Azerbaijan and Georgia – The bridge between East and West

After breakfast, travel to Gobustan to visit the museum and the archaeological area of the petroglyphs. Gobustan’s UNESCO-listed rock-art landscape preserves thousands of engravings on the boulders of a semi-desert plateau. Hunters, wild animals, boats and groups of dancers record how successive communities lived, travelled and expressed their beliefs. The museum explains these images in the context of prehistoric settlements and changes in the environment, making the small figures on the stone easier to understand. Continue to the mud volcanoes. The mud volcanoes are driven by gases rising through water and sediment below the ground. Bubbles break the grey surface and small cones build up around the vents, forming a bare, sculpted landscape very different from a lava volcano. Azerbaijan has an exceptional concentration of these formations. They are a natural attraction separate from Gobustan’s UNESCO rock-art property. Return to Baku for lunch and a visit to the Bibi-Heybat Mosque. Bibi-Heybat is a pilgrimage mosque on Baku’s southern approach, facing the Caspian coast. The present complex reconstructs a historic sanctuary destroyed during the Soviet period. Its domes, minarets and decorated interior make it a landmark of the city’s Islamic heritage; it remains an active religious place, so the visit follows the rules of worship and access in force. Walk through Icherisheher Old City, with its historic mosques, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, the exterior of the Maiden Tower, the ruins of St Bartholomew's Church and the old hammam. Icherisheher is Baku’s inhabited walled city, recognised by UNESCO together with the Shirvanshahs’ Palace and Maiden Tower. Its narrow lanes connect mosques, caravanserais and bathhouses that served the medieval trading town. The fifteenth-century palace complex was the royal residence of the Shirvan rulers; the cylindrical Maiden Tower, with its thick stone walls, is one of the city’s oldest landmarks. Their architecture shows Baku’s history before the oil boom reshaped the surrounding streets. Overnight in Baku.

Breakfast and a visit to the Baku viewpoint overlooking the Caspian bay. Excursion to the Absheron Peninsula to visit the Ateshgah Fire Temple in Surakhani and Yanar Dag, the Burning Mountain. Ateshgah’s stone enclosure surrounds a central fire altar and the small cells once used by pilgrims. Its inscriptions and courtyard recall the Hindu and Sikh merchants who travelled to Absheron, alongside the region’s older fire-worship traditions. The surviving complex largely dates to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when Baku’s trade routes brought visitors from the Indian subcontinent. At Yanar Dag, natural gas escaping through the hillside feeds a line of flames at the base of the rock. The fire comes from the ground rather than a volcanic eruption, offering a visible explanation of Azerbaijan’s “Land of Fire” name. The low ridge and exposed rock make the phenomenon easy to distinguish from the fire altar at Ateshgah. On returning to Baku, visit the Heydar Aliyev Center (exterior visit only), designed by Zaha Hadid, and Yashil Bazaar, known for fresh produce, spices and local specialities. Zaha Hadid’s Heydar Aliyev Center is recognised by its continuous white curves: the building’s surface rises from the plaza and folds into the roof, avoiding the straight lines of a conventional façade. From outside, the changing angles reveal how the architecture and landscaped space form one composition. This stop concerns the exterior, without promising entry to the exhibitions. Yashil Bazaar’s stalls display seasonal fruit, herbs, nuts, dried fruit and fragrant spices. Pomegranates, tea and preserves are among the products associated with Azerbaijani kitchens. The market shows how produce from different regions reaches Baku and offers a close look at everyday shopping, from stacked baskets of fruit to the small stalls of pickles and local specialities. Lunch included and overnight in Baku.

Breakfast and departure for Sheki. On the way, visit the Diri Baba Mausoleum in Maraza and the Juma Mosque in Shamakhi. Built in 1402, Diri Baba is a two-storey mausoleum set directly against a rocky hillside. Its compact stone façade, arched openings and domed chamber belong to the Shirvan–Absheron architectural tradition. The unusual position makes the building appear to grow out of the cliff, while local legends explain its long history as a place of pilgrimage. Shamakhi’s Juma Mosque traces its foundation to the eighth century and is one of the country’s earliest Islamic monuments. Earthquakes and rebuilding have marked its history, so the present structure combines restored architecture with a much older place of worship. Its spacious prayer halls and domes introduce the religious heritage of the former Shirvan capital. Lunch during the journey. Visit the church of Kish and Sheki's historic centre, linked to the Silk Road and the region's craft traditions. Kish’s stone church stands in a village at the foot of the wooded mountains near Sheki. Its domed silhouette and compact interior introduce the Christian heritage associated with ancient Caucasian Albania, a historical kingdom unrelated to present-day Albania. The museum setting explains the building’s successive periods and the archaeological finds around it. Tour the Palace of the Sheki Khans, known for its coloured stained glass and wall paintings. Sheki’s historic centre and Khan’s Palace form a UNESCO World Heritage property shaped by the Silk Road, silk production and trade. Merchant houses and caravanserais reflect the town’s commercial past. Inside the eighteenth-century palace, floral paintings and hunting scenes cover the walls; shebeke windows combine small pieces of coloured glass and fitted wood without nails or glue. Sunlight projects their geometric patterns into the rooms, revealing the skill of local craftsmen. Overnight in Sheki.

