Top Azerbaijan Budget Ruins & Archaeology Trips & Packages 2025/2026

Highlights

• Get to the heart of Turkey and the Caucasus’s with experienced local leaders – enjoy guided city tours, stroll the ancient streets of Ephesus, learn the secrets of Troy, marvel at Baku’s diverse architecture, explore Tbilisi’s winding narrow streets, and uncover the history of ancient Yerevan.
• Enjoy Feature Stays in Cappadocia, with elegantly decorated rooms carved from stone, and at the foot of the Tsiv-Gombori mountains, with unforgettable views of the Alazani Valley.
• Uncover the real Turkey during Exclusive Experiences, including a cooking class with a celebrated chef, visit to an empowering carpet weaving cooperative, cruise around the southern coast, and traditional dinner at a local’s home in Cappadocia
• Visit the Tserovani Refugee Settlement in Georgia during an Exclusive Experience, where you will visit a jewellery making workshop aimed at providing employment to displaced women within the camp, create a piece yourself and learn about the issues surrounding long-term displacement.
• Marvel at ancient wonders and otherworldly sights, from the Cotton Castle of Pamukkale and psychedelic rockscapes of Cappadocia to the open-air archaeological museum of Qobustan in Azerbaijan and the magnificent cave town of Vardzia in Georgia.

Highlights

• Walk through Azerbaijan's Old Town, where views of the Palace of the Shirvanshahs are made even more spectacular by the modern skyscrapers in the background.
• Hike to the 14th-century Gergeti Trinity Church, which sits in splendid isolation at 2170 m in the heart of the Caucasus Mountains.
• Be treated to Azerbaijan's national dish Piti and stop at a traditional Georgian wine producer where the ancient, UNESCO-listed qvevri method is still used.
• Navigate the organised chaos of the farmers markets in Telavi. Your leader will be there to help you order as much fresh fruit, nuts or pigs heads as you desire.
• Connect with locals and gain an insight into everyday life in this part of the world – you'll visit the Udi community in Nij, learn the traditional methods of copper craftsmanship in Lahij, appreciate stained-glass artistry in Sheki and share a meal with locals in Kvareli.

Highlights

• Enjoy two evenings at your historical Feature Stay hotel in the heart of Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital. Once owned by a noble family, it has played host to aristocrats, famous writers and public figures.
• Visit the Tserovani Refugee Settlement in Georgia during an Exclusive Experience, where you’ll visit a jewellery making workshop aimed at providing employment to displaced women within the camp. Create a piece for yourself and learn about the issues surrounding long-term displacement.
• Sample this region’s diverse cuisine, from a home cooked meal with a local family to a lunch of regional specialties in a refugee settlement in Georgia. Then, try organic qvevri wine made according to the world’s oldest winemaking tradition.
• Discover ancient wonders during visits to the open-air archaeological museum of Qobustan in Azerbaijan, the magnificent cave town of Vardzia in Georgia and the Haghpat in Armenia.
• Drive through the mighty snow-cowered Caucasus mountains, which provide diverse landscapes from lunar semideserts to forests and countryside. With expert guides and an exciting 4WD excursion, you’ll soak up the unique scenery in the best way.

Highlights

• Azerbaijan's cosmopolitan capital of Baku is often referred to as the 'new Dubai'. Enjoy a guided walking tour around the city's World Heritage-listed Old Town.
• Mud volcanoes, ancient mosques, lush forests and tall peaks – the Caucasus Mountains will take your breath away.
• Navigate the organised chaos of the farmers markets in Telavi. Your leader will be there to help you order as much fresh fruit, nuts or pigs heads as you desire.
• Journey to the Svaneti region, a remote and alluring land of snow-capped mountains, discover the iconic tower houses dotted amongst mountain valleys and learn of one of the highest settlement in Europe - Ushguli people and its fascinating culture and traditions.
• Far from a mere sightseeing tour, this trip is active and hands-on. You'll try your hand at preparing delicious local food and have plenty of chances to hike and explore.

Highlights

• Silk Road - follow the ancient trading route known as the Silk Road from Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan to the Turkish city of Istanbul - the gateway to Europe
• Kyrgyzstan - explore hospitable Bishkek, overland through stunning Jeti Oguz, watch a demonstration from an eagle hunter and camp in yurts beside Song Kol Lake
• Uzbekistan - take in the enchanting Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, camp in the Kyzylkhum Desert and discover modern Tashkent
• Turkmenistan - marvel at the bizarre marble architecture of Ashgabat and see the incredible flaming Darvaza Gas Crater which is known by the locals as the 'Door to Hell'
• Azerbaijan - see the bubbling mud volcanoes of Gobustan, explore bustling Baku and spend the night in an old Silk Road caravanserai

Highlights

• Tashkent - begin your adventure in Uzbekistan's clean and modern Soviet-Style capital city
• Samarkand - discover the jewel of Timur's empire and see highlights including the stunning Registan
• Kyzylkhum Desert - stay in traditional felt yurts in the remote desert and opt for a camel ride over the rolling dunes
• Darvaza - marvel at the flaming gas crater which is known by the Turkmen locals as the "Door to Hell"
• Ashgabat - enjoy a guided minibus tour of Turkmenistan's bizarre capital city which is home to marble architecture and golden statues

Highlights

• The Silk Road - follow in the path of ancient merchants on the legendary Silk Road which weaves its way from Xi'an to Istanbul
• China - marvel at the westerly most point of the legendary Great Wall, cross the sprawling Taklamakan Desert, see the incredible Zhangye Rainbow Mountains and end your tour in Xi'an
• Kyrgyzstan - hike in the Kyrgyz Fergana Valley, explore the relaxed capital of Bishkek, stay with a local family in Kochkor and camp in traditional Yurts on the shore of Song Kol Lake
• Uzbekistan - learn about the gruesome history of Bukhara, explore the heart of Timur's empire in Samarkand and wander around the Soviet city of Tashkent
• Turkmenistan - see the highlights of the country's bizarre and futuristic capital Ashgabat, marvel at the Darvaza Gas Crater and cross the remote Karakum Desert

Highlights

• Istanbul - Begin your adventure in the cosmopolitan Turkish city, which is the only city in the world that lies in two continents - Asia and Europe
• Cappadocia - Enjoy guided sightseeing of the enchanting region including the underground city of Kaymakli and the valley of Ihlara
• Tbilisi - See the highlights of Georgia's charming capital city including the Sioni Cathedral and the hilltop Narikala Fortress
• Lake Sevan - Camp on the shore of this breathtaking lake which is home to the only beaches in Armenia
• Vardzia - Take in the incredible underground cave city including the monastery which is still maintained by a handful of dedicated monks