Gabala & Shamakhi: Juma Mosque, Tufandag & Lavender Farm

The Juma Mosque in Shamakhi has stood since 743 AD, and you'll see why it survived

You get picked up from your Baku hotel and driven north to Shamakhi to see the 8th-century Juma Mosque, then to Tufandag Mountain Resort in Gabala for cable car views and mountain scenery. Depending on season, you visit either the Vandam waterfall or the lavender farm. All entry fees, transport, and a multilingual guide are included, and you're back at your hotel by evening.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Shamakhi and Gabala highlights

• Visit Juma Mosque in Shamakhi
• Enjoy Tufandag Mountain Resort activities
• See Seven Beauties Waterfall (temporarily closed)
• Walk through Essenso Lavanda Farm (seasonal)
• Return to Baku and relax

The experience

You don't expect a mosque built in the 8th century to still be standing, let alone rebuilt after an earthquake that flattened an entire city in 1859. But there it is in Shamakhi, the Juma Mosque, one of Azerbaijan's largest places of worship, and it's the first real stop on this Gabala and Shamakhi tour. Your guide meets you at your hotel in Baku early in the morning, and the drive north takes you out of the city and into a different pace entirely. The air changes. The landscape opens up. By the time you arrive, you're already somewhere else.

The mosque itself is quieter than you'd think: elegant, serene, the kind of place where you can actually feel the weight of history without anyone telling you to. Your guide walks you through the layers of it: the 743 AD foundation, the 2013 reconstruction, the earthquakes and conflicts in between. It's not a lecture. It's more like someone who knows the place is showing you what to look at. After that, depending on the season, you either head to the Vandam waterfall or (if it's late May through June), to the Essenso Lavanda Farm, where lavender rows stretch across the hillside and you can actually stop and breathe for a moment instead of rushing between sites.

Tufandag Mountain Resort comes next, and this is where the day shifts. The cable cars take you up the mountain, and the view from the top is the kind of thing that makes you understand why people come back to places like this. In winter it's skiing and snowboarding. In summer it's hiking and mountain biking. You're not doing a sport today. You're just going up and looking out. There are restaurants and cafes at the top if you want to sit for a bit, or you can just stand there and let the landscape do its work. The whole day is built around movement and stopping, moving and stopping, so by the time you're heading back to Baku in the air-conditioned vehicle, you've actually seen something instead of just heard about it.

The tour includes your hotel pickup and drop-off, the vehicle, the guide (who speaks English, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, or Turkish depending on what you need), and every entrance fee. You don't have to figure out how to get there, what to pay, or what you're looking at when you arrive. That's already handled. If you're traveling with small children, infant seats are available, and the itinerary moves at a pace that works for most fitness levels. The whole thing is a full day (you leave early and return in the evening), so plan accordingly and bring water.

What’s included

• Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Baku, air-conditioned vehicle transport throughout, entry to the Juma Mosque in Shamakhi, access to Tufandag Mountain Resort with cable car rides, and either the Vandam waterfall or seasonal lavender farm depending on the time of year.
• A multilingual guide (English, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, or Turkish) is with you the entire day, and all entrance fees are covered.
• Infant seats are available if needed.

Options for this experience

4 options

Group tour, entrance tickets not coveredGuide in English, Turkish or Russian · 09:00

Admission tickets are coveredGuide in English, Turkish or Russian · 09:00The price covers the cable car ticket

Guided tour just for youGuide in 6 languages · 08:00Driver who speaks English or Russian

Italian or Spanish09:00Guide who speaks Italian or Spanish

You pick the guide language when booking.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00 and 09:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (11 and older) · Child (6 to 10 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Russian and Turkish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go 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 16 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Baku Heritage Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Shamakhi and Gabala's main sights in one day without arranging your own transport, figuring out entry fees, or navigating in a new region: the fixed itinerary and included pickup mean you just show up at your hotel ready to go.

Traveler reviews

4.76★★★★★★★★★★

218 verified traveler reviews

5 ★189

4 ★19

3 ★2

2 ★2

1 ★6

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

In English, Spanish, Italian, Turkish and Russian, at 08:00 and 09:00. In Arabic, at 08:00.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 10 years); Infant (under 6): 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.

How long is the Gabala and Shamakhi tour?

It's a full day. Pickup is early morning from your Baku hotel, and you return in the evening.

What's included in the tour price?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, air-conditioned vehicle, all entrance fees, and a guide who speaks English, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, or Turkish.

Is the Seven Beauties waterfall included?

It's normally part of the itinerary, but it's currently closed temporarily. The tour includes either the Vandam waterfall or, from late May through June, the Essenso Lavanda Farm instead.

Is lunch included?

Lunch is not mentioned in the tour inclusions. There are restaurants and cafes at Tufandag Mountain Resort if you want to eat there.

What's the Essenso Lavanda Farm?

It's a seasonal lavender field near Shamakhi that replaces the waterfall stop from late May through June. You walk among the lavender rows and take photos.

Do I need to be fit to do this tour?

The tour is suitable for all fitness levels. You're mostly traveling by vehicle and cable car, though there is some walking at each stop.