the way, head out on a walking tour of Baku with your leader. Take a wander through the Old City, entering through the Shemakha Gate and heading to the cylindrical Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, an impressive complex made even more spectacular by the fact that it’s framed by a modern skyline. Finish in the Old Market Square. Enjoy a free evening to do as you please. If you’re searching for somewhere to eat, ask your leader to point you in the direction of Nizami Street, where local restaurants line this busy boulevard. Perhaps order some lavangi – walnuts, dried fruit and onions stuffed inside chicken and roasted to create a tantalising fusion of flavours.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Baku - Caravanserai
  • Baku - Shirvan Shah Palace
  • Baku - Old City Walking Tour
  • Baku - Maiden's Tower
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.
Special Information
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.

Drive to Qobustan in the morning, a national reserve and World Heritage site that functions as an open-air archaeological museum. Here lie some well-preserved rock petroglyphs dating back as far as BC 12th century, as well as a Roman inscription notable as the easternmost of its kind. Spend some time wondering at the etched figures of humans and beasts, as well as the bubbling mud volcanoes the area is also known for, before returning to Baku for a free afternoon and evening. You might want to use your free time to stroll along the three-and-a-half-kilometre boulevard that separates the city from the Caspian Sea.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Qobustan - Petroglyphs
Optional Activities
  • Baku - Carpet Museum - AZN7
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Grab some breakfast then head to the Absheron Peninsula for a tour of the local attractions. Visit the Ateshgah fire temple, a walled complex used (most recently) as a place of worship by Zoroastrians until 1883. Continue the theme of flames with a visit to Yanardagh Fire Mountain, where the ever-burning natural fire that billow from the hillside are said to have influenced the creation of Zoroastrianism. Stop by the medieval Mardakan Castle before continuing to the Caucasus Mountains by car. Drive through a dry landscape that gives way to a densely forested mountain area, stopping en route in Shamakhi for a yoghurt-making lesson in a local’s home. Taste some of this Azerbaijan staple, then continue to Lahij. Visit a copper workshop on arrival and get to know some local folk over a cup of tea. Tonight, enjoy dinner with your group and bunk down in a guesthouse or homestay in Lahij.
Accommodation
  • Guesthouse (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Shamakhi - Yoghurt making
  • Lahic - Copper workshop visit
  • Baku - Absheron Peninsula Tour
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
Special Information
Please note that in case of foggy or wet weather driving conditions in the mountains can be treacherous. If the drive to Lahic is deemed unsafe due to the weather then we will instead stay in the city of Qebele (Gabala).

After breakfast, head to Nij village, a settlement of the Udi people who are the direct descendants of ancient Caucasian Albanians. Most the world’s surviving Udi people call Nij home, giving the community a unique culture. Arrive and take a stroll through the local bazaar, stopping for tea and perhaps a chat with the locals. Suitably refreshed, head to the unassuming site of a significant church. The Albanian Church (as it’s known colloquially) is a source of pride and heritage for the local Udi community. Continue to Shaki and visit the Palace of Shaki Khans. The facade of the palace is painted with scenes of hunting and war and features impressive stained glass.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Sheki - Khan's Palace
  • Nidj - Udin village visit
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Travel to nearby Kish to visit the pointed spires of a church that is among the oldest in Christendom, believed to be around 1700 years old. Return to Sheki and check out a workshop where shebeke – stained glass windows made with no glue or nails – are produced by masters. The afternoon is free for you to discover Sheki. Luckily, it’s the kind of place that’s made to wander. Why not explore the impressive traditional architecture on foot. It’s easy enough to stop for tea and some local halva (made with sugar, hazelnuts, coriander and rice flour grinned in a watermill) if you get tired. Sheki has a proud silk making tradition, so ask your leader if you’re interested in visiting a master’s workshop. Don’t forget to ask your leader where to get the best local piti – this stew made of lamb, sheep fat, chickpeas, onions, chestnuts, saffron and spices is renowned throughout Azerbaijan.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Kish - Church
  • Kish - Village Visit
  • Sheki - Shebeke workshop visit
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

After breakfast at the hotel, take a walk with your leader through the Sheki market. It’s a good idea to stock up on snacks for the journey to come, so maybe grab some halva, nuts and dried fruit. Continue to Lagodekhi on the Azerbaijan-Georgia border. Say goodbye to your Azerbaijani leader and to Azerbaijan and meet the leader for the Georgian leg of your tour. Travel through the beautiful green valleys of the Kakheti region to Gremi, a complex that includes a castle and church from the 16th century. Spend some time here and then hit the road again, stopping at a traditional Georgian wine producer where the ancient, UNESCO-listed qvevri method is still used. Continue to Telavi to your accommodation for the evening – a locally-owned family hotel where you will be welcomed with a classic meal.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Sheki - Bazaar
  • Kvareli - Lunch with a Local Family
  • Kakheti- Gremi Complex
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
BORDER CROSSING
Due to current border crossing regulations, your Azerbaijan Leader will escort you to the customs control area in Azerbaijan, then after clearing customs (as a reminder your will need your Azerbaijan visa) their is a buffer zone of some 700 metres which you are required to walk unaccompanied with your luggage. It is relatively easy walk and it is possible to wheel your luggage. Your Georgian Leader will be waiting for you in the customs area when you reach Georgia.

