Self-drive tour Azerbaijan and Georgia

Ankunft in Baku

Abholung am Flughafen und Transfer zu Ihrem zentral gelegenen Hotel in Baku.

At 10.00 a.m. you will meet your friendly Azerbaijani guide to explore the metropolis on the Caspian Sea. Panoramic view of the city from Martyrs’ Avenue and explore the old town. Visit to the Palace of Shirvanshah and

Walk along the promenade on the Caspian Sea. Lunch and drive with your guide to the famous sights of the Absheron Peninsula with the fire temple Atashqakh.

9.00 a.m. Collection of the rental car at the hotel
Your first destination will be Gobustan 60km south of Baku. You can also test the rental car on this route and get used to it. You should start straight away so you’ll be there by 10:00 am. Here you will visit the state historical open-air museum of prehistoric rock carvings. In 2007 the sites were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The drawings from the Stone Age represent e.g. people, animals and hunting scenes and can be viewed in up to 20 caves.

In the afternoon you drive north along the Caspian Sea via the Baku bypass to the edge of the Greater Caucasus to the beautiful Lake Chanlibel near Quba.

Distance: 270 km / travel time: 3.5 hours

Today you drive to the small mountain village of Khinaliq, at 2350 meters the highest village in the country. Enjoy the beautiful mountain panorama and plan a picnic along the way -you can buy fresh produce in Quba.
Distance: 100 km / travel time: 3 hours

Drive back along the Caspian Sea to Shamakhi. Optional: photo stops en route at Beshbarmag and Shurabad.

Continue to Shamakhi, where stands one of the country’s most important mosques, the Juma Mosque, built by the Arabs in the 8th century.

Distance: 250 km / travel time: 3.5 hours

Drive west along the Greater Caucasus mountain range. You should definitely take a trip to the picturesque ancient village of Lahic and see the traditional crafts of the coppersmiths there. There are also spices, skins and many other locally produced products.

Continue to Sheki – believed to be one of the oldest settlements in the Caucasus and known for the impressive 18th-century Khan’s Palace and caravanserai, which indicate an important trading center on what was then the Silk Road. Restaurant tip: Saki Khan Sarayi in the city center

Distance: 230 km / travel time: 4.5 hours

Discover beautiful Sheki and do not forget to visit the palace of the Khan.
In the afternoon you can drive to the nearby village of Kish. An early Christian Albanian church was extensively restored here by the Norwegian state under the leadership of Mr.Thor Heyerdaal. The Kingdom of the Albanians existed here between the 1st and 8th centuries until the Arab invasion. The skeletons in the tombs are unusually large. A 35-year-old woman was 2.20 meters tall. Men were significantly larger. Thor Heyerdaal’s research led to his theory that Norwegians migrated to Scandinavia from the land of Aser. Distance: 25 km / travel time: 0.5 hours

In the morning you can visit the lively bazaar of Sheki. Then make your way to the Georgian border (about 2 hours drive). Here you return your rental car around 1:00 p.m. and cross the border on foot. On the Georgian side your rental car will be waiting for you from 1:30 p.m. Continue to the fertile wine agricultural region of Kakheti and enjoy the splendid views to the Great Caucasus chain. You spend the night at a nice hotel with a pool.  Distance: 190 km / travel time: 4 hours

Drive via Tianeti to the Jinvali Reservoir and further along the old Georgian Military Road to the Greater Caucasus. Hike in Stepantsminda to the famous Trinity Church of Gergeti at 2,170 meters or drive up by car.
Distance: 180 km / travel time: 4 hours

Drive through the beautiful Sno Valley to the mountain village of Juta. Hike on the Chaukhi massif with some easy river crossings to Lake Chaukhi. Optional you can rent horses here and go for a ride. Feel the freedom and peace of the Caucasus. In the afternoon we can upon request organize a Khinkali cooking master class.
Distance one way: 28 km Juta / travel time: 0.45 hours

Today you head back on the Georgian military road to the old Georgian capital of Mtskheta, a major UNESCO World Heritage Site. You have plenty of time to see the city and the monastery of Dshwari (Jvari). Continue to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.

Distance: 150 km / travel time: 3.5 hours

10.00 a.m. City tour with a English-speaking guide. You will see the Old Town, Sioni Church, Narikala Fortress and the Mother of Georgia. Refreshment in the old town and free time in the afternoon.

Drive West to the ancient trading and cave town of Uplistsikhe near Gori. You need 1,5 hours to visit the marvelous place. Continue over the Rikoti Pass to western Georgia to Kutaisi, the second largest city in Georgia. Walk through the old town with the White Bridge, the pretty city park and the nearby Bagrati Cathedral. If you wish, you can have dinner in the Palaty restaurant on the Weißen Brücke 2nd floor, we gladly reserve it for you.

Distance: 230 km / travel time: 4 hours

Today you are going to the Black Sea. At Shekvetili you can visit the famous park of Old Trees. Continue south along the coast. Arrive in Batumi. In the evening you can explore the pretty old town, the harbor and the majestic boulevard. Drop off the rental car at your hotel in the evening

Distance: 160 km / travel time: 2.5 hours

Today you say Good bye to Georgia and depart from Batumi.
Transfer to the airport. Departure