15 Exciting Things to Do in Baku, Azerbaijan (2024)
22 min readFamously described as the love child of Paris and Dubai, Baku is one of the most jarring yet fascinating cities I have ever set foot in.
At 28 metres below sea level, it is the world’s lowest capital. Arid and constantly battered by winds flying off the Caspian Sea, it’s a city that would never have existed if it hadn’t been for the discovery of one thing: Oil.
There was a time when half of the world’s oil supply came out of Baku. Even today, you get the feeling that this is a Boom Town through and through.
Yet behind the flashy architecture (sometimes quite literally!), it has a long and engaging history that goes back to the 8th century. Most of my favourite places in Baku date to this early period or to the turn of the 20th century, when Azerbaijan experienced its first oil boom.
I have been lucky enough to travel to Baku on three separate occasions, spending 3-7 days in the city each time and engaging different local guides to discover the many different sides of the Azerbaijani capital.
Based on my experience, 2-3 full days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Baku.
In this city guide, I will share my favourite things to do in Baku – from the UNESCO-lised Old City, the Icherisheher, to offbeat attractions in the suburbs and several points of interest around the Absheron Peninsula.
Also see days 1-3 of my suggested Azerbaijan itinerary for a list of activities organised into a logical order (coming soon!).
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.
How to get to Baku
With Azerbaijan’s land borders still closed to inbound travellers, the only way to reach Baku is by flying into Heydar Aliyev International Airport.
Cross-border buses, taxis and the sleeper train from Tbilisi are not currently operating.
Direct flights to Baku are available from Tbilisi, Istanbul and Dubai, plus a range of European cities including Milan, Paris and London Heathrow.
Baku airport is located 30 minutes from the city centre. To get in from the airport, I recommend using the Airport Express bus (hourly on the hour from 6am-11pm; 1.30 AZN per person) or pre-booking a private transfer.
The Bolt taxi app works well in Baku, but I do not recommend using it at the airport because scams do happen (my dad and I almost fell victim to this on our recent visit).
If you are planning a Georgia-Armenia-Azerbaijan itinerary, I recommend starting in Baku, transiting through Georgia, and finishing your trip in Armenia.
The best things to do in Baku
Here are 15 of my favourite things to do in Baku. You can find all these locations – plus my favourite Baku restaurants – pinned on the Free Baku Map linked at the end of the post.
1. Explore Baku Old City, the historic Icherisheher
The Icherisheher or ‘Inner City’ is the historic heart of Baku and remains the nucleus of the city today. Cradling the waterfront on the south-western side of the city, it is a small area with a radius of around 2 kilometres.
As you enter through one of the old gates, you are walking into the oldest part of Baku, where the bulk of the city’s most important landmarks lie. Together, these monuments constitute the UNESCO-listed Walled City of Baku.
When it was first constructed in the 12th century, the restored city wall was initially devised as a wind break to protect the city from those harsh Caspian winds. To ward off enemies, an extra layer of protection was added: a moat that was not filled with water, but with oil.
There are a few things about the Icherisheher that make it particularly interesting. Firstly, it is built almost entirely from locally quarried stone, which gives the buildings a uniform appearance that syncs perfectly with the surrounding terrain.
Secondly, it is a ‘living monument’ with family homes, hotels and restaurants enclosed within. The narrow pedestrian-only lanes in the very centre of the Icherisheher are like a maze.
The two most important monuments to look for within the Icherisheher complex are the Shirvanshah’s Palace and the Maiden Tower. The former lies at the highest point of the walled city, with streets cascading from its footings downhill towards the Caspian. I recommend starting here – both to get your bearings by looking out over the city from the elevated palace gardens, and to visit the museum.
Tip: Entrance to the Shirvanshah’s Palace costs 15 AZN. If you are planning to do multiple museums, there is a combo ticket that covers it plus three more (the Maiden Tower (15 AZN), Underground Bath (8 AZN) and Tahir Salahov’s House Museum) for 36 AZN.
The Palace of the Shirvanshahs is quite modest, likely due to the influence of Sufism on its benefactors, the Shirvanshahs who ruled this territory from 861 to 1538. Their Baku residence dates to the 15th century and is considered one of the most important monuments in the entire country.
For me, it pales in comparison to the lavishly decorated Khan’s Palace in Sheki. But its understated beauty, especially the gardens and the Shirvanshahs’ Tomb, make it worthwhile.
The Maiden Tower was built in the 12th century atop much older structures that have been dated to the 7th-6th centuries BC. Its exact purpose is still unknown, but some theorise that its original function was as a Zoroastrian fire temple or a Tower of Silence used for excarnation.
Much like the Galata Tower in Istanbul, the Maiden Tower has museum displays arranged on different levels as you climb the stairs – but its main draw is the rooftop viewing platform. Unfortunately it has a high glass barricade that makes it tricky to take photos (and besides, the aspect is not that great). Read on for my alternative recommendations for where to get a city view in Baku.
