Baku to Ismayilli and Lahij: How to Get There and What to See

Lahij is a mountain village of craftsmen in the Ismayilli district and has been a historical and cultural reserve since 1980. Its copper craftsmanship has been on the UNESCO intangible heritage list since 2015, and the main street with its copper workshops is explored on foot. Nearby are Basqal, where kelaghayi silk scarves are made (UNESCO, 2014), the Molokan village of Ivanovka with farm sour cream, cheese and honey, and Chabiant Winery.

How to get there from Baku

• By car: Baku to Ismayilli is 176 km, about 3 hours; Baku to Lahij is 184 km, also about 3 hours. Ismayilli to Lahij is 37 km, around 40 minutes. From the turn at the bridge over the Girdimanchay to Lahij it is 24 km, about 50 minutes. From the Shamakhi side there is the Damirchi–Lahij road, 22 km, opened in 2018.
• By train: there is no train, as the Ismayilli district has no railway station. The nearest line is the Laki–Gabala branch (42.3 km, opened on 15 May 2021), which runs via Agdash to Gabala station. From Baku to Gabala you change at Laki: the Baku–Gazakh train arrives in Laki at 10:50 and the Gabala train leaves at 11:12 (January 2026). Check the timetable on ticket.ady.az.
• By bus: from the Baku International Bus Terminal (Avtovağzal), ticket office on the 3rd floor, window 15. If there are no seats, minibuses wait by the ticket hall and leave when full. The trip takes about 2.5 hours, with the drop-off at Ismayilli Central Bazaar. Since 30 June 2024 intercity fares are capped at 3.7 qapik per km; the fare is the same for foreigners and locals, with no haggling.
• From Ismayilli to Lahij: minibuses leave at 08:30 and 11:00 and are often crowded; wait for them at the crossroads by the bus station, diagonally across from the Lukoil petrol station. A local car with a driver costs about 12 AZN one way or 35 AZN return.

What to see

• Lahij village — a reserve since 1980, with cobbled streets, stone and timber houses and an underground sewer system known as kürəbənd. Allow about 2–3 hours; entry is free, and the village centre is open 09:00–18:00 daily.
• Copper workshops on Huseynov Street — the pedestrian main street, just over 1 km long, with coppersmiths, shops and cafés; you can try a metal-chasing master class. About 1 hour; entry to the shops is free.
• Lahij History and Ethnography Museum — about 1,200 exhibits, including pottery around 2,000 years old; since 2020 it has been housed in the community centre. About 30 minutes; open 10:00–19:00.
• Badoyun Mosque — a neighbourhood mosque from 1791, restored in 2021. About 15 minutes.
• Basqal — a village of silk weavers and the home of kelaghayi (UNESCO, 2014), with the Sheikh Muhammad Mosque (1531), a 17th-century hammam (a museum since 2021) and kelaghayi master classes. About 1.5 hours.
• Garanohur Lake — a mountain lake at about 1,540 m. The trail from Talystan is 5.5 km, about 3 hours one way, and is difficult. Allow 4–6 hours.
• Ivanovka — a Molokan village founded in 1834, with a working collective farm, the Molokan Cultural Centre and farm sour cream, cheese and honey. About 1 hour.
• Chabiant Winery — in Hajihatamli: vineyards, cellars and tastings of the local Madrasa and Bayan Shirei grapes. Tasting 30 AZN per person for groups of 6 or more, by appointment only. About 1.5 hours.

One-day route

• 09:00 — leave Baku; Lahij is 184 km away, about 3 hours.
• 12:00–14:30 — Lahij: walk Huseynov Street (about 30 minutes end to end), the copper workshops, Badoyun Mosque and the museum (check its hours before visiting). Lunch in the village.
• 14:30–15:10 — Lahij to Ismayilli, 37 km, about 40 minutes.
• 15:30–16:30 — Ivanovka: farm sour cream, cheese and honey.
• 16:45–18:15 — Chabiant Winery in Hajihatamli, via Ivanovka: by appointment only, tastings for groups of 6 or more.
• Around 18:15 — back to Baku. For reference, Ismayilli to Baku is 176 km, about 3 hours.

What to eat

• Shakarchorek — a pastry of hand-whipped butter, eggs, cardamom, ginger and icing sugar, brushed with saffron and baked in a tandoor.
• Khashil — a thick porridge of flour cooked in warm water, with melted butter and doshab (grape syrup).
• Lahij dolma — minced meat with onion, rice and fennel wrapped in quince or “pip” leaves, served with yoghurt.
• Ivanovka — sour cream, cottage cheese, cheese, honey and sauerkraut; a local farmer sells honey and cheese, and Ohio Inn & Café is a guesthouse with a café.
• Wine — Chabiant makes wines from the local Madrasa and Bayan Shirei grapes and has a restaurant (Chabiant / Chateau Monolit) in Hajihatamli. Ismayilli town has a wine and brandy plant, privately owned since 2003. The region is known for honey, dairy products and wine.
• Cafés — in Lahij the cafés and teahouses hide in the lanes off the main street, and most close after sunset. In Ismayilli, small eateries by the Central Bazaar serve kebab, bread and salads.

Where to stay

We don’t have hotels here yet. The nearest are in Gabala, about 45 km (around 1 hour) from Ismayilli: Chenot Palace Gabala, Gabala Garden Hotel, Gabala Karvansaray Hotel, Qafqaz Riverside Hotel, Qafqaz Tufandag Mountain Resort Hotel.

When to go

• High season in Lahij is spring, summer and autumn. Summer is cool in the mountains and is the time for hiking. The average air temperature is 12–23 °C.
• Chabiant Winery: the grape harvest is in August–September, the harvest festival at the end of August and the Vino Nuovo young wine festival at the end of November.

Frequently asked questions

Updated 30 October 2026. Prices and timetables of other companies can change — please check before you travel.