Day 1 : Guba - Xinaliq - Galakhudat
After pick up from your hotel in Baku, we begin the drive to Guba, and after a brief stop, continue on to Xinaliq. When you arrive, enjoy lunch with a local family in their home. Next, hike to the caves around Xinaliq, then on to Galakhudat village for dinner and overnight (8-9 km / 3-4 hours of easy to moderate hiking). Overnight in Galakhudat.
Meal plan: Lunch & dinner
With a population of just under 30,000 people, Guba is the main town of northern Azerbaijan. It serves as a trade centre for people living in the mountains near there and hosts some tourists from Baku on weekends. Its main feature is the post-Soviet-era Bet Knesset Synagogue, a sign that this town is the base of Azerbaijan’s small Jewish population. Famous for carpets and apple orchards, the low-key town of Guba, is perched on a cliff top overlooking the Qudiyalchay River. It was founded in the 18th century as the new capital of local potentate Fatali Khan but rapidly became a quiet provincial backwater once the khanate had been absorbed into the Russian Empire (1806). A number of historic buildings remain from that period and today Guba's wooded hinterland is becoming a popular spot for Baku weekenders, thanks to its distant horizon of snow-topped mountains and a comparatively cool summer climate.
Located roughly 2,350-metres (7,710-feet) above sea-level, high in the Greater Caucasus mountains, there are few destinations further off-the-beaten-track than ancient Xinaliq. The village dates back many centuries to the Caucasian Albanian period, and due to its extreme isolation, many of its ancient customs and traditions are still alive to this day. With its own language, unique way of life, historic handicrafts & practices and age-old beliefs, visiting Xinaliq is like taking a step back in time. With 360-degree views of the surrounding mountain ranges, the village is also a perfect stop for those hiking the scenic landscape that surrounds it.
At an altitude of roughly 2,200-metres, Galakhudat sits within the rugged terrain of the Gizilgaya Plateau. Though the village is relatively close to the main road between Guba and Xinaliq, and therefore serves as an early stop for many of the intrepid travellers who hike this region, it has maintained its history remarkably well. Galakhudat is the only home of Azerbaijani Turks in the area, and as a result, offers visitors a unique cultural experience.
Located roughly 2,350-metres (7,710-feet) above sea-level, high in the Greater Caucasus mountains, there are few destinations further off-the-beaten-track than ancient Xinaliq. The village dates back many centuries to the Caucasian Albanian period, and due to its extreme isolation, many of its ancient customs and traditions are still alive to this day. With its own language, unique way of life, historic handicrafts & practices and age-old beliefs, visiting Xinaliq is like taking a step back in time. With 360-degree views of the surrounding mountain ranges, the village is also a perfect stop for those hiking the scenic landscape that surrounds it.
At an altitude of roughly 2,200-metres, Galakhudat sits within the rugged terrain of the Gizilgaya Plateau. Though the village is relatively close to the main road between Guba and Xinaliq, and therefore serves as an early stop for many of the intrepid travellers who hike this region, it has maintained its history remarkably well. Galakhudat is the only home of Azerbaijani Turks in the area, and as a result, offers visitors a unique cultural experience.
