08:00-09:00. Breakfast at hotel.

10:00. Transfer to the Old City.

Dated as far back as the 6th century and surrounded by fortress walls, Old City part hosts old monuments such as Shirvanshah’s palace (15th–16th centuries), Maiden tower, Gasimbey bathhouse (15th century) etc. First stop will be Shirvanshah’s palace, where kings’ private rooms, palace mosque, divankhana and bath-rooms will be breathtaking experience to dive into history. Second stop is Mysterious Maiden Tower, which you will be allowed to climb to the top and have amazing Baku view. Information will be provided about history of buildings, ancient mosques and trading squares during the walk. Built on a site inhabited since the Palaeolithic period, the Old City of Baku reveals evidence of Zoroastrian, Sasanian, Arabic, Persian, Shirvani, Ottoman, and Russian presence in cultural continuity. The Old City has preserved much of its 12th-century defensive walls. The 12th-century Maiden Tower is built over earlier structures dating from the 7th to 6th centuries BC, and the 15th-century Shirvanshahs’ Palace is one of the pearls of Azerbaijan’s architecture. Old city is located at the center of Baku city.

14:00. Lunch at local restaurant.

15:00. Transfer back to a hotel.(free time)

19:00. Dinner.

08:00-09:00. Breakfast at hotel.

10:00. Transfer to Haydar Aliyev Cultural Center.

Haydar Aliyev center is located close to the city center. By visiting this center visitors will have a unique chance to see fascinating architectural design and different exhibitions inside the building, which demonstrate different periods of the history of Azerbaijan, related to different areas of Azerbaijani culture and history, traditional clothes and old coins. Designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid Haydar Aliyev cultural center is famous with its distinctive architecture and flowing, curved style that eschews sharp angles. Nominated for awards several awards, building hosts a variety of cultural programs. Construction of the building lasted for 5 years from 2007-2012.The center is named for Haydar Aliyev, the leader of Soviet-era Azerbaijan and the president of Azerbaijan Republic.

12:00. Transfer to the Museum of Modern Art.

The museum focuses on the second half of the twentieth century and contains over 800 works by notable Azerbaijani painters and sculptors, particularly avant garde art of the 1960s and 1970s, including Rasim Babayev, Ashraf Murad, Gennady Brejatjuk, Fazil Najafov, Mamed Mustafaev, Aga Houssejnov, Ali Ibadullaev, Mir-Nadir Zeynalov, Farhad Halilov, Darvin Velibekov, Eldar Mammadov, Mikail Abdurahmanov, Museib Amirov, Mahmud Rustamov, Huseyn Hagverdi, Eliyar Alimirzayev, Rashad Babayev and Altay Sadikh-zadeh. There are also non-Azerbaijani modern masterworks by Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, and Marc Chagall from private collectors.

Exhibitions of Azerbaijani photographers such as Elnur Babayev, Fakhriya Mammadova, Ilkin Huseynov, Rena Efendi, Sergei Khrustalev, Sitara Ibrahimova, Tahmina Mammadova are often held in the museum.

The museum includes a children’s fine arts department, a video hall, a cafe, a restaurant, a separate hall for private exhibitions, a library, and a bookstore with materials pertaining to world art, architecture and sculpture.

13:00-14:00. Lunch

14:00. Transfer to the Carpet Museum.

The museum was established in 1967 and was initially located in the Juma Mosque in Icheri Sheher. The mosque was built in the 15th century and renovated in the 19th century. Plans to move the collection to a new purpose-built venue have been in the works since 2010 when Azerbaijani carpets were proclaimed “a Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage” by UNESCO. The new building was due to open in late 2012 and was visited by President Ilham Aliyev in September 2013. The museum opened on 26 August 2014. In April 2014 the museum was renamed the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, dropping its much longer official title.

The collection of the museum includes over 10,000 items of ceramics, metal works of the 14th century, jewellery from the Bronze Age, carpets and carpet items from the 17th-20th centuries, national garments and embroidery, and applied art works of the Modern Age.The museum organizes public lectures and study courses on carpets and applied arts. It has a book store selling books on Azerbaijani crafts and carpet art.The museum also holds a permanent collection from the Shusha Museum of History, from the city of Shusha, which was looted after occupation by Armenian troops in 1992. Some of the exhibited items of the Shusha museum were saved when the director of the museum moved out 600 carpets before occupation. They are now displayed at the museum in an exhibition titled “Burned Culture”.

15:30. Transfer to a hotel and free time.

19:00. Dinner.

07:00-08:00. Breakfast at hotel.

08:00:08:30. Check out from a hotel.

08:30-13:30. Transfer to a hotel in Ganja.

Ganja is the second largest city of Azerbaijan, located on the banks of Ganja river on the northern slopes of Less Caucasus range about 375 km west from Baku. Being a monument of the ancient culture and the industrial center of western Azerbaijan Ganca has population about 323,0 thousand people. The city is situated in a middle of the way between Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, and Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia. Ganja has always played central role to the political-economic and cultural life of the country since the earliest of times. The city is considered the country’s literary and cultural center and was the birthplace of great Azerbaijani poets Nizami Ganjavi, poetess Mahsati Khanim Ganjavi, Mirza Shafi Vazeh. With ample streets and avenues and well-designed parks, Ganja is one of the prettiest Azeri towns. The city retains a strong German influence in its architecture. here are many ancient historical monuments: mosque of Albanians, Ganja Gates (X-XI c.), Palace “Dar-us-Soltan” (XII c.), towers, medrese, bath-house, Caravansaray, Imam-zade Complex (XVI c.), Djuma Mosque (1606). To the south of Ganja between the emerald alpine forests is hidden the azure lake Goy-Gol (Blue Lake). On slope of mountains surrounding the lake there are unique creations of nature: “Stone circus”, “Chingil”, mystical caves and grottos. The area is famous for the Kapaz mountain and the 7 lakes near it, particularly the Geygel – the blue lake. The territory is perfect for trekking or for the simple joys of a family picnic.

14:00-15:00. Lunch at hotel.

15:30-18:00. Excursion in Ganja.(Old city, Cuma mosque, Shah Abbas mosque, Nizami museum and etc.)

18:00-19:00. Dinner in the city center.

20:00. Arriving back to a hotel.

07:00-08:00. Breakfast at hotel.

08:30-10:00. Transfer to Goygol (Blue Lake).

This region is famous by its Goygol reserve which is the first reserve in Azerbaijan. A large mountain lake Goygol surrounded by the mountains of the Lesser Caucasus was formed at the result of devastating earthquake that destroyed the mountain Kapaz (XII century). Goygol area is often split into 19 lakes, 8 of which fall into large lakes category, Maralgol, Zelilgol, Qaragol among them. The color and clarity of the waters of Gek-Gel Lake, located 1,600 above sea level is striking. The banks of the lake are covered with forests and rich of flora and fauna.This area is ideal for  walking, travelling, and family picnics. Recreation on the shore of the fresh lake is the best decision on hot days.

10:00-11:30. Excursion in Goygol.

12:00-13:00. Visiting Maralgol.

14:00-15:00. Lunch

16:30-18:00. Free time at Haydar Aliyev park.

18:00-19:00. Dinner.

20:00. Transfer to a hotel.

Overnight at hotel.

07:00-08:00. Breakfast at hotel.

09:00-09:30. Time for Check out.

09:30-14:30. Transfer to Baku or Ganja Airport (09:30-10:30).

Lunch at hotel.

 

Rest of the day will be operated upon request.