Best Day Trips from Baku: 6 Routes and Prices

The best day trips from Baku are Gobustan with its mud volcanoes, the Absheron fire sites (Ateshgah and Yanar Dag), Shamakhi, the Khizi–Quba–Shahdag route with the Candy Cane Mountains, Gabala and Sheki. The first two fit easily into half a day to a day; Gabala and Sheki are long days of 10–12 hours. Below is what each trip involves and what a private 4T tour costs per car.

1. Gobustan and the mud volcanoes

The Gobustan reserve lies about 70 km south-west of central Baku and is known for its rock carvings. The area is also home to a large share of the world’s mud volcanoes, and a Mud Volcanoes Tourism Complex opened in June 2024. The reserve is open 10:00–17:00; tickets are sold on iTicket. Gobustan is usually combined with Absheron in one day.

2. Absheron: Ateshgah and Yanar Dag

Ateshgah, the fire temple in Surakhani, has been a museum since 1975; its natural flame died out in 1969 and today’s fire is fed by piped gas. Yanar Dag, the burning hillside, is in Mammadli village. From 1 January 2026 foreign visitors pay 15 AZN at each site. A combined ticket for Yanar Dag and Ateshgah costs 25 AZN, or 35 AZN with the Mud Volcano Complex, valid for 72 hours. Foreign children under 12 enter free.

4T tour: Absheron & Gobustan, $95 per car, 8 hours.

3. Shamakhi

Shamakhi is about 2 hours’ drive from Baku, an easy day trip with time to stop on the way. If your route includes the Diri Baba Mausoleum, the foreign-visitor ticket there is 15 AZN as of 2026.

4T tour: Shamakhi, $120 per car, 9 hours.

4. Khizi, Quba and Shahdag

The Candy Cane Mountains, the striped hills of the Khizi district, are about 100 km from Baku and make a natural first stop on the way north. The route continues to Quba and up towards Shahdag. Further into the mountains south-west of Quba lies Khinalug, at 2,180 m one of the highest and most remote villages in the region.

4T tour: Khizi–Quba–Shahdag, $145 per car, 10 hours.

5. Gabala

Gabala is about 220 km from Baku by road. A day trip can include the Tufandag cable cars, Nohur Lake, the Yeddi Gozel waterfall or Gabaland amusement park. Independent travellers can also take the train, but there are only a few departures a day, so check ady.az.

4T tour: Gabala, $145 per car, 10 hours.

6. Sheki

Sheki is about 300 km away, so this is the longest day. The highlights are the Khan’s Palace (1797), the Caravanserai and the Albanian church in Kish. Foreign visitors pay 15 AZN for the palace and 15 AZN for Kish as of 2026. If you prefer not to do the round trip in one day, take the night train or a one-way transfer and stay overnight.

4T tour: Sheki, $190 per car, 12 hours.

Public transport or a private tour

Gobustan and Absheron can be reached by taxi or ride-hailing apps, and buses run to Quba, Gabala and Sheki. Combining several stops in one day without a car is difficult, though, and many sights are outside towns. A private tour lets you set the pace and skip the waiting.

With 4T Transfer

All our day tours are private and priced per car, not per person: Baku City Tour $90 (8 h), Absheron & Gobustan $95 (8 h), Shamakhi $120 (9 h), Gabala $145 (10 h), Khizi–Quba–Shahdag $145 (10 h) and Sheki $190 (12 h). Child seats are available on request and we answer on WhatsApp 24/7. 4T Transfer has been operating since 2018 and has completed more than 50,000 transfers.

Frequently asked questions

Updated 5 October 2026. Prices and timetables of other companies can change — please check before you travel.