DAY 1: Departure from USA
- Depart the USA for Baku City in Azerbaijan. Your international flight includes meals, drinks, and in-flight entertainment.
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DAY 2: The Caspian jewel Baku
- Early in the morning your flight lands at the Baku airport, where you are welcomed by our guide. After transfer to the hotel and check in you have some time to rest after the flight.
- Then we start exploring Baku where centuries-old quarters merge with totally modern parts of the city. It is a place where rich past mingles with magnificent present. The streets of Baku are full of fashionable boutiques and cozy pubs incredibly nice and helpful people create the pleasant atmosphere around. Large parks, the smartly restored old town and illuminated fountains complement an unforgettable image of Baku. The contrasts have always been impressive here but now the city is a real exhibit of contemporary architecture.
- Firstly, we visit the legendary Zoroastrian Maiden Tower of the 5th century. Then we walk through an old bazaar. We stroll by the oldest Multani Caravanserai, Bukhara Caravanserai, the Haj Banu Hammam from the 15th c., Jewish quarter. Of course, we visit magnificent Shirvan Palace.
- Noble mosques of the capital will accent the Oriental atmosphere of the city. The entire old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site You will also be impressed by the modern district with the three Flame Towers overlooking the city. They look as if they have been thrown from the sky onto the city by some fabled giants.
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DAY 3: By a Sunlit Promenade
- The day starts with a walk through, probably, the most beloved place among the locals Seaside Baku Boulevard, also known as National Park. A giant rolled carpet suddenly catches your eye among other modern buildings, glinting with their glass faces and quirky shapes. Easy to guess that it hosts a carpet museum. Carpet weaving is considered to be a national craft of Azerbaijan. In the museum not only will you see the carpets of different times and regions, but also items telling you a lot about Azerbaijan history since the Bronze Age.
- After visiting the museum we are amusingly taken for a gondola ride. The unique opportunity to feel a part of Italy is provided by the waterpark Little Venice, one of the most beautiful corners of the Boulevard. Afterwards you will have free time to indulge in the National Park on your own, admiring lush plants and sophisticated fountains.
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 4: Through Oil fields to Mud Volcanoes
- After the breakfast we move southwards, to the regions with several oil fields that actually secure all the gloss of the capital. The morning drive along the coast of the Caspian Sea resembles a journey through an industrial area. Featured industrial landscapes of abandoned oil fields, such as BibiHeybet oil field, alternate with recently launched ones.
- Afterwards, in the semi desert of Qobustan we will marvel at thousand year old Stone Age rock drawings. In 2007 these petroglyphs were declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
- In Elat we see one more landscape peculiarity mud volcanoes. In the late afternoon you can enjoy your free time in Baku.
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 5: Full Day Quba Tour
- Today we leave the peninsula and head for Quba, the main town in northeastern Azerbaijan.
- Traditionally, Quba is famous for carpet-making and apple-growing. We take a walk through the city center where we see beautiful mosques, a fort and an old bathing house (an old Hammam). Then we visit a carpet factory.
- After lunch we explore the suburb of Quba Krasnaya Sloboda or Qasaba known as the world only settlement, densely populated with Mountain Jews. Worldwide, their community comprises only about 100,000 people. We meet a representative of this Jewish community, who will make us acquainted with the history, origin and current state of affairs of these people. We also visit the local synagogue.
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 6: Full Day Maraza and Shamakhi
- This day is another opportunity for us to make sure of the cultural abundance of this country.
- Our first stop is Maraza Gobustan a place of former Molokan (milkmen) settlements. Molokans are a religious community that split from Russian Orthodox Church. Their traditions are closely
- tied to milk, for example, they drink it on holidays. Our guide will inform you about other interesting customs and daily life of this group.
- In Maraza we also see a century old Muslim cemetery and two story white cave mausoleum, built in honour of Diri Baba and is nowadays inhabited by hermit.
- We leave the steppe area and approach the former capital of Shirvan Khanate. Some time ago the town Shamakhi was a considerable craft and trade center. The city has a long literary tradition and it is the place where famous Azerbaijani poet Nasim was born. That why the city has become a symbol of Azerbaijani identity. Here we also visit Friday mosque and know more about its 7 mausoleums.
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 7: Full Day Apsheron Peninsula
- On this day we take a trip to the peninsula of Apsheron, a known oil extraction area. The capital Baku is located on its western part. Apsheron is not only rich in salt lakes, mineral sources and mud volcanoes, but is also famous for numerous historical sites. In Surachani we visit the Zoroastrian fire temple. Our guide will highlight the main principles of this monotheistic religion and its spread in today Azerbaijan.
- In Mardakan we will get a chance to see a medieval fortress towers and Tuba Shahi Mosque of the 14th c. A walk through the local arboretum will refresh and relax us, while exotic plants from around the world provide a great background for taking photos.
- Next comes a journey to Ramana with its majestic tower. In the strongly influenced by Islam Nardaran, we visit probably the most magnificent mosque in the country. In the village of Qala we see the remains of caravanserais, mosques and bath houses.
- Finally, we set off to the Burning Mountain in Digah. Looking at the flaming rock, you may assume that the rich oil and gas deposits have led to fairly irresponsible use of the raw materials.
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 8: Departure
- Today our itinerary comes to the end. You spent your time eventfully, discovered culture of the country and will keep these emotions for your lifetime.
- Transfer to airport for your departure flight.
- Meal: Breakfast
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