After breakfast, depart for the Lagodekhi border. Following border formalities, change guide and vehicle to continue the journey through Georgia. Lunch and a visit to Sighnaghi, with its traditional balconies, walls and views over the Alazani Valley. Sighnaghi’s defensive walls and towers enclose streets of small houses with carved wooden balconies. Built on a hill in Kakheti, the town looks across the Alazani Valley towards the Greater Caucasus. Its position helps explain the connection between this fortified settlement and the vineyards and farming villages spread across the valley below. In the afternoon, visit the family-run Velino winery in Kakabeti and taste wines made in terracotta qvevri vessels. Qvevri are large clay vessels buried in the ground for fermenting and storing wine. The traditional method often keeps the juice in contact with grape skins and seeds, helping create distinctive colours and textures. This knowledge is passed through families and village cellars; UNESCO recognises the winemaking method as intangible heritage, rather than listing every winery as a World Heritage site. Arrive in Tbilisi and stay overnight. Border-crossing arrangements will be reconfirmed before travel.

Breakfast and a tour of Tbilisi: Metekhi Church, the streets of the Old Town, the synagogue, Sioni Cathedral, Anchiskhati Basilica and Narikala Fortress. Tbilisi’s old town developed along the Mtkvari river, beneath the ridge of Narikala. Wooden balconies project over winding streets, while churches, a synagogue and the bath district show the communities that shaped the city. Metekhi stands above the river on its rock, and the small Anchiskhati basilica contrasts with the larger Sioni Cathedral. These landmarks explain the capital through its neighbourhoods and religious buildings rather than a single architectural style. Free time for lunch. Continue to Mtskheta to visit Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. Mtskheta was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Iberia and remains a centre of Georgian Christianity. Jvari’s sixth-century church overlooks the meeting of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers; its cross-shaped plan helped define Georgian church architecture. In town, the eleventh-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is associated with the tradition of Christ’s robe and the burials of Georgian rulers. Both monuments belong to Mtskheta’s UNESCO World Heritage property. Return to Tbilisi, dinner at a traditional restaurant and overnight.

After breakfast, depart for the Greater Caucasus Mountains. Stop to view the Zhinvali Reservoir and visit Ananuri Fortress. Ananuri is a fortified complex overlooking the Zhinvali reservoir on the Georgian Military Road. Defensive towers and curtain walls surround churches whose carved façades include crosses, vines and animal figures. The ensemble was a stronghold of the Aragvi rulers and shows how a religious centre and a defensive residence could share the same protected site. Continue to the Gudauri viewpoint and Stepantsminda. Ascend by four-wheel-drive vehicle to Gergeti Trinity Church; weather permitting, enjoy views of Mount Kazbegi. Gergeti Trinity Church is a fourteenth-century stone church above Stepantsminda, framed by the high Caucasus. Its separate bell tower and domed church stand on an exposed ridge, making the setting as distinctive as the carved stonework. On clear days the surrounding slopes open towards Mount Kazbek; the mountain view and access remain dependent on the weather. Lunch at a traditional restaurant. Return to Tbilisi, dinner at leisure and overnight.

Breakfast and departure for the Kakheti region. Visit the David Gareja monastic complex and Lavra Monastery, with its churches, chapels and rock-cut cells. David Gareja’s monastic tradition began in the sixth century in Georgia’s dry southeastern hills. At the Lavra, cells and chapels cut into the sandstone show how monks adapted the rock to prayer and daily life. The pale cliffs and sparse vegetation explain the isolation of this religious settlement. This description concerns the Lavra already named in the route, without adding a walk to other cave complexes. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the family-run Velino winery in Kakabeti for a tasting of wines made in qvevri. Qvevri are large clay vessels buried in the ground for fermenting and storing wine. The traditional method often keeps the juice in contact with grape skins and seeds, helping create distinctive colours and textures. This knowledge is passed through families and village cellars; UNESCO recognises the winemaking method as intangible heritage, rather than listing every winery as a World Heritage site. Return to Tbilisi, dinner at leisure and overnight.

Optional transfer to Tbilisi airport and departure on the return flight, according to the scheduled time.