From Baku: Guba, Candy Canes and Shahdag Mountain Resort Tour

Baku trip

I had a great time with the tour , appreciate the effort of the crew . I met a lovely, enthusiastic, young and vibrant guide from the tour her name is Laila . She was informative and interactive throughout the tour. I will recommend others to give a try.,,❤️❤️❤️❤️

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Leyla was a nice Guide: A true sample of excellent tour guide❤️

Leyla was our tour guide for the day and she was truly amazing. I felt like I had hired a friend for the day. She was so nice and accommodating. She was professional yet personable. We really wanted to experience Shahdag and Candy Cane Mountain like a local and she gave us that experience. She took us to every shop, store and restaurant we were looking for on that part of the Candy Cane Mountain tour. She also gave us restaurant tips. Thank you so much Laila for giving us such a wonderful tour.

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Could have been much better with a proper guide

This day tour could have been much more enjoyable with a better guide and program. The Guide by name Fuad is just not upto the mark despite doing this job fir 12 years. He is utterly inept and does not have the slightest idea of how to interact with tourists and explain information about the stops along the tour. In fact, when we reached Shahdag in the afternoon, he simply failed to provide basic information of what to expect in the cable car lift. I was travelling with elderly parents who cannot move around easily and yet this guide insisted that old people can jump onto a moving cable car lift ! Absolute lunacy on his part. He also failed to inform us about the big crowds that were on the upper station of the cable car due to which we had to wait 2.5 hours in the queue with a snowblower blasting ice onto the tourists. This was purely cruel on the part of the Shahdag staff. We nearly froze to death up there. The guide and this tour provider should definitely modify the program and stop at Shahdag first, instead of making totally useless stops at a farmers house in the name of "organic" fruits. Along the way he showed us lousy You tube videos on his phone in an attempt to explain the culture of Azerbaijan. And then he makes stops at souvenir shops just to get his "cut" of the sales. While booking this tour, please confirm the guide, If it is Fuad, just cancel the tour or ask for another guide. I have been to several countries and several tours and I usually provide positive feedback to all guides. But this bitter experience needs to be called out so other travelers have a fair warning.

Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you for sharing your feedback. While we regret that your experience did not meet your expectations, we would like to address some inaccuracies and clarify several points regarding the tour. 1. Tour Program and Stops The tour program strictly follows the description provided at the time of booking. All stops, including the visit to the Copper House and souvenir shops, are part of the planned itinerary. If a guest prefers a customized program, we recommend booking a private tour tailored to their specific needs. Criticizing a pre-advertised program is not entirely fair. 2. Suitability for Elderly Travelers The tour is designed as an entertainment-focused experience, which includes outdoor activities. We kindly encourage guests to assess whether the tour is suitable for elderly participants or those with limited mobility before booking. It is important to ensure that the chosen itinerary aligns with personal requirements. 3. Cable Car and Shahdag Stop Our guide cannot anticipate or control crowd sizes or waiting times at Shahdag. The time allocated for this stop is a maximum of 2 hours, as clearly outlined in the program. It is unclear how the reported waiting time of 2.5 hours occurred, as this exceeds the scheduled timeframe. Additionally, Shahdag operations, staffing, and conditions are outside of our control. 4. Tour Stops Perceived as “Useless” The stops included, such as the Copper House, provide guests with opportunities to enjoy traditional experiences and complimentary tastings. Guests can also optionally purchase local products and souvenirs. These stops are part of the itinerary, which was made clear in the tour description. If these do not align with expectations, we kindly advise considering a different tour program. 5. Cultural Information Provided by the Guide The guide’s use of video clips was an attempt to share valuable insights about Azerbaijani culture. Providing multimedia resources is a modern and engaging approach to enhance understanding of the local traditions. 6. Accusations of Commissions The claim that the guide receives commissions from souvenir shop sales is entirely false and lacks evidence. Guests are never pressured to make purchases, and any shopping is entirely optional. It is also important to note that we cover the costs for complimentary tastings at the Copper House, which guests enjoy at no additional charge. 7. Guide Performance Our guide, Fuad, is an experienced professional with 12 years of dedicated service. Unjustly suggesting tour cancellations based solely on personal dissatisfaction with the guide is unreasonable and does not reflect the high standards we uphold. We take pride in offering tours that provide cultural, entertaining, and enjoyable experiences for our guests. While we appreciate constructive feedback, it is important to ensure that reviews reflect accurate and fair assessments. We hope this clarifies the concerns raised, and we thank you for understanding. Should you wish to discuss this further or explore a more suitable tour option in the future, please feel free to contact us directly. Best regards, Azerbaijan Explorer team

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Guba and shahdagh tour

We went to shahdagh and guba , The views were amazing, we had a lot of fun and guide went with us her name was leyla she was very nice,and co.operative.. totally recommend

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Shahdag was beautiful

Leyla was the perfect tour guide. Very friendly and helped us take a lot of photos. Shahdag was beautiful - the mountain coaster was a lot of fun. But nothing much to see at candy cane though. Very muddy and slippery since it was raining. It was a good trip except for the van - the seats were too tight and small and not comfortable for long travel

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