Discover Southern Azerbaijan on the Lankaran Lerik Tour

Trade the capital for the green, tea-scented south on this full-day Lankaran Lerik tour from Baku. In a single day you swap the Caspian shoreline for the cloud-brushed Talysh Mountains, travelling from seaside Lankaran up to Lerik — one of the highest towns in Azerbaijan and famous worldwide for its long-living residents. Along the way you will meet tea plantations, a mirror-still mountain lake, ancient caves, twin waterfalls and a UNESCO-recognised Talysh lunch.

Lankaran sits where the forested Hirkan National Park meets the sea, and the park itself is shared between Azerbaijan and neighbouring Iran. That mix of coast, woodland and mountain gives this Lankaran Lerik tour a variety few day trips from Baku can match.

Breakfast at the Haji-Oglu Oasis

The day starts early with a friendly guide and a comfortable drive south across the Mugan Plain. Around 130 km from Baku, between the Kura River and the Mugan canal, we stop at the leafy Haji-Oglu roadside restaurant for a relaxed Azerbaijani breakfast — the perfect warm-up before the sightseeing begins.

Samovar Circle & Lankaran's Tea Heritage

Our first stop in Lankaran is delightfully symbolic: a roundabout crowned by a giant samovar and an armudu pear-shaped glass of tea. The south has grown tea since the days of the Silk Road, and this monument sets the tone for a day that celebrates both the region's tea culture and its scenery.

Sightseeing in Lankaran

Next we explore the city itself — the elegant Railway Station Square, the monument to Major-General Hazi Aslanov, the historic Lankaran Lighthouse and the handsome Mir Ahmad Khan's Palace. These landmarks tell the story of a proud coastal town and its layered past, from khans and merchants to its place on the Caspian trade routes.

Tea Plantations near Hirkan National Park

Azerbaijanis adore tea, and the country's own leaves are grown right here in Lankaran. Beside the forests of Hirkan National Park you will see exactly how and where these plantations thrive — one of the most memorable moments of any southern Azerbaijan tour.

A Tea Break at Khanbulan Lake

Tucked into the Talysh Mountains and ringed by the oak-and-chestnut forests of Hirkan National Park, Khanbulan Lake lies as still as a mirror. We pause on its shaded shore for a proper tea break and a gentle stroll — easily one of the calmest, prettiest spots on the whole Lankaran Lerik tour.

The Longevity Museum in Lerik

We climb to Lerik, perched near 1,200 metres, where clean air, pure water and simple food are said to keep people remarkably young. In Lerik a seventy-year-old is barely middle-aged, and the town's one-of-a-kind Longevity Museum, opened in 1991, shares the stories and secrets behind those long, healthy lives.

The Buzeir Caves

High in the Lerik mountains hide the centuries-old Buzeir caves, burrowing deep into the rock beneath towering ridges. Wrapped in local legend — which your guide will happily unfold — and reached by a thread of road carved into the slope, this is wild Azerbaijan at its most remote and atmospheric.

Lerik's Mountain Viewpoint

Between Lankaran and Lerik we stop at a green, flower-framed lookout high on a mountainside. With a stream murmuring below and a cool breeze in the air, it is the ideal place to slow down, breathe deeply and soak up the southern landscape before the afternoon's finale.

The "Boy" and "Girl" Waterfalls

Fed by the Talysh-chay River, which rises in Iran and runs through Hirkan National Park, two waterfalls thunder down the forest near Guneshli village. Nicknamed "Boy" and "Girl," they look like miniature Niagaras. Beside the falls we brew fragrant Lankaran tea with wild mountain herbs and serve it with jam — oxygen-rich forest air, cascading water and a warm glass in hand.

A Talysh Lunch at the Janub Centre

Lunch is served riverside at the Janub holiday centre, deep in the Talysh forest. The star is Lavangi — chicken stuffed with walnuts, onions and fruit paste, then slow-baked — alongside eggplant lavangi, walnut omelette, garden vegetables, tendir bread and wild-berry compote. Talysh cuisine is inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, and tasting it among the mountains is a highlight of the trip.

Return to Baku

After a restful afternoon in the south, we drive back to Baku with a short stop at the familiar Haji-Oglu oasis, arriving in the city in the evening.

What's Included

  • Professional Russian-speaking guide for the whole route
  • Comfortable transport (car or minibus, depending on group size)
  • Walking, rest and photo stops at every key location
  • A well-balanced itinerary mixing driving and walking
  • A tea break in nature with aromatic local tea and traditional sweets

What's Not Included

  • Breakfast — 10 AZN per person
  • Lunch — 20 AZN per person
  • Longevity Museum entrance — 10 AZN per person
  • Personal expenses

Good to Know

  • Departure at 07:00; the day lasts about 14 hours. Minimum 2 travellers.
  • Old City meeting point: Azerbaijan Avenue 1 (KFC parking).
  • Wear comfortable shoes for walking on natural and mountain terrain.
  • Bring a little cash if you would like to buy famous Lankaran tea as a souvenir.

Plan Your Trip

This Lankaran Lerik tour pairs beautifully with the rest of our southern catalogue — if you love waterfalls, add the Lerik Waterfalls Tour, or browse all tours in Azerbaijan and more day trips from Baku. Questions about pickup or the itinerary? Our team is glad to help before you book your Lankaran Lerik tour.