baku city tourism

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Azerbaijan’s capital Baku (or Bakı in Azeri) is the architectural love child of Paris and Dubai…albeit with plenty of Soviet genes floating half-hidden in the background. Few cities in the world are changing as quickly and nowhere else in the Caucasus do East and West blend as seamlessly or as chaotically. At its heart, the Unesco-listed İçəri Şəhər (Old City) lies within an exotically crenellated arc of fortress wall. Around this are gracefully illuminated stone mansions and pedestrianised tree-lined streets filled with exclusive boutiques. The second oil boom, which started around 2006, has turned the city into a crucible of architectural experimentation and some of the finest new buildings are jaw-dropping masterpieces. Meanwhile romantic couples canoodle their way around wooded parks and hold hands on the Caspian-front bulvar (promenade), where greens and opal blues make a mockery of Baku’s desert-ringed location.

Attractions

Must-see attractions.

Heydar Aliyev Center

Vast and jaw-droppingly original, this Zaha Hadid building is a majestic statement of fluid 21st-century architecture forming abstract waves and peaks…

Maiden’s Tower

This tapering 29m stone tower is Baku’s foremost historical icon, with rooftop views surveying Baku Bay and the Old City. Possibly millennia old, its…

Yarat Contemporary Art Centre

Yarat means 'create', a spirit that's in ample evidence in this centre's many thought-provoking installations that don't shy away from sociopolitical…

Flame Towers

Completed in 2012, this trio of sinuous blue-glass skyscrapers forms contemporary Baku's architectural signature. The three towers range from 28 to 33…

Palace of the Shirvanshahs

This splendid confection of sandstone walls and domes was the seat of northeastern Azerbaijan’s ruling dynasty during the Middle Ages. Mostly 15th century…

Fountains Square

Ever-popular with strollers, this leafy piazza forms Central Baku’s natural focus. The fountains for which it is named include one topped by shiny…

This joyous tailor-made gallery uses struts and tubing to create a wide variety of intimate viewing spaces, in many of which you can recline on bean-bag…

Carpet Museum

From historic flatweaves to modernist picture-rugs, this tailor-made museum displays and explains a superb collection of Azerbaijani carpets. It's housed…

Latest stories from Baku

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Dec 19, 2014 • 5 min read

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Things to do in Baku in 3 days – A complete guide

By Joan Torres 19 Comments Last updated on April 24, 2024

Until very recently, Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, was a real off-the-beaten-track destination only known by the most intrepid travelers.

Pierce Brosnan, in the James Bond movie The world is not enough , was the first person who finally told us about its existence, when he showed images of some oil fields right in the desert plains around Baku.

Those images, however, didn’t really trigger any interest in the country, as people thought that, perhaps, Baku was not very different from the Arab Gulf monarchies, which was a really wrong approach.

Whereas it is true that Baku is an oil-rich city and, in fact, Azerbaijan was the top world exporter at the beginning of the 20th century, many years before the Gulf monarchies discovered the black gold, on the other hand, it is also a city with a very deep history, belonging to a region which has been inhabited for thousands of years, besides having an important role in the Silk Road , as well as, of course, being part of the USSR for nearly a century.

Nevertheless, thanks to exponential development, Baku today is an almost futuristic city that manages to combine both tradition and modernity, two elements that can be seen together all across the city.

After visiting Baku on two occasions, here is a complete Baku travel guide with all the best  things to do in Baku in 3 days, including plenty of travel tips.

For more places to visit in the country, read my complete itinerary to Azerbaijan

In this Baku travel guide you will find:

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Where to stay
• How to move around
• What to do in Baku
• Where to eat
• More information

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Introduction to traveling to Baku

From the end of the 19th century, Baku has been a global leader in oil exportation and has been growing at full speed, but it was only after the dissolution of the USSR and Azerbaijan’s post-independence, that this development was accelerated, Baku became a futuristic and modern city, perfectly comparable to European standards.

However, due to the obvious corruption, or preferably, bad resource management, this development has been exclusively focused on the capital, to the extent that its contrast with the second largest city, Ganja, where you can still find unpaved streets in the city center, is huge.

The capital of Azerbaijan is a luxurious city, a  Dubai -like-concept but with a real soul, meaning that, in the city center, you can find a Rolls Royce official store and the most luxury brand stores, along with buildings and mosques from the 12th century.

Going to Tbilisi? Check out my city guide to Tbilisi

Baku is, definitely, the most developed city in the Caucasus (including Armenia and Georgia ) but, in my humble opinion, this development is economic, not social.

Whereas, in its neighbor Georgia , many young people are quickly learning European values, in Baku, even though they are a rich and supposedly secular city, people are much more traditional, and you will quickly realize when you only see men hanging out in most places, people not speaking English and, overall, people being more closed-minded.

However, visiting Baku is totally worth it and not only due to its eccentric composition but also because it is a real blend of Europe, the East, and the Soviet Union, so, so chaotic, that it’s practically impossible to define it, and that’s the most exciting thing about it.

Visa for visiting Baku

From January 2016, you can  apply for an e-visa to visit Baku.

The visa costs 25 USD, takes 3 working days and is valid for 30 days.

For 50 USD, you can also apply for an urgent visa and get it on the same day.

All Western nationalities are eligible for the e-visa but you can check the full country list here .

Where to stay in Baku

Backpackers Hostel – Sahil Hostel – The busiest hostel in town, as it is really cheap, plus everything is brand-new and very clean. A nice place to meet other travelers, it also has private rooms.

Budget Guest House –  Khazar Old City Guest House – If you want to stay in a traditional house, in the heart of the old city, this is the most highly recommended.

Mid-range Hotel –  Deniz Inn Boutique Hotel – The top well-rated boutique hotel in town is a traditional building in the old part of Baku.

Top-end – Four Seasons –  Located downtown, this is the best 5-star hotel in Baku. The building where is it built is a real landmark, by the way.

Transportation – How to move around Baku

Moving around baku by taxi.

In order to avoid bargaining with taxi drivers, I recommend you use Uber and short taxi rides costing around 2-3AZN (1.20 – 1.70USD), so moving around by taxi is also a feasible way to check all the places to visit in Baku. Apparently, Yandex isn’t available anymore.

Moving around Baku by metro

There are two metro lines and a single ticket costs 0.30AZN (18¢). However, first, you have to get a metro top-up card which costs 2AZN (1.20USD).

Alternatively, you can buy a single-use metro card, which you can only top-up once and costs 0.20AZN (12¢).

Moving around Baku by bus

There is a modern bus network but you will have to know where you are going. The price is the same as in the metro.

How to get from and to the airport

How to get from baku city center by bus.

There are buses going and coming to the airport every 20 or 30 minutes, all day long. They drop you off in downtown, in front of 28th May metro station. A single ticket costs 1.30AZN (75¢) and it also works with the metro card.

How to get from Baku city center by taxi

With Uber, a taxi ride costs around 10AZN (5.90USD).

For generic info about moving around the country, read the transportation section of this guide.

Things to do in Baku in 3 days

In 3 days, you can cover most things to do in Baku, including a day trip to visit the mud volcanoes and the petroglyphs of Qobustan .

If you are interested in all the tours offered in Baku, as well as day trips from Baku, there is a large offer of tours that can be booked online. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Map of the places to visit in Baku

What to do in Baku on day 1

The first day Baku itinerary is quite optimistic but, if you plan well ahead, I think you can manage it.

Baku Old City

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the walls of the Old City mark the boundaries of where the city used to extend.

Its oldest building is claimed to date from the 11th century, although some historians think that it might belong to the 7th.

As in any old city, the best you can do is getting lost among its entangled streets but there are a few buildings which are must-visits, like Maiden Tower , one of the most iconic buildings in the country, which is even printed in one of their notes.

The tower contains a museum that shows the historical evolution of Baku and you can also climb to the top to enjoy some of the best views in the city. Going to the top costs 10AZN (5,90USD).

The other building which you can’t miss is the Shirvanshas Palace , whose main attraction is a stunning mosque from the 15th century. The  Shirvanshas is the dynasty that ruled the region for nearly 700 years, from the 9th to the 16th century.

From all the things to do in Baku, the Old City is, certainly, the most interesting one.

Do you want to visit the Old City of Baku with a professional guide? CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

The Carpet Museum

In my opinion, the cool part about the Carpet Museum is not getting in, as the outside is much more awesome than inside. Jokes aside. If you are interested in Persian carpets, just go ahead but, if not, the coolest thing is to take pictures at the waving walls that are trying to imitate a carpet.

Read: Everything you need to know to travel to Georgia

The Flame Towers

The Flame Towers are the three flame-shaped skyscrapers which managed to link Baku to the concept of futurism by themselves.

To be honest, they are only 182 meters high but, due to their position, in the upper part of Baku, they are visible from anywhere.

You can get there on foot through some stairs that go along a beautiful park. There is a funicular at the bottom of the park but I always found it closed.

The towers were finished in 2012 and, besides showing off, their main purpose is to accommodate pretentious businesses like Fairmont Hotel , one of the top hotels in the city, a Lamborghini dealer store, and I don’t know what other posh stuff.

The oil extractors

This place is off the main tourist trail but, if you are interested in checking out some perfectly functional oil drillers, this is your chance.

They are not very far and, actually, you can get there on foot from the Flame Towers. They are just behind the TV tower (you can see the exact location on the map), from where you can also enjoy pretty cool views of the city and the bay.

By the way, if you get down to the seaside, you will pass by a very poor neighborhood of Baku, which clearly shows the huge social inequality that rules in this country.

Taza Pir Mosque

A one-hundred-year-old mosque, even though it was built on a place that used to serve as a sanctuary from the 15th century.

To be honest, this isn’t an outstanding mosque but, for me, the most interesting part was to see the other face of Azerbaijan, which is the face of Azerbaijani men worshipping and showing their faith to Islam.

Like all the Muslim ex-Soviet countries, the Government of Azerbaijan is secular but, its main peculiarity is that, unlike the rest of the world, the most religious people are the young ones and not the elderly that lived in the Soviet Union, as Islam is only now coming into fashion. When I was traveling in Uzbekistan , I also observed a similar situation.

Heydar Aliyev Center

Another pretty cool thing to do in Baku is visiting the futuristic building whose architect is the deceased Iraqi-British woman Zaha Hadid .

With its surrealistic and almost impossible curved walls, this building is a perfect sample of innovation and modern art.

Its surroundings are filled with super weird statues, like giant rabbits and snails, apart from the classic I Love Baku .

The building accommodates different types of temporary exhibitions. The entrance fee costs 15AZN (9USD).

Museum of Miniature Books

If you have the time, you can also visit the museum that has the World Guinness Record for the largest collection of miniature books, including the 3 smallest books ever, measuring 2mmx2mm, which can only be seen using a microscope.

Like me, you may be thinking that those mini-books don’t make a lot of sense, basically because you can’t read them, but they originate in an ancient Persian tradition.

Fountain Square and the rest of downtown

Composed of the most fashionable shops, restaurants, bars, hipster cafés, parks and so on, I recommend you finish your day in downtown, in the area around Fountain Square, the place where all the local people gather to hang out.

What to do in Baku on day 2

Yasil market.

I bumped into this market by mere chance and then I found out that it is very famous among locals, but I didn’t see any tourists.

Yasil is a traditional market which has been restored as per Baku modern standards. It is a typical fruit and vegetable market and everything sold is seasonal.

I was lucky enough to visit Baku in October, the pomegranate season, the symbol of Azerbaijan.

Almost all stalls were filled with pomegranates and they were selling freshly squeezed juice for just 1AZN (60¢).

Yanar Dag (Burning Mountain)

Did you know that Azerbaijan was formerly called The Land of Fire ?

From the 12th century, tales from travelers wandering this region mentioned the existence of several magic fires found across the area.

They thought those fires were magic because they burnt continuously without any wood but, what they didn’t know is that the fire was coming from natural underground gas fields.

Yanar Dag is one of those fires which is still burning, even though the fire is artificial today, as it was extinguished after they discovered an oil reserve next to it in the 19th century.

How to get there – Yanar Dag is outside of the city. To get there, you will have to catch the 147 bus from Azadliq metro station. Alternatively, you could also get there by Uber, which is easier, quicker and won’t cost you much.

Fire Temple Ateshgah

In the 18th century, a merchant traveler was so fascinated by one of those flames that he decided to build a worshipping temple on it.

How to get there – The temple is very close to the airport and the 184 bus passes close to it.

What to do in Baku on Day 3

Day trip to qobustan to see the petroglyphs and the mud volcanoes.

During the Stone Age, around 15,000 years ago, when the Caspian Sea waters were higher and the region was completely green and fertile, a bunch of hunters decided to settle in some caves in the area.

These caves were decorated with their own art style and more than 600 petroglyphs were drawn, many of them still being in very good conditions. Today, these paintings have become one of the best places to visit in Baku.

For more information, read my article about the petroglyphs of Qobustan (it includes prices and how to get there).

Moreover, if you are interested, you can also visit some volcanoes that expel mud , which have become a real tourist attraction. They are very close to the petroglyphs and you can only go by car.

If you want to make things easier and go with a guide, there’s this tour targeting the petroglyphs + mud volcanoes + an ancient mosque from the area. I think it’s worth it. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TOUR

Where to eat in Baku

Here are my restaurant recommendations (all places are frequented by locals).

Budget – Xezer Restaurant – Local eatery serving traditional food.

Gourmet fast food – Gourmet Pendir & Chorek – The first national fast-food chain in Azerbaijan serves good quality local sandwiches and stuff like that.

Fine dining – Sumakh – A local fancy restaurant serving high-quality food and awesome service.

More information for visiting Baku

📢 In my Travel Resources Page you can find the list of all the sites and services I use to book hotels, tours, travel insurance and more.

Tours – Here you can see a big bunch of tours in Baku, as well as day trips from Baku.

SIM Card – You will need one, especially to move around by Uber. I recommend Azercell. You can buy a SIM Card in many mobile stores but you should go to the official store of Azercell, as you will be charged the real price. There is a big one in Fountain Square.

All guides and articles for traveling in Azerbaijan destination

• Azerbaijan Travel Guide
• Best Hostels in Baku
• Qobustan Petroglyphs and Sovietism
• Reasons to Visit Azerbaijan
• Azerbaijan Itinerary

Check more city guides

• Tunis Travel Guide
• Asmara Travel Guide
• Travel Guide to Riyadh
• Muscat Travel Guide
• Travel Guide to Dubai
• Beirut Travel Guide
• Erbil Travel Guide
• Tehran Travel Guide
• Travel Guide to Astana
• Tashkent Travel Guide
• Tbilisi Travel Guide
• Travel Guide to Minsk
• Kiev Travel Guide
• Travel Guide to Nouakchott
• A City Guide to Mosul

These were my top recommendations for what to do in Baku. If you know of any other places to visit in Baku, kindly let us know in the comments section. 

19 comments

I never went to the oil extractors and i wish i had thought about that! One thing i think you should have mentioned though is the beautiful designs of some of the metro stations 🙂

oh yes, the stations were pretty nice indeed 🙂

Hey Joan, I love this travel guide to Baku very much, very detailed, thank you 🙂 I have a question: is it safe to take photos of the petrol extractors? I mean, I am pretty sure that in some countries they would not like people to sniff around them, for several reasons. I have been living in several countries in the Arab Gulf, and I am pretty sure that you would not be allowed to take photos of them. I would not even try it! Thank you and keep up the good work!

