Gobustan, Mud Volcanoes, Fire Temple, Burning Mountain
Description
This 9 hour tour to Gobustan is especially designed for guests who are interested in Stone Age period of humanity, UNESCO’s World Heritage and history, also visitors will have chance to see a group of Mud Volcanoes and Witness eruptions of mud volcanoes. Tour will continue to Absheron Peninsula including Burning Mountain, Fire Temple State historical and cultural Natural Reservation to see the symbol of Azerbaijan (Land of Fire). And on the way you can see one of the oldest mosques of Baku – Bibi Heybet Mosque.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The tour starts in the morning at around 8:30 AM. The exact starting time will be provided by our guide one day before the tour. We will meet you at the meeting point.
Bibi - Heybat Mosque. The mosque was built in 1267-1300. It was a rare construction, both with its beauty and history of creation.The Bibi-Heybat Mosque includes the tomb of Ukeyma Khanum (a descendant of Muhammad), and today is the spiritual center for the Muslims of the region and one of the major monuments of Islamic architecture in Azerbaijan.It is locally known as "the mosque of Fatima".The current structure of the mosque was built in 1990s which is a recreation of the mosque with the same name.
Depends on the weather. Azerbaijan is known in the first place for mud volcanoes in the world. These volcanoes spread through Azerbaijan and local people call them “Yanardagh” (burning mountain), “gaynacha” (boiling water) and “bozdag” (grey mountain) alongside its geographical name - mud volcanoes. 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. We are going there with special taxi because of road conditions. During this trip, you will get a great chance to see these amazing active volcanoes from a very close distance. We will provide the extra another car to Soviet SUV Lada to go to volcanoes.
During the tour you will have a chance to visit the Gobustan local indoor and open-air museum and see the unique exhibits that have reached us through the millennium of history. Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape covers an outstanding collection of more than 6,000 rock engravings bearing testimony to 40,000 years of rock art. The site also features the remains of inhabited caves, settlements and burials, all reflecting an intensive human use by the inhabitants of the area during the wet period that followed the last Ice Age, from the Upper Paleolithic to the Middle Ages. Gobustan has outstanding universal value for the quality and density of its rock art engravings, for the substantial evidence the collection of rock art images presents for hunting, fauna, flora and lifestyles in pre-historic times and for the cultural continuity between prehistoric and mediaeval times that the site reflects.
You will have lunch at the traditional restaurant. Lunch is extra !
Azerbaijan’s iconic "Burning mountain"-Yanardag is located north of Baku city, around 23km from the Old Town. The main attraction of Yanardag is a spectacular hill with a constantly burning wall of flames. Thanks to tectonic shifts and volcanic material below the earth’s surface, natural gas leaks from the rocks. The Italian trader and traveler Marco Polo even mentioned the flames during his travels to Baku and its surroundings, but most probably the fire has been burning for over more years at Yanardag. The fire line surrounding the foot of the summit will give you an impression of the Land of Lights and leave an unforgettable memory of the tour. To protect Yanardagh and attract tourists here, this area was declared a historical, cultural and natural reserve in 2007.
The next chapter of your journey brings you to the Ateshgah Fire Temple. Once a sacred site for Zoroastrians and fire-worshippers, this temple glows with stories of pilgrims and merchants who came here centuries ago, drawn by the eternal flames and mystical energy.
You'll return to the starting point
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(100)
If I could give this a more precise rating it would have been about 4.6. The flaws were not at all major, just worth considering. Pro - Well-organized. The trip was laid out intelligently and it was very complete of what you could see in the environs of Baku. Said, our guide, was patient and well-informed. Especially for some of the later things (including the Zoroastrian temple) he really knew the subject. The Petroglyphs are the highlight of the tour. Cons - minimal. Said's accent was sometimes a little hard to understand. It was easier for me as a native English speaker. Also, it's a relatively long day with a lot of ground to cover, so be well-rested before you begin.
