Azerbaijan and Georgia Tour 2018

Arrival in Baku. Transfer to your hotel. Check-in at 14:00.

At 19:30, meet your guide and the group members downstairs. Enjoy welcome dinner at national restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

Driving distance: 30 km

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At 09:00, start sightseeing tour in Baku. Visit Martirs Lane called ‘Shehidler Khiyabany’ among locals. When you walk through the Alley of the Martyrs, you will find a beautiful view overlooking Baku’s coastline. Continue touring new Baku and exploring architecture of 19-20th centuries: Nizami Street, Fountain Square, Nizami Ganjavi monument. Pay a visit to Azerbaijan History National Museum and move to Icheri Sheher, the old part of the city. Visit Maiden Tower, Shirvan Shahs’ Palace, Caravanserai, and market square with numerous art studios and souvenir stalls.

Duration of sightseeing tour: 5-6 hours
Driving distance: 10 km

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Meet your guide at 09:00. Today you will visit the area of the Greater Baku and Absheron peninsula. Start with Gobustan National Park. Pay a visit to the Petroglyphs Museum and explore petroglyphs dating back to 10,000 BC. If the weather allows, continue to mud volcanoes in Gobustan Reserve (change of vehicle to smaller cars). Gobustan is home to almost half of world’s mud volcanoes. Later drive to Ateshgah – temple of fire worshippers located in Surakhany village. Zoroastrians from India travelled thousands of kilometers to Ateshgah to worship fire coming out of the earth. Drive to Yanardag Mountain with natural gas burning for several thousands of years. Return to Baku. Overnight at the hotel.

Duration of sightseeing tour: 7-8 hours
Driving distance: 220 km

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At 08:30, depart Baku and drive to Sheki. On the way, stop at Diri Baba mausoleum in Maraza village. Continue to Shamakhi and have a sightseeing of historical Juma Mosque. If the weather allows, drive through Girdimanchay River canyon to visit Lahich, the 5th century quaint corner high in Caucasus mountains rich in its historic and architectural values. Lahich is an ancient village with charming cobbled sidewalks. It is famous for medieval water supply and sewage systems, as well as, traditional jewelry, copperware, carpets, pottery, daggers, and iron tools workshops. Continue driving to Sheki. Arrival in Sheki at 18:00-19:00 for overnight at the hotel.

Driving distance: 340 km

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At 10:00, start sightseeing tour. Visit Sheki Khans Palace, handicrafts workshop, caravanserai, and local bazaar. Depart Sheki and head towards border with Georgia (115 km, apx. 2 h). Cross the border, meet your Georgian guide and start exploring the Eastern part of Georgia famous for its viticulture and winemaking traditions. On the way to wine cellar ‘Khareba’ you will enjoy beautiful landscapes of vineyards and wine-producing villages. The unique wine cellar is located in the tunnel carved out of the rock. Originally built for military purposes, today the tunnel is used to store Kakheti’s finest wines. Wine tour and wine tasting. Continue to Gremi architectural complex, 16th century royal residence and the capital of Kakheti Kingdom. Reach your hotel at 18:30-19:30 for overnight.

Driving distance: 220 km

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Continue exploring Kakheti; you will visit Tsinandali, residence of dukes of Georgia, with beautiful English garden, museum, and wine cellar which belonged to prince Chavchavadze, public figure and poet of the 19th century. Continue to Bodbe Convent and Sighnaghi Royal Town, one of the crossroads of the Great Silk Road surrounded by defensive walls with 23 towers. In the afternoon, head to Tbilisi for overnight.

Duration of sightseeing tour: 6-7 hours
Driving distance: 180 km

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In the morning, have sightseeing tour in Tbilisi. Start at Metekhi church and monument to Vakhtang Gorgasali, the legendary founder of Tbilisi. Take cable car to Narikala Fortress to enjoy breathtaking panoramic view of the city. Walk down to the district of Sulphur bath houses passing by the only mosque in Tbilisi. Stroll through the Sharden area full of narrow streets with cozy cafés, wine tasting bars, souvenir shops, and breathe in the living past. Visit Sioni Cathedral, Anchiskhati Basilica, the clock tower of famous Rezo Gabriadze Theatre, and Bridge of Peace leading to Rike Park.
At 19:30, visit a local restaurant to taste dishes of traditional Georgian cuisine. Overnight in Tbilisi.

Duration of sightseeing tour: 5-6 hours
Driving distance: 10 km

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Today you will explore north of Georgia. First stop will be at Jvari Church, a true architectural masterpiece of the Early Middle Ages overlooking the confluence of Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers from the top of the hill. Continue to Ananuri complex, a former residence of Argveti Dukes. Complex featuring churches and towers dating back to the 16-17th centuries is beautifully overlooking Jinvali reservoir. Drive further to see the conjunction of two small mountain rivers famous for keeping different colors even after they merge. We will then drive over the Cross pass and make a short stop at Soviet time “People’s Friendship” mountain view point overlooking a deep gorge of Caucasus mountain range. In Kazbegi, we will change our vehicle to a four-wheel drive car to reach Gergeti Holy Trinity Church located at an altitude of 2170 m and enjoy breathtaking views of Mount Kazbegi. Reach Gudauri at around 19:00 for dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Driving distance: 210 km

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After breakfast, drive to Gori and visit Stalin Museum. The museum includes more than 60,000 artifacts, the tiny house where Stalin was born, and impressive bulletproof train Stalin used to travel to Yalta and Potsdam. Explore cave town Uplistsikhe dating back to Hellenistic Period and notable for unique combination of various styles of rock-cut cultures and the co-existence of pagan and Christian architecture. Continue to Mtskheta, one of the oldest towns and the cultural and religious centre of Georgia. Mtskheta was the capital of the Eastern Georgian Kingdom of Iberia from the third century BC. Visit Svetitskhoveli Cathedral which may be translated as The Life-giving pillar. Svetitskhoveli is the main cathedral of Mtskheta and a sacred place where the robe of Christ is being kept. Reach Tbilisi for overnight at hotel.

Duration of sightseeing tour: 9-10 hours
Driving distance: 250 km

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Check-out from the hotel till noon. Free time till transfer to Tbilisi International Airport. End of the tour.

Driving distance: 10 km

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