MULTIDAY WINTER WALKING AND TREKKING TOUR IN AZERBAIJAN

Trip starts with Gobustan State Reserve / visit mud volcanos

Our trip starts with Gobustan State Reserve. The reserve is located 64km southwest of the centre of Baku. The reserve has more than 6,000 rock carvings, which depict primitive people, animals, battle-pieces, ritual dances, bullfights, boats with armed oarsmen, warriors with lances in their hands, camel caravans, pictures of sun and stars, on the average dating back to 5,000-20,000 years. The Gobustan is included UNESCO World Heritage List is part of an international endeavor to preserve the most important natural landscapes and cultural sites of our planet for the next generations. After Gobustan National Park Museum and Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape we will drive to mud volcanoes.

Azerbaijan is known as the country with the most mud volcanoes in the world. The mud volcanos do not produce lava and are not necessarily driven by magmatic activity. The Earth continuously exudes a mud-like substance, which may sometimes be referred to as a "mud volcano". Mud volcanoes may range in size from merely 1 or 2 meters high and 1 or 2 meters wide, to 700 meters high and 10 kilometers wide.

 

Accomodation: will be in Baku hotel

Meals: Only breakfast in hotel

Museum fee: included

Visit Khinalug village / hiking to Galaykhudat village

After breakfast we move to Khinalug early morning. Khinalug is an ancient (5000 years) Caucasian village going back to the Caucasian Albanian period. It is located high up in the mountains of Quba Rayon, Azerbaijan. After Quba city center we take four-wheel drive vehicles till the village.  It is one of the highest settlement in the world. The village standing at 2350m above sea level. Khinalug was included on the World Monuments Fund's 2008 Watch list. We will have a lunch after visiting Khinalug Museum.

Our 8 km hiking will take us to the another ancient village Galaykhudat. On the way to Galaykhudat  you will enjoy the views of the hiking time on the edge of the creek. The white summits which 3000m and 4000m above sea level, flowing rivers and landscape will admire you.

2 different mountain villages where we will have time to visit will provide a wide range of information connected with daily and cultural life of these areas. After hiking we drive to one of the hotel in Shahdagh Mountain Resort Complex.

 

Accomodation: will be in Shahdagh Mountain Resort Complex

Meals: breakfast in hotel, lunch will be in village home (national cuisine), dinner in hotel

Museum fee: included

Shahdagh Mountain Resort Complex / hiking to frozen Laza waterfall

 

It is the first and largest ski resort in Azerbaijan. The winter season in Shahdag begins in the second half of December and finishes at the beginning of April. Elevation difference is 1.435-2.100m above sea level. The complex serves guests with 5 hotels, 20 restaurants, 4 spas, 14 ski slopes, 16.8km skiable area and 12 lifts. There are Winter Activities Area at Lift Base including Segway, Snowmobile, snowshoing, quads for kids, etc. (There will be an extra charge for the complex services).

After lunch we will walk to the Laza village direction. Roadside winter views will amaze you. The frozen waterfall is our last point. Depending on weather conditions it couldn’t be frozen. We will turn back to the complex after short photo session. Our total walking distance will be approximately 11km.  

 

Accomodation: will be in Shahdagh Mountain Resort Complex

Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner in hotel

Hiking Hot Spring Sulphur

This morning we leave complex. After 80km drive we will reach Dahna village. You will immediately forget tiredness of the road. After starting from village, our hiking will continue 4km along the Dehnacay valley. You will admire by the beauty of the river, the meadows, the forest and the rocky landscapes. At the end, as the bonus you will take a hot sulphur bath. The hot sulphur spring bath is constructed by surrounding villagers. It is located on a small canyon in the small room shaped building. The water is rich in sulfur and other minerals. Since ancient times the water attracted local people whoose looked for treatment. Do not forget to take a towel and a swimsuite if you wish to enjoy in a bath. This day our total hike distance will be 8km. It will take 2.5 hours to move to the Baku at the end of the day.

 

Accomodation: will be in Baku hotel

Meals: breakfast in hotel

Drive to Lahic through Demirci village

Today we drive to Lahic. According to the tour plan, the first stop will be Shamakhi Juma Mosque, which is the oldest mosque in Azerbaijan. The initial Arabian inscription on the portal of the mosque said that the mosque had constructed in 744. Therefore Shamakhi Juma is considered as one of the earliest mosques of Transcaucasia.

