Shamakhi And Gabala Tour

Recommended by 96% of travelers

Baku, Azerbaijan

12 to 13 hours (approx.)
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.8

· Veronika_W ·

Jun 2025

Nice places, nice people, good prices. The journey was long, but the stops were wonderful. We enjoyed it.

· Roberta_B ·

Aug 2025

Perfect trip to explore local mountains. Lunch was good and everything has been managed very well. Our guide was very kind and she explained everything about the places we visited. With this excursion you can visit lake, waterfalls and mountains in one day.

Overview

When exploring a new city, it’s hard enough planning your visits and day without having to worry about how much things cost at each stop, too. Save yourself the headache and book this all-inclusive Shamakhi and Gabala Full-Day Tour from Baku. Everything from round-trip transport from Baku to a 3-course lunch is included—as well as tastings, entry fees, and more. Plus, see Juma Mosque, Diri Baba Mausoleum, and other area highlights with your guide.

See Shamakhi’s and Gabala’s main highlights in just one day
Learn about the history and culture of Azerbaijan as you visit ancient sites
A 3-course lunch, tea-and-desert tasting, and honey tasting all included
Hotel pickup and drop-off is provided from select Baku hotels

What's Included

Professional English/ Russian speaking guide
Transport by air-conditioned minibus

Personal expenses
Lunch
Entry tickets to Zernava Bridge

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

1 Azərbaycan Prospekti, Bakı 1005, Azerbaijan
The meeting place is at Azerbaijan Avenue 1, located about 10 to 15 minutes' walk from the Old City and Nizami Street. It's also known as the KFC parking lot, and it's easy to find on the map. For those living nearby, just head up the stairs next to the KFC located on Nizami Street.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours

Select your preferred tour option to see hours.

Itinerary

Baku (Pass By)

Juma Mosque

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Zernava Bridge

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Tufandag Mountain Resort

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Qabala

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Nohur Gol

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Ismailly

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them board and disembark
Children must be accompanied by an adult

Infant meals not included
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Jerry_T

Naz was a great guide! She was knowledgeable about all of the sites and she was very engaging with all of the guests! If you want to have a good tour of the Shamaki and Gabala area, i’s definitely recommend this tour!

Reviews

4.8

based on 893 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Great tour and even better guide

Jerry_T, Jan 2026

Try another company.

Raddad_A, Oct 2025

The car was a wreck and the tour guide was clearly disinterested or needed training on being a host. I was taken to a tourist shop and paid 5x the cost of products, while I understand tourist prices are higher...But paying 30 for a 6 feel like it was a tourist trap. Overall I wouldn't use this company again.

Amazing experience

bhargavasai_N, Oct 2025

Amazing experience the cable car ride and the views on the top are great, the lake and waterfall is cool as well

Wonderful day on Azerbaijan mountains

Roberta_B, Aug 2025

Nice places with nice...

Veronika_W, Jun 2025

Nice places, nice people, good prices. The journey was long, but the stops were wonderful. We enjoyed it.

Amazing day

Rami_S, Jun 2025

It was a truly exceptional experience, and what I appreciated the most was the professionalism of the staff and the guide, Naz. She was amazing in his approach and attention to detail, which made me feel comfortable and allowed me to fully enjoy the experience. Highly recommended!

Weigh up if the sites are worth 13 hours…..

Andrew_L, May 2025

A very long 13 hour day which doesn’t really equate to what was seen. The views from Tufandag were amazing especially when the clouds began to clear. Nohur lake was clearly man made as we drove up and it did indeed turn out to have been built post the Second World War. It was interesting to see the oldest Mosque in Azerbaijan and lunch was well cooked, but needed to be eaten to early circa midday. The final stop at the gift shop seemed unnecessary. On a positive note the guide was happy, chatty and informative for the whole day and is to be thanked for his endeavour.

It was excellent

farahshaikh, Apr 2025

Experience was good , only thing is the distance between each point is too much ,like 2 hour drive , 3 hr drive, too much , try and make it a bit easier for the customer. Rest Driver and Guide was amazing , they really take care of the customer

Guide was professional...

Danish_S, Dec 2024

Guide was professional and she is a true embassadar of Azerbaijan. We really enjoy our trip with her she is very friendly in nature

Viator did Disappoint me!!

Aditi_G, Nov 2024

I blindly chose and recommend viator anywhere I travel, as I always experienced professional services from them. But unfortunately for this trip, Viator did disappoint me. They provided a guide( Mr. Novrest), who is a good guy but not a guide at all. The entire 12 hours journey, he did not share anything and the entire group was so lost. We got down and got up in the vehicle many times without knowing the purpose. This Shamakhi trip could have significantly improved just providing a qualified guide. Pull up your shocks Viator, before loyal friends like us look for other options!

tour

Hiralal_D, Nov 2024

The tour operator added 2 more guests on our return 4 hours trip. That was very uncomfortable sitting arrangement for me. I was squeezed. Finally after 2 hours, I requested to change the seat and was given seat without being squeezed.

Excellent

Syed_K, Oct 2024

The trip was nice and well organised, guide Zainab was very informative and friendly with all the guests.

Average

Sherif_A, Sep 2024

Zeynab was a great guide. Otherwise the bus ride was very long (14hrs total). We felt rushed from spot to spot which is unfortunate. Also one of the 2 cable car rides was not available, although it was paid for.