Hey Marc, thank you for your email. You can’t really compare it to the Gulf because the Gulf petrol areas are very deep into the desert and they are in restricted areas. The ones in Baku are in the suburbs of the city, some of them located right next to houses, meaning that the area is not restricted at all. Does this mean that you can take a photo of them? Well, I don’t know, but I have been there twice and there wasn’t official surveillance at all. I only saw a few workers roaming around who didn’t really care about my presence.

I was in the oil field at Romanov, 40 minutes outside Baku a few days ago. There is surveillance and locals keeping an eye open. When we were about to leave the oil field a company car came at high speed and they men in the car screamed that taking photos was forbidden. They was quite aggressive. I had the camera under my jacket, else they probably would have demanded that I delete the photos. My Azerian father in law explained that the oil companies are concerned about making the pollution too exposed in these days of social media.

wow, thanks for sharing your experience, Michael!

Very useful information, keep up the good work ! very well done !

Hi, I am reading over and again – to prepare for our short visit coming up to Baku. Just so you know, the visa is now good for 90 days. Any thoughts on survival guide for vegetarians (no egg, fish, meat, chicken, in short no animal food of any kind) who can take milk, yoghurt?

Hi Vasu, the visa is valid for 30 days. I just re-checked the official e-visa portal and there are no changes. I think you are confused because it says that you can travel for 30 days within a 90 days period but you can’t exceed those 30 days.

I am not a vegetarian, so I can’t really give you many tips. They don’t have a very vegan cuisine but I remember that most menus had salads and some eggplant-based dishes.

I cannot see the map for places to visit in Baku.

Maybe it is a problem of your browser

Thank u very much for valuable informatin you prensent for us.Baku,s weather,s more pleasent and mild and than dubai.Baku is the capital of Azeebayjan, İt,s people are turk, it was colonized by soviet 101 years ago, but they,re not russion. Thank u every body★)

Joan – your guide has proved very useful while I have been in Baku. Just to say that Azerbaijan appear to have got on board with 2-tier foreign tourist / local prices for their main sites: Maidens Tower and The Palace now both 15 Manat to access; Fire Temple Ateshgah 4 Manat & Yanar Dag 9 Manat. The Quobastan Petroglyphs were 10 Manat – but as the museum staff picked me up in their bus to take me to the site from Baku I am quids in on that one 😀

Hey Andrew, glad you found it useful and thanks for the price updates 🙂

Hi, iam planning to travel with Family December first week,. Can you please advise us as we want to see snow filled area. Can we have one day trip from Baku to hill stations. Thank you

Hi Yes, you can go to the area around Quba

Hi Joan, thank you for the amazing work! I am flying to Azerbaijan in a few days and your guide is of great help. I wonder if you have ever visited Sumqayit polluted areas and/or poor neighborhoods (slums) in Baku? I know that “Shangai” has been demolished but I am sure there are still deprived areas of the same kind. Any idea about that?

Hi Isabelle. I did walk through some slums (by pure coincidence) when I was walking around the TV tower, very close to it, but I don’t know the name of those slums

“Wow, this guide on things to do in Baku is absolutely fantastic! I recently had the opportunity to spend 3 days in this vibrant city, and this blog provided me with an incredible list of activities and attractions to make the most of my trip. From exploring the historic Old City and its charming narrow streets to visiting the iconic Flame Towers for breathtaking panoramic views, there was never a dull moment. I especially loved indulging in the local cuisine and trying out traditional Azerbaijani dishes at the various restaurants recommended in the article. Thanks to this comprehensive guide, I had an unforgettable experience in Baku and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting destination to visit!”

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explore Baku's Old City

A city within a city, the Old City is Baku's historic core and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has so much to explore, from the Maiden's Tower and Shirvanshahs' Palace to art galleries, theatres and cafés. 

explore Baku's Old City

• About Baku's Old City

Explore Baku's Old City

The Old City, Baku’s medieval core, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site surrounded by 12th-century walls and brimming with Oriental architecture and history. Within the atmospheric walls, you'll find a maze of narrow alleys home to a few thousand residents as well as museums, monuments, art galleries, all sorts of eateries and much more. The place is like a living open-air museum!

Among the sights not to miss are the Maiden Tower, which is shrouded in mystery and legend – still today its date of construction and original purpose are not entirely known, though there are many ideas! Elsewhere, the 15th-century Shirvanshahs' Palace is the former residence of the Shirvanshah dynasty who ruled in the medieval period. It's a stunning architectural complex which besides the palace itself includes a mosque, mausoleum, hamam, divankhana, gates and reservoir.  

Besides these two best-known sites there are plenty of hidden gems to discover, from the Museum of Miniature Books, whose collection includes the world's smallest book measuring just 2x2mm, to the Marionette Theatre, which stages performances of two Uzeyir Hajibeyli masterpieces: Leyli and Majnun and The Cloth Peddler. There's also a wealth of historic mosques (don't miss Mohammed Mosque!), caravanserais and hamams to explore, which sit side by side with small, independent art galleries, restaurants, rooftop bars and cafes. 

Explore Baku's Old City

weather and season

Air temperature, feel temperature.

• Sunny, breezy and warm
• speed 22.2 km/h
• Peak Season:
• Spring, summer, autumn

see location on the map

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Wander-Lush

15 Things to Do in Baku Old City: Guide to Visiting the Historic Icherisheher

Baku’s historic core, the walled Old City or Icherisheher , is a must-visit in Azerbaijan. This guide to Baku Old City shows you 15 things you absolutely can’t miss, plus practical tips for planning your visit.

Baku is a city of superlatives. Surrounded by soaring skyscrapers, sprawling shopping malls, ultramodern civic buildings and the Bulvar – soon to be the world’s largest public park – the walled Old City, the Icherisheher (or Baku Icheri Sheher ) is the relatively humble heart of the Azerbaijani capital.

The Azerbaijan Old City is one of the country’s most important historical places and a must-do when you’re planning what to see in Baku .

• Also see: My complete Baku City Guide , including things to do beyond the Old City walls.

I will never forget the first moment I stepped inside the Old City gates and crossed the threshold from New Baku to the old-world walled city of Baku. I was fresh off the overnight train from Tbilisi , and I had no idea what to expect .

In that moment, it felt as if the train had whisked me not only across a state border, but also across a continent, from Europe to Asia. Walking through the Old City streets , I got the impression that I had been transported from present day back to the time of the Silk Road .

A city within a city, Baku Old Town is an oval-shaped pocket of curving roads, grand palaces and mosques, and the sunken ruins of old hammams and caravanserais.

Flash hotels, restaurants and Christian Dior boutiques sit side by side with silver merchants and carpet vendors who have been trading their wares on these streets for centuries.

In the Old Town bakeries, men carve up trays of glistening amber baklava while in the cafes, women roll fat dolma , a traditional Azerbaijani food . Inside tea houses , endless streams of chai cascade from pewter pots into little glasses, while outside, kids sit on the back stairs doing their homework while their mothers hang washing from lines strung between balconies.

Icherisheher is one of the must-see historical places in Azerbaijan and one of my favourite places in the Caucasus region . Here is my list of 15 things you absolutely can’t miss in Baku Old City.

Please note: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you make a purchase by clicking a link (at no extra cost to you). Learn more.

History of Icherisheher

The Old City is located in the southern part of Baku and is part of the Sabayil neighbourhood. It backs directly onto the Bulvar, the park and promenade that runs along the Caspian Sea.

The Icherisheher ( İçəri Şəhər , literally ‘Inner City’), is separated from the rest of Baku by a long, curved wall. In the past, there were two main gates, but now there are several openings where pedestrians and cars can pass through.

The oldest part of Baku, the Old City was first settled some time between the 7th and 12th centuries. This is when most of the major landmarks, including the Palace and Maiden Tower, were erected.

People have always lived, worked, studied and prayed within the Baku Old City walls. Much like Istanbul or the Ottoman-designed part of Skopje , it was designed to be a completely self-sufficient community.

Later in its history, the area was divided up into 10 quarters, each for a different profession (clergymen, oil workers, ship builders, etc.) and their families.

Baku started to outgrow its old walls, and the city’s new wealth saw many grand European-style buildings erected on its periphery. Like many places in the US (for example, admiring the oil-boom Art Deco architecture is one of the best things to do in Tulsa , the oil capital of the world), Baku was endowed with some magnificent landmarks during the oil boom years.

Meanwhile, fortifications and canon towers defended the Old City from invasion. When Baku was occupied by Russian forces, Baroque and Gothic-style apartment buildings were built inside the Old City, changing its face forever.

Domed bath houses lay empty; sandstone caravanserais were transformed into taverns. Courtyards and secret passageways, sunken gardens and hammams were laid to waste. Relics of Zoroastrianism, which once thrived in oil-rich Baku, were replaced first with chapels then with mosques, madrasses and mausoleums.

The Icherisheher is layered with religious, political and cultural significance. The entire history of Baku can be read in its stone walls.

In 2000, the Old City was the first place in Azerbaijan to be recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Along with Sheki , which was inscribed in 2019, it represents one of the region’s most valuable urban landscapes.

With formal recognition and a corresponding influx of international visitors, Azerbaijan has doubled down on its efforts to preserve the Old City’s historic sandstone buildings.

Where to stay in Baku

If it’s your first time in Baku, I highly recommend choosing a hotel located inside or close to the walls of the atmospheric Old City .

TOP CHOICE: Utopia Hotel (⭐ 8.5). Located within the Old Town walls, this hotel has simple, tidy rooms and a rooftop terrace with water views. Staff are helpful, and the complimentary breakfast is a nice bonus. It’s great value for Baku. I stayed here recently with my dad.

BUDGET: Cth Baku Hostel (⭐ 9.4). Located in the popular student neighbourhood of Yasamal, west of the Old City and just footsteps from Nazimi Metro Station, this hostel has budget-friendly private rooms with shared bathrooms and comfortable communal spaces for socialising.

MID-RANGE: Centric Baku Boutique Hotel (⭐ 9.4). Located just outside the Old City walls close to the National Museum, this modern, stylish hotel has chic rooms with city views. A terrific breakfast is included.

HIGH-END: The Merchant Baku (⭐ 9.4). Located right on the old wall, 600m from the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, this opulent hotel has spacious rooms with private balconies and a gorgeous Silk-Road-inspired cocktail lounge.

15 magical things to do in Baku Old City

Encased in the protective embrace of Baku’s Old City walls, happily spend an entire day exploring the area. Small, but there’s a lot to do, especially if you enjoy getting lost on backstreets and practicing your street photography .

Here are 15 things you absolutely can’t miss when visiting Icherisheher.

1. Explore the Palace of the Shirvanshahs

Built in several stages over several centuries, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs is Baku’s most important historic landmark. During the Middle Ages, it served as the seat of power and residence of northeastern Azerbaijan’s ruling family. According to inscriptions, Shirvan Khalil I (1417–1462) commissioned two of the main structures, a tomb and a mosque.

When restorations took place in 2003, the main building of the palace was set aside for a museum. It displays a nice collection of textiles, costumes and artefacts. Leafy gardens link the complex of burial vaults, mausoleums, gates, bath houses and reservoirs. All feature exquisite stonework and fluid inscriptions.

Don’t miss the ornate Palatial mosque (Saray məscidi) or the Divankhana , a separate octagonal building off the main palace courtyard. The exact function of the divankhana is not known, but the intricacies of Islamic design represented in the window frames are very beautiful indeed.

The Palace is open daily from 10am-6pm. Entry costs 15 AZN, and there’s an optional audio guide for an additional 15 AZN.

2. Climb the Maiden Tower

Baku’s most recognisable landmark, the Maiden Tower, has inspired many an Azerbaijani novel, ballet and opera. The structure – and the origins of its name – is shrouded in mystery.

It’s thought that the stone tower was first built by pre-Islamic Zoroastrians to serve as a fire temple and site for sky burials. Today, the tower houses a small museum on Baku history. You can climb spiral staircases all the way to the top to survey the Old City of Baku, the Bulvar, and the Caspian Sea beyond.

The Tower is open from 9am-6pm. Entry costs 15 AZN.

3. Visit the Muhammad Mosque

Built in the 11th Century, the Muhammad Mosque (or Siniggala Mosque) isn’t the city’s biggest or most impressive mosque, but it has come to symbolise Baku.

The minaret was damaged by a Russian shell during the Russo-Persian War. It was never repaired, though – Baku residents insisted it be left to serve as a marker of the city’s courage and defiance.

4. Marvel at the arcades on Bazaar Square

One of the most impressive archaeological sites within Baku Old City, the excavated Bazaar Square lies below street level. From the top, you can peer down on the stony parade that once served as Baku’s main city square.

Climb down the stairs to walk through the stone cloisters with their perfectly symmetrical stone archways. Tombs, carved sculptures and other significant artefacts are displayed in the centre of the square.

5. Trace the Old City walls

The time-worn sandstone wall that encases Baku Old City is an attraction in itself.

Along the western wall, low turrets topped with scalloped stone fringing hold catapults and canons inside, a symbol of the defensive wall’s duty to safeguard the city and its residents from invading armies.

6. Make a grand entrance through Gosha Gala Gapisi

Gosha Gala Gapisi , the Double Gate or Gates of Shah Abbas, once served as the only entrance to Baku Old City. Caravans and traders arriving to seek shelter at the hans and trade their goods in Baku’s streets would have had to pass through these wide, foreboding arches.

Baku’s coat of arms, two lions and a bull’s head, are represented in stone above one of the gates. Just inside the gate, there’s a long, low shopping bazaar selling souvenirs.

7. Have a meal inside one of Baku’s old caravanserais

When Azerbaijan was a hub on the Silk Road, merchants used to refer to the Old City as ‘the Acropolis of Baku’. A plethora of caravanseris or hans , great stone inns with stables, storage rooms and sleeping quarters, were erected in Baku to house traders stopping off on their long journey from East to West.

Some have been reduced to just their bare foundations. Others, including the Multani Caravanserai and Bukhara Caravanserai, have been preserved.

In Sheki in northern Azerbaijan, the biggest caravanserai has been turned into a boutique hotel . In Baku, the caravanserais have been transformed into restaurants and cafes.

Han Restaurant Baku, Karvansaray, Sehrli Təndir and Mugam Club are all located inside old hans. Treat yourself to a meal at one of them for a memorable Baku experience.

8. Track down the Dervish Takyeh

Baku’s Dervish Takyeh was built in the 13th Century on Gazi Muhammed Street, facing towards the Maiden Tower. Throughout its history, it was used as a mosque and a school.

Members of the Dervish sect performed their rituals behind the Takyeh’s closed doors.

9. Get lost in the back alleys

Parts of Icherisheher may look like a museum, but roughly 3,000 people live in apartments and houses inside the Old City walls. One of the most rewarding things to do in Baku Old City is wander up and down the pitched streets, between the little shops and parks.

Sand-coloured buildings rise like dunes as you squeeze through narrow alleys clotted with Ladas and Volgas. You have to crane your neck to appreciate the doorways and windowsills inscribed with cursive script and embossed with Islamic patterns.

Narrow staircases turn into steep streets, barely wide enough for two human bodies to pass. Glass window boxes protrude from some of the buildings, little extensions added on as laundries or breakfast rooms. At night, wrought iron street lamps stretch out like boney fingers holding little globes of light to lead the way. Leafy houseplants, lines of washing and doorways marked with foreign names tell you you’ve wandered into the residential quarter.

Religious ritual is part of the Old City’s living history. Walking around on a Sunday morning, we even saw an animal sacrifice taking place behind the baklava shop.