Our second stop will be Demirci village which were famous with their blackshiths in ancient times. An asphalt mountain roadswill take us to Lahich by passing Pirsaatchay riverbed, the Lahıc pass (2060m above sea level), the Girdimanchay riverbed. Lahij is a notable place in Azerbaijan, with its authentic handicrafts traditions, particularly related to copper. The village's carpet and rug crafts are also well known in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus. Lahij has an old sewage system (some experts claim that it was built 1000–1500 years ago). After lunch we will visit Lahij Museum of Local History. During free time you can walk at this ancient village of artisans. Their workshops are on main street of the village, you can buy handmade souvenirs, sweets, ethnic clothing etc.

 

Accomodation: will be in Lahij hotel

Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner in hotel

Museum fee: included

Hiking to Garanohur mountain lake

After breakfast we move to Diyalli village which is 30km distance from Lahic. Our path going through dense forest. After 6km we reach to lake Garanohur. Body of standing water located at 1550m above sea level in the forest. After lake we will move to the Talıstan village. Today our total hike distance will be approximately 13km and altitude difference will be around 700m.

 

Accomodation: will be in TalistanForest Park hotel 

Meals: breakfast, dinner in hotel

Drive to Gabala city / cable car travel in Tufandagh winter coplex / visit Kabalaka ancient city museum

After breakfast we will drive to  Gabala city. The distance is just 50km from the hotel. Gabala is the ancient capital of Caucasian Albania. Archeological evidence indicates that the city functioned as the capital of Caucasian Albania as early as the 4th century BC. Gabala is a tourist destination due to the combination of its spring climate, mountainous landscape, and diverse fauna. There are many world class hotels and resorts. Tufandag Winter-Summer Tourist Complex is located in the Gabala city. The resort allows visitors to enjoy different extreme sports and tourism activities in the harmony with nature. Tufandag complex provides skiing in winter, going up to the mountains by cable cars

After lunch we will drive to the Kabalaka archeological site. The Kabalaka is ancient city which was the capital of Caucasian Albania. The archaeological site/museum is about 20 km southwest from Gabala.

 

Accomodation: will be in Gabala hotel  

Meals: breakfast, dinner in hotel

Museum fee & cable car fee: included

Visit Shaki Khans Palace / visit ancient church in Kish village

Today our destination is Shaki. Which is 80km far away from Gabala. Shaki is surrounded by snowy peaks of the Greater Caucasus. Archaeological data show that Sheki has been inhabited for about 2,500 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the Caucasus. Sheki is a major crafts center. Here, you can buy jewelry and engravings made by local artists.

The most famous sight in Sheki is the Sheki Khans Palace. The Khans’ Palace, has been inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List. The majestic architectural monument, Shaki Khans’ Palace, takes a special place among the country's historical and architectural attractions. With its magnificent wall paintings and colorful windows’ mosaic, the palace is considered one of the most prominent and unique monuments of medieval architecture. This cultural site is also one of the rare pearls of Azerbaijani painting and folk applied art.

The Kish village located approximately 5km north of Shaki. Walking the quiet cobble-stoned streets, you'd never guess that Kish's story is one of an ancient history and of "great" regional importance. The village is well known for its unique ancient Albanian temple - mother of Alban churches. This ancient monument of Azerbaijani-Albanian architecture is believed to be the oldest church in the Caucasus, founded in the 1st century by the Apostle Eliseus. For centuries, the church functioned as a spiritual center and place for enlightenment for people of the East.

 

Accomodation: will be in Baku hotel 

Meals: breakfast in hotel

Museum fee (Khan`s Palace): included

# of clients	Price per client	Price total
1	$    2,951	$                     2,951
2	$    1,552	$                     3,105
3	$    1,367	$                     4,102
4	$    1,064	$                     4,256
5	$    1,188	$                     5,940
6	$    1,016	$                     6,094
7	$    1,037	$                     7,258
8	$        932	$                     7,452
9	$        966	$                     8,690
10	$        913	$                     9,127
11	$        920	$                   10,124
12	$        857	$                   10,278