Azerbaijan and Georgia: A Transcontinental Tour

Welcome to Baku! The Azeri capital is a fascinating place, nicknamed the ‘Dubai of the Caspian Sea’. Its old town is a well-preserved warren of caravanserais and cafés, mosques and mansions, while outside its ancient walls lies a world of glitz, glamour and gloss. Join your tour group at the hotel and ou’ll have the afternoon to relax and explore a little of Baku ahead of our guided tour tomorrow. Perhaps try a pot of hot thyme tea and a sticky walnut baklava at one of the local cafes - though don’t fill up too much, as we’ll feast on Azeri specialities at this evening’s welcome dinner.

City Park Hotel Baku (4-star)

We’ll dive into Baku’s medieval walled city, Icheri Sheher, this morning, getting a glimpse into ‘old’ Azerbaijan. Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the city reveals Baku’s many layers of history, from the ancient Zoroastrians to the more recent Russian influences. Highlights of our tour include the 12th-century Maiden Tower (the symbol of the city) and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, described by UNESCO as ‘one of the pearls of Azerbaijan’s architecture’. We’ll admire the art nouveau mansions built by Baku’s oil barons in the late 19th and early 20th century, and take in superb views over the Bay of Baku and the city’s distinctive Flame Towers. Moving out of the old town, we’ll embrace Baku’s shiny new side at the Zaha Hadid-designed Heydar Aliyev Center - a huge, curvy creation that won a raft of architecture awards when it was unveiled. We’ll also make time to appreciate Azerbaijan’s weaving history at the Carpet Museum, housed inside a building that looks like a giant rolled-up rug (yes, really!).

City Park Hotel Baku (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: City tour of Baku (all day)

This morning, we’ll make our way to the ‘outdoor museum’ of Gobustan Historical Reserve, where perfectly preserved petroglyphs (rock paintings) provide an artistic archive of life here over 40,000 years, from Neolithic rituals and Bronze Age games, to horse hunts in the Middle Ages. The interactive museum gives a great insight into the timelines and meanings of the paintings - we’ll spend some time here first. Nearby lie some of 400-odd mud volcanoes Azerbaijan is home to, so (weather permitting) we’ll stop off to take a look at these oozing, bubbling beasts. We’ll also pay a visit to Bibi Heybat Mosque - a reconstruction of a 13th-century building destroyed by the Bolsheviks. The rest of the day is devoted to the Absheron Peninsula. We’ll explore a Zoroastrian Fire Temple and marvel at the three-metre-long flames that shoot up from the blackened earth at Yanar Dag (‘Fire Mountain’), fuelled by natural gas reserves under the hillside.

City Park Hotel Baku (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Excursion to Gobustan Historical Reserve (morning)

Visits to Baku mud volcanoes and Bibi Heybat Mosque (morning/afternoon)

Tour of the Absheron Peninsula (afternoon)

Our Azerbaijan tour takes us cross-country today, as we make our way west from Baku towards the Georgian border. Our first stop is Shemakha, one of Azerbaijan’s oldest cities and a crossroad point on the ancient Silk Road trading route. We’ll visit the two-storey Diri Baba mausoleum, and tour the Djuma Mosque. Lunch will be with a welcoming local family, who’ll show us how they make the delicious yoghurt-based snacks we’ll enjoy afterwards with a cup of samovar tea. We’ll then be on our way to Sheki, a picturesque town boasting cobblestone streets, traditional mosaics and gabled roofs (the architecture of the Khan’s Palace, which we’ll visit, is especially beautiful). It was another key Silk Road stop - we’ll stop off at one of the original caravanserais, which would play host to merchants and traders on their long journeys. Just outside town is the little village of Kish, where we’ll explore the historic church and enjoy tea and tandir bread in one of the village homes.

Macara Sheki City Hotel (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Tour of Shemakha (morning)

Cooking demonstration with a local Azeri family (afternoon)

Tour of Sheki (afternoon)

Tea and tandir bread in a village house (afternoon)

This morning, you’ll say goodbye to Azerbaijan and your tour manager - your Georgian tour manager will be waiting to welcome you on the other side of the border crossing. We’ll start in Kakheti, the heart of the winelands. The history of winemaking in Georgia goes back centuries - it was one of the first places in the world to begin producing it. We’ll meander through the countryside, past countless vineyards and pretty churches, as we head for a winery in the town of Kvareli for lunch and a tasting. In the afternoon, we’ll explore the architectural complex at Gremi - a 500-year-old former royal citadel - and then head to the fortress town of Telavi, where we’ll check in to our hotel and enjoy a sightseeing tour.

Holiday Inn Telavi (3-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Wine tasting in a Kakheti winery (midday)

Visit to Gremi architectural complex (afternoon)

Walking tour of Telavi (evening)

Our second day in Kakheti starts at the towering Alaverdi Cathedral, which sits in a river valley with views across to the mountains, followed by a visit to the grand estate of a 19th-century noble family. We’ll then make our way to Sighnaghi, a beautiful walled town set on a hilltop with views across the Alazani Valley to the mountains. After a guided walking tour, we’ll say goodbye to wine country and hello to city life, as we arrive into Tbilisi.

Courtyard by Marriott Tbilisi Hotel (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Visits to Alaverdi Cathedral and Tsinandali Estate (morning)

Walking tour of Sighnaghi (afternoon)

A full-day city tour of Tbilisi reveals the secrets of Georgia’s captivating capital. Founded in the 4th century, Tbilisi’s strategic setting saw it become a key stop on ancient trading routes, welcoming merchants from Europe and Asia as they bartered for spices and silks. We’ll meander through the narrow streets of the old town on foot, stopping to admire centuries-old temples, churches and cathedrals, as well as traditional bathhouses where locals soak in mineral-rich sulphur baths. We’ll also have the chance to visit the National Museum to learn more about Georgia’s rich history and culture.

Courtyard by Marriott Tbilisi Hotel (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: City tour of Tbilisi (all day)

Part two of our Tbilisi city tour takes us back to the old town, where we’ll admire the architecture along David Aghmashenebeli Avenue, browse the stalls at the flea market, and learn more about the city’s past at its ‘historic heart’, Orbeliani Square. A visit to the cathedral (Georgia’s largest church) concludes our tour - you’ll then have the afternoon free to relax or explore more of the city under your own steam.

Courtyard by Marriott Tbilisi Hotel (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: City tour of Tbilisi (morning)

Today is free for you to make the most of our last full day in Georgia - tour a few of the city’s wonderful museums (the National Gallery of Georgia and Georgian Museum of Fine Arts are highlights) or perhaps take the funicular up Mtatsminda Mountain for incredible views across the city.

Courtyard by Marriott Tbilisi Hotel (4-star)

Say goodbye to your tour group for your onward travel.

Tbilisi