Baku Tours in Summer

It was very good and I wouldn't have left any of it out...but really needed two or three more days to explore the big cities better and get a break from sitting on the bus.

WHAT I ENJOYED The beautiful city of Baku with its Paris like boulevards and Dubai inspired architecture. The wineries of Georgia including the beautiful grounds, fascinating wine making process and of course the tasting…. excellent reds and whites! The many old churches, monasteries and forts, each with amazing history, frescoes, ancient stonework and soaring domes. The beautiful capital city Tbilisi, with its bustling old city and stunning beauty by night. The mountains of Georgia with snow capped mountains upon which were perched magnificent old churches (I’m still wondering how the congregation got there!). The beautiful poppies in the grass-fields of Armenia making a colourful landscape when combined with the many other spring flowers. The food was magnificent, healthy, well organised for a group, and plentiful. WHAT I DIDN'T EXPECT The honest and confronting history of Georgia and Armenia. The old-fashioned methods of extracting oil which makes Azerbaijan rich. How buildings in Baku must be finished on the outside before the inside to avoid lengthy building sites interrupting the beauty of the waterfront. Snow-capped mountains in Georgia. Beautiful and extensive landscapes of Armenia. Such ancient history. HIGHLIGHTS FOR ME Hiking the mountains Kazbegi, Georgia. Stunning architecture and waterfront promenades of Baku. Enjoying the hospitality of local families for dinner local style. The Armenian Genocide Museum was extremely moving and eye opening. Georgian wine. The old towns of Baku and Tbilisi. The extensive history lesson across all three countries.

Discovering the long history, culture, and culinary delights of each country of the Caucasus was an amazing and unique experience. The variety of the Georgian countryside was the biggest surprise. The majestic mountains and alpine regions were absolutely beautiful and a highlight of the trip.

Alex the tour leader and country guide for Georgia is excellent and shares his wide knowledge of the Caucasus region in an easily understandable manner. Whilst both the country guides for Azerbaijan and Armenia also very good. The overall itinerary is very varied and covers lots' of different aspects of all three countries. I particularly enjoyed the hike up to the Gergeti Trinity Church with all the snow capped high peaks of the Caucasus mountains all around. The trip is fairly fast paced and covers a lot of ground, so you need to understand that it's a great introduction or taster trip to these three fascinating countries and if you want a more in depth experience then you'd need to go back and spend more time there.

This was an exciting and incredibly informative travel experience. The guides and drivers were terrific and passionate about their countries. If you are interested in history and being introduced to this fascinating part of the world, then I would recommend this tour.

These three small countries are not small to be visited. They are great and amazing, rich with historical sites and picturesque panoramas. With Shabby as our tour leaders our journey became full with joy and memorable. Thank you Shabby, thank you tour operator.