Remember that parts of the Old City are private property. Be careful not to intrude on anyone’s privacy, especially if you’re taking photos.

10. Learn the story of Baku’s ghir pourers

On one of the Old City streets you’ll see a set of peculiar statues perched on a rooftop. An accompanying placard tells the story of the Icherisheher’s ghir-pourers , to whom the statues are dedicated.

Ghir is a black tar that was traditionally slapped onto the roofs of houses and shops inside the Old City to make them weather-proof. ‘Their job had a secret symbolic meaning,’ the placard says of the ghir-pourers. ‘The hot mixture not only made the roof invulnerable to different weather phenomena, but also fastened the friendship between the houses.’

Apparently ghir-pourers were quite the men about town, striking up conversations with tenants and entertaining the neighbourhood children. It’s a lovely tale that hints at the sense of bounded community you can still feel inside Baku Old City today.

11. Find ‘that photo spot’

The ultra-modern Flame Towers can be spotted from all over Baku. In the Old City, there’s a particular sweet spot where two of the trio are perfectly framed by the stone entrance to a mosque engraved with cursive Arabic script, and a Belle Epoque apartment block in the middle-distance. This iconic image epitomises the East-meets-West, old-meets-new Baku aesthetic that so many travellers (including me) fall in love with.

We got up at the crack of dawn one morning to try and find ‘that photo spot’. After much wandering, we got there eventually. But much to my dismay, there were cars parked in the street even in the earliest hours of the morning!

We stood for a good 20 minutes completely transfixed by the view. I think my photo still turned out OK!

12. Shop for carpets and other souvenirs

If you stroll around the Old City in the early morning, you’ll see vendors setting up their stalls by hanging many-coloured soumaks (flat-weave rugs) and handwoven carpets against the sandstone walls and over railings.

There are dozens of shops in Baku Old City selling Azerbaijan souvenirs. Some specialise in carpets, others trade in silver, antiques, Soviet memorabilia, tea sets, woolly Papakha hats , and a range of other local products. The quality varies and not everything is locally made, so take your time to shop around.

And if you’re heading to Tbilisi or Yerevan next, just remember to leave some room in your bag for a few Armenian souvenirs and Georgian souvenirs , too!

If you’re interested in learning more about Azerbaijan’s carpet weaving heritage, I recommend taking a day trip to see the carpet workshops in Quba .

13. Try Azerbaijani pakhlava

You don’t have to walk far through the Old Town to find a little hole-in-the-wall sweet shop selling sticky pakhlava . Azerbaijan’s national sweet is similar to Turkish baklava, only some versions are less complex and use fewer layers of pastry. One of the most popular renditions, tenbel pakhlava (pictured above), actually translates to ‘lazy pakhlava’!

There are at least half-a-dozen varieties of pakhlava for different regions of Azerbaijan. My personal favourite is Sheki pakhlava, which is flavoured with hazelnuts, cardamom and coriander seeds.

In Baku, pakhlava is prepared in huge trays. After it’s cut into diamond shapes, half a walnut kernel or half an almond gets pressed into each piece. You normally by it by the piece or by the gram – or maybe by the kilogram if you have a particularly sweet tooth!.

14. Visit the Museum of Miniature Books

The only institution of its kind in the world, The Museum of Miniature Books houses several thousand teeny-tiny hardback tomes. The private collection of bibliophile Zarifa Salahova encompasses books penned in Azerbaijani, Russian, German and English, including a few of Shakespeare’s major works, dictionaries, and the smallest book of all, a 17th-century copy of the Quran.

Entry is free but donations are welcome. The museum is open from 11am-5pm (closed Mondays and Thursdays).

15. Vagif Mustafazadeh House Museum

There are some lovely house museums in the Caucasus – my personal favourites are in Yerevan and Gyumri . Baku’s most popular house museum is dedicated to Vagif Mustafazadeh, a jazz-pianist and composer who was born in the city in 1940.

If you’ve never been to a house museum, they’re always a bit quirky. This one is set in the three-room apartment Mustafazadeh shared with his mother, with photographs, records and personal possessions put out on display. The caretaker, Mr Vagif, speaks English and will gladly narrate the artist’s life for you.

The museum is open on weekdays from 9am-6pm. Entry costs 5 AZN.

Baku Old City tours

The best way to experience Icherisheher is by wandering the cobbled back alleys with no particular destination in mind. If it weren’t for glimpses of the Flame Towers and Soviet apartment blocks beyond the Old City’s walls, Icherisheher would feel like a time capsule.

If you’re on a tight schedule or you just prefer to have a guide to show you around, there are a couple of Baku walking tours that cover the Old City:

This six-hour walking tour of the Old City hits all the major must-sees. It includes hotel pick up, but you’ll need to pay for museum tickets and entrance fees separately.

This full-day tour incorporates a wander around the Old City as part of a larger, very comprehensive city tour of Baku. If you only have one day in Baku and you want to see everything, I highly recommend it.

Another option is the Baku Free Walking tour organised by Baku Explorer. It covers part of the Old Town and the area just outside the city wall. English tours depart every day at 10am and 1pm. More information here .

Cafes & restaurants in Old City Baku

Here are a few of the best restaurants in Baku Old City.

• Qaynana Restaurant – One in a cluster of eateries in the Old City’s northern corner. The food is expensive, but the atmosphere and the interior decorations are just magnificent. We really enjoyed eating our first lunch in Baku here – especially since the chef invited me into her kitchen to help stir the pot! Reviews & info here .
• Cay Bagi 145 (Tea Garden 145) – An outdoor tea (and shisha) lounge, with tables nestled amongst the domes of an old bathhouse and views of the Maiden Tower. Reviews & info here.
• Icherisheher Bookhouse & Cafe – A cute laptop friendly coffee house that also serves light snacks and cakes for reasonable prices. Info here .

How to get to the Old City

Baku’s metro system is efficient and easy to use. Simply buy a BakıKART metro card from one of the kiosks inside any metro station and load it with a few manat. The card costs 2 AZN (non-refundable), and a metro fare is 0.30 AZN one-way.

To get to the Old City, take the east-west Red Line to Icherisheher station, which lies just outside the western walls. When you exit the ultra-modern pyramid shaped station building, head east, and you’ll see a gate where you can enter inside.

Alternatively, city buses 6, 18 and 65 stop at Icherisheher St station just south of the metro. You can also use your BakıKART on the bus.

More things to do in Baku beyond the Old City

• Philharmonic Park
• The Heydar Aliyev Center
• Fountains Square
• The Flame Towers
• Azerbaijan Carpet Museum
• Nizami Street
• Gobustan Mud Volcanoes
• Discover more day trips from Baku here

7 things to pack for Azerbaijan

• An anti-theft backpack. As a general rule, Azerbaijan is a very safe place and petty crime against tourists isn’t really an issue. Still, a good anti-theft day pack is worth having to keep your valuables safe in the city. If you’re having trouble deciding, here are a few of my favourite minimalist backpack designs .
• A scarf for visiting mosques (women). A lightweight cotton scarf is my number one travel item. In Azerbaijan, it will come in extra handy for covering your hair when entering a mosque or for draping over your shoulders when visiting a market or a rural area. This neutral travel scarf goes with anything, and it even has a hidden pocket. Remember the dress code in Azerbaijan is quite conservative – women and men alike should avoid shorts and wear pants or a skirt that covers the knees.
• Walking shoes. From the cobbled streets of Sheki to the hills of Baku and the muddy landscape around Gobustan , you’ll likely be spending a lot of time on your feet in Azerbaijan. Comfy walking shoes are absolutely essential.
• A reusable water bottle. Avoid single-use plastics whenever you can. I love my S’Well water bottle for warm climates because it doesn’t sweat.
• Wine Wings. Should you decide to buy a drinkable souvenir in Azerbaijan, these handy custom-made bottle protectors will keep your vino safe and sound in your luggage. A travel corkscrew and a wine stopper are bound to come in handy, too.
• Entertainment for long bus/train journeys. If you don’t suffer motion sickness, an e-reader is great for passing the time on long bus or train journeys. If you have a travel buddy , pick up a headphone splitter – probably my favourite travel gadget of all time – so you can share a screen or a podcast. Check out my full list of essential items to make a long train or bus journey more comfortable .
• Biodegradable wet wipes. Try this convenient travel pack .

More Azerbaijan travel resources

• My best photos of Azerbaijan
• My guide to Sheki , northern Azerbaijan’s Silk Road gem
• Travelling to Quba to visit Azerbaijan’s carpet workshops
• How to travel around Azerbaijan by bus : A complete guide
• How to take a day trip from Baku to the Gobustan mud volcanoes
• The perfect Georgia Azerbaijan itinerary
• My epic Georgia Armenia Azerbaijan itinerary
• A comprehensive guide to the Baku – Tbilisi night train

Things to do in Baku Old City: Pin it!

Emily, your blog is such a treasure! Thank you for all you do! I read all your posts about Georgia before our visit last year. I learned so many great tips from you that made our journey unforgettable! This year, we are planning to visit Baku and the first thing I did was searching your blog for helpful information and beautiful pictures. I appreciate you and your work! Thank you and happy travels!

Oh thank you so much Svetlana, that’s amazing to hear! I have a new Baku guide and a few more posts on Azerbaijan coming out this month – I hope they will be published in time for your trip!

An excellent and cheap way to get around Baku is by using the Bolt taxi app – an example is Manat 2.50 to get from the old city to the Heyder Aliyev Centre.

But be aware that from the airport to the city most Bolt drivers are scamming (by gaming their app) to quote low prices. Better to negotiate a final price before entering the cab at the airport rather than arguing about the “You will pay …” app figure during or at the end of the ride. Other than that we found the Bolt drivers courteous, friendly and honest.

And thank you for the excellent Azerbaijan guides Emily! PS. We will be heading for the Georgian border (Balakan-Lagodheki) after Sheki to cross by land late September.

Hi Peter and Anne, great to hear from you! Awesome that you’re back in the region. Thanks for the Bolt tip, I used it extensively on my last visit. You find it’s even easier to use in Georgia. Let me know if you are coming to Kutaisi and would like to meet up. Take care!

Many thanks for your phenomenal photos! I am finally going to Baku next week and your photo reports have been truly inspiring. Can’t wait!

I tried to find info about where you stayed in Baku but didn’t see it. Perhaps I am blind or something 😀 Considering your amazing approach to travelling… Could you recommend any accommodation or say where you stayed?

Many thanks, Juras

Cool! Happy to hear that. We stayed in an Airbnb apartment: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/17470817

Enjoy Baku 🙂

Baku old city is very nice and beautiful.

Hi!! I wil be travelling to Baku next July! Thank you for this wonderful guide!!! By the way, where is that picture taken? I’ve been looking for it in Google Maps but I couldn’t find it.

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20 Must-Visit Attractions in Baku, Azerbaijan

Situated on the Caspian Sea, the Azerbaijani capital of Baku combines a Medieval old town with an ultramodern skyline, bringing together Persian, Turkic, Soviet and European influences. With the city’s best attractions ranging from scaling 18th-century skyscrapers to exploring its very own Little Venice, the Azerbaijani capital has something for everyone.

1. icheri sheher (baku’s old city).

Historical Landmark

Baku’s UNESCO-listed fortified old city was the Medieval capital under the Shirvanshahs. Today, it’s the capital’s historic heart and home to the Maiden Tower, traditional carpet weavers and a plethora of bars and restaurants . Visiting traders in eras past often referred to Icheri Sheher as the Acropolis of Baku.

2. Maiden Tower

Building, Memorial

3. Palace of the Shirvanshahs

Architectural Landmark, Historical Landmark

5. Nizami Street

Architectural Landmark, Historical Landmark, Shopping Mall

Named after the Azerbaijani poet Nizami Ganjavi, the 3.5-kilometre-long (2.2-mile-long) Nizami Street forms Baku’s main shopping district. As you stroll along its length, pay close attention to the architecture, which moves from Baroque and Neo-Gothic to Neo-Renaissance facades and Stalinist styles.

6. Government House

7. Fountain Square

8. Flame Towers

9. National Flag Square

National Flag Square marks the western end of Baku Boulevard. Officially opening in 2007, the square is a symbol of national pride. The giant flag, which measures 70m × 35m (230ft × 115ft) on a flagpole standing 162m (531ft) tall, was featured in the Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest flagpole, but Baku’s efforts were overtaken in 2011 by the 165m (541ft) Dushanbe Flagpole in Tajikistan.

10. Baku Boulevard

11. Mini-Venice

12. Teze Pir Mosque

13. Baku Funicular

Train Station

14. Ismailiyya Palace

15. Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum

16. Palace of Happiness

17. Caspian Sea Cruise

18. Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre

19. Nizami Museum of Azerbaijan Literature

Building, Museum

20. Bilgah Beach

Natural Feature

To combine exploring history and culture with a seaside break, head 35km (22mi) northeast of Baku to Bilgah. Here, you’ll find a clean, sandy beach – the ideal spot to take a dip in the Caspian Sea. Admission is free, but you have to pay a small fee to use the sunbeds.

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Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

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The 10 BEST Things to Do in Baku, Azerbaijan (2024 Guide)

• Last Updated: February 5, 2024

From exploring the 12th century fortifications of Old City to enjoying the sight of the world famous Flame Towers, these are just some of the  best things to do in Baku .

Azerbaijan’s capital, dubbed by Lonely Planet   as “the architectural love child of Paris and Dubai”, is one of the fastest changing cities in the world.

Dilapidated alleyways are now bustling with hipster cafes and international restaurants. The Flame Towers are a marvel of modern architecture. Millennials wander the streets dressed in the latest high-end fashion.

Yet Baku is not without its charm either.

At the centre of Baku lies the Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Surrounding this time capsule are stone mansions and luxury boutiques. The blend of the old and new works effortlessly.

There are a lot of tourist attractions around the city. The city is rapidly expanding and you will find many things to do in Baku to keep yourself busy and entertained.

Table of Contents

Do A Walking Tour Of The Baku Old City

See the bibi heybat mosque, climb up the maiden tower, visit the mud volcanoes at gobustan national park, check out the flame towers, wander through the azerbaijan carpet museum, don’t miss the palace of the shirvanshahs, admire the ateshgah fire temple, see the old city walls, pop in to the miniature book museum, where to stay in baku, our guide for the best things to do in baku.

We spent a few days in the capital of Azerbaijan after travelling across the Caspian Sea by cargo ship, and after so much time spent in Central Asia, the step into European style was quite dramatic.

If you’re planning on taking a trip to Azerbaijan, don’t miss these amazing things to do in Baku.

Old City or “Icharishahar”, is one of Azerbaijan’s two UNESCO World Heritage Sites . It’s truly a unique, historical part of Azerbaijan and is located within the heart of Baku.

The Old City is very clean and recently renovated. It’s a very beautiful and very artful town, surrounded by fortressed walls, adding to the character.

Walk through its cobblestone streets, see and touch the stones of the ancient walls, zigzag through narrow corridors and admire the intricate art on the doors.

The Old City of Baku has a lot to offer. The town has a lot of aged buildings, a palace complex, mosques and the iconic Maiden Tower.

Across from the Maiden Tower you can book an audio tour that will elaborate on the main sightseeing points of Old City.

We always suggest a guided tour because we prefer to ask locals questions and hear the story of their hometown through their eyes.

It’s a great place to wander around. There are a lot of souvenir vendors, great tea shops and restaurants. With a beautiful view of the boulevard, picturesque moments of merchants playing chess or backgammon, interesting trinkets being sold – you won’t get tired even after hours of exploring.

