10-day Nature of Azerbaijan Tour10 Days | Private | Spring, summer, autumn | Baku, Gobustan, Quba, Khinalug, Galakhudat, Griz, Laza, Shahdag, Shamakhi, Lagich, Tufandag, Nohur Lake, Yeddi Gozel waterfall, Sheki, Aspi Savalan, Goychay

We started in Quba at the Genocide Memorial Complex, and it was a brilliant introduction to Azerbaijan's history, short, to the point, and exactly the kind of tour we like. The guide there was excellent. From there we went to the carpet factory museum, which was brilliant too, we've got a great photo of Natallia having a go at the loom herself, and we loved seeing the quality and precision that goes into it. We bought a small carpet as a souvenir. Our first night's accommodation, out by the lake, was lovely, a real holiday feel, with a nice mix of locals and people up from Baku.
The hike day was one of the real highlights of the whole trip. We had to switch to a different car when the roads got too narrow heading up to the village, and from there it just felt like we were properly getting into the Caucasus Mountains. Our driver and Leila were superb throughout, so good at explaining how people actually live up in the mountains, and always happy to stop whenever we wanted. The village itself was breathtaking, it felt genuinely untouched, and we watched black eagles flying overhead. The public toilets were locked, but our guide kindly let us use the ones in his own house, which was such a nice, friendly touch. The regular guide who was meant to take us was actually unwell that day, so his son stepped in instead. The first hike was relatively easy and good fun, and we got there quickly, but the call was made not to push on to the waterfall or the next stretch toward Griz ( this was already mentioned to you). It didn't dampen the day at all, and you more than made up for it afterwards anyway. That evening's hotel had a small leak that woke us early, but that's already been flagged separately.
The next day we had a bit of a different pace at the alpine resort, a nice change from the culture and history, and interesting to see how Azerbaijanis themselves spend their days off. There was plenty to do, and we spent a good few hours just taking it easy, mostly on our own, which was a nice touch, Leila offered to join us but was happy to let us have that time to ourselves. From there we were brought to another waterfall, a little less developed than it will probably be once the work there is finished, but we're not really the type to linger anyway, so it was a quick, worthwhile stop before we moved on.
The next stretch was a big travel day, heading back down near Baku before swinging out to the other side of the Caucasus. Leila remembered there was a spot along the way where the mud volcanoes come up out of the ground, and asked if we wanted to stop, which we really appreciated, we've got some great videos of the mud bubbling up, and she explained it all so well, including the surprise that it's actually cold rather than boiling. From there she brought us to the Juma Mosque in Shamakhi, and being able to go inside was genuinely special. We're not from a Muslim background ourselves, and religion generally isn't something I pay much attention to given the trouble it's caused historically, but Leila explained the mosque and its significance so well that it really struck a chord, more than I expected it to.
On the way to the next village we crossed the old iron suspension bridge near Ismayilli, which was great fun, I went across, though Natallia and Leila gave it a miss. There were a few stalls there selling dried fruit, a bit touristy but a nice stop all the same, before we carried on to Lahij, which might have been the most spectacular village of the whole trip. Horses everywhere, cars kept out, wonderful old buildings on the old Silk Road route, we had traditional bread and coffee there and just enjoyed walking around and taking it all in. Leila and our driver joined us for lunch afterwards too, which was a nice touch, and honestly the food throughout the whole tour was spectacular, no exceptions.
After another waterfall along the way, we went up to the alpine resort at Tufandag, popular with visitors from the Gulf, and took the cable car up to about 1900 metres. Probably not entirely our thing, more commercial than the rest of the trip, but it was still nice to be up that high and to have a relaxing few hours to ourselves. Back at the hotel, Natallia treated herself to a spa treatment while I settled in with tea and a snack.
From there we went to the Kiş Albanian Church, which was genuinely fascinating, the archaeology and history around Caucasian Albania really caught our interest. We also got to visit one of the palaces in Sheki, and because it was a private tour, Leila knew every detail and was able to talk us through it properly. Sheki Fortress was excellent too, again thanks to Leila being able to explain the history of the buildings around it.
The wine tour that followed, was another real highlight. Seeing how the wine is actually made, the sheer range of varieties, and trying the wines alongside some of the stronger spirits, with a few nice nibbles along the way, was right up our street, and it was a bonus that we happened to be there around harvest time.
During the last few days we ran into some trouble with the apartment we'd booked ourselves in Baku. Leila had a conversation with the host and pretty much saw straight through what he was actually trying to do. She did everything she could to help, and both she and our driver didn't just drop us off, they came with us to sort it out, and when it became clear it wasn't what we'd booked, they helped us get a hotel sorted there and then.
Overall the regional tour was absolutely fantastic, although I may not have all the above in the right order. Leila and our driver were the standout part of the whole experience, along with just how kind people were everywhere we went, and Advantour (you Anna) listened to everything we asked for and delivered on pretty much all of it. Even with the one hiccup, it really wasn't a big deal in the end, and it's still a great memory. We'd wholeheartedly recommend Azerbaijan, and Advantour especially. We're actually considering Georgia next year, and there's no question we'd use anyone other than Advantour for it.