Benny’s Royal Tour begins to “Azerbaijan the Land of Fire”. Azerbaijan is a beautiful country in the Caucasus region that offers a plentiful nature and unique culture. Azerbaijan has a close relationship with fire, earning the nickname as ‘The Land of Fire’. The fire mountain, the fire temple, the city’s focal point, the Flame Towers, dominating the skyline has earned it the sobriquet the Land of Fire. We can see a red flame as the centrepiece in Azerbaijan’s state emblem. Our Journey begins by assembling at Kochi International Airport. upon arrival in Baku International Airport, after emigration and customs formalities and meet our local guide at Baku Airport. Proceed for Lunch.
BAKU GUIDED CITY TOUR
After lunch you will have an exhilarating Baku city tour with an English-speaking guide, who will show you many of the best - loved sights like Highland Park, Flame towers, Mini Venice, Flag Square and Baku National Boulevard. Azerbaijan’s capital is often likened to Dubai for its outlandish architecture and appetite for gold. Later transfer to restaurant for Dinner.Overnight stay at Baku.
HOTEL: Mogan Hotel or similar (4*)
MEALS: Breakfast on board, Lunch and Dinner
Day 2
Baku-Gabala (Approx. -4hr Driving, 215km)
After continental breakfast, check out and proceed to Gabala in the north-west of Azerbaijan. Gabala is a tourist destination due to the combination of its spring climate, mountainous landscape. Natural climatic conditions of the region attract many tourists to the region. Here you will get a chance to visit Azerbaijan's top provincial holiday centers, discover Gabala, a city string of flashy new hotels and a burgeoning ski resort, have a Tufandag Cable Car ride, with fantastic views of Caucasus Mountains. Enroute Lunch and on arrival in Gabala you will enjoy the Gabala Cable Car Ride, the main highlight of the Gabala city. Divided into three parts you can have an enjoyable experience with really nice views of the city. The cable car goes up to 1600-1900 meters. Cable car takes you to the top of the mountain and you will get a chance to see the beautiful Gabala from top. The one at Tufandag just 4 kilometers from Gabala city center offers 12 kilometers of slopes with a mix of challenging reds and blacks for experts and easy options for beginners. The slopes are kitted out with state-of-the-art snow guns and accessed by a network of cable cars which offer gorgeous views of the Caucasus Mountains. There’s also a ski resort with a variety of entertainment activities. In summer this place is very attractive.
Later proceed to Nohur lake. Nohur Lake is one of the most popular attractions in Azerbaijan. The scenic lakes surrounded by the magnificent mountains and the woods that lay like a carpet on these mountains really attracts you. Lake Nohur, with its view of the majestic Caucasus Mountains, fresh air and clear water, is one of the most beautiful places in Gabala. Proceed to the hotel & check in.
Dinner & Overnight at Gabala Hotel.
Day 3
Gabala - Baku (Approx-4hr Driving, 215km).
After continental breakfast, check out hotel and return back to Baku. After lunch we visit the old city of Baku, one of the country’s most important historical places and a must-visit place in Baku. The old city is the most ancient part of Baku, which is surrounded by walls which were easily defended classified as the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Azerbaijan. The pearl at the heart of Azerbaijan’s cultural heritage, has a history of thousands of years and is located in the historic centre of ancient Baku, the capital city of the ancient state of the Shirvanshahs and symbol of Azerbaijani statehood. A city within a city, Baku Old Town is an oval-shaped pocket of curving roads, grand palaces and mosques, and the sunken ruins of old hammams and caravanserais.
Proceed to Visit Nizami Street the most beautiful and vibrating street in Baku. Within the walls of the inner city, we can see the Maiden Tower. Of the eight stories of the tower the first three are believed to date back to the 7th or 6th century BC and were used as a fire temple and this is the largest Zoroastrian temple in the world. The Palace of Shirvans is another remarkable example of medieval architecture in Azerbaijan with imposing domes, intricate carvings and patterned windows – shebeke – the palace is a true masterpiece of the medieval masonry and craftsmanship. Spread over the highest hill of the inner city, the palace is now a complex that combines residential and official structures, mosques and mausoleums. The palace’s bath-house is another masterpiece of its time. Visit Fountains Square and Nizami Street. Nizami Street is a large shopping street in Baku. The street has been named after famous 12th-century Persian romantic epic poet Nizami Ganjavi. Located in downtown Baku, the street is a must-visit place for all kinds of shopping. Whatever you are looking for, you will get it here. Walk down the street and stop at shops, bargain hard when you choose to buy something to take back home. You can buy local stuff and branded items from fancy and glamorous brand shops on the street. Free time for shopping. Later we will transfer to hotel. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel in Baku.
