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Tours From Baku.
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How to Get from Baku to Gabala

Distance
225 km
Driving time
3h 15m
from
₼ 160

Gabala sits 225 km north-west of Baku, and the road takes about three hours and a quarter: motorway as far as the Shamakhi turn, then a climb through the foothills that slows everything down in the last hour. It is the drive people take when they want the Caucasus without a hard day at the wheel — forest, a cable car, and air about ten degrees off what Baku is doing in August.

Three ways to cover it. A car with a driver leaves when you do, stops where you ask and sets you down at your hotel door; the price is per vehicle rather than per seat and is fixed before departure — the table below prices every car we run on this leg. The intercity bus from Baku's main terminal is the cheap answer: it runs to a timetable that shifts with the season, takes longer, and leaves you at Gabala's bus station rather than at your accommodation. A guided day makes the journey the point rather than the cost of getting there.

The road passes Maraza and the Diri Baba mausoleum cut into the cliff, then Shamakhi with its Juma mosque — both worth the twenty minutes if you are not in a hurry. If you would rather have those stops organised, the Gabala and Shamakhi day tour does the same road with a guide. Going the other way matters too: tell us whether you are staying over, because an empty return leg is priced differently from a driver waiting.

What each car costs on this road

Vehicle Vehicle class seats bags Per vehicle Details & booking
Hyundai Accent — the Two-Bag Sedan for Baku Transfers Hyundai Accent — the Two-Bag Sedan for Baku Transfers Economy 3 2 ₼ 190 ₼ 160 Details & booking
Hyundai Sonata — Comfort Sedan Transfer in Baku Hyundai Sonata — Comfort Sedan Transfer in Baku Comfort 3 3 ₼ 190 ₼ 160 Details & booking
BYD Destroyer 5 — the Plug-In Hybrid in the Baku Fleet BYD Destroyer 5 — the Plug-In Hybrid in the Baku Fleet Comfort 3 3 ₼ 190 ₼ 160 Details & booking
Mercedes-Benz Vito — Seven Seats, Six of Them in the Cabin Mercedes-Benz Vito — Seven Seats, Six of Them in the Cabin Comfort 7 6 ₼ 260 ₼ 220 Details & booking
Mercedes-Benz Viano VIP — Six-Seat Transfer in Baku Mercedes-Benz Viano VIP — Six-Seat Transfer in Baku VIP 6 5 ₼ 270 ₼ 230 Details & booking
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter — Twenty Seats or Ten Bags Mercedes-Benz Sprinter — Twenty Seats or Ten Bags Comfort 20 10 ₼ 400 ₼ 340 Details & booking
Kia Sorento — Four-Seat SUV Transfer in Baku Kia Sorento — Four-Seat SUV Transfer in Baku Comfort 4 4 On request
Isuzu Turkuaz — 29-Seat Bus Transfer in Baku Isuzu Turkuaz — 29-Seat Bus Transfer in Baku Comfort 29 15 On request

Prices are per car, not per seat — which is why four people usually pay less each than four bus tickets plus the taxi at the far end. There is no separate one-way rate: a day trip comes back the same day, and if the car stays with you longer, the nights are added on the booking form.

Somewhere not on this list, several stops, or a driver for the whole day? Tell us the route

What the price covers

  • The whole car, whether there are two of you or six
  • Collection at your address, not at a station
  • Fuel, road tolls and parking — nothing added at the end
  • A price agreed before you set off, with no meter running

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to drive from Baku to Gabala?
About three hours and fifteen minutes for 225 km. The first two thirds are quick; the last hour climbs into the foothills. Add time for stops at Diri Baba or Shamakhi.
Is there a bus from Baku to Gabala?
Yes, intercity buses run from Baku's main bus terminal. Times change with the season, so check on the day rather than trusting a printed timetable. The bus is cheaper and slower, and it ends at the bus station — with luggage or a hotel outside the centre that last leg is its own problem.
Can Gabala be done as a day trip from Baku?
It can, but that is six and a half hours of driving there and back. Most people who want a day take the guided tour; most people who book a transfer are staying at least one night.
What is worth stopping for on the way?
Diri Baba, a fifteenth-century mausoleum built into a cliff face near Maraza, and Shamakhi's Juma mosque. Both are on the road rather than a detour, and twenty minutes each is enough.
What about the drive back?
Book it with the outbound and it is one arrangement. If you are staying over, the driver either returns for you on an agreed date or waits — waiting is priced per night and we quote it before you decide.

What people go to Gabala for

Other journeys we price