Gabala-Sheki 2-Day Tour: Mosque, Cable Car, Waterfalls

Multiple waterfalls, a cable car to the highest peaks, and an ancient palace built entirely without nails.

A 2-day guided tour from Baku visiting Shamakhi, Gabala and Sheki with overnight stay at a 5-star hotel, professional English or Russian-speaking guide, and all entry tickets and meals included. Day one covers the Juma Mosque, Nohur Lake, the Tufandag cable car, and Seven Beauties Waterfall. Day two explores Sheki's Khans Palace, Kish Church and the Karavansaray. Lunch on day one and both meals on day two are provided. The group tour option includes accommodation only, while the all-inclusive option adds day-one meals and dinner.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Baku to Gabala via Shamakhi and Ismayilli

• Visit Juma Mosque in Shamakhi
• Lunch at local restaurant in Ismayilli
• Visit Nohur Lake
• Ascend Tufandag ski resort by cable car
• Explore Seven Beauties Waterfall near Vandam

Day 2: Sheki sightseeing and return to Baku

• Tour Sheki Khans Palace
• Visit Kish Church museum
• Explore Sheki Karavansaray
• Enjoy panoramic view of Sheki
• Lunch with national dishes in Sheki
• Transfer from Sheki to Gabala and back to Baku

The experience

The tour starts in Baku and heads toward Shamakhi to visit the Juma Mosque, the largest mosque in the Caucasus, located in what was once the capital of the Shirvanshah state. From there, you move into the scenic Ismayilli region, where lunch at a local restaurant includes a choice of chicken or lentil soup, plov, an assortment of kebabs, Choban salad, cheese, adjika and tea. The route then takes you to Nohur Lake, where the Greater Caucasus Mountains reflect in the green-blue water.

In Gabala, a cable car carries you up Tufandag, one of Azerbaijan's highest mountains, with views across the region. The Seven Beauties Waterfall comes next: seven cascades flowing from the forested slopes, with the first two easily reached and the remaining five accessible via wooden stairs built into the hillside. The climb is moderately challenging but rewards you with views of untouched forest and the sound of water falling through the quiet landscape. You spend the night at Sheki Palace Hotel, a 5-star property in Sheki city.

Day two focuses on Sheki's architecture and history. The Khans Palace, built in 1762, uses a construction technique so intricate that each square meter of its shabaka (the wooden lattice filled with colored glass) contains five thousand individual parts connected without nails. You also visit Kish Church, a limestone structure from the 1st century AD and the first domed hall-type temple built in the early Middle Ages, now operating as a museum. The Karavansaray, a 6,000-square-meter historical monument with 300 rooms across its upper levels, sits on complex terrain where the Gurjan River runs nearby. Lunch in Sheki includes piti, marinade, fresh vegetables, compote and tea. An air-conditioned vehicle handles all transport between stops, and the driver returns you to Baku at the end of day two.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle with driver.
• professional guide in English or Russian.
• overnight accommodation at Sheki Palace Hotel (5-star).
• entry tickets to the cable car at Tufandag and all museums in Sheki (Khans Palace, Kish Church, Karavansaray).
• lunch on day two in Sheki with national dishes.
• breakfast on day two.
• fuel surcharge and parking fees (first day lunch and dinner available with the all-inclusive option).

Options for this experience

2 options

Group tour, hotel includedGuide in English or Russian · No fixed timeTour lasts 12 hours. Van transport. Hotel with breakfast included.

All-inclusive group tourGuide in English or Russian · No fixed timeAccommodation at Sheki Palace Hotel, Minali Boutique Hotel Sheki or Sheki Saray Hotel. Duration: 2 days. Lunch included (2 times). Transport by minibus, van or Kia Sportage.

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 day

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Russian

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 if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by ATI

Is this one for you?Pick the all-inclusive option if you want meals included on day one. Choose hotel-only if you'd rather pick your own restaurants that first evening.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Russian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What's included in the all-inclusive option versus the hotel-only group tour?

The all-inclusive option adds lunch and dinner on day one, plus breakfast on day two. The hotel-only option includes accommodation at Sheki Palace Hotel, all entry tickets, day-two lunch, the cable car ticket, fuel and parking. Both options cover the guide and transport.

How difficult is the walk to Seven Beauties Waterfall?

The first two cascades are easily accessible, but reaching the remaining five requires a walk up wooden stairs built into the hillside. The climb is moderately challenging but manageable for most people and rewards climbers with views of the forest and cascading water.

What makes the Khans Palace construction so unusual?

The Khans Palace, built in 1762, uses a technique where each square meter of shabaka (the wooden lattice filled with colored glass) consists of five thousand individual parts connected to each other without any nails.

Is this tour suitable for people with limited mobility?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, though the walk to the upper cascades of Seven Beauties Waterfall involves climbing wooden stairs on a hillside and is moderately challenging.

What does lunch include on each day?

Day-one lunch in Ismayilli offers a choice of chicken or lentil soup, plov, kebabs (lyulya, chicken, lamb), Choban salad, cheese, adjika, soft drinks and tea. Day-two lunch in Sheki includes piti, marinade, fresh vegetables, compote and tea.