It’s truly a place where time seems to have stopped.

No matter who you turn to for advice on what to see in Baku, Old City will always be the top recommendation!

The Bibi Heybat Mosque is one of the most interesting things to do in Baku, and even non-Muslims will enjoy exploring this wonderful piece of architecture.

The present day structure is from July, 1998, and is a recreation of the mosque that was built in the 13th century by Shirvanshah Farrukhzad II Ibn Ahsitan II.

Today’s restored mosque is a classic example of the Shirvan architectural school. Interestingly enough, it is the only religious building that was completely destroyed by Stalin in 1936.

It has three domes, which follows the traditional iron shape of the old mosque and two minarets. The domes are decorated with turquoise and green mirrors, that are bordered with gilded inscriptions from the Qur’an.

The mosque includes the tomb of Ukeyma Khanum (Prophet Muhammad’s descendant), and present day serves as a spiritual centre for and a major monument of Azerbaijan’s Islamic architecture.

You are welcome to visit outside of prayer times.

To make the most of your day, book a guided 5-hour tour where you will go to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site – Gobustan before continuing on to Bibi Heybet Mosque and mud volcanoes!

• Location: 6 km southwest from Baku
• Opening hours: 24h/7
• Price: Free of charge

While in Baku you cannot miss climbing on top of Azerbaijan’s most recognised landmark, and the centre of the city’s historical importance.

The Maiden Tower, or as locals call it Giz Galasi , is located in the Old City and is constantly surrounded by a hive of activity from locals and tourists alike.

It was built in the 12 th century as part of the walled city of Baku. The name Giz Galasi is better translated as “Virgin Tower”, so named because of its impenetrability.

The Maiden Tower is part of UNESCO’s world heritage listing, looped in with the Old City and the Shirvanshahs’ Palace.

Climb the Maiden’s Tower just before sunset and enjoy the panoramic view of the Azerbaijan capital and its Old City – it’s a Baku must see!

• Location: in Old City district
• Opening hours: every day from 9 AM – 6 PM
• Price: 15 AZN

The other of Azerbaijan’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites is the Gobustan National Park, that attracts thousands of tourists annually.

This otherworldly site is a sprawling field speckled with bubbling mud volcanos, anthropological sites and sizzling lakes.

In Azerbaijan there are around 300 mud volcanoes to be found at the shore, in the sea and on islands. That’s about 30% of the world’s total, and is a main reason people choose to visit Azerbaijan.

Grab the opportunity to visit the Gobustan National Museum and learn all about the history of petroglyphs, see ancient human bones or work tools from the Mesolithic period.

To get to Gobustan National Park from Baku head to the Maiden Tower and take bus number 88 or 120 to the ‘Field of 20’ stop, then change for bus number 195 the rest of the way.

Alternatively you can book a day tour with Viator, which is actually quite a good way to see the the mud volcanos.

The Flame Towers are located on a hill overlooking Baku Bay and the Old City. It’s an iconic trio of buildings that transformed the image of the city from a forgotten place to modern day Baku.

Not only does it transforms the city’s skyline, but it also pays respect to Baku’s history and predicts its strong future.

The design of the towers was inspired by Azerbaijan’s historical past of fire worship amongst locals. The buildings are shaped in a form of a flame, and are completely covered with LED screens that present movements of a fire.

From almost anywhere in the city you can see the Flame Towers, which dominate the new skyline.

Our tip is to visit the TV tower that is situated above – you will encounter the most stunning view!

• Location: 1A Mehdi Huseyn 1A Mehdi Huseyn
• Opening hours: every day from 10 AM – 1 PM, 2 PM – 10 PM
• Price: free of charge

In Azerbaijan and nearby Central Asia, carpet weaving occupies a special place in the history of its national culture.

Definitively the most widespread folk art is carpet weaving. It was a part of everyday life of Azerbaijanis and turned into a national symbol.

The carpets have a high aesthetic and historic importance, so they’re also used to cover the walls and floors of homes, nomads’ tents, mosques and government buildings as well.

The Azerbaijan Carpet Museum was set up in 1967. Besides the obvious carpets, it also holds in possession over 10,000 objects such as ceramics, metal works, and jewellery dating from the Bronze Age etc.

The museum is primarily used for research, keeping and displaying carpets and carpet items, as well as applied art works.  

• Location: 28 Mikayıl Hüseynov Prospekti
• Opening hours: Tuesday – Friday from 10 AM – 6 PM, Saturday – Sunday from 10 AM – 8 PM
• Price: 7 AZN

An important piece of Azerbaijani history is Shirvanhahs’ Palace, which was built in 15 th  century by the Shirvanshah kingdom.

The Shirvanshahs were the rulers of Shirvan, the name of the land that now occupies modern-day Azerbaijan. Being the leaders, they of course had to build an epic palace to call home.

Their Palace, alongside the Maiden Tower and the Old City, is bunched together in Baku’s UNESCO World Heritage listing.

The sandstone complex is significant for the situation inside the Old City, which is located behind the fortress walls that were built by the same kingdom in the 12 th century, right around the time Baku became the capital.

That is the main reason why the architecture of the Old City is similar in emphasising the art of medieval Islamic civilisation.

The Palace consists of a palace building, the mausoleum of the King Khalilullah buried with his mother and sons, two mosques, east gate (Murad’s Gate) , bath house (“hammam”) and Sufi philosopher and scientist Sayid Yahya Bakuvi’s mausoleum.

It was restored in 2003, and now you can enjoy couple of entertaining audio-visual surprises.

• Location: Gasr, lane 1, 76, Sabail
• Opening hours: every day from 10 AM – 6 PM
• Price: 8.50 AZN

Zoroastrianism and their belief in fire worship is a fascinating religion that can be found all over Asia, and their Temples of Eternal Fire are quite well known.

In a small suburb of Baku, one of their temples still exists today and is one of most popular Baku tourist attractions.

The temple in its present state was constructed around the 17th-18th centuries, and was built by the Baku-based Hindu community.

The area is known for a unique natural phenomenon – burning natural gas outlets. That means that the underground gas coming up to the surface lights up as it makes contact with oxygen.

For that reason the temple quickly became the holy place of Zoroastrians – the fire worshipers. They thought that the inextinguishable fire had mystic properties so they flocked to the temple to worship the relic.

In the early 19th century the Temple acquired its present-day appearance.

The Fire Temple has a pentagonal structure with a castellation and entrance portal. The altar is situated right at the natural gas vent, a well from which beat eternally burning gas accompanied by four smaller flames on the rooftop corners of the pavilion.

• Location: 20 kilometres east of Icheri Sheher
• Price: 2 AZN

The Old City Walls are built on a site that has been inhabited since the Palaeolithic period. The Old City of Baku reveals traces of Sasanian, Arabic, Zoroastrian, Persian, Ottoman, Russian and Shirvani presence in cultural continuity, making it one of the most culturally fascinating places in the region.

Today the walls still stand, and it’s very impressive to see how much of the Inner City’s 12 th  century defensive walls have remained.

Boasting a triple row of fortress walls, the Maiden Tower and other fortification facilities, the Old City was a magnificent stronghold.

It’s very impressive to navigate within its walls and see how the urban pattern of the city acts as a maze. It’s stunning architecture makes it one of the more popular Baku attractions.

The large squares and wide length streets gradually narrow and shrink into a geometric design which in the past, allowed full involvement of residents in defensive activities.

The only one of its kind in the world, the Miniature Book Museum was opened in 2002 by Zarifa Saahova. The dedicated bibliophile opened the museum in hopes to inspire young generations to read more, and he’s doing a great job.

The museum holds thousands of miniature-sized books, including editions of works of Dostoyevsky, Pushkin, Chukovsky and Gogol.

The books are from all parts of the world, and are written in numerous languages, including Russian, Azeri, German and English.

The oldest book in the museum is a copy of the Quran, dating to the 17th century, while the smallest tome (6mm x 9mm) is the Russian book “The Most Miraculous Thing,” which can only be read by using a magnifying glass.

Don’t miss out on the Miniature Book museum as it’s one of the unique things to see in Baku.

• Address: Icheri Sheher 67, 1-st Castle Lane, 67
• Opening hours: every day from 11 AM – 5 PM (closed on Mondays & Thursdays)

Baku Travel Guide

Doing reading on what to do in Baku can be time consuming, as well as researching on what areas are best to stay in Baku.

We have created the list of places to visit in Baku as well as a guide where to stay, in order to aid you make the most out of your Baku sightseeing experience.

For many affluent visitors to the city, the best place to stay in Baku is the iconic Flame Towers , which is under the famous Fairmont umbrella.

It’s luxurious, unique, and if it fits in your budget well worth to stay, although they are a bit far from the centre of town. Still if you’re happy taking taxis, this is an excellent place to stay. Book it on Booking.com

If you want the absolute best accommodation in Baku then check out the Four Season s for unparalleled service and quality in the city.

More of a hostel kind of person? Then don’t miss the options on HostelWorld.

DISCLAIMER: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, which means if you book accommodation, tours or buy a product, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These commissions help us keep creating more free travel content to help people plan their holidays and adventures. We only recommend the best accommodations, tours and products that ourselves or our fantastic editorial team have personally experienced, and regularly review these. Thanks for your support, kind friend!

Alesha and Jarryd

Hi, We’re Alesha and Jarryd!

We’ve been traveling the world together since 2008, searching for the planet’s best destinations and adventures.

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Hello Alesha and Jarryd your article is really helpful. I am planning to visit Baku in the 2nd week of December this year. did you visit Guba and Gabala. how many days are enough to see all these places in Baku? kindly refer to hotel names that are pocket friendly and in range of center of city.

Hi Taz, so glad the article was helpful for you. Unfortunately we didn’t get to Guba and Gabala. We would like to go back to Azerbaijan one day and explore this country more. We feel maybe 3 days would be a great amount of time. As for hotels, we are not too sure with that one. Google would be your best friend with that one. There is a lot to see and learn. Have a wonderful time and happy travels.

Nice and helpful article. i am planning to visit solo next month from October 8 to October 13.

That is exciting. Have a great time in Azerbaijan. 🙂

This blog was extremely helpful. I’m planning a trip in two weeks and I have made a note of all the things listed here for things to do in Baku.

Just one question, is the day city tour good or the night city tour or should we do both?

Thank you !

So glad you found this article helpful. It can depends on your schedule or timing. Either is great. If you have the time do both and see two different sides of Baku. Happy travels

hi Alesha and Jarryd am visiting Baku on 28th May…I would like to know whether we can walk through the old city at night after 8pm?…We are 3…me my daughter(12yrs) and my son(21yrs)….is it safe?

Waiting for your reply

Best Regards,

When we were there we did walk around at that time to dinner and the long way back to the hotel. We felt fine and did not feel in danger at all. It is all up to you and your gut feeling. Ask your hotel when you get there and see what they think. Have a great trip.

I am planning to go on 17 may .

Have a great time. 🙂

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Thank you for reading

Thank you for great tips. We will be heading Baku the most likely at the end of this summer 🙂

Thank you for reading and have a great time in Baku. 🙂

I really love Icherishahr and carpet museum in Baku.It was so fantastic.

Glad you had a great time. It is a great city. 🙂

I seen your baku post, Its really amazing . Thanks for sharing.

Thank you 🙂

Mud Volcanoes At Gobustan are beautiful!

Hi Mina, we missed out on the mud volcanos. We were on the boat crossing the Caspian Sea too long and our visa days ran out. We will have to return one day. 🙂

Hi Alesha & Jarryd; Your article is extremely helpful in planning and deciding upon my list of things to do in Baku. We have just 5 days and your article helped me a lot to shortlist my sights. Thanks a lot. Stay happy and blessed.

Hi Sammina, thank you so much. So glad you found the article helpful. Have a great time there. Happy travels. 🙂

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If you are planning to visit Azerbaijan, you should definitely know the top places to visit in Baku. Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan, which is located on the western shore of the Caspian Sea in the southern part of the Absheron peninsula. Baku faces south, towards the sea, and surrounds Baku Bay like amphitheater which creates incredible beauty of history and charm of the Orient. Being the commercial and economic center of Azerbaijan, Baku with a population of over 2 million people is the largest and most cosmopolitan city of the South Caucasus region. During independence years the city changed very quickly and nowhere else in the Caucasus do East and West blend so organically. The etymology of the city’s name is derived or comes from the Arabic language which means bad kube (Baku city of winds). Another version states that perhaps it comes from the ancient Caucasian word bak (sun, or god), hinting at the area’s ancient role as a center for fire-worshippers millennia ago. Below is the list of the top places to visit in Baku:

1. Baku Boulevard

Baku Boulevard (also known as National Park) is a promenade established in 1909  which runs parallel to  Baku ‘s seafront. It is the second-largest in Europe after the park located in the Paris alongside Seine River. The park is very popular among tourists as well as locals of Baku to walk and enjoy the beauties of the city and sea. Its history goes back more than 100 years, to a time when Baku oil barons built their mansions along the Caspian shore and when the seafront was artificially built up inch by inch.

2. The Palace of the Shirvanshahs

The Palace of the Shirvanshahs is a 15th-century palace built by the Shirvanshahs and described by UNESCO as “one of the pearls of Azerbaijan’s architecture”. It is located in the Inner City of Baku, Azerbaijan , and, together with the Maiden Tower, forms an ensemble of historic monuments inscribed under the UNESCO World Heritage List of Historical Monuments. The complex contains the main building of the palace, Divanhane, the burial-vaults, the shah’s mosque with a minaret, Seyid Yahya Bakuvi’s mausoleum (the so-called “mausoleum of the dervish”), south of the palace, a portal in the east, Murad’s gate, a reservoir and the remnants of a bathhouse.

3. Maiden Tower

The Maiden Tower is a 12th-century monument in the Old City, Baku, Azerbaijan. Along with the Shirvanshahs’ Palace, dated to the 15th century, it forms a group of historic monuments listed in 2001 under the UNESCO World Heritage List of Historical Monuments as cultural property, Category III. It is one of Azerbaijan’s most distinctive national emblems and is thus featured on Azeri currency notes and official letterheads.

4. Carpet Museum

Azerbaijan Carpet Museum  displays  Azerbaijani carpets  and rug items of various weaving techniques and materials from various periods. It has the largest collection of Azerbaijani carpets in the world. It moved to a new building on the  Baku ‘s seafront park during 2014 from its former location on  Neftchiler Avenue . The museum has become a research-training and cultural-educational center where many events, such as exhibitions, international symposiums, and conferences, are held. During its 50 years of existence, the museum has organized more than 30 exhibitions in different countries throughout the world.

5. Little Venice

Little Venice is one of the most beautiful sections of the Seaside National Park in Baku. This small town within the city, reminiscent of Italy’s Venice, adds a special beauty to the capital of Azerbaijan with its stunning canals and architecture. Little Venice was constructed as part of the Baku Boulevard in the 1960s and has become a favorite holiday destination for Baku citizens and guests of the city.

4. Nizami Str

Nizami Street is a large pedestrian and shopping street in downtown Baku, Azerbaijan,  named after classical poet Nizami Ganjavi. The street’s history could be traced back to Baku’s town-planning project of 1864. The street runs through the city’s downtown from west to east. It begins from Abdulla Shaiq Street, in the mountainous part of the city and ends at railroad bed on Sabit Orujov Street, near a monument to Shah Ismail Khatai in “Black City”. The total length of the street is 3,538 m.

