Karabakh in 3 Days: Shusha — Khankendi — Lachin. Permit, Route, and Practical Tips

Three days, three cities, one route that was physically impossible just five years ago — and today fits into an ordinary long weekend. Shusha, Khankendi, Lachin: each has its own character, each deserves at least a full day, and each shows you something you won’t find anywhere else in Azerbaijan. Here’s the route broken down day by day: what to see, how far to drive, which permit to sort out in advance, and which car will actually make the mountain roads enjoyable instead of stressful.

Table of Contents

• Travel permit: what it is and how to get one
• Day 1: Baku → Shusha — the road and the main sights
• Day 2: Shusha → Khankendi
• Day 3: Khankendi → Lachin
• Which car to take
• What to know about safety on this route
• FAQ

Travel permit: what it is and how to get one

Before you book a car, sort out one formality — it’s mandatory and takes about 10 minutes. A trip to Shusha, Khankendi, and Lachin requires an electronic permit through the “Yolumuz Qarabağa” portal (yolumuzqarabaga.az — “Our Road to Karabakh”). The portal works in English and Russian, so there’s no language barrier.

The permit is required both for foreign visitors (staying in Azerbaijan up to 90 days, or holding a temporary or permanent residence permit) and for citizens — the rules are the same. The application is tied to a specific vehicle and specific travel dates: if you plan to return to Karabakh later, you’ll need a new permit. Permits are valid for 2 days and cover up to 9 people, including the driver.

One detail that matters specifically for anyone renting a car: the portal defines “private vehicle” as a Category B car with Azerbaijani license plates. That means a car rented in Baku fully qualifies — but a personal vehicle brought in on foreign plates doesn’t work for this trip.

Practical tip: submit your application 24-48 hours before departure, especially around holidays and high season — processing can take longer than the standard 10 minutes. The portal also includes a section on basic mine safety — read it before your trip and make sure everyone traveling with you understands the gist, since there are checkpoints along the way where documents and permits get verified in person.

Day 1: Baku → Shusha — the road and the main sights

The road

The distance from Baku to Shusha is roughly 360 km, averaging 5-5.5 hours on the road, not counting stops. The route runs through Salyan, bypasses Bilasuvar, then runs roughly parallel to the Azerbaijan-Iran border to the village of Ahmadbayli in the Fuzuli district. That’s where the road that fundamentally changed access to the region begins: the new Ahmadbayli-Fuzuli-Shusha highway, opened in July 2025, running 81.7 km. It’s nearly 20 km shorter than the older “Victory Road” (Zəfər Yolu, 101.5 km) and runs roughly parallel to it.

About 20 km into this stretch, the landscape shifts noticeably — farmland gives way to a checkpoint zone, where officers verify passports and permits against the system. The process is quick, but it helps to have your documents ready rather than digging through the glovebox under an officer’s gaze.

The road itself is in good condition overall — this is new infrastructure, built specifically for growing tourist traffic. Stick to the official speed limits: 60 km/h in built-up areas (20 km/h in residential zones unless posted otherwise), and the standard Azerbaijani 90-100 km/h on intercity roads unless signs say otherwise. On the newer stretches heading into Karabakh, go strictly by the posted signage — limits here are locally adjusted for surface conditions and roadside construction.

Navigation tip: offline maps (Google Maps with the region pre-downloaded, or Maps.me) aren’t a luxury here — they’re a necessity. Mobile coverage gets patchy on certain stretches between Fuzuli and Shusha, and the road network itself is being updated faster than mapping services can keep up. Keep a printed or saved screenshot of your route as a backup.

What to see in Shusha

Shusha sits at roughly 1,400-1,800 meters — which changes not just the views but the temperature: evenings here are noticeably cooler than in Baku even in summer. For a single day, focus on four spots that give you the fullest picture of the city:

• Shusha Fortress. An 18th-century fortification — the walls give you a view over the gorge and the mountains around it, the best spot to physically feel why this city is called a mountain stronghold.
• Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque. A 19th-century mosque with the architecture characteristic of the Karabakh school — the minarets are visible from a distance, one of the city’s architectural symbols.
• Vagif Mausoleum. The resting place of Molla Panah Vagif, one of the most significant Azerbaijani poets of the 18th century — compact, but a meaningful cultural stop.
• Jidir Duzu Plain (Cıdır Düzü). An open plateau on the edge of the city, historically used for festivals and horse races — worth timing your visit for late afternoon, for the panorama and sunset.

If you have time and energy left, drive out to Hunot Gorge (Hunot dərəsi), a few kilometers from the center: a canyon with sheer walls and views worth the detour on their own.

Modern hotel infrastructure in the city is gradually expanding — confirm room availability when booking your trip, especially in high season, since Shusha’s hotel base is still catching up with demand.

Want a deeper guide specifically to Shusha, with a full list of stops and time recommendations for each? [link to the dedicated Shusha guide — please confirm the exact URL on your end if that piece is already published]

Day 2: Shusha → Khankendi

The road

This is the shortest leg of the whole trip — Khankendi is practically next door to Shusha, about a 15-minute drive. That’s exactly why many travelers keep their base in Shusha for both of the first two nights and visit Khankendi as a light day trip, luggage-free. The speed limit on this stretch is standard for a regional road, 80-90 km/h, dropping to the usual 60 km/h once you enter the city.

