Gobustan, Ateshgah and Yanardag

experience the mystery, history, and raw power of nature on this unforgettable day trip.

Join us on a full-day adventure from Baku to some of Azerbaijan’s most fascinating natural and historical treasures: the Gobustan Petroglyphs, mud volcanoes, the Ateshgah Fire Temple, and the burning mountain of Yanardag.

First stop: Gobustan

Gobustan is not just a national treasure of Azerbaijan - it’s a site of global importance. This region is like a living museum of geology, archaeology, and ancient culture all in one place. Over millions of years, tectonic activity, wind, and erosion have carved the hills here, exposing layers of rock like pages in a geological book. Each layer tells a silent story of ancient seas, shifting continents, and powerful natural forces.

And it’s not just about the rocks - Gobustan is famous for its prehistoric rock carvings, or petroglyphs, that are over 10,000 years old. These images give a glimpse into the lives, customs, and beliefs of ancient people.

Next: Gobustan’s mud volcanoes

A short drive brings us to one of the most surreal landscapes you’ll ever see - the mud volcanoes of Gobustan. Azerbaijan is home to nearly half of the world’s mud volcanoes, and many are still active. Here, underground pressure forces gases, water, and mud to the surface, creating bubbling eruptions that can shoot flames and mud dozens of meters into the air. This is a landscape unlike anywhere in Europe - raw, dynamic, and unforgettable.

Then: Ateshgah Fire Temple

Next, we visit the Ateshgah Fire Temple, located on the Absheron Peninsula, just 30 km from Baku. This temple has a fascinating history: it was revered at different times by Zoroastrians, Hindus, and Sikhs. The complex is hexagonal with jagged walls, and in its center rises the main temple — the altar where fire worshippers once came on pilgrimages. Some of the earliest structures here date back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries, though the temple saw a revival in the 16th–17th centuries.

Finally: Yanardag, the burning mountain

Our last stop is Yanardag, one of the most amazing natural sights on the Absheron Peninsula. Here, flames burn continuously from the mountainside, unaffected by rain or sand, a phenomenon that has lasted for millennia. Recently, Yanardag received the status of a historical reserve of Azerbaijan, protected as a national treasure.