The most rewarding excursion from Ganca is to Göygöl lake and the surrounding national park, about 20 kilometres southwest of the city. The lake sits in a glacially carved valley at 1,550 metres, and the forests around it are excellent for hiking. The Kapaz mountain to the north is the highest point in the area.
About 15 kilometres northeast of the city, the village of Aznıxı is the jumping-off point for the Imamzade mausoleum — a beautiful brick building with blue domes, surrounded by a cemetery, built as the shrine of an eighth-century imam. The interior is atmospheric and well worth the short drive.
The ruins of old Ganca, destroyed by the earthquake of 1139, lie about six kilometres east of the modern city near the road to Baku. There is not much to see structurally, but the site includes the Nizami Mausoleum, which is the reason most visitors come.