Two days here don't look anything like each other — and that's the whole point of the route. A Sheki Gakh tour is worth arranging exactly for that contrast: day one is grand, with palaces and silk shops in an old khan's city, day two is much wilder, in an area tour buses rarely reach. Carved windows with no nails at all, a moss-covered waterfall, a bridge that's three centuries old — every stop here feels like its own story, not just a line on a schedule.
A Sheki Gakh Tour: Palace, Waterfalls, and Old Temples
₼280
₼260
Tour Itinerary
The morning starts with mountain honey and warm bread at breakfast in Shamakhi, a city that was once the capital of its own khanate. From here, a Bus Tour from Baku continues on into the forests of the Ismailli region, where oak trees close in over the road.
The group reaches Sheki by midday, and the first thing to greet them is the Sheki Khans' Palace. The shebeke windows are pieced together from thousands of fragments of colored glass and wood, with no nails at all, and the wall paintings look fresh enough that the artist could have just stepped out of the room.
Next door stands the old caravanserai, a place that remembers Silk Road caravans — merchants from Persia and India once rested here between mountain crossings. Today, the same vaulted rooms sell handmade silk and local halva instead of housing tired horses.
From a viewpoint above the city, Sheki opens up completely — rooftops, greenery, haze over the valley. After the view comes Kish village and lunch: real Sheki piti, slow-cooked in clay the way it's been made here for generations. Nearby stands the Caucasian Albania temple, one of the few surviving landmarks from that era.
In the evening, the group checks into the Sheki Palace hotel, and the pace of the trip changes — the rest of the night is wide open. A free evening like this is exactly what makes a 2 days tour to Sheki with an overnight stay worth choosing over a single rushed day.
Day two starts with the road to Gakh, crossing the Shin River on a bridge over a kilometer long, the longest in the country. On the other side, the landscape shifts — fewer houses, more forest, and noticeably fewer tourists around.
Mamirli Waterfall hides in a subtropical forest near Lekit village. The rocks around it are covered in thick moss — which is exactly where the name comes from ("mamir" means "moss"). There's almost no one here, just the sound of water and the smell of wet leaves.
In Gakh stands the working Church of St. George, built in the 19th century — during the Soviet period it stood empty, and services only started again in 1997. That gap in the building's history says more than the architecture itself.
In Ilisu, three points sit just steps apart: the old Ulu bridge over the Kurmuk river, the Juma mosque, and Sumug Gala tower, known to film fans from a classic Soviet movie. Three eras, three stories, one street.
Lunch by the Kurmuk river features surkhullu and girz, dishes specific to this region and rarely seen on menus in the capital. A group tour Azerbaijan trip like this is worth taking just for this meal alone — food you won't come across anywhere else.
On the way back, the route passes the 4th-century Kurmukh temple on a rocky cliff. Locals have long considered the view from here over the Alazani Valley almost sacred. From there, the road levels out toward Baku — two days that are hard to mistake for any other Guided Tours Azerbaijan experience, since day one and day two feel like they belong to entirely different trips.
Tour Category:
Day Trips
Group Size:
1-17
Start Time:
—
Duration:
2 days
Pickup Location:
Azerbaijan avenue 1/ KFC parking
Transport:
Sedan, Mercedes-Benz Vito, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
What's Included
- A professional Russian-speaking guide for both days
- Car or bus transport for the whole route
- Guided commentary with history at every stop
- Photo stops at the most scenic points on the program
- A good mix of driving and walking sections
- The chance to ask your guide questions at any time
What's Not Included
- Entrance tickets for Sheki Khans' Palace and the Albanian Church in Kish — 30 AZN
- Lunch and dinner
- Hotel accommodation with breakfast:
- Single room — 105 AZN
- Double room — 120 AZN
- Optional 4x4 to Mamirli Waterfall — 20 AZN, for 3–4 people
Note
You'll need your original passport for hotel check-in.
Whether the tour is group or private, the full program stays the same.
Part of the route is on foot — comfortable shoes and a light warm layer are recommended, especially for cooler mornings and evenings in the mountains.
The start time on day two may shift slightly depending on weather and the group's pace.
General Questions About Tours in Azerbaijan
This schedule helps avoid heavy traffic leaving Baku and leaves more time for the first stop in Shamakhi. For private tours, the time can be arranged in advance.
No problem — a full breakfast is waiting in Shamakhi, with local honey, cheese, and a fresh omelet. No extra snack stop is needed.
A passport or ID card is enough. You'll need it when checking into the hotel in Sheki.
Yes, a small amount in AZN is useful for entrance tickets, meals, and souvenirs. Cards aren't accepted everywhere, especially in smaller shops in the regions.
No, everything is sent electronically — just show it on your phone when you meet your guide.
Yes. If you're only interested in the historical part in Sheki, or a separate trip to Gakh, check the similar tours section for one-day options.
Yes, the whole evening of day one after checking into the hotel — you can walk around town or simply rest.
In summer, light clothes. In spring or autumn, a jacket and comfortable shoes. In winter, warm, waterproof clothing — it can be noticeably colder near Gakh than in Baku.
Handmade silk items and Sheki halva, from the same shops you'll see on the route.
No special fitness is needed, but part of the route (the walk down to Mamirli Waterfall, the climb to the Kurmukh temple) involves walking on uneven ground.
Yes, we recommend a bottle of water. There are also stops along the way where you can grab a snack.
Day one: in Kish, with Sheki piti. Day two: by the Kurmuk river, with dishes from Gakh cuisine.
Yes, the route works well for families overall, with frequent stops and a varied program.
No, the format suits any fitness level.
Yes, regular stops are planned throughout both days.
Yes, if you're interested in a longer option with Gabala, check the similar tours section for a three-day program that includes it.
Check the general FAQ section in the site menu for more answers. If you still have questions, contact us through the Contacts section — we reply within 24 hours.