Azerbaijan Grand Discovery — 6 Days: Baku, Lahic, Sheki & Gabala
Overview
Beyond Baku the country turns green within two hours. This six-day route takes the Old City and Gobustan first, then the copper-smiths’ village of Lahic in the mountains, the Silk Road town of Sheki with its stained-glass Khan’s palace and a night in the 18th-century caravanserai, the Tufandag cable car in Gabala and the Juma mosque of Shamakhi on the way back. Private car and guide, piti stew in Sheki, pakhlava from the town bakery.
Highlights
Is this trip for you?
- Travellers who want the whole country in under a week
- Anyone continuing to Georgia (we drop you at the Lagodekhi border on request)
- Families
- You only have time for Baku (take the 4-day)
- You dislike long drives — day 5 is five hours
Our honest opinion
- Sheki’s caravanserai is one of the best nights in the Caucasus
- Lahic is still a working craft village, not a museum
- The Sheki–Baku road is long and dull
- Caravanserai rooms are atmospheric but basic
Combine with Georgia: from Sheki it is 90 minutes to the Lagodekhi border and three hours more to Signagi.
The trip in numbers
Your route
Line style shows how you travel each leg: solid = train, dotted = car, dashed = flight.
Day by day
Airport pickup and the Old City: Maiden Tower, Shirvanshahs’ palace, the boulevard at dusk.
Petroglyphs and mud volcanoes in the morning; Yanar Dag and the Ateshgah fire temple after lunch; Flame Towers by night.
The Juma mosque and Diri Baba tomb at Shamakhi, the stone lanes and copper workshops of Lahic, then on to Gabala.
Tufandag cable car and the Nohur lake, then the Albanian church at Kish and Sheki; night in the caravanserai.
The Khan’s palace at opening time, the bazaar and halva bakers, then the long road back to Baku; farewell dinner.
Airport transfer.
What’s included
What’s not included
Where you’ll stay
Or equivalent, depending on season. Hotels are inside or beside the historic centres wherever the town has one.
Traveller reviews
What guests wrote
“The night in Sheki’s caravanserai is the reason to take this tour over the Baku city break — a courtyard full of roses and a room that has not changed much since the 1700s. The Khan’s palace is tiny and dazzling. Lahic village is real, not a museum. The road back to Baku is long and dull, as they warn.”
Good to know
Most nationalities enter Uzbekistan visa-free for 30–90 days. If your passport needs an e-visa, it takes 2–3 working days online — we check your case and guide you at booking.
The local currency is the Uzbek som (UZS). Visa and Mastercard work in city hotels, restaurants and supermarkets; keep some cash for bazaars, taxis and tips. ATMs dispense som and sometimes USD.
April–June and September–November are warm and clear — ideal for walking the old cities. July–August afternoons exceed 35°C; winter departures run at reduced prices.
Uzbekistan uses European plug types C and F, 220V. Travellers from the UK, US and Asia need a standard Euro adapter — one per device is enough, hotels have plenty of sockets.
Everyday dress is relaxed across all four cities. Inside mosques and madrasas, shoulders and knees should be covered; headscarves for women are only needed in a few active mosques — your guide will tell you when.
Your included eSIM is activated on arrival, so you’re online from the airport. Hotel Wi-Fi is reliable in all four cities; your coordinator stays reachable on WhatsApp or Telegram throughout.
Free cancellation up to 30 days before departure. 50% refund up to 15 days before; after that the booking is non-refundable, but you can move to another date once for free.
Medical insurance for the tour days is included. We still recommend personal travel insurance covering cancellation and baggage — we can suggest trusted providers.