With Sayed's guide, we visited mud volcanoes, Gobustan rock art, Bibiheibat mosque, monuments of oilfield mining, Yanartag and fire temples. I enjoyed the wild driving of my 4WD until I went to the mud volcano (be careful, the driver is a different person from the guide, who keeps it a secret and asks for tips. The guide told me beforehand that I didn't need a tip, so I was able to slip through and escape to the bus.) The most impressive thing about this trip was the rock art. I was able to see quite a few pictures. Without a guide, I think it's hard to find where it is. Where the rock art is located is on a hill of mountains, so you can see the plain and the Caspian Sea. It is the best view. After listening to the explanations, I was able to learn more about rock art in the exhibition hall, which further deepened my understanding. Lunch is a buffet restaurant in Baku. You can rest assured that the guide doesn't seem to have a bag in it:) For me, it was 20 manats, which I think is cheaper than the shops in Baku Old City. The mosque also allows you to photograph the interior, so that you can get up close and personal with devotees praying. Yanaltag didn't expect that much, but it was surprisingly powerful and I enjoyed it because he taught me how to shoot well. The fire temple was also easy to understand as it went around explaining the necessary parts. The last photo taken by our guide was the best (all the tour participants are shown, so we don't include it) We recommend this tour and guide in the following ways: ・I can speak both English and Russian. It was easy for me to hear even if I was not a good English speaker in a non-English speaking country. (I just didn't have enough English to understand my friends from the same country.) ・The guide is very kind throughout, caringly calling out to me, re-explaining me, and teaching me how to take pictures. · It is probably difficult for individuals to visit all these spots. Transferring a taxi can be a hassle, especially since mud volcanoes are rough roads to get there. It protects you from trouble. ・Perhaps we can discuss changing the order of your visit, where to attend, and where to finish. There were actually people who got off halfway to their personal appointments.
All the activity was great and the guide Murat is very informative and friendly. Coincidently all the people in the tour was amazing and I make new friends for sure.
Thank you so much for your kind feedback! We’re happy to hear that you enjoyed the activities and found the tour informative and friendly. It’s also great to know the group atmosphere made the experience even more special. We truly appreciate your review and hope to welcome you again soon!
Must visit when in Azerbaijan. Unique phenomena. It is a bumpy ride but well worth the inconvenience. A small tip to the local taxi fellow is much appreciated
Thank you so much for your feedback! 🌋 We’re glad you enjoyed this unique experience and found it worth the ride. It’s truly one of Azerbaijan’s most fascinating natural wonders! Your thoughtful note about supporting the local driver is also much appreciated. We hope to see you again for more great adventures in Azerbaijan!
It was a one-day tour that covered the highlights outside of Baku. Our guide, Turkel, was very kind. Seeing the scenery along the way, I was surprised to see that Azerbaijan is a country with floating oil and natural gas reserves. I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Azerbaijan or Baku for the first time. バクー郊外の見所を押さえた1日ツアーでした。ガイドのturkelさんにはとても親切にしていただきました。 途中の景色を見てアゼルバイジャンは石油と天然ガスの浮かぶ国だなと驚きました。 初めてアゼルバイジャンやバクーを訪れる方にはおすすめします。
Thank you for your kind words! We’re happy to hear you enjoyed the tour with Turkel and discovered a different side of Azerbaijan. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we hope to see you again on another trip!
Did the trip to Gobustan with our tour guide Yusif. We ended up doing two different tours on two different days because we enjoyed it so much. Highly recommend going to the mud volcanos and swimming in the mud if you have the opportunity. Definitely a memorable highlight of our trip to Azerbaijan!
Thank you so much for your feedback! We’re happy to hear you enjoyed both tours and that Yusif made the experience memorable. Visiting the mud volcanoes is truly unique, and we’re glad it became one of the highlights of your trip to Azerbaijan. We look forward to welcoming you again!
It was a perfect day, from the contact beforehand to the on-time pick-up, the detailed explanation of the tour guide Yusif and the smooth connection between the attractions. Finally, after fully playing, the tour ended early so that we could have a better rest. What else can I say except a full score recommendation?
We enjoyed the tour very much. Lots of adventure during the tour. We have not seen those wonderful stuff in other countries. Our guide, Adil is gentle and friendly.
Very interesting and fun tour. The mud volcanos with old Russian offroad car were the highlight of the tour. Any time again!
Knowledgeable guide Nazif. We were able to see a lot of places in 6-7 hours. Great that we didn’t spend to much time each place, which gave us opportunity to see many sights. As an effective traveler I really appreciate this.
