Gobustan & Ateshgah, Yanardag Tour

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. The Gobustan Preserve, under an hour's drive from Baku (60 km) in eastern Azerbaijan, is home to over 6,000 ancient petroglyphs, the oldest of which are thought to date back some 40,000 years. Scenes depict people, animals, dancing and hunting rituals, battle scenes and camel caravans, and form an unparalleled insight into life in this region in pre-historic times. Here you can also discover the 'gaval dash' musical stone that gives off a tambourine sound when tapped rhythmically with smaller stones, as well as an inscription left by a Roman legion in the 1st century AD. All of this and more is neatly unravelled and explained at the excellent on-site museum.

   1 h

2. Did you know that about 350 out of the 800 mud volcanoes known in the World are located in Azerbaijan? Most of them are situated in the Gobustan region. Some of the volcanoes are considered natural monuments and natural national resources of Azerbaijan.

   1.5 h

3. Azerbaijan has been historically known as the Land of Fire because of its rich oil and gas resources, and the natural fires that blazed for millenia on the Absheron Peninsula greatly influenced the beliefs and traditions of the local people. You can still see an example of this natural phenomenon 25 kilometres from Baku, at a place known as Yanardagh (which translates as 'Burning Mountain'), located in the village of Mahammadli. The natural subterranean gas that seeps up to the surface is constantly ablaze, giving this mountain its famous burning look. To protect Yanardagh and attract tourists here, this area was declared a historical, cultural and natural reserve in 2007.

   1 h

4. The Ateshgah fire-worshipping temple, located on the Absheron Peninsula on the outskirts of Surakhani village, 30 km from the centre of Baku, was a shrine at different times for Zoroastrians, Hindus and Sikhs. The current buildings at the temple complex date back to the 17th century and consist of a pentagonal complex with an open courtyard in the middle of which is a temple altar that served as a place of pilgrimage for Indian fire-worshippers. Currently the complex functions as a well-designed museum and is often combined with a trip to nearby Yanardagh, the Burning Mountain, to discover more of Azerbaijan's fire legacy.

   1 h

5. We will have Photo stop at Heydar Aliyev Center. The Museum of Heydar Aliyev was built in 2005, and underwent major restoration work in 2010, and after which it continued as Heydar Aliyev Center. Materials about the life and activities of the national leader are kept here. It also houses "the Young Friends" and "Skillful hands" clubs, as well as English language and fine arts courses.

   30 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Know before you go

How it compares in Baku

• Its from-price is 59% below the median of the 282 day trips we list in Baku.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Baku

Baku is Azerbaijan's capital on the Caspian Sea, where a walled medieval old town sits beside oil-era mansions and glass towers shaped like flames.

The walled Old City, Icherisheher, is a UNESCO-listed maze of lanes with the Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, both medieval. Beyond the walls, grand mansions from the oil boom of the late nineteenth century line the streets, and a long boulevard runs beside the Caspian. The three Flame Towers glow on the skyline, and Zaha Hadid's curving Heydar Aliyev Centre is a landmark of modern architecture.

Top-ranked sights in Baku: Bibi-Heybat Mosque (Bibiheybet Mescidi), Yanar Dag, Baku Old City (Icherisheher).

See all 783 experiences in Baku