In the morning, wander through the raucous local farmers market in Telavi, where butchers carve up fresh meat and vendors offload piles of spices, then visit Alaverdi Cathedral. Continue to Tsinandalia, a historic estate and winery once owned by noted Georgian poet Alexander Chavchavadze. In 1814, aristocrat Chavchavadze was the first to bottle wine produced using the qvevri method. Tour the complex, which consists of a memorial house, European-style landscaped garden, a traditional winery, wine cellar, hotel and cafe. Continue into the mountains to Gudauri via the evergreen Gombori Pass. Eat an included dinner and spend the night in lofty Gudauri.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Kakheti- Tsinandali Estate Visit
  • Kakheti- Telavi Fresh Produce Market Visit
  • Telavi - Alaverdi Cathedral
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner

Follow the Tergi River on a drive to Stepansminda (formerly known as Kazbegi). Explore this mountain village then take a 2.5-hour walk through beautiful valleys and woodlands to Gergeti Trinity Church (2170 m). This 14th-century church sits at the base of the second-highest volcanic summit in the Caucasus – Mt Kazgbegi (5047 m) – and weather permitting you may catch a glimpse of this frosty behemoth. The image of the pointed spires of the isolated church against the mountains is truly breathtaking, and a great place to practice your photography skills. Drive back to Gudauri for an included dinner.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Stepantsminda - Gergeti Trinity Church Hike
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
Special Information
The walk to the church is not overly demanding but it does involve hiking on a incline most of the way, so the fitter you are the more you’ll enjoy it!

Make the drive to the capital of Tbilisi, sure to be a slight shock to the system after the peace of the mountains. Get into the swing of things with an orientation walk with your leader. Spend the rest of the daytime as you wish, perhaps grabbing a khachapuri (bread stuffed with salty cheese) to snack on while you wander. In the evening, regroup and head out for dinner with your fellow travellers and leader. This is a good chance to munch down on Khinkali, Georgia’s famous dumplings. Make sure to ask your leader about the polite way to eat them – it involves sucking out the juice and leaving the pinched bit of dough where the edges of the delicious parcel have joined on the plate.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Tbilisi - Metekhi Church
  • Tbilisi - Orientation Walk
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Your trip comes to an end today after breakfast. Want to spend more time in this gorgeous city? We'll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability). If you are planning on hanging around, why not explore the city on an Urban Adventure. Find out more at urbanadventures.com/destination/Tbilisi-tours.
Optional Activities
  • Tbilisi - Anchiskhati Church - Free
  • Tbilisi - Orbeliani Bath House (Price differs on the service you require *Bath or Massage*) - Free
  • Tbilisi - Sioni Cathedral - Free
  • Tbilisi - Old Town Walking Tour - Free
  • Tbilisi - National History Museum - USD5
  • Tbilisi - Narikala Fortress - Free
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Meals

9 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 4 dinners

Transport

Private vehicle

Accommodation

Hotel (8 nights), Guesthouse (1 night)

Included activities

  • Baku - Caravanserai
  • Baku - Shirvan Shah Palace
  • Baku - Old City Walking Tour
  • Baku - Maiden's Tower
  • Qobustan - Petroglyphs
  • Shamakhi - Yoghurt making
  • Lahic - Copper workshop visit
  • Baku - Absheron Peninsula Tour
  • Sheki - Khan's Palace
  • Nidj - Udin village visit
  • Kish - Church
  • Kish - Village Visit
  • Sheki - Shebeke workshop visit
  • Sheki - Bazaar
  • Kvareli - Lunch with a Local Family
  • Kakheti- Gremi Complex
  • Kakheti- Tsinandali Estate Visit
  • Kakheti- Telavi Fresh Produce Market Visit
  • Telavi - Alaverdi Cathedral
  • Stepantsminda - Gergeti Trinity Church Hike
  • Tbilisi - Metekhi Church
  • Tbilisi - Orientation Walk

Dates & availability

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Important notes

GROUP MEETING
This trip starts in Baku on Day 1 at 1.00pm. This allows time after the joining meeting to explore Baku with your local Leader. 

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights on your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.

CLIMATE
Please note there is a chance of potential changes to the itinerary due to heavy rain, flooding and snow at higher altitudes, which often affect roads and bridges, making travel difficult or impossible (particularly in remote areas).

Altitudes experienced during this trip are up to 2200m above sea level.

TOUR LEADER
Your leader will change at the border between Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Essential trip information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

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