BAKU
4 Nights & 5 Days
Day 01 COCHIN – BAKU
Assemble at Cochin international airport at 02.00 hrs , after Immigration and customs formalities flight depart to Baku Arrive at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, Azerbaijan .Welcome to Azerbaijan, the land of Fire. Azerbaijan, the nation and former Soviet republic, is bounded by the Caspian Sea and Caucasus Mountains, which span Asia and Europe. Its capital, Baku, is famed for its medieval walled Inner City. Meet our local representative and proceed to the Baku. Check-in at Hotel after lunch. Later we will take you for Baku city tour with an English speaking guide. This tour offers some of the city’s most beautiful landmarks like Highland Park , Flame towers, Mini Venice, Flag Square and Baku National Boulevard. Upland Park is located on a hill in the western part of the city. This is the best place to see the city and the Baku Bay which commands a breathtaking panorama of Baku. Flame towers is the tallest skyscraper in Baku and Completed in 2012, this trio of sinuous blue-glass skyscrapers forms contemporary Baku’s modern architectural signature. The design was conceived as a set of flames, driven from the ground up one of the main hills of Baku. Fire symbolizes energy and eternity, and also goes back to the ancient worship of this element. Baku National Boulevard ,the 2nd longest boulevard in the world, which is the favorite resting place of the Baku residents and capital guests, stretching for a long way along the seashore. Mini Venice is a “little Italian town” recreated at the seaside boulevard adds a special colour to the park. The Little Venice consists of several channels, where gondolas and gondoliers sail between the small bridges and invite the guests to a romantic journey. Flag Square , If you go a little further towards the city you will find yourself at the National Flag Square. In fact, you won’t be able to bass by without seeing it. In May 2010, this flagpole has been registered in the “Guinness book of records” as the tallest in the world. The museum building, below the flagpole’s pedestal, is designed in the shape of an eight-pointed star. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel in Baku
Day 02 GOBUSTAN & ABSHERON
After breakfast, Proceed to visit Gobustan and Absheron. Gobustan State Reserve a UNESCO World Heritage site located west of the settlement of Gobustan, about 40 miles southwest of the center of Baku was established in 1966 when the region was declared as a national historical landmark of Azerbaijan in an attempt to preserve the ancient carvings, mud volcanoes and gas-stones in the region. Gobustan State Reserve is very rich in archeological 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 We will transfer to Soviet Lada car and visit Mud Volcanoes . Azerbaijan is in the first place in the world for the amount of mud volcanoes. Mud volcanoes broadly spread in Azerbaijan. 350 of the 700 volcanoes of the world are in the Azerbaijani Republic. Local people call them “yanardagh” (burning mountain), “pilpila” (terrace), “gaynacha” (boiling water) and “bozdag” (grey mountain) alongside its geographical name – mud volcanoes. Mud volcanoes are associated with oilfields. Rich oil and gas fields are found in the territories of mud volcanoes . Later visit to Ateshgah “Fire Temple of Baku” . This is a castle-like religious temple based on Persian and Indian inscriptions, the Zoroastrian place of worship. 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. After Fire temple , we proceed to see Yanar Dag . Yanar Dag is a natural gas fire which blazes continuously on a hillside on the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian Sea near Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Flames jet into the air 3 metres from a thin, porous sandstone layer. Administratively, Yanar Dag belongs to Absheron District of Azerbaijan. This Burning Mountain is considered as “eternal fire” and fulfills the trip with unique and interesting experience. Later back to hotel and Over night stay at hotel in Baku.
DAY 03 GABALA CABLE CAR RIDE & NOHUR LAKE
After breakfast check out and proceed to Gabala . Gabala is considered a popular tourist destination due to the combination of a very good spring climate, mountainous landscape, and diverse fauna. Many sizable world hotel chains have a presence in the city.Natural climatic conditions of the region create opportunities for the development of both summer and winter tourism in the region. The northern side of Gabala belongs to the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus mountain range, the central part to Alazan-Haftaran valley, the southern part to Ajinohur upland. Furthermore, the highest mountain peak of the republic- Mount Bazarduzu (4466 meters) is situated in this region. Gabala is around 225Kms away from Baku. On arrival in Gabala you will enjoy the cable car ride and visit Nohur Lake. 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. Nohur lake is beautiful quiet nature, clean water surface surrounded by high mountains – all this brings peace and a sense of distant exotic countries. Swimming in the Nohur lake is prohibited, however, fishing is allowed here – this is one of the main entertainment attractions that people enjoy near this place. Nohur lake which existed as a natural lake until 1949, used to be surrounded by a swamp covered with dense reeds and water plants and there was a lake with yellowish-green water in a deep groove in the central part of it. In 1949, by building a soil dam with 850 m length, 8-10 m height and 4-6 m width, a water-storage reservoir was constructed in the south part of this lake. Over night stay at hotel in Gabala.
DAY 04 GABALA-BAKU
After breakfast check out and return back to Baku. Later you will visit Car Museum in Heydar Aliyev Center at Baku city another icon attraction in Baku. The Heydar Aliyev Center is a 57,500 m2 (619,000 sq ft) building complex in Baku, Azerbaijan designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid and noted for its distinctive architecture and flowing, curved style that eschews sharp angles. The center is named after Heydar Aliyev (1923–2003), the first secretary of Soviet Azerbaijan from 1969 to 1982, and president of Azerbaijan Republic from October 1993 to October 2003. . Evening will drive through the Nizami Street, endlessly popular with strollers, this leafy piazza forms Central Baku’s natural focus. The fountains for which it is named include one topped by shiny silvered spheres giving fish-eye reflections of the trees and stone facades. And the beautiful statue-inlay ed facade of the Nizami Literature Museum (you can do shopping here as well ). Dinner and Over night stay at hotel in Baku.
DAY 05 BAKU – DROP IN AIRPORT
After breakfast check out from hotel .We will proceed to the old city (Icheri Sheher), 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 .The historical and architectural reserve includes the Shirvanshah Palace, Maiden Tower, Medieval Market Square, Icheri Sheher Archaeological Museum, caravanserais, mosques, madrassahs, bath-houses, Baku Khans’ House also numerous rich residences of the ХIХ century. Later after lunch drop to airport for your return flight. Flight departing from Baku International Airport at 17.10 hrs and arrive Abu Dhabi International Airport at 20.10 hrs. Later connect flight at 23.05 hrs.
Day 06 BAKU - KOCHI
Arrive Kochi International Airport at 04.25 hrs with sweet memories of Enticing Azerbaijan Tour.