Shamakhi, Gabala & Sheki

This is my favourite two-day route outside Baku — from the ancient shrines of Shirvan to the mountain landscapes of Gabala and the Silk Road jewel of Sheki. I designed it so that in two days you see far more than most travellers manage in a week on their own: on the first morning we leave Baku and almost immediately stop at the 15th-century Diri Baba mausoleum — a structure that seems to grow straight out of the rock. I'll tell you the legend of the Sufi saint it was built for, and why it's considered one of the most mysterious monuments in the East.

Next we drive to the Juma Mosque in Shamakhi — one of the oldest mosques in the Caucasus, built back in the 8th century. Shamakhi was once the capital of the Shirvanshah state and one of the region's most important cultural centres, and I'll show you how the city still carries the traces of that history on nearly every street.

The next stop is Meysari Winery, Azerbaijan's first organic winery. We'll take a slow walk through the vineyards, I'll talk about local winemaking traditions, and if you'd like, you can try some Azerbaijani wine.

After lunch we climb into the mountains, to Gabala. Here I suggest riding the Tufandag cable car: on a clear day it offers some of the most beautiful views of the Caucasus range you'll see on the whole trip. Gabala is one of the few Azerbaijani towns where the mountains genuinely start right at the edge of the city.

Another stop I always include on this route is the ancient village of Nij, still home to the Udi people, one of the oldest peoples of the Caucasus, who have preserved their own language and Christian traditions. We'll visit an Udi family's house-museum and see the old temples of Caucasian Albania — most travellers have no idea a place like this exists just a couple of hours from Baku.

In the evening we arrive in Sheki, check into the hotel and rest before day two. In the morning we begin exploring one of Azerbaijan's most beautiful historic towns with the 18th-century Sheki Khans' Palace. It's a genuine architectural masterpiece: the unique shebeke stained-glass windows are assembled without a single nail or drop of glue, and the walls are covered in hand-painted ornamental murals.

Then we walk through the historic centre and visit the Sheki caravanserai, a monument of the Great Silk Road era where merchants and travellers from across the world once stopped for the night. We'll also drop by local craftsmen's workshops, where carpets, shebeke stained glass and woodwork are still made by hand — crafts passed down in Sheki from generation to generation.

I always make time for Sheki's famous local sweet — a hand-made pakhlava recipe unique to this region and centuries old. We'll try it fresh, while it's still warm.

After Sheki we stop in the village of Kish, home to one of the oldest Christian churches in the Caucasus, the Albanian Church. According to legend, it was founded by a disciple of the Apostle Thaddeus. It's a quiet, almost untouristed place — which is exactly what makes it so easy to feel how many different eras and religions have left their mark on this part of Azerbaijan.

We head back to Baku after lunch — the route is physically easy and suits travellers of any age and fitness level, families with children included. In the mountain areas (Shamakhi, Gabala, Sheki) the weather can differ from Baku, so bring warm clothes in the cooler season and sun protection plus comfortable shoes for walking the old streets in summer. We travel in a comfortable car with an experienced driver, at an unhurried pace, with stops for rest and photos. Message me on WhatsApp to arrange dates — I'll happily answer any questions and help plan your trip.