Baku's Two Sides in Eight Hours: Gobustan West, the Fires East

The case for taking this rather than doing it alone is geographical. The mud volcanoes and Gobustan are on one side of Baku; the fire temple and the burning mountain are on the other. None of it is within walking distance, the public buses do not reach all of it, and a taxi doing the same round would cost several times more. Fitting it into one day before the sites close takes planning. Eight hours, starting at 10:00 from the Double Gates of the Old City, with hotel pick-up. On the way out the route passes the Maiden Tower, the Boulevard, Azneft Square and the National Flag Square. Bibi-Heybat is the 13th-century mosque and pilgrimage site. The mud volcanoes are a family of small cones that erupt thick, cold, grey mud. Gobustan National Park holds cave paintings going back as far as 40,000 years. Lunch comes before Ateshgah. The temple is castle-shaped, and the Persian and Indian inscriptions on it record its use as a Zoroastrian place of worship. Yanar Dag is the eternal fire. The last stop is a photo break of 20 to 30 minutes at the Heydar Aliyev Center, with the I LOVE BAKU sign in front of it and the city behind. The tour does not go inside. Then back to the Double Gates and the hotel. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.