HOTEL: Mid Town Hotel or similar
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4
Baku City Tour
After breakfast we transfer to Gobustan, enroute we visit Surakhany town, a suburb in Baku to visit Ateshgah “Fire Temple of Baku”. This castle-style temple was nominated for World Heritage Site status in 1998. The inscriptions in either Sanskrit or Punjabi state that the place was a Hindu place of worship, unlike claims indicating it was a Zoroastrian Fire Temple. Fire is sacred for Hindu, Sikhs and Zoroastrian and there has been debate on whether it was originally a Hindu temple, Sikh one or Zoroastrian. Although the site was originally a place of worship for Zoroastrians, the fortified complex you see today was built by 18th-century Indian Shiva devotees. However, today it houses a museum and is no longer used as a temple.
FIRE MOUNTAIN
Later we proceed to Absheron Peninsula to see ‘Fire Mountain’ in Yanar Dag. Burning Mountain is considered as “eternal fire” and fulfills the trip with unique and interesting experiences. It is called ‘Fire Mountain’ because from the hill there is fire that comes out of the ground. Flames jet out into the air 3 meters from a thin, porous sandstone layer. Around this open fireplace the atmosphere is filled with the smell of gas. The naturally occurring fire burns in colorful flames most impressively at dusk, when both tourists and locals can view it. In the 13th century Marco Polo mentioned numerous natural-gas flames spurting spontaneously from the Absheron Peninsula. Azerbaijan has vast reserves of oil and subterranean natural gas. Roman records dating back 2500 years ago suggest oil extraction took place on Azerbaijan’s Absheron Peninsula. On the way we can see the typical Baku countryside: oil pipelines lying across the land with many oil pumps and old equipment as far as the eye can see.
GOBUSTAN, THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
Enroute Lunch and later proceed to Peninsula Tour in Gobustan. Gobustan, the UNESCO World Heritage site is considered as the national historical landmark of Azerbaijan with the ancient rock art and Gobustan Petroglyphs. Gobustan is an archaeological reserve in Azerbaijan, located an area of 537 hectares between the south-eastern slope of the Greater Caucasus Range and the Caspian Sea. It houses one of the world’s largest collections of ancient rock paintings. Gobustan State Reserve is very rich in archaeological monuments, the reserve has more than 6,000 rock carvings, which depict primitive people, animals, battle-pieces, ritual dances, bullfights, boats with armed oarsmen, warriors with lances in their hands, camel caravans, pictures of sun and stars, on the average dating back to 5,000-20,000 years.
MUD VOLCANOES AND SOVIET LADA CAR EXPERIENCE
Proceed to visit Mud Volcanoes and Soviet Lada Car Experience, Azerbaijan is home to some stunning and unique natural wonders like Mud Volcanoes. On arrival we will transfer to a Soviet Lada car and visit Mud Volcanoes. There are over 350 mud volcanoes in Azerbaijan, both onshore and offshore. Mud volcanoes appeared on the territory of the present Azerbaijan Republic 25 million years ago. Mud volcanoes are one of the key points for the discovery of oil and gas fields. Geologists consider that mud volcanoes are formed as a result of extreme pressure of hydrocarbon gasses accumulated in oil fields. NASA geologists studying Mars concluded that mud volcanoes of Azerbaijan are similar to uplands of the planet for their structure. Volcanic water is widely used in the treatment of a number of diseases - nervous system, skin diseases, radiculitis, urology, gynecology, etc. Clays of mud volcanoes are considered to be minerals. Fluid of mud volcanoes is used as raw materials in the chemical and construction industry, as well as in pharmacology.
Later transfer to a local restaurant for a wonderful evening of our tour to enjoy the Gala Dinner with Oriental Dance Show. Later transfer to hotel. Overnight stay at a hotel in Baku.
HOTEL: Mid Town Hotel or similar (4*)
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5
Baku
VISIT HEYDAR ALIYEV CENTRE CLASSIC CAR MUSEUM
After breakfast, check out and proceed to visit Heydar Aliyev Centre. Heydar Aliyev Centre–Is a 57,500 m2 (619,000 sq .ft) building complex in Baku, designed by the illustrious architect Zaha Hadid, since opening in 2012 the Heydar Aliyev Centre’s astonishing curved, wave-like shape and innovative use of space have made it an iconic landmark in Baku and beyond. But besides its extraordinary appearance, inside you’ll find a world-class exhibition with an impressive collection of vintage cars as well as a stylish cafeteria. Inside we visit the Classic Car Museum and other attractions.
Lunch and later we proceed to Baku International Airport for departure to our home town.
Day 6
Back To Home
Arrive Cochin International Airport with sweet memories of Azerbaijan.
