20 Day Azerbaijan & Georgia Experience Tbilisi Baku Get ready to be inspired. FROM $5,185 PER PERSON, TWIN SHARE Travelling with Inspiring Vacations allows you to explore the wonders of the world in a variety of different ways. We have partnered with a worldwide network of local travel experts to bring you culturally unique and delightfully unforgettable travel experiences. Whether it is meandering through narrow canyons by rail, cruising the idyllic waters of the Mediterranean or touring through t... Book Now TOUR ITINERARY The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be affected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address. Call 1300 88 66 88 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com Page 1 TOUR ITINERARY DAY 1 Destination Baku Meals included Hotel Hotel in Baku, or similar Welcome to Azerbaijan! Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 1 pm. After the formalities are out of the way, head out on a walking tour of Baku with your leader. Take a wander through the Old City, entering through the Shemakha Gate and heading to the cylindrical Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, an impressive complex made even more spectacular by the fact that it’s framed by a modern skyline. Finish in the Old Market Square. Enjoy a free evening to do as you please. If you’re searching for somewhere to eat, ask your leader to point you in the direction of Nizami Street, where local restaurants line this busy boulevard. Perhaps order some lavangi – walnuts, dried fruit and onions stuffed inside chicken and roasted to create a tantalising fusion of flavours. Special Information It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place. DAY 2 Destination Baku Qobustan Meals included Breakfast Hotel Hotel in Qobustan, or similar Drive to Qobustan in the morning, a national reserve and World Heritage site that functions as an open-air archaeological museum. Here lie some well-preserved rock petroglyphs dating back as far as BC 12th century, as well as a Roman inscription notable as the easternmost of its kind. Spend some time wondering at the etched figures of humans and beasts, as well as the bubbling mud volcanoes the area is also known for, before returning to Baku for a free afternoon and evening. You might want to use your free time to stroll along the three-and-a-half-kilometre boulevard that separates the city from the Caspian Sea. The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be affected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address. Call 1300 88 66 88 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com Page 2 TOUR ITINERARY DAY 3 Destination Qobustan Causcaus Mountains Lahij Meals included Breakfast, Dinner Hotel Guesthouse, or similar Grab some breakfast then head to the Absheron Peninsula for a tour of the local attractions. Visit the Ateshgah fire temple, a walled complex used (most recently) as a place of worship by Zoroastrians until 1883. Continue the theme of flames with a visit to Yanardagh Fire Mountain, where the ever-burning natural fire that billow from the hillside are said to have influenced the creation of Zoroastrianism. Stop by the medieval Mardakan Castle before continuing to the Caucasus Mountains by car. Drive through a dry landscape that gives way to a densely forested mountain area, stopping en route in Shamakhi for a yoghurt-making lesson in a local’s home. Taste some of this Azerbaijan staple, then continue to Lahij. Visit a copper workshop on arrival and get to know some local folk over a cup of tea. Tonight, enjoy dinner with your group and bunk down in a guesthouse or homestay in Lahij. Special Information Please note that in case of foggy or wet weather driving conditions in the mountains can be treacherous. If the drive to Lahic is deemed unsafe due to the weather then we will instead stay in the city of Qebele (Gabala). DAY 4 Destination Lahij Sheki Meals included Breakfast Hotel Hotel in Sheki, or similar After breakfast, head to Nij village, a settlement of the Udi people who are the direct descendants of ancient Caucasian Albanians. Most the world’s surviving Udi people call Nij home, giving the community a unique culture. Arrive and take a stroll through the local bazaar, stopping for tea and perhaps a chat with the locals. Suitably refreshed, head to the unassuming site of a significant church. The Albanian Church (as it’s known colloquially) is a source of pride and heritage for the local Udi community. Continue to Shaki and visit the Palace of Shaki Khans. The facade of the palace is painted with scenes of hunting and war and features impressive stained glass. The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be affected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address. Call 1300 88 66 88 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com Page 3 TOUR ITINERARY DAY 5 Destination Sheki Meals included Breakfast Hotel Hotel in Sheki, or similar Travel to nearby Kish to visit the pointed spires of a church that is among the oldest in Christendom, believed to be around 1700 years old. Return to Sheki and check out a workshop where shebeke – stained glass windows made with no glue or nails – are produced by masters. The afternoon is free for you to discover Sheki. Luckily, it’s the kind of place that’s made to wander. Why not explore the impressive traditional architecture on foot. It’s easy enough to stop for tea and some local halva (made with sugar, hazelnuts, coriander and rice flour grinned in a watermill) if you get tired. Sheki has a proud silk making tradition, so ask your leader if you’re interested in visiting a master’s workshop. Don’t forget to ask your leader where to get the best local piti – this stew made of lamb, sheep fat, chickpeas, onions, chestnuts, saffron and spices is renowned throughout Azerbaijan. DAY 6 Destination Sheki Telavi Meals included Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Hotel Hotel in Telavi, or similar After breakfast at the hotel, take a walk with your leader through the Sheki market. It’s a good idea to stock up on snacks for the journey to come, so maybe grab some halva, nuts and dried fruit. Continue to Lagodekhi on the Azerbaijan-Georgia border. Say goodbye to your Azerbaijani leader and to Azerbaijan and meet the leader for the Georgian leg of your tour. Travel through the beautiful green valleys of the Kakheti region to Gremi, a complex that includes a castle and church from the 16th century. Spend some time here and then hit the road again, stopping at a traditional Georgian wine producer where the ancient, UNESCO-listed qvevri method is still used. Continue to Telavi to your accommodation for the evening – a locally-owned family hotel where you will be welcomed with a classic meal. Special Information Border crossing Due to current border crossing regulations, your Azerbaijan Leader will escort you to the customs control area in Azerbaijan, then after clearing customs (as a reminder your will need your Azerbaijan visa) their is a buffer zone of some 700 metres which you are required to walk unaccompanied with your luggage. It is relatively easy walk and it is possible to wheel your luggage. Your Georgian Leader will be waiting for you in the customs area when you reach Georgia. The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be affected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address. Call 1300 88 66 88 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com Page 4 TOUR ITINERARY DAY 7 Destination Telavi Gudauri Meals included Breakfast, Dinner Hotel Hotel in Gudauri, or similar In the morning, wander through the raucous local farmers market in Telavi, where butchers carve up fresh meat and vendors offload piles of spices, then visit Alaverdi Cathedral. Continue to Tsinandalia, a historic estate and winery once owned by noted Georgian poet Alexander Chavchavadze. In 1814, aristocrat Chavchavadze was the first to bottle wine produced using the qvevri method. Tour the complex, which consists of a memorial house, European-style landscaped garden, a traditional winery, wine cellar, hotel and cafe. Continue into the mountains to Gudauri via the evergreen Gombori Pass. Eat an included dinner and spend the night in lofty Gudauri. DAY 8 Destination Gudauri Stepansminda Meals included Breakfast, Dinner Hotel Hotel in Gudauri, or similar Follow the Tergi River on a drive to Stepansminda (formerly known as Kazbegi). Explore this mountain village then take a 2.5-hour walk through beautiful valleys and woodlands to Gergeti Trinity Church (2170 m). This 14th-century church sits at the base of the second-highest volcanic summit in the Caucasus – Mt Kazgbegi (5047 m) – and weather permitting you may catch a glimpse of this frosty behemoth.