Azerbaijan Day Trips: Gobustan to Quba

October 18, 2026

Travel advice. The UK FCDO advises against all travel within 5 km of the Armenia border and against all but essential travel to the south-western districts affected by the 2020 and 2023 conflicts, because of landmines and unexploded ordnance. The US State Department rates Azerbaijan Level 3, Reconsider Travel. Land borders with Armenia and Russia are closed; air entry is normal. The day trips below head south, east and north-west of Baku, well clear of those districts. Check the UK advice and the US advisory before you set off.

Four excursions work as a single day from Baku: Gobustan, the Absheron fire sites, Shamakhi with Maraza, and Quba as a long day. Others that appear on tour lists, such as Sheki, Gabala, Naftalan and Ganja, take far too long each way and are better as overnight stays. Fees are in manat (AZN), about 1.70 to the US dollar, and cash is useful outside Baku.

Gobustan and the mud volcanoes

Gobustan is about 60 to 70 km south-west of Baku, roughly an hour each way by car. The UNESCO rock-art landscape has more than 6,000 carvings, and the Gaval Dash stone stands at the entrance. Entry is about 10 AZN, though some listings say 15, and the sources disagree on opening hours, so check before you go and aim to arrive by about 15:00. Stay on the marked trails and do not climb, touch or chalk the carvings. There is no shade and no food on site, so leave early in summer and carry water.

The Dashgil mud volcanoes lie about 12 km beyond the main site on an unpaved road that needs a 4x4. Taxis and ride-hailing cars usually stop at the visitor area. Bus 195 from the 20 Yanvar metro station takes about 1.5 to 2 hours and reaches the highway junction, not the gate.

Absheron fire sites

Yanar Dag and the Ateshgah fire temple are each 30 to 45 minutes from central Baku. Yanar Dag, at Mammadli village, is a gas fire along a low hillside, open daily from 10:00 to 19:00 and costing 15 AZN. The Ateshgah, at Surakhani, is also 15 AZN. A combined ticket is 25 AZN, or 35 AZN with the Mud Volcanoes Tourism Complex run by the State Tourism Agency near Baku, valid for 72 hours from first entry. The Yanar Dag page lists current rules, and the Gala open-air ethnographic reserve on the peninsula adds a third stop.

Shamakhi and Maraza

Shamakhi is about 120 km west of Baku, roughly two hours each way. The Juma Mosque is a large rebuilt mosque, and visitors should dress modestly. Near Maraza, the Diri Baba Mausoleum is a cliffside tomb of the 15th century, with a foreign adult fee of 15 AZN under the State Tourism Agency tariff from 2026. Together they fill a day without a rush.

Quba and the Red Village

Quba is about 170 km north of Baku, and the journey takes 2.5 to 4 hours by car or bus, so this is a long day. The Red Village, across the Qudiyalchay river, is a Mountain Jewish settlement with the Six Dome Synagogue and a museum. Visits to the working synagogues are arranged through the museum. If the long drive does not appeal, spend a night in Quba. Khinalug, higher in the mountains, is a separate overnight trip.

Why Sheki is not a day trip

Sheki is about 283 km from Baku, a bus ride of 6 to 6.5 hours each way. Gabala takes about 3.5 to 4 hours by road, Naftalan 4 to 5 hours and Ganja 5 to 5.5 hours by train. Give each its own night or two.

Planning the day

Start early, carry AZN cash and a printed e-visa, and agree a taxi fare before you leave. Bolt and Yango work in Baku. If you prefer to hand the driving to someone else, browse Azerbaijan day trips .