Gobustan & Mud Volcanoes Tour: Burning Mountain & Fire Temple

Step into history at Azerbaijan’s first oil well and sacred fire temple.

A 7-hour guided tour from Baku through four sites: the Bibi-Heybat Mosque and oil well heritage, Gobustan National Park's UNESCO rock art from the Stone Age, Azerbaijan's mud volcanoes (the world's largest concentration), and the Absheron Peninsula's Yanar Dag and Ateshgah Fire Temple. Hotel pickup is included in some options. Entrance fees are optional at checkout. The guide speaks English, Russian or Turkish.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Bibi-Heybat Mosque20m
2. Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape1h · entry included
3. Ateshgah Fire Temple30m · entry included
4. Yanar Dag30m · entry included

Explore Azerbaijan's history and nature

• Start tour at Baku City Tours office
• Visit Bibi-Heybat Mosque
• Change to Soviet SUV Lada
• Explore Gobustan National Park
• Have buffet lunch
• Visit Ateshgah Fire Temple
• Visit Yanar Dag (Burning Mountain)

The experience

The tour starts at 9:00 AM from the Baku City Tours office with hotel pickup if you book that option. You'll begin at Bibi-Heybat, where the world's first industrial oil well once operated and the Bibi-Heybat Mosque stands as a regional landmark. From there, the route heads southwest toward Gobustan National Park, about 40 miles from central Baku, where ancient carvings from the Stone Age cover the rock faces. The site was declared a national historical landmark in 1966 to preserve the petroglyphs, mud volcanoes and gas-stones scattered across the reserve.

At Gobustan, you'll switch into a Soviet-era Lada SUV to reach the mud volcanoes themselves. These natural formations are Azerbaijan's most distinctive geological feature. The country holds the world's largest concentration of them. The terrain and the vehicle change the experience. You're no longer on a standard minivan route but crossing the landscape where these phenomena actually occur. Lunch happens at a buffet-style restaurant along the way (meals are not included, and typically cost around 8–12 USD).

The afternoon moves to the Absheron Peninsula, where Yanar Dag, Burning Mountain, has burned naturally for centuries, fed by underground gas reserves. The fire is visible year-round, a phenomenon few places on earth sustain. Nearby stands the Ateshgah Fire Temple, a castle-like structure in the Surakhani suburb that served as an ancient site of fire worship. The tour wraps by late afternoon, with return transport to your hotel if you booked pickup. Weather can affect access to the mud volcanoes, so the guide will adjust the route if conditions don't permit that stop.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off (if selected at checkout).
• professional guide in English, Russian or Turkish.
• transport by air-conditioned minivan to Gobustan and the Absheron Peninsula.
• a Soviet SUV for access to the mud volcanoes.
• entrance fees to Gobustan National Park, the Ateshgah Fire Temple and Yanar Dag (if the tickets option is selected).

Options for this experience

3 options

Small group; entry excludedGuide in English, Turkish or Russian · 09:00Entry fees are excluded: 15 USD (25 AZN) for entrance to Gobustan National Park, Fire Temple and Tanardag, and 8 USD (15 AZN) for Mud Volcanoes. Pickup is included.

Group tour with all ticketsGuide in English, Turkish or Russian · 09:00All entrance tickets are included. All tickets for this option are booked in advance.

Private tour, tickets includedGuide in English, Turkish or Russian · 09:00Private tour; pickup is included

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (17 and older) · Child (3 to 16 years): free · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 18

Live guideEnglish, Russian and Turkish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical effortInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Baku City Tours

Is this one for you?Book the private option if you want a dedicated group and all fees settled upfront. Choose the small-group option if you prefer to pay entry fees on site and travel with fewer people. Either way, the Soviet Lada for the mud volcanoes is what makes that stop possible. A standard minivan can't reach them, so you get a vehicle and a landscape most Baku tours don't access.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Russian and Turkish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 16 years): free; Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's the difference between the three booking options for this tour?

The private tour with tickets is a dedicated group with all entrance fees included; the group option with all tickets runs on a shared schedule with entrance fees covered; the small group option excludes entry fees, so you pay at each site. All three include the guide, transport, hotel pickup and the Soviet SUV for the mud volcanoes.

Do I need to bring cash for anything on this tour?

If you choose the option without tickets included, bring cash for entrance fees at Gobustan, the Fire Temple and Burning Mountain. Lunch at the buffet restaurant is also cash-only and costs around 8–12 USD regardless of which option you book.

What are the mud volcanoes actually like to see?

Mud volcanoes are natural formations where gas and mud erupt from underground, creating cone-shaped mounds. Azerbaijan has more of them than anywhere else on earth. You'll drive to them in the Soviet Lada SUV and walk among them. They're safe to visit but the terrain is uneven, so moderate fitness helps. Weather can affect access. If conditions are poor, the guide may skip this stop.

How long does the tour actually take, and what time does it end?

The tour runs 7 to 8 hours total, starting at 9:00 AM, so you'll typically return to your hotel by late afternoon or early evening depending on traffic and how long you spend at each site.

What makes Yanar Dag different from other fire sites?

Yanar Dag is a mountainside where natural gas burns continuously year-round, creating a permanent flame visible both day and night. The fire has burned for centuries, fed by underground gas reserves, making it one of the few places on earth with sustained natural fire at this scale.