6. Flame Towers

Flame Towers is a trio of skyscrapers in Baku, Azerbaijan, the height of the tallest tower is 182 m (597 ft) . Towers representing flames symbolize fire. The Flame Towers are completely covered with the LED screens that display the movement of a fire visible from the farthest points of the city. The light show transitions from giant flames, the colors of the Azeri flag, a figure waving a flag, and giant tanks of water being filled. Transition times are approximately 2 minutes.

7. Highland Park (Martyrs’ Lane)

Baku’s Highland Park is the highest point in the Azerbaijani capital, opening a panoramic view of the city and its bay. The city’s residents and visitors often come here to see a bird’s eye view of Baku and just have a walk. The Upland Park can be reached by funicular in 7-8 minutes from the boulevard, by climbing up the endless stone stairs or just by car.

8. Heydar Aliyev Center

Heydar Aliyev Center is the spectacular work of Zaha Hadid which is built in 2012 and covers 57,500 m 2 area. Some facts about the building:

• The recorded cost of the center is 250 mln $.
• Architects did 2.5 years of research in order to just find out how to build this amazing building.
• The material that was used to make outside of the center invented by the architects because there was no known material in order to make such a curved building.

9. Gobustan Rocks

Gobustan State Reserve located west of the settlement of Gobustan, about 40 miles southwest of the center of Baku was established in 1966 when the region was declared as a national historical landmark of Azerbaijan in an attempt to preserve the ancient carvings, mud volcanoes and gas-stones in the region. Gobustan State Reserve is very rich in archeological monuments, the reserve has more than 6,000 rock carvings, which depict primitive people, animals, battle-pieces, ritual dances, bullfights, boats with armed oarsmen, warriors with lances in their hands, camel caravans, pictures of sun and stars, on the average dating back to 5,000-20,000 years. Gobustan Rocks is considered one of the favorite places that tourists visit in Baku.

10. Mud Volcanoes

Home to nearly a third of the world’s mud volcano’s, Azerbaijan features a messy, bubbling, and sometimes explosive landscape. Mud volcanoes are closely associated with hydrocarbon and petrochemical stores underground, hence the gas trying to escape to the surface. A few of these gas leaks are constantly on fire, shooting small perpetual flames into the air and some believe that these perpetual flames are strongly connected to the appearance of the Zoroastrian religion in Azerbaijan some 2,000 years ago. This place especially is interesting for families who travel with their kids.

11. Bibi-Heybat Mosque

The Bibi-Heybat is a historical mosque in  Baku ,  Azerbaijan . The existing structure, built in the 1990s, is a recreation of the mosque with the same name built in the 13th century by  Shirvanshah  Farrukhzad II Ibn Ahsitan II, which was completely destroyed by the  Bolsheviks in 1936. Today the Bibi-Heybat Mosque is the spiritual center for the Muslims of the region and one of the major monuments of  Islamic architecture  in Azerbaijan.

12. Heydar Mosque

One of the grand architectural projects of recent times is the Mosque of Heydar Aliyev with four minarets, was built in Baku in the architectural style of Shirvan-Absheron . This mosque is not the largest construction cult-religious architecture only in Azerbaijan, at the same time in the entire South Caucasus. The area of Heydar Aliyev Mosque is 12,000 square meters, the height of the four minarets is 95 meters. The large and small domes of the mosque are 55 and 33 meters high, respectively. The facade of the mosque is made of a special stone style of Shirvanshah architecture and interior decoration is made of marble and wood.

13. Fire Temple (Ateshgah)

The Baku Ateshgah often called the “Fire Temple of Baku” is a castle-like religious temple in Surakhani town, a suburb in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Based on Persian inscriptions, the temple was used as a Hindu, Sikh, and Zoroastrian place of worship. “Atash” is the Persian word for fire. The pentagonal complex, which has a courtyard surrounded by cells for monks and a tetrapillar-altar in the middle, was built during the 17th and 18th centuries. It was abandoned in the late 19th century, probably due to the dwindling of the Indian population in the area. The natural eternal flame went out in 1969, after nearly a century of exploitation of petroleum and gas in the area, but is now lit by gas piped from the nearby city. Fire temple especially is considered one of the top places to visit in Baku among Indian travelers.

14. Burning Hill (Yanardag)

Burning Hill is a natural gas fire that blazes continuously on a hillside on the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian Sea near Baku. Unlike mud volcanoes, the Yanar Dag flame burns fairly steadily, as it involves a steady seep of gas from the subsurface.

15. The World’s First Industrially Drilled Oil Well

For the first time in history, the industrial production of oil started in Baku. This event was known in Azerbaijan but documentary evidence has been found recently in the archives. As a result, the world’s first oil well of 21m deep and drilled in 1846 in the village of Bibi-heybat near Baku was found and restored, which became an open-air museum.

You can visit all these top places in Baku with the accompany of a knowledgeable local guide by taking one of our private tours .

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Things to do in Baku – a budget-friendly guide to Azerbaijan’s exquisite capital city

What are the top things to do in Baku? If you’re on a tight budget and want to explore Baku without breaking your piggy bank, here is a list of the cheapest and most fun activities to do in Baku.

Baku, it sounds like a species of parrot but in reality, it’s the name of the bustling capital city of Azerbaijan . I’m not very fond of big cities and I prefer to sleep in my tent somewhere in the woods rather than being cramped up in a dorm room in a city, but I gladly made an exception for Baku!

This lively metropolis is a world on its own. The Lonely Planet describes it as “the love child of Paris and Dubai” and once you visited the city, you’ll understand why.

I would also describe it as the big brother of Batumi , an odd but beautiful Georgian city on the coast of the Black Sea. Baku has a beautiful boulevard on which you can walk for hours and it’s particularly beautiful at sunrise or sunset.

The city also has many little parks where you can hide between the green bushes, an old historical city with the neo-Ottoman Shahidlar mosque, a museum of miniature books, incredible eye-catching architecture such as the Heydar Aliyev Center, and of course, the iconic Flame Towers towering above the city.

I always feel lost whenever I enter a huge city, especially during the first days. There’s a chance you’ll see me sitting on a bench dazed by the heavy traffic and crowds of people, not really knowing where to go or what to do.

That’s why I put together this guide with things to do and places to stay in Baku so you won’t feel as lost as me and you won’t need to break your piggy bank.

It can be an expensive city if you don’t watch out so it’s good to know a few useful things about Baku before you go. I would still recommend you to sit on a bench and observe the people and the surroundings. It’s always a fun thing to do, especially while sipping on a coffee.

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Read more about the visa requirements and registration in Azerbaijan !

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A short introduction to Baku

The name ‘Baku’ can be interpreted as ‘city of winds’. After a walk through the streets, you quickly understand why. Azerbaijan’s capital city is located on the western Caspian seaside and you can often feel the harsh sea breeze blowing through the city’s streets and messing around with your hair.

Baku is the largest city in the Caucasus and is the political, scientific and cultural center of Azerbaijan. The city is hip, modern, chaotic and multicultural with architecture that spans multiple generations and styles that neighbor in interesting ways.

For example, the futuristic Flame Towers are placed right behind the centuries-old city walls. One moment you find yourself walking in the hypermodern shopping streets and a few streets further you can come face to face with grand old 19th century styled apartment blocks or wooden houses with hanging balconies that evoke the spirit of the Silk Road.

Kind of a crazy mix but it works. It creates a unique atmosphere and your camera will love it!

Baku is also the industrial center of Azerbaijan. The city lies on the Apsheron Peninsula which is rich with underground sources of oil and natural gas.

That’s why Azerbaijan is historically called the Land of Fire. The many oil rigs on the coast are visual proof of that. Unfortunately this contaminates the seawater with oil so Baku isn’t exactly the place to go on a beach vacation (except for Bilgah beach ).

But do not fear, you won’t get bored here as there are plenty of other (free) things to do in and around Azerbaijan’s metropolis.

Is Baku safe?

Before traveling to a new city, we often wonder if it’s safe. You might be asking yourself if Baku is safe for students or expats or if the Azerbaijan capital is safe for solo female travelers.

My take on it is that Baku is a very safe city. Crime level there is extremely low compared to other big metropolises around the world. Foreigners feel very comfortable in this city and the whole atmosphere of Baku is quite peaceful.

Even if you’re a solo female traveler, you can wander around the parks of Baku without worrying about being bothered or harassed by men.

The streets are very clean and with the creation of a new tourist police service Baku is safer than ever.

Now does that mean that nothing bad ever happens in Baku? Of course not. Like in all big cities, small crimes such as pick-pocketing are not unheard of.

Use common sense when traveling in crowded areas in the city center or late at night.

To avoid being a victim of pickpockets keep your wallet in your front pocket or carry a money belt . Another great option is to travel with a slash-resistant and lockable anti-theft bag . I would also recommend getting good travel insurance that covers theft .

Top things to do in Baku – 14 places worth visiting

1. Icheri Sheher

Icheri Sheher or “Old Town” is the heart of the city and is located right in the center of Baku. It’s the place where ancient Baku was founded and has a history of thousands of years.

Icheri Sheher was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. The town is surrounded by fortress walls and is a historical ensemble of numerous unique monuments such as the Shirvanshah’s Palace complex, the Maiden Tower, mosques, minarets and the ruins of caravanserais (old inns where travelers could rest) and bathhouses.

Walking around in Baku’s Acropolis feels like walking back in time. There’s a cozy atmosphere, especially at night when the locals are preparing food, playing backgammon or just sitting around and drinking tea in the streets.

Entrance fee : Free

2. The Palace of the Shirvanshahs

Shirvanshahs literally means “the kings of Shirvan”. Shirvan was the main territory of the Shirvanshah kingdom and the palace was built in the 15th century in the center of Icheri Sheher.

The architectural style is very exquisite and it emphasizes the art of medieval Islamic civilization.

The Palace complex contains the palace building, the Royal mosque, the Key Gubad mosque, the Divankhana mausoleum where king Khalilullah is buried with his mother and sons, Sufi philosopher Bakuvi’s mausoleum and the ruins of bath houses.

Entrance fee : 10 AZN 

3. Discover the city with the Hop on Hop off bus tour of Baku

If you just arrived in Baku and want to get a quick tour of the city for cheap, why not try a hop on hop off bus? This is a great activity to get a quick sense of the city and it brings you to so many of the places mentioned in this guide.

You can get on board at any of the 15 stops along the circuit and buy a 24-hour ticket from the conductor for only 20 Manat. If you have only a few days to spend in Baku and want to see as many places as possible, this is definitely an activity I would recommend!

The bus ticket includes earphones for the audio-guide, a city map, and extra information about most of Baku’s touristic attractions.

At each stop, the bus will stop for two minutes allowing some time to take pictures. You can also hop off the bus to explore the different sights and hop back on again when the next bus comes along, an hour later.

The first stop is across the road from the Hilton Hotel in Azadlig square.

This is where you can find the bus at the beginning of its loop:

The bus runs from 10 AM to 7 PM daily and the ticket is valid for 24 hours.

Bus fee : 20 AZN but the ticket is valid for 24 hours

4. Museum of Miniature Books

This museum, located in Icheri Sheher, is the only one in the world that is dedicated to miniature versions of books. This library is the private collection of Zarifa Salahova and contains thousands of tiny books that originate from all around the world and are written in numerous languages, including Azeri, Russian, English and German.

It’s definitely worth visiting this unique museum!

Entrance fee : Free, donations are welcome

5. Stroll around Taza Bazaar

One of the things we love to do while we travel is to visit local bazaars. They give a glimpse into the daily life of the local people, they are a sensory experience and usually very photogenic.

The Taza Bazaar is one of the largest markets of Baku and was opened more than 70 years ago. It’s actually one of the oldest bazaars in Azerbaijan. It is located in the center of the city on Samed Vurgun street.

If you want some amazing pictures of the bazaar, try getting there in the early morning when the light is just perfect. If you’re staying in a hostel and you feel like cooking, you can buy fresh vegetables, herbs, oriental spices and Caspian sea fish there.

6. The Workshop of Ali Shamshi

While you’re wandering through the narrow lanes of the Old City, you’ll suddenly come across a psychedelic looking wall. This is the exterior of Ali Shamshi’s studio, who is a talented artist.

His tiny studio is filled with colorful paintings and quirky installations. Pop in his studio while you’re visiting Icheri Sheher.

Entrance fee : free

7. Sunbathe at Bilgah beach

If you want to swim and spend some time working on your tan, Bilgah Beach is the perfect place to do so. While many of Baku’s beaches are spoiled because of oil pollution, Bilgah beach is a clean sandy beach and a great spot to enjoy the sea.

It’s just 35 kilometers northeast of Baku. Admission is free and we’re sure you’ll end up staying there sunbathing for hours. You can get there by taking Bus 185 from Koroghly Metro. The bus stops at Bilgah Sanatorium.

The bus stop where you need to wait is located close to this intersection:

8. Maiden Tower

The Maiden Tower is probably one of Baku’s most famous landmarks. There are a lot of different theories about the purpose of this tower but none is confirmed.

One theory is that the tower was part of the Shirvanshah’s defense system and served as a beacon. People sent alarm signals from this tower to other towers, using smoke by day and fire by night.

Another theory is that this tower used to be a Zoroastrian temple of fire worship and that with the changing times in the Middle Ages later functioned as a defense tower.

A local friend also told us another legend about this tower: The Shah’s (king) daughter fell in love with a guy whom her father refused her to marry.

The king built this tower to lock her up and the daughter became so desperate that she jumped from the tower and killed herself.

One tower, many stories. You can go inside the tower, visit the interactive exhibits and climb the spiral stairs to the top and be rewarded with a nice view of the city.

Entrance fee : 10 AZN

9. Upland Park

Another place where you will be rewarded with an amazing view is Upland Park. The park summarizes the architecture in Baku – a blend of Ottoman, Soviet and ultramodern architecture.

It’s a nice place to walk around. I would definitely recommend you to go there at sunrise or sunset as you’ll have a fantastic view of the harbor and the Caspian Sea. It’s a fairly comfortable climb up the stairs but you can also get there by taking the funicular.

Entrance fee : 2 AZN if you take the funicular, free if you walk

10. Flame Towers

The Flame Towers are the tallest skyscrapers in Baku, with a height of 190m. This iconic trio of buildings marks the city’s skyline and is evidence of the country’s oil wealth.

The towers also promote its historic identity as they are inspired by Baku’s history of fire worship.

The three flame-shaped towers are set in a triangular shape and each tower has a different function. The tallest of the three is a 39-story residential luxury apartment building.

Imagine the views from your kitchen while having breakfast in the morning! The second tower is a hotel and consists of 318 rooms spread over 36 floors.

The third one is an office tower that provides many commercial office spaces. Not a bad place to work if you ask me! I reckon that those offices definitely come with a nice view!

The towers provide a spectacular light show once the sun goes down. The facades of the three Flame Towers function as large display screens which uses more than 10.000 high-power LED lights!

The light show makes the towers look like they are burning as it depicts a beautiful array of red flames going towards the sky. The display of lights is also arranged to show the Azerbaijani flag in all its glory.

Entrance fee: The towers are not open for public visits, unless you’re a resident, office worker or hotel guest. The price of one night in the hotel costs around $170 per night , not exactly a budget-friendly price.

You could always try to become friends with someone who lives in the residential tower or give your best smile at the security guards…

11. Heydar Aliyev Center

The Heydar Aliyev Center is an architectural masterpiece! This cultural center is named after Heydar Aliyev, the first secretary of Soviet Azerbaijan and later president of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2993 – 2003).

