Half-Day Private Gobustan Rock Art and Mud Volcanoes Tour – Azerbaijan
This mystical tour enables travelers to see the most unique place in Azerbaijan like Mud volcanoes, petroglyphs, ancient sites, and other facilities which date back thousands of years.
PRICE: $59
per person
After meeting at the arranged pick-up point, the tour departs for Gobustan State Historical and Cultural Reserve, a 50-minute drive from Baku. The first stop is the Gobustan Museum, located beside the Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape. This modern museum introduces guests to the region’s ancient heritage, displaying more than 6,000 Stone Age rock engravings that illustrate hunting scenes, rituals, animals, and daily life. Guests explore the museum with their private guide for 40 minutes before continuing to the nearby Gobustan Rock Shelters, a short 3-minute drive away.
At the Rock Shelters, visitors encounter one of Azerbaijan’s most important UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The area features prehistoric petroglyphs dating back up to 40,000 years, along with natural caves once used as dwellings and gathering spaces by early human communities. Guests spend 40 minutes here as their guide explains the archaeological significance, ancient lifestyles and geological formations of the site.
The tour then continues to the famous Gobustan Mud Volcanoes, located 20 minutes from the Rock Shelters. Azerbaijan holds more than half of the world’s mud volcanoes, and Gobustan is home to around 50 of them. The landscape features active mud vents, cones, and bubbling pools created by natural gas pushing mud to the surface. This surreal environment offers a rare geological experience and striking photo opportunities. Guests spend 30 minutes here with insights from their private guide.
Leaving Gobustan, the tour heads back toward Baku with a final cultural stop at Bibi-Heybat Mosque. The drive from the Mud Volcanoes to the mosque takes 60 minutes. This landmark, rebuilt on the site of a 13th-century shrine, is one of the most important religious monuments in the region. It stands as a symbol of spiritual continuity, featuring elegant minarets, sacred chambers and a revered mausoleum visited by travelers and locals alike. Guests spend 15 minutes exploring the mosque and learning about its historic significance from their private guide.
After the mosque visit, the tour includes a brief stop at the historic Oil Well located nearby, one of the earliest oil extraction points in the Absheron region. This site provides a glimpse into Azerbaijan’s industrial past and its role as one of the world’s first centers of petroleum production. Guests can see the traditional oil pump machinery and understand how early drilling shaped the nation’s economic development.
The tour concludes with a short 10-minute transfer to the drop-off point in Baku City Centre, marking the end of the journey.
Tour Highlights:
Step into a world of ancient symbols, carved deep into Gobustan’s stone walls
Move through a legendary UNESCO zone, rich with prehistoric shelters and caves
Watch the landscape stir as mud volcanoes bubble and reshape the landscape
Take in Bibi-Heybat’s iconic silhouette rising with elegance & spiritual weight
Stand beside a historic oil well, where Azerbaijan’s early energy story began
Includes:
Professional Guide in English
Air-conditioned vehicle & driver
Lunch
Food and drinks
Personal expenses
Admission tickets to Admission ticket to the Gobustan museum and Rock Art. Estimated price is 6 $ per person.
This is just one of the many unforgettable experiences Azerbaijan has to offer. Discover more tours, hidden gems, and must-see spots on our complete Azerbaijan guide.
