As of 01.01.2009, the World Heritage List by UNESCO there were 788 sites, of which 611 were on the nomination of World Heritage (WORLD HERITAGE LIST). Among these objects, which is partly devoted to the proposed tour – the most valuable and well-preserved historical monuments and places of worship have survived on the territory of Azerbaijan.

Enough to have a look into the internet to make sure that there are exactly seven such objects in Azerbaijan:

Thus the participants of our program, “7 Wonders of Azerbaijan” have a unique opportunity for just 7 days of travel, to visit and familiarize yourself with the most pronounced natural phenomena rarely seen on our planet, as well as historical and architectural monuments, which have the world’s cultural significance.

Highlights:

  1. Old City of Baku “Icheri Shaher” with “Shirvanshahs’ Palace” Ensemble and “Maiden Tower” (included into the list of monuments of World  Cultural Heritage UNESCO)
  2. “Craftsmen’s cities” – cities-reserves as Lahij and Sheki (The Palace of Sheki Khan under UNESCO protection and included into the must valuable architectural monuments of Azerbaijan)
  3. “Tower Temples” of Azerbaijan, includes into “The Fire Worshippers Temple Ateshgah” in Surakhany village (near Baku)
  4. “Qobustan” National Historical – Artist Preserve of rock carvings and petroglyphs (included into the list of monuments of World Cultural Heritage UNESCO)
  5. Place of natural gas output (Museum-Preserve “Yanardaq” near Baku city)
  6. Health and spa resort “Naftalan” (acquaintance with the therapeutic properties of a unique kind of oil, ” Naftalan ” in place of its production and use in the world of practical medicine).
  7. Caspian Sea (the largest salt lake on the  world ) and other unical  salt lakes in Azerbaijan   

The Tour Programme

   

Day 1. Arrival

  • Arrive to Baku
  • Meeting  tourist group  at the Baku International Airport after Heydar Aliyev.
  • Transfer to the hotel.
  • Free time for the rest.
  • Dinner at the hotel restaurant.
  • Overnight at “Grand Hotel Europe” 5* hotel.
   

Day 2. Baku city

  • Breakfast at the hotel .
  • Sightseeing autotour . The rout: Liberty Square (getting of the bus for taking photos), travel on main streets and areas of the city with  acquaintance of monumental sculpture , Mountain Park (getting of the bus  to the observation venue – the view of the city from a height of 140 m.).
  • Transfer tourists to the main gate of the Baku  Old City Fortress  “Icheri Sheher”:Sightseeing in the “Old City”-medieval part of Baku: “Shirvanshahs’ Palace” (XV c. under UNESCO protection), ancient quarter mosques, bath, fragments of residential buildings,  Caravanseraes “Bukhara” (XVI c.) and  “Multani” (XIV c.), “Gyz Galasi” (Maiden Tower) – the oldest construction of Baku (under UNESCO protection), the Market Square , old mosque (Mohammad’s mosque – XI c.)including the minaret “Synyk Gala» ,  narrow streets of the medieval town, shops and stores of handicraft, souvenir and antique shops.
  • Lunch in national “Dalida” restaurant (national cuisine)
  • Visiting State Carpet museum and acquaintance with exposition.
  • Boat Tour – 1,0 hour.(if weather permits)Boat excursions, provide for tourists with great opportunity to have a splendid panoramic view of Baku from the sea, and to see the city’s interesting places and the bay itself dotted with oil derricks. The guide will be explaining the history and other facts worth knowing about the Caspian Sea.
  • After boat tour- 1,0 hour promenade at the Baku “ Sea Side Bulvar” and walking tour  to acquaintance with the history and architecture of the city (XIX- XX c.c.): Nizami street,“Fountain Square”, Nizami Ganjavi monument squere, Rasul-zade street ect.
  • Dinner in national “Firuza” restaurant
  • Overnight at “Grand Hotel Europe” 5* hotel.
   

Day 3. Baku –Gobustan-Naftalan

  • Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
  • Departure to the route Baku- Gobustan-Ali Bayramli-Naftalan (360 km.). Travel 65km. southwest of Baku along the Caspian shore to the volcanic desert where rocks are covered with carvings, standing amidst the scattered stones and mountains.On the way to Gobustan survey of panorama  port and modern shore & offshore oil platforms. Arrival to  “Qobustan” National Historical – Artist Preserve (included into the list of World  Cultural Heritage UNESCO).Acquaintance with the archaeological exposition of the museum, survey of inhabitants andacquaintance with the lifestyle of the people of an epoch of the “Stone Age” (7-8 thousand years B.C). Studying of the remained petroglyphic painting. There are more than 6,000 rock carvings left by the artists of the Mesolithic period.
  • Moving into  the rout: Gobustan-Alyat- Ali-Bayramli city(about 60 km.).
  • Arive to Ali-Bayramli city  to have  the  Lunch in local restaurant. After lunch, drive to Naftalan city (about 230 km.)
  • Arrival to Naftalan health and spa resort
  • Accommodation at the “Chinar”5* hotel
  • Tour with accompanies an medical specialist, which represent to tourists the history of the resort and the method of application of drugs from kind of oil “naftalan” for medicinal purposes.
  • Dinner at resorts restaurant (national and European cuisine).
  • Overnigh at “Chinar Hotel & Spa Naftalan”5*  Hotel.