The building is considered as one of the main attractions for tourists and became a symbol of modern Baku.

The cultural center was opened in 2012 and was designed by the Iraqi-British award-winning architect Zaha Hadid. The overall shape of the building resembles a wave-like ascension from the ground towards the sky followed by a gradual descent down to the earth.

The center received an award in 2014 for Design of the Year.

The Heydar Aliyev Center houses a conference hall, the Heydar Aliyev museum and multiple exhibition halls. The museum presents the history of Azerbaijan and different stages of Heydar Aliyev’s life and work.

One of the exhibition halls demonstrates all the periods of the history of Azerbaijan and displays items related to different areas of Azerbaijani culture.

Entrance fee: Admiring the architecture of the building is free but if you want to go inside the center, you can buy a ticket for 12 AZN.

This ticket provides you access to the museum and the “Azerbaijan Treasures” exhibition within the Center. You can also buy separate tickets for the other exhibitions that are held.

12. Baku Boulevard

The Baku Boulevard is a 3 km long promenade which runs parallel to Baku’s seafront. It was established in 1909, in a time when the Baku oil barons built their mansions along the Caspian shore.

At the beginning of the Soviet period, the boulevard’s area was mismanaged and the situation became worse as the sea began to rise so high that many of the trees and shrubs in the park started to die because of the salinity of the water.

After a big clean-up and a huge renovation and reconstruction work, the boulevard became a popular place for locals and tourists to stroll and relax.

There are now many small parks, fountains, and restaurants. There’s even a weird little Venice setting where you can rent tiny gondolas.

13. Get lost in the streets and get surprised

It sounds cliché but the best way to visit Baku is by picking a random street, start walking and getting lost. You’ll find interesting little shops, exquisite buildings, colorful mosques, beautiful parks, and odd monuments.

14. Enjoy the sunrise over the Caspian sea

Last but not least on this list of cool things to do in Baku: Enjoying a beautiful sunrise from the pier of Baku. Baku has a long pier that extends far out into the sea. some of the sunrise scenes I captured in this video are from that location.

It’s the perfect place to witness the sun rising above the sea in all its glory. You’ll hear the sound of the waves gently splashing on the peer while feeling the sun gradually warming up your skin.

What are the best day trips from Baku?

Azerbaijan is known as the Land of Fire due to the huge amount of underground oil and gas sources. The natural gas in Azerbaijan’s bowels is so much that it comes to the surface over and over again.

In some places a match dropped accidentally can ignite the gas, which will keep on burning until it fully exhausts. No wonder that Azerbaijan became a pilgrimage destination for fire-worshippers, followers of the Zoroastrian religion.

They believed that the fire sources were the manifestation of divine power so they built altars and temples to worship them. In the suburbs of Baku are some very interesting and unique places where you’ll learn more about the history and richness of the Land of Fire.

1. The mud volcanoes of Qobustan

There are about 1000 mud volcanoes in the world and Azerbaijan is home to one-third of them because the country is a big source of oil and natural gas. The mud volcanoes are formed in places where pockets of underground gas find a weak spot in the earth and force their way to the surface.

That starts first with a big explosion, then a huge flame but instead of magma, there will be a big eruption of mud. Interesting enough the mud is cold so you can touch it without hurting yourself.

The substance contains a lot of minerals so sometimes people come here to take a mud bath in the volcanoes. The mud volcanoes in Qobustan were formed in 2001 and they are definitely a very interesting phenomenon worth visiting!

How to get to the mud volcanoes from Baku by public transport:

Take bus 125 or any other bus that goes to the Bina Mall. This trip costs 0.50 AZN and you can buy the bus ticket in the ticket machine at the bus stop.

Get off the bus at the mall (it’s the end station anyway) and take bus 195 towards Qobustan and Alat. Don’t get off at Qobustan unless you want to visit the museum .

Although the mud volcanoes are referred to as ‘the Qobustan mud volcanoes’, they are actually located near Alat. Ask the driver to stop at the bus stop in Alat.

It’s a tiny little bus station near a small village. The journey from the mall to Alat is about 55 minutes and costs 0.80 AZN which you pay to the driver once you get off the bus.

You’ve got two options when you’re in Alat. You can take a taxi to the volcanoes. Don’t worry about finding a taxi, the taxi drivers will definitely find you!

They will give you ridiculous prices but don’t give in. Don’t pay more than 15 AZN for a roundtrip! Start walking away and they will lower their price.

The second option is to walk. Walk for about 50m towards the village, take the first road to the left and follow this road for about 2km until you come across train tracks.

Cross it and keep walking. You’ll be up for a long walk in the desert – about 5km one way. Keep following the dirt track and you will see a sign that says ‘volcanoes’. Follow that sign up the hill and you’ll suddenly see the hidden mud volcanoes appear. Take plenty of water with you as it can be super hot in summer!

Check out our vlog about the mud volcanoes:

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2. Qobustan National Park

The National Park of Qobustan is cut up with numerous ravines (in Azerbaijani Qobu), so it’s clear where the park got it’s name from. Qobustan is home to thousands of rock engravings spread over 100km.

The engravings display hunting scenes, people, ships, constellations, and animals. The oldest petroglyphs are 12.000 years old!

UNESCO included the Qobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape in the World Heritage List in 2007.

It’s considered to be of “outstanding universal value” for the quality and density of the rock art engravings, for the substantial evidence the collection of rock art presents and for the cultural continuity between prehistoric and medieval times that the site reflects.

There’s also a museum on the site that presents a lot of background information about the history of the area and the rock engravings.

Entrance fee: 2 AZN, entrance to the museum is included in this price

How to get to Qobustan from Baku by public transport:

Get off the bus at the mall (it’s the end station anyway) and take bus 195 towards Qobustan and Alat. The journey from the mall to Qobustan takes about 40 minutes and costs 0.80 AZN which you pay to the driver once you get off the bus.

You’ll know when to get off because you’ll see a sign with ‘Qobustan’. You can always ask the bus driver in advance to stop there.

The museum and rock engravings are at about 6km from the bus stop in the direction of the hills. You can walk the distance if you’re up for it but make sure that you’re prepared as it can be very hot during summer.

The walk is partially uphill. You can also opt for a taxi, which will be very easy to find but less easy to bargain with taxi drivers. Don’t pay more than 20 AZN and maybe you can make a deal to include a visit to the mud volcanoes for this price (see the section above). The museum is open from 9 am until 5 pm.

3. Atesghah Temple of Baku or Fire Temple of Baku

The Ateshgah Temple of Baku (‘Atash’ is the Persian word for fire) is a religious temple in Surakhani, a suburb of Baku. The pentagonal complex was constructed in the 17th – 18th centuries. In the middle of this complex sits an altar with a natural gas vent, which is known for its natural “eternal flame”, a phenomenon of burning natural gas outlets.

This flame went out in 1969, after the exploitation of petroleum and gas in the area but it’s now lit by gas pipes from the nearby city.

The temple was founded as a pilgrimage and holy place of Zoroastrians – a group of religious people who worship fire – who were involved in the Silk Route Trade.

They attributed a mystical significance to the inextinguishable fire and came here to worship the relic and practice fire rituals. The temple altar is surrounded by a number of small cells, which accommodated the ascetic worshipers and pilgrims.

The temple ceased to be a place of worship after 1883 with the installation of petroleum plants and the complex was turned into a museum in 1975. It was also nominated for the List of World Heritage Sites in 1998.

Entrance fee : 4 AZN

How to get to Ateshgah Temple from Baku by public transport:

Take the metro to Koroghlu. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket machines in the metro stations and costs 0.50 AZN. Get out at the metro station called Koroghlu.

Walk out the station and to the buses that go towards the suburbs (there’s a sign that will tell you ‘towards Baku’ and ‘to suburbs’). You’ll also see a lot of taxis but you can ignore the drivers who will call out to you.

Take bus 184 towards Amirjan settlement. The last stop of this bus is directly next to Ateshgah temple. All you need to do is cross the train tracks.  

The ride takes about 16 minutes. Pay the driver 0.40 AZN once you get off the bus. 

Walk towards the big walled complex. Chances are that you’ll see a few buses parked there. Enter the gate, go to the right and purchase your entrance ticket at the little kiosk right next to the entrance of the temple.

4. Yanar Dag (Fire Mountain)

One of the most famous tourist places of the “eternal flame” in Azerbaijan is the mountain of Yanar. Well, the word mountain is a bit exaggerated as it’s rather a hill but it’s still quite a fascinating place.

It reminded me a lot of Mount Chimaera in Turkey – which can be properly called a mountain. Both places have natural gas burning in its slopes since ancient times.

Perfect place to have a campfire if you ask me! Yanar Dag has a 10m long wall of fire that is burning continuously alongside the edge of the hill.

The best time to watch it is in the evening when the sight of the blazing hill is most effective. The legend goes that it was a shepherd who actually ignited the fire in the 1950s by tossing a cigarette and that the hill has burnt ever since.

Yanar Dag is declared a state-protected conservation area since 2007.

Entrance fee : 3 AZN

How to get to Yanar Dag from Baku by public transport:

Take the metro to Koroghlu. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket machines in the metro stations and costs 0.50 AZN.

Get out at the metro station named Koroghlu. Walk out the station and to the buses that go towards the suburbs (there’s a sign that will tell you ‘towards Baku’ and ‘to suburbs’).

You’ll also see a lot of taxis but you can ignore the drivers who will call out to you. Take bus 217 towards Yanardag qorugu. This is also where you have to get off the bus. The journey takes about 30 minutes from Koroghlu and you pay 0.45 AZN to the driver when getting off the bus.

Where to stay in Baku

Baku is a city that is worth taking the time to discover, so you will want to stay there at least a night or two. It is a city rich in traditional architecture but it also blends in modern elements.

Baku also offers a wide selection of hostels for budget travelers who want to save money to explore during the day and swap stories with fellow backpackers in the shared kitchen or bar in the evening.

Maybe you’re asking yourself What are the best and cheapest budget hostels in Baku? Here are some hostels where we stayed that we absolutely recommend:

Mr. Hostel Baku

This is a very colorful and cozy hostel right in the city center. It’s the perfect place to relax after a backpacking adventure around Azerbaijan. The staff speaks perfect English and will help you with your registration if needed.

The old city is just 10 minutes away from this hostel so it’s a location where a lot of backpackers end up staying. Freedom Square and the flame towers are less than a 20-minute walk from Mr. Hostel.

Although this establishment is right in the city center of Baku, it feels really calm and quiet inside. There are plenty of desks and cozy couches to work from in the main lobby and the internet connection is super fast.

When we were there, the receptionist helped us get our ferry ticket to cross the Caspian sea and they showed us tons of cool activities we could do in the city. We can’t recommend this place enough.

Click to check out rates and availability for “Mr. Hostel Baku”

Freedom Hostel

The living room of this hostel reminded us more of a luxurious home than a budget accommodation. Freedom hostel is a very spacious establishment and the kitchen is huge!

There is also a nice terrace where Cynthia and I spent our evening relaxing in the setting sun.

Baku metro station, as well as the subway station, are not far and can be reached in a few minutes.

Click to check out rates and availability for “Freedom Hostel”

Cheeky Carabao Backpackers Hostel

This hostel has some really cool features. It has a ping-pong table where you can play in the evening with other backpackers, cool walls covered in graffiti and massive rooms. We loved chilling in the lobby and meeting kindred spirits.

The dorms of this hostel are very spacious, and clean and they have very big windows. If you like to cook, there are a few corner stores nearby in Baku where you can get vegetables. The kitchen of the hostel comes fully equipped with pans, dishes and a working stove and oven.

Click to check out rates and availability for “Cheeky Carabao Backpackers Hostel”

What are the best and cheapest restaurants in Baku?

Baku has a really wide range of restaurants. There are options for all kinds of travel budget. Whether you can’t wait to try local dishes at a great price or you crave international cuisine, eating in Baku won’t disappoint you.

Here are a few budget restaurants that we recommend you check out while in the Azerbaijani capital:

This small cafe became one of our favorite places to eat out when we stayed in the Azeri capital. Araz Cafe is a cozy place with fantastic food almost right next to the fountain square on Nizami street.

For being an Azeri cafe, Araz has some of the best Plov I ever had. It’s as delicious as the rice dishes I ate in Uzbekistan . If you don’t like meat, there are different good options for vegetarians in this restaurant.

Araz Cafe is also a great location to smoke shisha while listening to some live music. If you don’t like the smoke of shisha (how can you not love that perfume?) the cafe has a huge terrace where you can also eat and enjoy a great time.

This is where you can savor the delicious meals and experience the ambiance Araz Cafe offers:

Dolma Restaurant

This restaurant is also located near fountain square close to the old city. The establishment owes its name to a dish famous in Azerbaijan; the dolma.

It’s a dish made of rice and meat stuffed inside grape leaves. This restaurant is probably the best place in Baku to enjoy the typical Azeri dish.

If you’re very hungry, this is the place where you should eat, the portions are humongous and you’ll leave the place absolutely stuffed. If you enjoy wine, you should try out the local pomegranate wine and finish your meal with a shot of strong Raki.

This is where you’ll find Dolma Restaurant in Baku:

This is the restaurant I recommend if you’re looking for a quiet and romantic venue. Eating in Sumakh feels like eating in a five star Michelin restaurant, both for the high quality of the food and for the beautifully decorated dining room.

From the quality of service to the food, design, and atmosphere of the restaurant, in Sumakh everything is at the highest level.

This restaurant has very traditional and authentic Azerbaijani dishes as well as some savory European options. To accompany the meal, Sumakh also offers a fine selection of Azerbaijani wine.

This is where Sumakh is located:

How to get to Baku and travel around the city

How to get from the airport of baku to the city center.

If you fly to Azerbaijan, you’ll be landing at Heydar Aliyev international airport in Baku. Getting from Baku’s international airport to the city center is not very complicated. The airport is located just 21 km away from the city center and you can there by taxi or by city bus.

I explain everything you need to know about reaching the city center from Baku’s international airport in this article .

How to get a taxi in Baku

Taxi drivers in Baku tend to ask exorbitant prices if they see you’re a foreigner. For Azerbaijan as for Central-Asian countries like Uzbekistan or Kazakhstan , it’s better to download the Yandex app on your phone.

Yandex works as a cab-hailing app meaning you won’t have to negotiate directly with the driver and you can avoid being ripped off.

If you use Yandex in Baku, the taxi rides become extremely cheap. Short taxi rides with this app cost 2-3 AZN which is the equivalent of 3 USD.

If you don’t travel with a phone or can’t download Yandex, getting a taxi in Baku might be a bit more complicated. Most official taxis in Baku don’t have a taximeter and drivers typically charge around 15 AZN for rides around the city.

If you don’t speak Russian or Azeri they might even ask more. Taxi drivers generally don’t accept foreign currency so make sure you have some manats with you.

As in Russia it’s quite common to flag down private cars and agree on a price for the ride, this might seem strange, but you’ll see plenty of locals doing it.

Traveling around Baku by city bus

Baku has a very good city bus system. Buses are quite modern and rival city buses you would find in Europe. A bus ticket inside the city costs around 0.20 AZN while buses to the suburbs will typically charge from 0.30 AZN to 0.50 AZN.

Here is a map of all the bus stops in Baku.

Taking the metro in Baku

Traveling around Baku by metro is very practical and you can easily reach a lot of interesting sights around the city. There are two main metro lines in Baku, one going around the city center and another roughly in a northwest-southeast axis. Twenty metro stations are currently opened in the Azerbaijani capital.