The Yeralti Hamam or Underground Bath Museum is personally my favourite place within the Icherisheher. I completely missed it on my first two trips to Baku – when I visited recently with my dad, he was the one who flagged it.
As the name suggests, it is an 17th-century hamam that has been retrofitted as a museum. Exhibits cover the history and ritual of bathing in Islamic culture – it is really fascinating! There will be an opportunity to participate in this tradition later (see #3 below).
Tip: There is a public restroom right next to the Bath Museum that costs 0.50 AZN.
Aside from these three museum-landmarks, other points of interest within the Old City walls include the Bukhara Caravanserai and the Juma Mosque. There are several Silk Road inns, madrasas and hamams dotted around. The Gasimbey Bath Complex at the southern entrance has a series of old brick domes that you can climb on.
I always enjoy getting lost down the narrow alleys and browsing the different carpet shops and antique stores here. The Museum of Miniature Books is a bit of fun, but do note the odd opening hours (I have not yet managed to catch it).
Entrance to the Icherisheher is free if you are on foot, but there is a 2 AZN surcharge if you are entering by taxi. The gates are open 24/7. I recommend visiting in the early morning or evening.
Discover more things to do in Old Baku in my dedicated guide.
2. Find that photo spot
Don’t leave the Old City without snapping a photo of one of Baku’s most iconic views. This scene of the Icherisheher with the stone arch of the Juma Mosque – beautifully carved with Arabic script – in the foreground and the ultra-modern Flame Towers rising up like a wisp of smoke in the distance perfectly represents the city’s ‘old meets new’ spirit.
You might not believe me, but I found this location completely by accident on my first trip to Azerbaijan in 2017. Now that it’s such a famous Instagram spot, I always make a point of coming back to try and get a ‘perfect’ photo free of people and parked cars!
Early morning and late afternoon are best for the light, but there are always cars parked here these days. You can always zoom in on the architectural details to crop the cars out.
Find ‘that photo spot’ by the Halq Bank ATM (see my map below for the exact location).
3. Enjoy a traditional hammam treatment at Agha Mikayil
This last thing to do in the Old City is best reserved for the evening, so I recommend returning at the end of the day.
You might notice that each of the Icherisheher’s five gates has a hammam bathhouse nearby. This was designed to encourage people (especially Silk Road travellers) to wash themselves before entering the city.
The 18th-century Agha Mikayil Hammam (Aga Mikayil Hamami) is the only functioning bathhouse inside the Old City that I am aware of. Wash rooms with traditional domed roofs and a sauna branch off from a gorgeous central atrium.
The signature treatment here is a soapy rub-down followed by a cold plunge and a pot of lemon tea – similar to a Turkish hammam treatment you might experience in Istanbul or even a Tbilisi-style sulfur bath kisi.
Agha Mikayil’s manager, Orhan, is a very friendly chap who will explain the hammam’s various packages without pushing you into anything. He was so warm and welcoming when I dropped by to see how things work.
It’s very important to note that there are different bathing days for men and for women. On Mondays and Fridays, the hammam is open for women only. The other five days of the week, it is only open for men.
Outside the Old City walls, the more modern Taze Bey Bath is quite a spectacle, with an outlandish museum-like display of antiques, taxidermy and other ephemera in the entrance.
Unfortunately this bath is strictly for men only. I was told that women’s massages are available for 35 AZN – but honestly, the female staff here were so rude to me, I would never consider going back for a treatment!
4. Have your Ali and Nino moment in the Philharmonia Garden
Exiting the Old City from the southern gate, you will find yourself inside one of Baku’s many manicured greenspaces. The Philharmonia Garden extends from the wall to the State Philharmonic, a gorgeous concert hall that was built in 1910 (see below for more architecture from this era).
The garden has a pretty fountain and in spring and summer, flowerbeds that brim with tulip bulbs and other blooms. In the past, all the plants for this plot were sourced from travellers who were passing through Baku as a sort of ‘tax in kind’ – thus a huge array of flora from all four corners could be found here.
The Philharmonia Garden was the inspiration for the Governors’ Garden in the novel Ali and Nino by Kurban Said. I cannot recommend this book highly enough – it is a must-read if you are visiting Azerbaijan and the Caucasus region.
Diehard fans of the Caucasian Romeo and Juliet can use this free map for a self-guided Ali and Nino walking tour of Baku.
5. Step back into 20th-century Baku
Baku is commonly thought of as a juxtaposition between the extremely old and the ultra new (for more on the latter, see #12 below). But there is a whole lot that happened in between the foundation of the Icherisheher and the rise of modern Baku.
Some of the city’s most interesting architecture was erected in the early part of the 20th century on the back of Baku’s newfound oil wealth. These buildings form a ring around the Icherisheher and include both public services and, more intriguing to me, private mansion houses erected by the first oil tycoons.
Some reveal the original owners’ initials in metal or stone, and others feature a ‘Salye’ (Salve) inscription on the threshold – just like the houses in Old Tbilisi.
