Lankaran in One Day: Tea, Hyrcanian Forest, Khanbulan Lake and Hot Springs
Tea plantation, a bamboo grove, Khanbulan Lake by the Hyrcanian forest, the Ibadi hot springs and lavangi for dinner.
Photo: AlexFirstov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Həlimə / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Elvin Samadov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Tumanskaya Sabina / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Moonsun1981 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0; Emin Bashirov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Lankaran is the green subtropical south of Azerbaijan: tea and citrus gardens, the relic Hyrcanian forest and warm springs, all within one day from Baku. Two parts of the Hyrcanian forests have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2023.
We start at a tea plantation (the district has about 990 ha of tea), then drive 15 minutes to the bamboo grove in Talyshly village. Next is Khanbulan Lake, a 1976 reservoir at the entrance to Hirkan National Park, with an easy trail of about 3 km around the water.
In the afternoon you warm up in the Ibadi hot springs in Haftoni village (water about 42 °C, indoor pools), and finish with lavangi — the local stuffed fish or chicken — on the seafront by the lighthouse.
The route works all year. The most beautiful time at Khanbulan is the second half of autumn; October is also the rainiest month in Lankaran, so in rain we keep the forest walk short.
Itinerary
- 07:00Pick-up in Baku
- 09:35Samovar monument at the entrance to Lankaran — photo stop, 10 min
- 09:50Tea plantation — 40 min (on request, the tea factory with a museum, about 30 min)
- 10:45Bamboo grove in Talyshly village — 30 min
- 11:45Khanbulan Lake and the edge of the Hyrcanian forest — 1 h 30 min (easy trail, about 3 km)
- 13:45Ibadi hot springs in Haftoni — 1 h 15 min (10–15 min in the water at a time)
- 15:30Lankaran seafront and lighthouse — walk, 1 h
- 16:30Dinner with lavangi baked in a tandoor — 1 h 30 min
- 18:00Departure for Baku
- 20:45Drop-off at your hotel
Included
- Private car with driver for your group (up to 6 people)
- Fuel and parking
- Pick-up from your hotel or address in Baku and drop-off back
- Photo stops and a flexible order of stops
Not included
- Ibadi hot springs in Haftoni: 3 AZN (≈ $2) per person
- Hirkan National Park / Khanbulan trail fee, if charged on site (the amount is not published)
- Meals and personal expenses
- Licensed guide (on request, extra cost)
Season and warnings
- All year. Ibadi springs are open daily, 08:00–20:00.
- Best time: April–June and September; Khanbulan is most beautiful in the second half of autumn.
- October is the rainiest month in Lankaran (about 12 rainy days): in rain we do not walk the Khanbulan trail.
- Hot springs: no more than 10–15 minutes in the water at a time.
- Swimming in the sea is not part of this day. We only swim at beaches with lifeguards; near Sutamurdov village swimming is banned because of currents.
What to bring
- Swimsuit, towel and flip-flops for the hot springs
- Comfortable shoes with a good grip for the forest trail
- A light raincoat (autumn rains)
- Cash in manats for entrance fees
What to taste and buy
- Lankaran has been a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy since 2021.
- Lavangi — chicken or fish (kutum, asp, carp) stuffed with walnuts, onion and sour cherry-plum paste, baked in a tandoor.
- Plovs: with pumpkin, with lentils, borani with smoked fish, fisinjan with duck, walnuts and pomegranate sauce.
- Lankaran tea: the country's first tea factory was built here in 1937. With tea — jam from feijoa, citrus, cherries.
- To buy (guide prices, check at the market): feijoa jam 6–18 AZN (≈ $4–11), honey 10–30 AZN (≈ $6–18), lavashana sour fruit leather 3–10 AZN (≈ $2–6), local rice 5–12 AZN (≈ $3–7) per kg.
Other tours
Baku City Tour
Old City and Maiden Tower, Highland Park, Flame Towers, the Boulevard and Heydar Aliyev Center.
Questions & answers
Is Khanbulan Lake a UNESCO site?
No. Two parts of the Hyrcanian forests in Azerbaijan were added to the UNESCO list in 2023; the Khanbulan area itself was not included. Khanbulan is a reservoir built in 1976 at the entrance to Hirkan National Park.
Can we swim at the hot springs?
Yes, Ibadi in Haftoni has indoor pools with water about 42 °C; entry is 3 AZN (≈ $2), open daily 08:00–20:00. Stay in the water no more than 10–15 minutes at a time.
Is the walk at Khanbulan difficult?
No, the trail around the lake is about 3 km and easy. After heavy rain it gets slippery, so in rain we stay near the shore and keep the walk short.
What should we try in Lankaran?
Lavangi — chicken or fish stuffed with walnuts, onion and cherry-plum paste, baked in a tandoor — plov with pumpkin and local tea with jam. Lankaran has been a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy since 2021. Meals are paid separately.
Can we visit in winter?
Yes. In winter the forest, Khanbulan Lake and the Haftoni springs stay open; the springs have no seasonal limits.