A single metro ticket costs 0.30 AZN and the metros are operating between 6 AM and 1 AM the next day.

I hope you will enjoy your stay in Baku as much as we did! In case you have to wait multiple days to catch the boat to Kazakhstan , and have some time to kill, you’ll know what to do in Baku!

* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of the links, we get a commission at no extra costs to you! See it as a small donation to keep this blog going. Thank you!

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Have a look at our videos of Azerbaijan . Hope we can inspire you to visit this beautiful and off-the-beaten-track country!

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO – AZERBAIJAN TRAVEL TIPS:

• The Ultimate Travel Guide to Backpacking in Azerbaijan
• Visa, registration and border crossing in Azerbaijan
• Traveling from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan across the Caspian Sea by cargo ship

7 thoughts on “Things to do in Baku – a budget-friendly guide to Azerbaijan’s exquisite capital city”

“Wow, this blog post on ‘Things to Do in Baku’ is an absolute gem! It beautifully captures the essence of Azerbaijan’s exquisite capital city and provides a comprehensive guide for budget-friendly explorations. The author’s attention to detail and personal experiences truly make this article stand out. From exploring the historic Old City to indulging in mouthwatering local cuisine, this guide offers an impressive range of activities to immerse oneself in the vibrant culture and charm of Baku.

Hello Can I use the photos of your site by mentioning the source on my Instagram page?

Hi Rozi, could you send me a direct email concerning your question? You can contact me at [email protected]

Your photos are gorgeous! I’m impressed, this is a wonderful place! Thanks for sharing.

Thank you! Happy to hear you like my photography 🙂

I have read your it’s very informative for readers.Thanks for sharing your valuable knowledge.Keep writing.

Thank you for reading! Happy to hear you appreciated our guide to Baku!

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Baku travel guide

Baku tourism | baku guide, you're going to love baku.

On the fault line between East and West, Baku is unlike anywhere else on earth. Azerbaijan's capital offers a fascinating Soviet legacy, soaring towers that could have been transplanted from Shanghai, along with a beautiful ancient center. Contradictory it may be, but Baku is always a delight.

Top 5 Reasons to Visit Baku

1. the unesco-listed historic center.

Baku's Old City dates back almost a thousand years. Ringed with an impressive set of walls, it sits atop a maze of tunnels and features countless historic sights, including the Maiden Tower.

2. The Caspian Coast

Baku sits on the Caspian Sea, the world's largest inland sea. Take cruises across the sea, explore beaches like Bilgəh or stroll along Baku's elegant seafront promenade.

3. Plenty of Museums to Explore

Baku is rich with museums, including a recently opened Carpet Museum, the National Museum of Azerbaijan History, and the Museum of Modern Art, which includes works by Picasso and Dalí.

4. Visit the Absheron Peninsula

Baku's hinterland is well worth visiting, from the Ateshgah Fire Temple to the spectacular natural gas vents of Yanar Dag.

5. World-Class Kebabs

If you are a kebab fan, Baku is the place to head. For a treat, try the liver kebabs from Sultan's, a local favorite.

What to do in Baku

1. palace of the shirvanshahs: the pearl of azerbaijan.

A historical monument that is breathtaking in its scale, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs is made up of stunning mausoleums, gran stone pavilions, intricate stone carvings, and mosque spires. It also includes a bathhouse. These are all the markings of the presence of the 15th-century Shirvanshah dynasty and the beautiful palace still stands tall and majestic, if a little dusty and characteristically worn with age, rising and visible from a distance. Anointed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site, an afternoon roaming its beautiful steps and terraces would be an afternoon spent whisked back in time.

2. Maiden Tower: Surrounded by Mysteries and Legends

So iconic and central to the Azerbaijani culture is it that the Miden Tower appears on the Azeri currency notes, stamps, and official letterheads. The Maiden Tower stands alongside the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and is also on UNESCO's World Heritage list. Once you look past its imposing and stalwart stone facade and climb up its stairs to the very top, it's easy to see why: besides being a monument dating back to the 12th century, the Maiden Tower gives visitors a unique, panoramic view of the Old City, Baku Boulevard and the sparkling waters of the Baku Bay. And what about when you're done delighting in the view? Head down to its mini museum, which marks the historical evolution of the city.

3. Fountain Square: The Heart of the City

Comprised of multiple fountains encapsulated within the main square, this area has an instantly calming effect on all those who gather at her steps. And, yet, it is also the place where the city hosts large public gatherings, cultural festivals and outdoor events. Once you've strolled around and taken in the beauty of the Fountain "Balls" at night or the glint of sunset off the fountain in the Governor's Garden, it's easy to see why. The modern passages and stylistic cobblestone streets create a distinctly mixed cultural experience: there are flourishes from Soviet rule, Mediterranean influences, Persian and Balkan remnants, and Arabian palm trees.

4. Gobustan National Park: A Natural Wonder

Lady Luck has blessed Baku with the history, culture and the desert beauty of the natural world. The Gobustan National Park is better known as Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape and, unsurprisingly, its historical significance along with its unique landscape has catapulted it to yet another UNESCO World Heritage site. The petroglyphs carved into the rockfaces date back at least to 10,000 B.C. and there are more than 6,000 of these markings made by early civilizations. Walking through its deeply-etched ravines and traveling up its rocky hills is an exploration in itself.

5. Heydar Aliyev Center: Modern Curves

Designed by the late, incomparable British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, the Heydar Aliyev Center is a cultural point of attraction for visitors and locals alike. It houses an auditorium, a gallery, and a museum. It's fluid and flowing form are the mark of a rapidly modernizing and prosperous Baku.

Activities & attractions in Baku

Where to Eat in Baku

If you want to enjoy some of the finest kebabs on earth, head to restaurants like Sultan's, Sehrli Tandir, or Şəki. There are also plenty of Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and French places as well. Expect good kebabs to cost around ₼5-10, but gourmet meals to come to far more, around ₼40-50.

When to visit Baku

High summer can be a little intense for some, so visit between April and June or September to October for the best weather. Winters tend to be chilly, and many attractions close for the season.

How to Get to Baku

Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD) is 15 miles out of town. To reach Baku, take the express bus, which costs ₼1.30 or take a taxi for around ₼60.

Baku has rail connections to Moscow and other Russian cities, as well as Kiev in Ukraine.

If you are driving north from Bilasuvar, take the E119. From Mingecevir and the west, take the E60 all the way to Baku.

Buses run into Baku from all of Azerbaijan's major cities, and there are international services from Russia and Iran as well.

Airports near Baku

Airlines serving baku, where to stay in baku.

Baku has some incredible hotel options, including the lavish Fairmont Baku, Flame Towers with its rooftop pool, and the Sheraton Baku, which is handy for the airport.

Popular Neighborhoods in Baku

İçərişəhər - Baku's old town, İçərişəhər is a UNESCO-listed gem. Don't miss the views from the 95-foot-high Maiden Tower.

Khutor - another old part of Baku, Khutor is full of flower-decorated lanes and buzzes with street life. Safe and charming, it's a great place to explore on foot.

Yaşıl Bazar - Baku's major market, Yaşıl Bazar is the place to go to find fresh, juicy pomegranates and locally made quince jam.

Where to stay in popular areas of Baku

Most booked hotels in baku, how to get around baku, public transportation.

NIIM runs buses and the subway in Baku. A single ticket costs just ₼0.20, so they represent excellent value. If you ride the subway, you'll need to buy a BakiKart for ₼2 before traveling.

Taxis are a cheap way to get around in general, charging about ₼1.30 for every mile.

Car rental options in Baku include AvtoRent, AzRent, and Aznur. Expect to pay about ₼35 per day.

The Cost of Living in Baku

Shopping streets.

Baku's bazaars include Yaşıl and Taza, and both are great places to shop for bargains. There are also huge malls at Park Bulvar and Port Baku, which are crammed with international brands.

Groceries and Other

Supermarket options include Makromart, Bizim, and Neptun, where you can expect to pay around ₼2.50 for 12 eggs.

What’s it REALLY like to travel to Baku, Azerbaijan?

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When I think back to my travels in Baku, Azerbaijan, one anecdote comes to mind. I’m driving through the highway as we speed past modern, silver buildings interspersed with sand-colored mosques and souks, set back against the arid landscape. My guide points out a cluster of buildings on one side of the highway.

“See those buildings?” he tells me. “Our journalists live there. They get to live there for free.”

I smile weakly and say, “Oh. For free. Cool.” Inside, I’m thinking, really? In exchange for what?

That’s what it’s like to grow up in a country without freedom of the press. Journalists living in government-provided housing is seen as something to extol to international visitors, rather than something that should be kept under wraps.

That’s not to say that Azerbaijan is horrifying. Far from it. I found Baku to be an intriguing destination, quite often perplexing, and well worth a three-day visit with my boyfriend before traveling on to Georgia and Armenia.

Table of Contents

Azerbaijan: A Modern Land of Fire

Azerbaijan is known as the Land of Fire — this is a country where flames can and do burst out of the earth in unexpected places. There are places close to Baku where you can see eternal flames billowing out of the ground, or even from the water. And the reserves of natural gas cause unusual geological effects, like bubbling mud volcanoes.

And sitting in the middle of that fiery desert, on the banks of an inland sea, is one of the world’s most prolific collections of modern architecture. The most famous of which are three modern towers shaped like flames, lighting up with even more flames at night.

If you mention modern architecture set against a desert, where do you think of first? Dubai, maybe, or Doha, Qatar? I got a similar vibe from Baku. Azerbaijan is rich with oil money, thanks to its location next to the Caspian Sea, which had led to insane levels of recent development.

While Dubai and Doha have their share of modern buildings, Baku sprawls like neither city. As you’re driving around Baku, it seems borderline uncanny that you can cruise over so many hills and still see all kinds of modern, interesting buildings.

Within this unusual setting, there are a lot of cool places in Baku to explore and enjoy.

Best Things to Do in Baku

The good thing about visiting a city like Baku is that there isn’t an established tourist trail — you don’t need to hop from sight to sight.

Have dinner overlooking the Flame Towers. On a whim, I ended up at Panoramic Restaurant . While most of the windows face away from the Flame Towers, there is a tiny outdoor patio with only three tables that has a view of the Flame Towers! Do what I did — go early in the day to check it out, then make a reservation for that exact table for sunset that evening.

Explore the old city of Baku. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a place where the architecture differs enormously from the rest of the modern city. The old city dates back to the 6th century and it gives you an idea of the incredible cultural history in this region from Zoroastrian, Sasanian, Arabic, Shirvani, Persian, Ottoman, and Russian cultures. The Maiden Tower is a great spot for a view of the Flame Towers. And just outside the old city is the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum.

Visit the markets. What struck me about Baku’s markets is how immaculate they are. I’m used to seeing piles of produce flung in every direction; it seems like Azerbaijanis make every effort to shape their produce into the most aesthetically pleasing piles. The conical shapes on the mango slices and dried flowers are perfect.

It extends to larger fruits, too. Apples were stacked in clean straight lines; perfect green watermelons made up the perimeter. One table even grouped tomatoes not just by type but by size, arranging them into perfect mounds!

Normally I’m a bit uneasy at markets because I feel guilty when I don’t buy anything, but I felt more relaxed here. That and men kept giving me macadamia nuts to sample — the best macadamia nuts I’ve ever tasted. (Did I buy any? Nope. Macadamias are one food that I avoid because if I have one, I’ll have a million.)

Check out Heydar Aliyev Center.  In a city filled with modern architecture, this is one of the most famous buildings of all (and a symbol of Azerbaijan, named after its most beloved leader). The building contains a museum and conference center with rotating exhibitions. But even if you don’t go inside, it’s worth it, because it’s in the middle of a giant park, which becomes a place to see and be seen at sunset.

This is easily the best Instagram spot in Baku. I recommend coming around sunrise or sunset for the best light.

Enjoy the cafe scene. While the old city was surprisingly more dead than I expected, I loved the neighborhood just east. This area was filled with all kinds of interesting cafes and restaurants, and I loved walking around and exploring.

Spend an evening down by the Caspian Sea. I was a bit surprised that there was so little seafood on the menus in Baku, despite being located on the sea. But there is one place where seafood is the star: Derya Fish House .

Once you step out of your cab, you arrive to a windy waterfront filled with locals celebrating the end of the day. Oh, and it’s cheap! The two of us had a whole fish, bread, a bowl of olives, eggplant caviar, lemons, pickled vegetables, cheese, and pomegranate sauce on the side for just $18.

Best Day Trips from Baku

The best day trip from Baku is its most famous day trip — to Qobustan to see the mud volcanoes and petroglyphs.  Qobustan National Park (sometimes written as Gobustan) is just under an hour’s drive from Baku.

Qobustan is known for its mud volcanoes. To get to them requires an off-roading vehicle. When my car pulled to the side of the road, I assumed we’d be getting into some kind of jeep — but was I ever surprised when we got into a tiny Soviet-era Lada! It didn’t look like it would last a day in the desert, let alone go off-roading to mud volcanoes!

And soon we reached the mud volcanoes.

The gurgling is a lot slower than I thought it would be — just a constant, slow BLURP! BLURP! every few moments. Like the volcano had eaten a lot of beans that day.

The landscape is beautiful and dramatic — but that wasn’t all we’d see.

Next up in Qobustan was the petroglyphs — ancient rock art. I’ve seen ancient rock art in other parts of the world, like Kakadu National Park in Australia , but this rock art is uniquely impressive. You see people dancing, people hunting, petroglyphs of animals. It has survived remarkably well, and this is why Qobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Seeing Qobustan was one of the highlights of my time in Azerbaijan, and I feel like you can’t go to Baku without making a stop here.  See tours to see Qobustan’s mud volcanoes and petroglyphs.

The other half of my day was spent touring the famous sites on the opposite side of Baku. Here you’ll find two more attractions that prove that Azerbaijan is the land of fire: Ateshgah, the Zoroastrian fire temple, and Yanar Dag, where the fire bursts from the earth.

Ateshgah is a temple on the outskirts of Baku. It was built in the 17th and 18th centuries, though ceremonies have taken place on the same site as early as the 10th century, and it has been a center of worship for Zoroastrians, Sikhs, and Hindus. The flame inside the temple is naturally occurring, but it actually went out in 1969 due to environmental destruction. The fire today is lit by Baku’s main gas supply.

At Yanar Dag, you can see a steady fire burning from the bottom of the hill. Fed by natural gas, this is another fire that never extinguishes. It was so toasty down by the fire — I have never wanted to have a stick and a bag of marshmallows so much in my life! (And let’s not kid ourselves, a bag of graham crackers and chocolate waiting by the table.)

Ateshgah and Yanar Dag are two places that show you how interesting of a natural environment Azerbaijan is. See tours to Ateshgah and Yanar Dag here.

Azerbaijan Food

What kind of food will you be eating in Azerbaijan? Delicious food. Surprisingly good food. The dishes I ate were most similar to Turkish cuisine, fresh and flavorful. While there were some similarities to their Georgian and Armenian neighbors, Azerbaijani food is very much its own thing. I was only in the country for a few days, so this is by no means an exhaustive guide, but it contains several of my top hits.

I ate a lot of dolma — vegetables stuffed with a mixture of rice and meat. While “dolma” can mean stuffed grape leaves or cabbage leaves in other cultures, in Azerbaijan it can mean any kind of stuffed vegetable.

