For centuries Azerbaijan has been a country of various handicrafts especially carpet weaving. According to the historical sources Azerbaijan was one of the most important centers of the pile and flat-woven carpets’ production in the East in Middle Ages. Because of their high aesthetic value, fleecy and pileless carpets, decorated with various patterns and signs, were used to decorate the walls and floors of marquees, huts, homes, nomads’ tents, and other buildings. Azerbaijani people have created a rich and distinctive culture, a major part of which is decorative and applied art.

1^st Day: Arrival to Baku, meeting at the airport. Transfer to the hotel, check in (14:00). Free time.

2^nd Day:  Breakfast at the hotel. Pick-up at 10:00. Our tour will start with the Highland Park (also called Upland Park) where you will enjoy the panoramic view of Baku city and its bay from the highest point in the Azerbaijani capital. Also you will have a brilliant chance to have a close look at the famous landmark of the city, Flame Towers Baku, which is composed of 3 buildings. The surface of the Towers is fully covered with LED screens reflecting different visual characters in motion, easily visible from the far corners of the city in the evening.

Walk down to Baku Boulevard to see Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, designed by Austrian architect Franz Janz and looking like a rolled carpet. It has a bright display of woven and knotted Azerbaijani carpets plus jewelry, embroidery, metalwork and carved wood. The oldest carpet is dated from 17th century. You can also try and weave a little carpet of your own.

Wander between the decorative stone bridges of so-called Little Venice, a small town on the water and one of the jewels of Baku. It is has two large and several small islands and gondolas can be seen travelling in the channels full of still and clean water.

Cross the street and enter Icherisheher (Inner City), known as a “Fortress” or “Old City”, a unique historical and architectural conservation area in the center of Baku. This is one of the most ancient places of the country where archaeological excavations revealed burial vaults of the Bronze Age. Maiden Tower (12th century) and The Palace of Shirvanshahs (13th-16th centuries) are the best known historical monuments located in the Old City. Besides them there are a lot of other unique monuments such as mosques, minarets, the remnants of caravanserais “Multani” and “Bukhara”, ancient baths, etc. Stroll down the paved streets of this ancient city and drop to some of the numerous souvenir shops where you can buy national clothes, kerchiefs, scarves and caps, dishes and handmade carpets.

Lunch time.

Free time suggestions:

• Pedestrian Nizami (former Torgovaya) Street – old trading zone with lots of shops and boutiques
• Fountain Square – most popular public place with restaurants and shops, main location for public festivals and celebrations

3^rd Day: Breakfast at the hotel. Pick-up at 10:00. We will visit Gala village (40 min drive from Baku), which today is the State Historical Ethnographic Reserve and Open Air Museum offering the opportunity to see the original lifestyle of Azerbaijani people dated back to 10th-19th centuries. It is a unique place where you can not only make a tour into the past, but also try to bake bread in ancient oven “tandir”, weave a carpet, smear with clay in a pottery workshop or feed camels and horses. You will have an opportunity to participate in different types of master classes for various types of artistic embroidery, knitting and art of sewing “gurama” (sewing from residues of different clothes).

On the way back we will stop at Heydar Aliyev Centre – the vast and jaw-dropping majestic statement of fluid 21st-century architecture forming abstract waves and peaks that seem to melt together. Take some photos next to the popular “I love Baku” sign.

Lunch time.

Free time suggestions:

• Boat trip along Baku Bay (seasonal)
• Park Boulevard Mall – first shopping mall in Baku
• Baku Boulevard – a promenade established in 1909, second largest one in Europe

4^th Day: Breakfast at the hotel. Check out, transfer to the airport.

 Hotel accommodation in Baku at 3* hotel on BB basis

 All transportation according to the program, including airport-hotel-airport transfers

 Excursions according to the program

 English  / Russian / Arabic speaking guide

 1 bottle of water per person per excursion day

 Flight tickets & visa (if required)

 Extras at the hotel, tips at the sites and restaurants

Tickets to the museums(per person): Carpet Museum -9$ (compulsory),  Gala village – 7$ (compulsory), Maiden Tower- 9$ (optional), Shirvanshahs’ Palace- 9$ (optional)

Lunches and dinners

• Full payment should be done 3 days prior to arrival.
• Infants (up to 3 y.o.) are free of charge.
• Cancellation more than 3 days before check-in date is free of charge.
• Cancellation less than 3 days before check-in date is subject to 100% charge.

The organizer reserves the right to change the hotel to the different one of the same category.

The organizer reserves the right to change the order of excursions in case of necessity.

Check-in to the hotels: 14:00 (can be 15:00 in some cases).

Early check-in before 06:00 in the morning is subject to 100% of the room rate, early check-in between 06:00 and 14:00 is subject to 50% of the room rate (please confirm with our reservation managers before booking).

You can extend your stay, add more excursions and/or change the hotel category for additional payment (please confirm with our reservation managers before booking).

Comfortable shoes are strongly recommended during excursions.