Itinerary Overview

D1–D3: Baku → D4: Gobustan and Mud Volcanoes → D5–D6: Sheki and the Northern Silk Road → D7: Return to Baku for departure. Total distance: approximately 900 km, with intercity travel by long-distance bus, train, or private car.

D1–D3: Baku: Old Town and New Town

• D1: Arrive and explore the city → Walk through Baku’s Old City (Icherisheher): Climb Maiden Tower, visit Shirvanshahs’ Palace → Evening at Boulevard to see the Flame Towers light up.
• D2: Visit Heydar Aliyev Center (Zaha Hadid’s flowing architecture) → Carpet Museum → Evening shopping and dining at Fountain Square and Nizami Street.
• D3: Day trip to Absheron Peninsula: Ateshgah Fire Temple and Yanar Dag burning mountain → Evening rooftop dinner in the Old City with Caspian Sea sunset views.

D4: Gobustan: Rock Art and Mud Volcanoes

Morning visit to Gobustan National Park, home to 6,000-year-old prehistoric rock carvings on cliffs (UNESCO World Heritage Site); afternoon drive to nearby mud volcano fields, a rare global landscape of bubbling cold mud, accessible only by 4WD. Return to Baku in the evening or head north directly.

D5–D6: Sheki and Silk Road Villages

• D5: Take an early morning bus or train (overnight sleeper optional) to Sheki, stay in a guesthouse converted from a caravanserai; afternoon visit Sheki Khan’s Palace, renowned for its stained-glass windows and mosaic murals, architectural highlights of the Caucasus.
• D6: Explore Sheki’s Old Town bazaar, try local sweets like Pakhlava and shop for handmade silk; optional half-day trip to Caucasus mountain villages near Gabala or Quba, visiting mosques, waterfalls, and apple orchards.

D7: Departure

Morning return to Baku (4–5 hours by car), time for last-minute shopping on Nizami Street for saffron, caviar, and pomegranate juice, then head to the airport in the evening.

Tips

• The overnight train from Baku to Sheki saves a night’s accommodation; book tickets in advance on the railway’s official website.
• The road to the mud volcanoes is bumpy; wear closed-toe shoes and bring wet wipes.
• Photography is allowed inside the Khan’s Palace, but flash is prohibited.