 

Day 4. Naftalan –Mingechevir – Sheki (2 day tour “Craftsmen’s cities” Sheki –Lahij)

  • Check out after breakfast.
  • Moving from Naftalan to  Sheki (about 180 km.)
  • Arrival in Sheki. Accommodation at the hotel.
  • Lunch in national “Chelebi Khan” restaurant.
  • Sightseeing program in Sheki:– Panoramic view of Sheki city from the mountain– Survey of fortifications and caravanserais in the Old city (XVII-XIX c.c.)– Visiting History Museum (entrance)– Visiting “Sheki Khan’s palace”-XVIII c. under UNESCO protection (entrance)– Survey of the exposition of the National Applied Arts museum in the old round temple(IX-XVI c.c.)  and acquaintance with works of handicraftsmen on manufacture of stained-glass windows -“shebaka” (network), silk and confectionery in their workshops.
  • Diner in national “Carvanserai” restaurant.
  • Overnight at “Sheki Saray” 4* hotel
   

Day 5. Sheki-Gabala

  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Visiting Sheki “East Bazaar”
  • Departure to Gabala city (140km.)
  • Visiting Nich settlement (Medieval Christian temple of Caucausian Albania -Chotari church after reconstruction VII-XIV c.c.)
  • Arrival to Gabala city
  • Lunch in the local restaurant (regional kitchen)
  • Accommodation at the SPA hotel.
  • Free time for rest and for interesting persons use spa procedures.
  • Dinner in hotel restaurant.
  • Overnight at “Qafqaz Resort” 5* hotel
   

Day 6. Gabala-Lahij-Baku.

  • Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
  • Passage to Lahij mountain settlement (70 km). On the way “photo stops” in the most picturesque places of the mountains.
  • Arrival in Lahij Historical-Ethnographic reserve /IV-XIX c./ and 2 hour panoramic tour :Architectural monuments, handicrafts and manufacture of carpets, workshops and benches of handicraftsmen: braziers, smiths, chasers,  metal engravers, ancient mosques, baths, and also original architecture of streets and apartment houses of  the ancient mountain settlement. Visit the workshops of artisans, following the work of local artisans in manufacturing products made of copper and other metal-working blacksmiths, engravers, jewelers, carpet weaving, pottery, and others.
  • Lunch in the local restaurant. (Meet and vegetarian of regional national kitchen).
  • Departure to Baku city (195 km)On the way visiting historical monuments:“Juma mosque” X c. , ”Yeddi Gumbez” (Seven Domes) mausoleum complex (XVIII- XIX c.) near Shamakhy city
  • Arrival to Baku city. Accommodation at the hotel. Free time.
  • 20:00- Dinner in national “Penjere” restaurant.
  • Overnight at “Grand Hotel Europe” 5* hotel.
 

 

Day 7. Baku. Departure

  • 09:30 Breakfast at the hotel and check-out.
  • 10:30-Visiting to “Yanardaq” State Natural Preserve. Flames shoot into the air 10 feet (3.0 m) from a thin porous sandstone layer at the base of a 30-foot-wide scarp (9.1 m) below a hillside known as Yanar Dag near Baku, Only a handful of fire mountains exist today in the world, and most are located in Azerbaijan. Due to the large concentration of natural gas under the Absheron Peninsula, natural flames burned there throughout antiquity and were reported by historical writers such as Marco Polo. The numerous links to fire in the folklore and icons of Azerbaijan are attributed to a connection to the ancient Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism, which first appeared in this region over 2,000 years ago.
  • 11:00-Moving to Fire Worshippers Temple “ Ateshgah” (XVII c.),  located  in  Surakhany village (15 from Baku International  airport). The historical roots of the monument go back to the days when Azerbaijan state was only taking shape and establishing itself  and Zoroastrism, in which the main role in rituals belonged to fire, was a dominant religion in the country.
  • 12:30-Lunch in national “Zeytun” restaurant in Qala village
  • 14:00-“Qala” State Historical-Ethnographic Preserve / Azerbaijan’s territory is rich with examples proving it to be the home to ancient inhabitants. Absheron Peninsula has special importance in terms of historical monuments. Absheron Peninsula, the ancient settlement, has the history dating before century. Barrows, fire traces and tombs found here during archeological excavations prove this fact once again. One of the oldest settlements in Absheron is Qala village that is located in the northeast of the Peninsula. There are 215 architectural and archeological monuments in Qala village and the surrounding regions.
  • 15:30 Visiting State History museum
  • 18:30 Farewell dinner in national restaurant with show program.
  • 21:00 Transfer to the airport.