Gobustan Tour

The drive to Gobustan National Park is an unexpected detour through history. As you leave Baku behind, the scenery dramatically transforms from a bustling city to an industrial landscape dotted with oil rigs. This is where Azerbaijan's "black gold" legacy comes alive. These very rigs pumped oil for the Soviet Union for decades, and oil's importance to the region is even immortalized on film! Eagle-eyed 007 fans might recognize the area from the movie "The World is Not Enough," where James Bond himself navigated his sleek BMW Z8 past the iconic rigs near Bibi-Heybat village. But the oil connection goes beyond Hollywood. The giant pipeline depicted in the film, envisioned to transport Caspian oil westward through Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey, is actually a reality today!

The first stop on your adventure is the awe-inspiring Gobustan National Park, a landscape teeming with ancient wonders and dramatic rocky terrains. On this Gobustan tour, our knowledgeable guides will transport you back thousands of years, weaving tales of prehistoric Azerbaijan. Marvel at the intricate Gobustan petroglyphs and Gobustan rock art, which narrate stories of our ancestors through stunning ancient rock carvings. Your journey continues at the Gobustan State Museum, where you'll encounter unique exhibits that have survived millennia, providing a tangible connection to our distant past.

Fascinating as the Gobustan State Museum is, the real adventure awaits outdoors! Your Gobustan tour isn't complete without stepping into the open-air museum, a natural gallery showcasing the wonders of Gobustan National Park. Here, with your expert guide by your side, you'll embark on a journey into the mysterious world of Gobustan petroglyphs. These Gobustan rock art creations, also known as Ancient rock carvings, tell stories of life in Prehistoric Azerbaijan. You might even see evidence left behind by Roman soldiers, legionaries of the Emperor Domitian, who once patrolled this area. The Gobustan petroglyphs are just one of the reasons Gobustan National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Under optimal weather conditions, this package also offers an exhilarating excursion to the fascinating mud volcanoes. With over 300 of the world's 700 mud volcanoes located in the Republic of Azerbaijan, these geological marvels are intricately linked to the region's rich oil and gas fields. Embarking on a Gobustan tour, you'll have the opportunity to explore Gobustan National Park, where these mud volcanoes stand as a testament to the Earth's dynamic forces. Many of them are linked to nearby oil and gas fields, making them a window into the Earth's hidden resources. The landscape around the mud volcanoes is otherworldly, and you might even spot gas condensate and oil deposits.

During our journey, we'll visit a landmark of monumental significance: the first oil well ever drilled, not just in Azerbaijan, but in the world. Located in the village of Bibi-Heybat near Baku, this well was drilled in 1846 to a depth of 21 meters using wooden rods and percussion methods. On July 14, 1848, it yielded its first oil, marking a pivotal moment in history that propelled oil production into the modern era.

At the end of the Gobustan tour, you will indulge in a delightful lunch at a picturesque restaurant, offering a feast that perfectly complements the day's adventures. The menu includes a variety of traditional dishes such as green kutab, meat kutab, assorted lamb kebabs, lula, chicken, and grilled vegetables. You will also savor pilaf and choban-salad, accompanied by refreshing soft drinks. As you reflect on your visit to Gobustan National Park, with its fascinating Mud volcanoes and the awe-inspiring Gobustan petroglyphs, this meal provides the perfect ending to your exploration of prehistoric Azerbaijan.