What to see in Khankendi

Khankendi is the largest city in the region, and it’s in the middle of active reconstruction and development — new roads, facades, and public spaces appear practically every season. Three spots worth building a single day around:

• Victory Park (Zəfər Parkı) and the Victory Arch. The city’s central public space, a good place to start getting a feel for the layout.
• Nana Baba Monument. One of the city’s signature sculptures, often used as a landmark for navigating the center.
• The central square and new construction. A simple walk through the center gives you the clearest sense of how fast the city is changing — comparing what you see now to photos from a year ago is genuinely striking.

Khankendi makes a solid base for the night before day three: infrastructure here — cafes, shops, hotels — is noticeably more developed than in the neighboring cities on this route.

Safety in Khankendi

The city is under active construction, and some areas outside the marked, publicly accessible zones are closed to visitors — this applies to construction sites and areas that haven’t been fully cleared yet. Simple rule of thumb: if an area doesn’t look set up for visitors — no landscaping, no signage, no other tourists around — don’t go in, even if the barrier looks informal. Stick to marked streets and the tourist zones covered by your permit.

A dedicated, more detailed guide to Khankendi — with an expanded list of sights and practical details: [link to the dedicated Khankendi guide — please confirm the exact URL on your end]

Day 3: Khankendi → Lachin

The road

Lachin sits to the southwest, and the road runs through mountainous terrain — confirm the exact distance and drive time right before your trip, since the road network in this direction is still being completed and routes can change faster than maps get updated. Budget at least an hour and a half to two hours for this leg, accounting for switchbacks and possible construction. Along the way, it’s worth stopping at the Istisu mineral springs — a convenient halfway break.

What to see in Lachin

Lachin is one of the most scenic stops on the whole route: a mountain basin, a river, greenery — a completely different landscape from Shusha’s plateau or Khankendi’s urban development. Lachin opened to tourists earlier than the other cities on this route, so the tourism infrastructure here feels a bit more settled.

• Flag Square (Bayraq meydanı). The city’s central point, a good place to start a walk.
• Seyrangah Viewpoint. A panoramic view over the city and surrounding mountains — the best spot for sunset photos.
• The Hakari River and Zabukh village. A scenic stretch of river with views of untouched nature and restored villages — a real contrast to the urban development of the previous two days.

The city already has modern hotel and restaurant infrastructure, plus its own airport — if you want, you could plan the return trip differently, but for a road trip it makes more sense to head back to Baku the way you came, through Fuzuli.

A fuller guide to Lachin with additional stops and walking routes: [link to the dedicated Lachin guide — please confirm the exact URL on your end]

Which car to take

For this route, we recommend a crossover, not a sedan or a compact. The reason is simple: part of the route runs on roads that are new but still uneven in places, with elevation changes, mountain switchbacks, and stretches with limited lighting. Ground clearance and confident road grip aren’t a luxury on this route — they’re a practical necessity, especially on the approach into Lachin.

Separately — a word on cruise control. On the long straight stretches of the newer highways, especially the Baku-Fuzuli leg, this isn’t just comfort — it’s a real way to reduce driver fatigue over 5+ hours behind the wheel and hold your speed more precisely through camera-monitored zones. From our fleet, a Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, or Toyota RAV4 all work well for this route — each comes with cruise control and enough clearance for the region’s conditions.

Book your car well in advance, several days ahead of the trip: this route is popular, and the right crossover for your exact dates can sell out, especially around weekends and holidays.

What to know about safety on this route

Beyond the usual road-trip precautions, this route has one specific thing to be aware of: outside the marked, publicly accessible areas, parts of the region still have uncleared land. The permit portal includes a detailed mine-safety briefing — read it before your trip, along with everyone traveling with you. The practical rule is simple and applies to the whole route: don’t drive off the road, don’t walk into unfenced fields or open land outside towns, and stick to the marked tourist zones and roads covered by your permit.

This isn’t meant to alarm you — the route is officially open to tourists precisely because the safe corridors have been checked and marked. But “stay on the road” here is a specific instruction, not a general suggestion.

FAQ

How much time do I need for the whole route?

At least three days, as laid out in this guide. If you can add a fourth day, the pace gets noticeably more relaxed, without racing between cities.

Can I take a rental car with Azerbaijani plates?

Yes — that’s exactly the case the permit system was built for. A Category B vehicle with Azerbaijani plates fully meets the portal’s requirements.

What happens if I don’t get a permit in advance?

Checkpoints won’t let you through without a valid permit — there’s no on-the-spot option, so this needs to be sorted out ahead of time through the portal.

Does mobile coverage work along the route?

Coverage exists in the cities and along most of the main roads, but there are patches of weak signal, especially in the mountainous stretch between Khankendi and Lachin. Download offline maps in advance.

Is this route suitable for families with kids?

Yes, as long as you follow the route’s general safety rules — stay on marked roads and don’t let kids wander into unfenced areas outside the towns.

Conclusion

Three days, three completely different cities — from the fortress walls and mosques of Shusha to the active rebuilding of Khankendi and the mountain scenery of Lachin. The route takes a bit of prep — getting a permit, picking the right car, downloading offline maps — but in return, it gives you something that was simply inaccessible for independent travel just a few years ago.

Book a crossover ahead of time on karavan.az or message us on WhatsApp/Telegram at +994-55-455-22-45 — we’ll fill you in on current road conditions and help pick the right car for your route.

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Distances, speed limits, and permit rules reflect information current at the time of publication. The region is changing quickly — roads are still being completed, and the “Yolumuz Qarabağa” portal’s conditions may be updated. Check current details on yolumuzqarabaga.az right before your trip.