Cable car very good but long day without wow factor I was hoping for from Baku tours

Steve_B, Aug 2024

Would advise you that 4 of 7 waterfalls were closed due to safety reasons and have been for over a couple of months dinner was not very good with 3 pieces of meat and rice vegetarian option was horrible all though offered alternative meal we were on a time restraint. Other members of your party were constantly late getting back from visiting.we visited honey mill manager was welcoming but staff lacked customer service ignored my question to try products which is advertised and even when rep asked for me he ignored her rep apologised and said she would pass on his behaviour.girl rep very informative during your but after last stop both rep sat in front of bus not communicating with passengers.

Inaccurate Timings

DerekJustin_G, Aug 2024

This excursion is way longer than advertised. It ended up being closer to 17 hours as we did not return to our drop off in Baku until 1:30am. The driver fell asleep while driving at some point in the afternoon and even tried to pass vehicles on the road nearly avoiding a head-on collision.

Great

qpw5zqg676, Jul 2024

Excellent tour, exploring the north Azerbaijan. Nazperi was a great guide with full of enthusiasm. Great experience!!

Gabala is amazing, rest everything is ok

Prateek_N, Jun 2024

Overall the weather was hot in mid-June (except at the last destination, Gabala), and the travelling time was huge (7-8 hours on the road), also the van had congested seats. Gabala was the best stop but due to other stops in the day tour, we couldn't spend much time. A lot depends on the tour guide as well. In my case, the journey was boring & not a good experience. My recommendation is to take a private tour and stay in Gabala for a day at least.

Way too long

julie_t, Jun 2024

Really disappointing. A very long ride from 8:30am to 11pm. Alot of milage for very few uninteresting stops. The stops a old metal platform unsafe, to take pictures. The Mosque was nice, lunch was decent, the falls was a 30 min in and out experience. And then the lake, a old soviet run downed park, where it was more a people watching experience. And the lift ride, just ok. And lastly the driver. There is only one way to describe.. Unsafe...on cell, watching soap opera on tv while driving, dangerous manoeuvers following too close, slamming on breaks for a car behind, following too close a hazardous material truck to pass. There are 12 peoples lives at stake. This makes for a long tedious day of deception and preoccupation. I forgot...playing a song like 15 times over and over!

I wouldn’t recommend it to a friend, and I’ll never do it again.

Yazeed_A, Jun 2024

Not professional, spots don’t worth the time and energy. Lunch is so bad, they sell every group trip to that restaurant.

Amazing

Hamad_A, May 2024

Absolutely worth it, the team is lovely and everything was great I will definitely recommend to book with them .

Arduous trip to the mountains of Azerbaijan

Nirav_V, May 2024

VUSALA our guide was the highlight of the tour. A lady full of life and zest that made the other wise a very long tour worthwhile . Rain did play a spoil sport but there was also a detour from the intenary mentioned by viator without any reasons given . We skipped two destinations and were not told why ! Felt rushed at The ski resort which is supposed be the highlight of trip , for which we travelled 250+ kms . Just got 45 minutes between various slopes and restuarants . We reached there at almost 5:15 pm Had to skip the water falls and nohur lake due to rains , so one must carry umbrellas even if forecasts say it will be sunny . The Lunch was good .we reached Baku at 11 pm .

Recommended tour

Abdullah_A, Apr 2024

The tour was so cool and perfect. Places we visited and the tour prices are excellent. Nazperi was our tour guide and she was so good, knowledgeable and informative. She explained everything well and helped all for everything they needed. Her English and the way she speaks were brilliant. Highly recommended with Nazperi For the company; I would suggest to increase the time for Cable car Gabal. The bus looks new and clean and the driver was good but it would be great if it has comfortable seats for long way trip like this.

Places are worth going

abizar_s, Apr 2024

Bus was not very clean ,seats not comfortable . No overhead storage space hence we had to sit all through the drive with all bags on our hands . Smoking passengers can be a bit more mindful that even though they are smoking outside they still bring along the foul smell along in the bus with their clothes .

Take the trip!

Malka_K, Apr 2024

Amazing experience! Super comfortable, Murat was an excellent tour guide and we had an incredible time. The trip was well organized, and you can really tell the guide knew what he was talking about. Definitely recommend!

Constructive feedback

ClarissaFreitas, Apr 2024

Tour itself is very nice! However the contact to speak with agency is very bad, they never replied. Also the timing that they give to you only the day before and late in the night is not convenient. Lunch as well is not that good, and also describes starter, main course and dessert and dessert never happened. Our tour guide was amazing , her name is Gunay. Time for picture also really short

Great trip!

Vickie_H, Mar 2024

This was a great trip! Don’t miss it. Long day, but lots of fun and interesting. The boat ride was a bonus!

A visit to the nature of Azerbaijan

Anastas_Z, Mar 2024

The Tayfundağ with the Snow, the Cable car, the Nohur Lake, the shii Mosque with its nice tiles and architecture, the waterfall and the delicious baklava we tasted at the baklava shop

Good

Hezil_N, Jan 2024

Good experience and good guides. Friendly experience. Lunch was served. Very good overall. Must try this

Good experience

Stanley_K, Dec 2023

The places we saw were good but the guide who explained more spoke in the local language than in English . So we didn't learn much about the villages. The lunch was ok.Rest all was good.