Best Things to Do and Tourist Places to Visit in Ganja

Ganja or Gəncə or Ganca, the city has many alternate spelling, is the second largest city in Azerbaijan after Baku. It is located in the northern region of Ganja-Gazakh. It is also among the most popular tourist destinations in Azerbaijan. The city is known for the red brick architecture of the historical places to visit in Ganja. The two biggest Ganja tourist attractions of this style are the Nizami Ganjavi Mausolem and the Imamzadeh Mosque. The name of the city Gəncə is derived from Persian word Ganj, which means treasure.

There are variety of interesting attractions in Ganja. The first monument among things to see in Ganja is Nizami Ganjavi Mausoleum. The monument is dedicated to a well-known Azeri poet Nizami Ganjavi. The city is not named after him, if that’s what you thought from the name. The poet’s real name was Jamal ad-Dīn Abū Muḥammad Ilyās ibn-Yūsuf ibn-Zakkī. Nizami Ganjavi means Nizami from Ganja. Close to the monument is another well known place for sightseeing in Ganja: The Nizami Ganjavi Museum. It depicts the life of the poet and his creations. Another important museum to visit on Ganja travel is the Archaeology and Ethnography Museum. It tells the history of the city of Gəncə and story of various empires and kingdoms which have ruled it. Lastly, the most unique place to visit in Gəncə is the Miniature Museum. You might think that it is a museum featuring collection of small things. You are close but not quite accurate. It’s actually Miniature Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. This Ganja attraction features artwork by about 1000 artists who have specially created artistic wonders for this museum. There are 2000 miniature works of art in the museum collection. It is one of the most fun places to visit in Gəncə.

An equally unique monument among things to see in Ganja is the bottle house. It is as name suggests a house made of bottles, glass bottle to be specific. It took over 50,000 glass bottles to create this house. It is one of the most photographed attraction of Ganja.

Though the most beautiful architectural wonder among places to visit in Ganja is the Imamzadeh Mosque. The mosque is built with red stone and features colorful dome, pillars, and inlay work. It is again one of the most photographed tourist attraction in Ganja. Imamzadeh means the descendants of the Prophet. Other historical Ganja attractions include Ganja Fortress, Turkish Baths, Arch of Triumph, and so on. There are quite a few historical and cultural monuments to explore when you visit Ganja.

A major tourist attraction near Ganja are Lake Goygol and Lake Marolgol. Both of them are popular day trip destinations among places to visit in Gəncə. The lake is surrounded by a dense forest, which a great place to be with nature on Ganja travel.

You won’t require more than a couple days to throughly enjoy all touristy things to do in Ganja. Majority of the tourist attractions are located within the city. The natural wonders are only a day trip away for exploratory things to do in Gəncə. The other attractions are conveniently located within the city itself. Ganja is also great for shopping and eating. It has some of the best street food and restaurant options in all of Azerbaijan.

Things to do in Ganja, Azerbaijan

Monuments, Museums & Historical Places to Visit in Ganja, Azerbaijan

1. Nizami Ganjavi Mausoleum
2. Imamzadeh Mosque
3. Shah Abbas Mosque
4. Alexander Nevsky Church
5. Ganja Fortress
6. Caravanserai of Shah Abbas
7. Miniature Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
8. Arch of Triumph
9. Bottle House
10. Chokak Turkish Bath Houses
11. Ganja Filarmoniya
12. Gates of Ganja
13. Nizami Ganjavi Museum
14. Enthnography & Archeology Museum
15. German Lutheran Church
16. Sheki Palace
17. Museum of Modern Art

Nature & Wildlife Tourist Places to Visit in Ganja, Azerbaijan

1. Lake Goygol
2. Lake Maralgol

Entertainment & Leisure Tourist Places to visit in Ganja, Azerbaijan

1. Heydar Aliyev Park
2. Naftal Spa Resort
3. Jyrtdan Children’s Amusement Park

Shopping in Ganja, Azerbaijan

1. Javed Khan Street
2. Ganja Mall

Sightseeing in Ganja, Azerbaijan

1. Javed Khan Street
2. Ganja City Hall
3. Khan Baghi Park

Food, Dining, Restaurants, & Street Food in Ganja, Azerbaijan

1. Kvas Place
2. Epikur Bagi
3. Ganja Restaurant
4. Kolorit
5. Magara Restoran
6. Sac Evi Restoran
7. Elegance
8. Furor Restaurant
9. Zilli Sirniyyat
10. Ottoman Doner
11. Restoran Nostalji
12. Goygol Restaurant

How to Reach Ganja, Azerbaijan?

By Air

Ganja has its own international airport of the same name as the city. Though most people visiting Azerbaijan get to Baku first. You get daily flights for Ganja travel from Baku with Azerbaijan Airlines. You also get direct flights to visit Ganja International Airport from Moscow, St Petersburg, and Istanbul. The Ganja International Airport is served by Azerbaijan Airlines, Buta Airway, Turkish Airlines, and Ural Airlines. You get more options for direct flights to reach Baku and then take a connecting flight for Ganja travel.

The Ganja International Airport is located on the northwestern side of the city. You will get buses, minibuses, and cabs to take you from the airport to any places to visit in Gəncə. You also have option of train if you are traveling from the international airport in Baku.

By Road

Ganja has is own train station for things to do in Gəncə. You get direct trains from Baku and other major cities of Azerbaijan to visit Ganja tourist attractions. The travel time between Gəncə and Baku by train is about 6-8 hours.

The second option is to take a bus. Azerbaijan has more minibuses than largest buses you would see in other countries. These minibuses take way longer than train for Ganja travel. You can choose a bus if you are in a smaller city or town in Azerbaijan. For Baku you can get buses every half hour running between the two largest cities of Azerbaijan. You also get buses from all major towns and cities in Azerbaijan to visit Ganja. Otherwise train is the best option. The cost difference is almost negligent between the two transport options.

The third and the most expensive option is by renting a car or hiring a cab. It gives you incredible freedom and independence to explore Ganja attractions. But, the cost of travel can be taxing. The easier alternative would be to reach Ganja first and then get a cab or a car to explore the places to visit in Gəncə.

In the city, you will also find tour buses which take you around for things to see in Ganja. These tours are quite convenient for Ganja sightseeing as they help you cover majority of tourist attractions without going through the trouble of transport. Most of such sightseeing tours also come with a guide to help you understand and enjoy the places to visit in Ganja.

By Water

Ganja-Gazakh is a landlocked region and Gəncə is a landlocked city. So there are no water routes for Ganja travel.