Also popular are kebabs of all kinds, and plov, roasted rice and meat dishes.

Eggplant dip was everywhere — made from roasted eggplant, peppers, and onions and mixed with a variety of herbs and spices. This was the perfect start to a meal. You eat it with bread.

My absolute favorite dish was at Panoramic Restaurant in the Old City — I can’t remember the name and REALLY should have written it down, but it was a skillet filled with chicken, cherries, potatoes, and chestnuts. It sounds like a winter dish but it was solely on a hot summer night.

While you don’t see a ton of fish on the menus in Azerbaijan, you will down at restaurants on the Caspian Sea like Derya Fish House . I recommend ordering a grilled white fish with pomegranate sauce on the side — it brings the same kind of acidity that you get from lemons.

As for Azerbaijani wine, it does exist and it’s worth sampling, but it’s nothing to write home about. Georgia and Armenia have much better wine.

Azerbaijanis love sweets and pastries, and I tried a few different kinds of baklava — one made with walnuts, one made with almonds, one made with hazelnuts. I honestly think walnuts are king — they need that slightly bitter flavor to cut the sweetness. Hazelnut baklava was dangerously sweet!

And Azerbaijanis are crazy about tea. Tea breaks are important punctuation marks of the day. You can sweeten tea with jam, and they serve it with small pastries.

This is just a sample of the delicious food I ate in Azerbaijan.

Want to learn more about Azeri cuisine?

Go on a food tour in baku..

Travel Azerbaijan with JayWay Travel

On this trip I traveled as a hosted guest of JayWay Travel , a boutique travel agency specializing in Eastern and Central Europe.  I’ve worked with JayWay Travel in Ukraine in the past and they do such a good job putting together bespoke itineraries where you don’t have to worry about a thing. JayWay recently added Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia as new destinations where they have local experts.

For my three-day trip to Baku, that meant pick-ups and drop-offs at the airport; a full-day private tour to Qobustan and the fire region, including a stop at a market; a local SIM card, and support throughout the trip. That was perfect for me — I knew my first day would be spent napping and taking it easy due to the weirdly timed flight (see more on that below), and I liked getting to do my own exploring on the final day.

As I always say, if you’re an experienced traveler, you don’t need JayWay in order to travel. But JayWay is perfect for your parents, older travelers, less experienced travelers, and experienced travelers who want someone else to plan their trip for a change. It’s an enormous time-saver when you’re busy, too.

The Caucasus is a fantastic travel destination, but it’s not nearly as easy to travel as Europe. Azerbaijan is a country just waking up to tourism, and they don’t have the established tourism infrastructure of other countries. It’s a good place to have a helping hand.

Learn more about JayWay’s Azerbaijan trips here.

Where to Stay in Baku

Most of the time when I visit a new city, I stay in the old town or old city because it’s usually the prettiest, most central part of town.  Baku’s old city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which made it seem like a slam dunk, and so I stayed at a hotel in the old city, the Deniz Inn Boutique Hotel.

While I had a good stay there, I actually don’t recommend staying in the old city of Baku. It’s beautiful but it’s mostly inaccessible to cars (to get an Uber or taxi, you need to walk a distance outside the old city); you are constantly going up and down stairs; there are lots of aggressive touts around the Maiden Tower; there aren’t as many cafes and restaurants as you would think. If you have mobility challenges, you should absolutely avoid staying in the old city.

If you do want to stay in the old city, the Deniz Inn Boutique Hotel is a nice midrange choice. It’s comfortable, the internet works well, it’s not too deep into the old city, and the staff are great. And the best thing about this hotel is that it has an Illy cafe in the lobby. Reliable quality coffee isn’t always easy to find!

So which Baku neighborhood is best? I recommend staying in a hotel just east of the old city. This area is home to lots of cool restaurants, cafes, parks, and nightlife. And because it’s part of the main city, cars can drive the streets and you can hail Ubers close to your hotel. Most of it is flat, though there are some steeper parts.

Recommended Baku Accommodation:

• Luxury: JW Marriott Absheron Baku
• Midrange: Passage Boutique Hotel
• Budget: Renaissance Palace Hotel
• Find deals on more Baku hotels here.

Azerbaijan Visa

Azerbaijan requires a visa for most visitors. In the past it was difficult and expensive for most westerners to get an Azerbaijan visa for longer than a few days. Now it’s MUCH easier and cheaper — you can get an e-visa online for just $20! See the full list of nationalities eligible for the e-visa here.

You order the visa online, it takes around three days to process, and you print it out and bring it to immigration with your passport. Don’t keep it on your phone; bring an actual printed copy.

Order your visa directly from evisa.gov.az . NOTE: THIS IS THE CORRECT SITE; DO NOT BE FOOLED BY IMPOSTERS! There are many third party visa sites that mimic the layout of this site, then try to charge you $50 for the same exact thing. I almost got fooled by one of those sites.

Flying to Baku with Azerbaijan Airlines

I flew nonstop from New York to Baku on Azerbaijan Airlines.  This is the one direct flight from the United States to Azerbaijan. The flight takes 11 hours and currently flies twice per week.

While it’s awesome to fly nonstop, the flight leaves at an awkward time: it departs New York at 11:30 AM and arrives in Baku at 6:30 AM, which is 10:30 PM New York time. As a result, you probably won’t be able to sleep much if at all, and you’ll likely spend your first day in Baku in a jet-lagged stupor. Plan a low-key day for your arrival if you take this flight.

I was lucky to fly in Azerbaijan Airlines’s Comfort Club, as someone special upgraded me for my birthday. Comfort Club is like the stop between premium economy and business class.

You get comfier seats and a TON more space (the seats go much further back but don’t lie flat), you’re served multiple courses for meals, and you get lounge access at the airport (in my case, the cheese-and-champagne-filled Air France lounge at JFK). I was able to stick my feet straight out without touching the seat in front of me (I’m 5’4″). I didn’t get into the entertainment but there was a decent selection of movies. For an 11-hour flight where I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep much, I was so glad to have this level of service!

If you’re coming from the US on another line, you can get connections on Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa. Azerbaijan Airlines flies to cities including Tbilisi, Tel Aviv, Paris, London, Dubai, and several Turkish and Russian destinations.

Travel to Azerbaijan BEFORE Armenia

If you’re planning to travel throughout the Caucasus, you should try to travel to Azerbaijan before Armenia. It will make your life much easier.

Azerbaijan and Armenia don’t have diplomatic relations, and all borders are closed. Armenians are not allowed to enter. (While Armenia doesn’t have diplomatic relations or border crossings with Turkey, Armenians are allowed to travel to Turkey anyway, so Azerbaijan is much stricter.)

When I arrived in Azerbaijan, I was asked if I had ever traveled to Armenia. I said no, and there was no evidence of Armenia in my passport. But I do know people who have been interrogated heavily for traveling to Armenia previously, regardless of their nationality.

If you have visited the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is Azerbaijani land currently occupied by Armenia, you will automatically be rejected. (They also ask you if you’ve traveled to Nagorno-Karabakh when you apply for your visa, which will also earn you a rejection if your answer is yes.)

However, Armenian immigration officials are more forgiving. They do ask you if you visited Azerbaijan and why, but if you only visited as a tourist, they don’t care and they let you in without any problems. This is why I recommend visiting Azerbaijan first and Armenia second. (It’s best to go via Georgia, either by land or by plane.)

Unfortunately, ethnic Armenians of different nationalities (whether they’re American, Russian, French, Lebanese, Argentine, or something else) are often rejected at the border based on their last name. From what I’ve researched, it seems to come down to the mood of the immigration officer, and I’ve heard that some people try to convince the immigration officials that their last name is Persian.

If you’re an ethnic Armenian who wants to travel to Azerbaijan, or a person whose last name ends in -ian or -yan, I recommend you do more research. This is beyond my pay grade.

Traveling to Baku: The Takeaway

I’m very happy that I got to travel to Baku — but I think this is a one-and-done trip. Which is fine! Not every destination has to be an “I can’t wait to go back” destination. I’m so glad that I visited and had the experience this interesting city had to offer.

Looking back at my two-week trip to the Caucasus, I think that starting with Baku was a good idea. I was able to take advantage of the only nonstop flight to the Caucasus from New York, and then I moved on to Georgia and Armenia, which were both more impressive. I wouldn’t have done it any differently.

Chisinau and Minsk: Two Offbeat Soviet Cities

Essential Info:  My trip in Baku was entirely organized by JayWay Travel , a travel company that organizes custom private tours in Central and Eastern Europe. They organize everything as soon as your feet touch the ground in your country, from flights and tours to airport pickups and a cell phone or SIM card. JayWay recently added Azerbaijan as one of their new specialties, along with Georgia and Armenia. In Baku I stayed at the  Deniz Inn Boutique Hotel . Rates from $56. When using Uber to get around Baku, be sure you check the license plate — some drivers here operate with a different car than the account they claim to have. Never get in a car unless they match. Travel insurance is essential before every trip — in case of an emergency, it could save your life and finances. I use and recommend  World Nomads  for trips to Azerbaijan.

Many thanks to JayWay Travel for hosting me on my Caucasus trip, including covering my expenses in Azerbaijan. All opinions, as always, are my own.

Have you traveled to Azerbaijan? What did you think?

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Places to Visit in Baku

• Places To Visit

Tourist Places in Baku

Here is the list of best places to visit in baku:.

Teze Pir Mosque

Dənizkənarı Milli Park

Flame Towers

Best of Turkey

National Flag Square

Baku Boulevard

Little Venice

Icherisheher Fortress Walls

Best of Israel

Fountain Square

Bilgah Beach

Heydar Mosque

Nizami Street

Best of Azerbaijan

Museum Of Miniature Books

Highland Park

Palace Of The Shirvanshahs

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• Baku Tourism: Exploring The City’s Wonders

Baku Tourism: Exploring the City’s Wonders

Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, is a beautiful blend of rich heritage and modern architecture that has influences from Persia, Europe, and the Middle East. Located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, the city offers mesmerising views of either the sea or the exceptional buildings. Tourists who travel to Baku also love this place because of the accommodating locals who are always happy to help and the delectable food that has flavours of Asia and Europe. A fun fact that tourists travelling to Baku should know is that it is called the "City of Winds," as the capital is known for its harsh winds.

Although the city now has a deep influence of the modern era, it also holds a strong sense of pride in its mediaeval roots. The Azerbaijan trips will show you the beauty of this unique blend and how the people are still so connected to their culture and traditions.

Best Places to Visit in Baku

There are so many tourist places in Baku that a day or two will not be enough for you to explore the entire city. From the Old City to the Flames Tower, tourism in Baku shows the contrast between old-fashioned and hypermodern styles of architecture. So get ready to explore the wonders by going to these tourist places in Baku: -

• Icherisheher or Old City
• Ateshgah Fire Temple
• Palace of Shirvanshahs
• Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre
• Flame Towers
• Shirvanshah Museum Restaurant
• Yasil Market
• Heydar Mosque

1.    Icherisheher or Old City

Marked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Icherisheher, or the Old City, is one of the top tourist attractions in Baku. It is also known as the Inner City, which came from the time when the Russian Empire occupied Baku and the city got divided into the inner and outer cities. The people living in the inner city considered themselves the elite and those living in the outer city were thought to be inferior. This area dates back to at least the 12 th century, which reflects on its old yet iconic buildings. Tourism in Baku proudly reveals the historical evolution of the city, with places like the Old City. You can roam around this area and visit the Maiden Tower, which is a prominent building in the capital city. The tower features a museum where you can learn about the historical evolution of Baku.

2.    Ateshgah Fire Temple

The Ateshgah Fire Temple is one of the most fascinating places to visit in Baku. Located on the outskirts of Baku, people from around the world come to visit this temple. Many Baku, Azerbaijan, tourism packages include this site on their lists because of the rich history and importance the temple holds. Until the 19 th century, natural gas oozed out of the surface of this temple, which caused eternal flames. Zoroastrianism, being the presiding religion at that time, made this a place of worship, as the Zoroastrians worshipped fire. However, once Islam became the dominant religion in Azerbaijan, the fire temple ceased to be a place of worship and was later turned into a museum. There are certain rules and regulations that tourists must follow while visiting the temple, so make sure you take a look at them.

3.    Palace of Shirvanshahs

Part of the old town, the Palace of Shirvanshahs, is one of the most famous places in Baku. This sightseeing spot in Baku will take you back in time to a time when art and architecture held utmost importance. You can enjoy taking a walk in the complex, where you will spot the main building, the burial vaults, Shah’s mosque, Murad’s gate, remnants of the bath house, and more. Rightly described as "one of the pearls of Azerbaijan's architecture" by UNESCO, this palace will surely give you goosebumps with its eminent beauty. While taking a Baku tour , make sure you visit the Palace of Shirvanshahs to witness the art and glorious architecture that existed hundreds of years ago.

4.    Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre

The Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre is a building with unique architecture, which makes it a worthy place on your Baku tourism list. It is constructed in a curved shape that represents a fluid form and shows the transformation of Azerbaijan, making it one of the best tourist places in Baku. The building features a gallery hall, a museum, a conference hall, and a restaurant that you can visit. It is used for hosting different events that focus on health, education, sports, science, the economy, and the culture of the country. This culture centre has also hosted many exhibitions for photographers, artists, and more.

5.    Flame Towers

If you are a fan of modern architecture, you cannot miss the Flame Towers in Baku. Very few tourist places have the power to show the transformation of the capital city; Flame Towers is one of them. The building overlooks the old city and Baku Bay, giving it the perfect look in the skyline. It has changed the tourism scene in Baku, Azerbaijan, as it takes inspiration from modern architecture and the prehistoric practice of fire worship in Azerbaijan. You can enjoy the light show at night when the three skyscrapers illuminate with the colours of water, fire, and the national flag of the country.

6.    Shirvanshah Museum Restaurant

Baku tourism is not just about the old and new buildings but also about the lip-smacking flavours that everyone should try. Although there are many notable restaurants in the city that offer different flavours of Baku, Shirvanshah Museum Restaurant is something very different. It gives you an experience of museum-like interiors that come with delectable Azeri cuisine. The intricate design of the restaurant takes you back to the olden days, and those who are fascinated by the luxuries of the historical period will definitely love this place! From the seating to the little details like the crockery, carpets, and other objects, this museum restaurant is a must-visit. Make sure to try out their plov and traditional Azeri tea, which will satisfy your taste buds.

7.    Yasil Market

Many tourists who visit Baku want to experience the local culture and what their daily lives look like. For them, the Yasil Market is perfect, as it has local confectionery and various local products to let people take a peek at the local life of the capital city. You will find an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables that you can take back to your accommodation and enjoy when you are not in the mood to spend money on eateries and fancy restaurants. Here you can interact with the local vendors and bargain like a local, enjoying Azerbaijani life. Additionally, you can take back high-quality nuts, spices, honey, and tea for yourself and your loved ones.

8.    Heydar Mosque

Heydar Mosque is one of the most sought-after places to visit in Baku. It is named after the former president of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, and was inaugurated in 2014. The stunning architecture of this mosque and the embellishments of the unique stones from the times of Shirvan make it a masterpiece that you cannot miss. Many believers and tourists visit Baku to especially visit the Heydar Mosque and witness its beauty in full glory.

If you want to explore tourism in Baku, Azerbaijan, make sure you visit these places and make your trip worthwhile. There are many other sightseeing spots in Baku that you can also visit while touring around the city. Make sure you spare 3–4 days to explore the city and its hidden gems whenever you plan your next vacation.

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