Baroque, Rococo and Moorish elements can all be observed. The style shares many similarities with Tbilisi Art Nouveau, but it must be said that most of the buildings in Baku are in much better shape.
The Ismailiyya Palace is one of the most striking. It was built by the Baku oil industrialist Musa Nagiyev in 1913 using elements borrowed from the Doge’s Palace in Venice.
The Saadet Sarayi (AKA the Palace of Happiness) is another of my favourites. It was used as a Wedding Palace during the Soviet period and still functions as a wedding venue today.
Opera and Ballet Theatre (1911) was under restoration at the time of my most recent visit, but has since reopened. If you get a chance to see a performance here, the ticket price would be worth it to see the interior alone. Browse the playbill on iTicket.
The Nizami Museum of Azerbaijani Literature off Fountains Square was originally built in 1850 as a caravanserai inn. In 1915 it became the Hotel Metropol, then it was a labour union building in the 1920s and 30s. The sextet of sculptures on the facade – each an important Azerbaijani writer or poet – were added later. If you look up at the painted arches from below you can see Soviet symbolism interwoven into the design.
Baku Railway Station (1880) was inaugurated after the Baku-Tbilisi railway opened. Domestic trains also depart from here. There is a small railway museum located inside.
The Fantaziya Hamam (1896) is a real gem. It was designed by city architect Nikolay von der Nonne and was the first electrified commercial building in Baku (there was no water supply until 1914, mind you, so all the water needed for the baths had to be manually carried in).
Unlike the abovementioned buildings which have all been preserved and put to good use, the Fantaziya Bath is in a sorry state of disrepair.
6. Hunt for Soviet mosaics & sculptures
Normally when I write about this part of the world I dedicate a lot of space to buildings and monuments from the Soviet period. In contrast to Tbilisi and Yerevan, Baku is very much lacking in Soviet-era architecture. In fact, I would definitely say that Baku is the least ‘Soviet-looking’ of the three.
There are bits and bobs that you will notice around the place – including relief sculptures in and around the Old City, and this mosaic wall that is a tribute to the Baku jazz scene.
There are plenty more terrific mosaics in Baku that I haven’t managed to see yet – they are top of my agenda for next time. Mosaics of Azerbaijan is a terrific follow on Instagram if you are interested in this sort of thing. You can also find decorative mosaics inside the Baku metro (see #11 below).
7. Sign up for a walking tour with Gani Nasirov
If you’re looking for a guide in Baku, I can’t recommend Gani Nasirov highly enough. I have been on several walking tours of Baku and Gani’s itineraries and insights are head and shoulders above the rest.
As well as a free tour of the Old Town, Gani and his team offer several special interest tours including a food tour, an urban wine tasting and a Baku Soviet Architecture & Mosaics Tour (I need this one in my life!). Browse the full program on Gani’s Azerbaijan Traveller website.
Recently I joined Gani for a Baku Oil Heritage Walking Tour and loved every minute of it. He took me to some of the most charming mansion houses and we even got to go inside the Saadet Sarayi Palace.
If Baku’s oil past is a subject you are also fascinated by, then I recommend you visit the Baku Nobel Heritage Fund Museum (Villa Petrolea) in the White City.
8. Stroll along the Bulvar
Extending for three kilometres along the waterfront, the Bulvar is a wide promenade with picture-perfect views of the Caspian Sea. Not unlike the Old Boulevard in Batumi, Georgia, it has room for both pedestrians and cyclists, and is interspersed with pockets of parkland. I always like to walk along the Bulvar in the evening.
There are several points of interest along the way.
The Swans Fountain presents a nice photo opportunity – the birds’ craned necks echo the curves of the Flame Towers that appear in the distance from behind a handsome Style Moderne corner building.
The Mirvari Kafe (Cafe Pearl) by architects Vadim Shulgin, Anya Val and Irina Orlova-Stroqanova dates to 1961 and is one of the few Soviet-era buildings I saw up-close in Baku. Nearby, there is a long pier that you can walk out to for a city view.
At the southern end of the Bulvar you will find Mini-Venice, a very twee amusement park where you can board a gondola for a joyride along the man-made waterway.
The Azerbaijan Carpet Museum – an iconic piece of architecture shaped like a rolled carpet and with an excellent exhibition on Azerbaijani carpet weaving inside – is also worth visiting if you are interested in regional textile traditions and culture.
9. Take the Funicular to Highland Park for sunset
Behind the Carpet Museum you will find the lower station of the Baku Funicular. The 455-metre-long line runs up the mountainside to a plateau overlooking Baku and the Caspian Sea.
Like Mtatsminda in Tbilisi, Baku’s Highland Park features a restaurant and several green spaces. While you’re there, visit the war cemetery, Martyrs’ Lane, and the Shahidlar Monument with its eternal flame.
Highland Park offers incredible views of Baku, particularly at sunset. The best vantage point is from the terrace in front of the restaurant – see the location on my map below.
From this point you can look back at the Flame Towers, which are perched on the hill above. After sunset, all three are illuminated with light displays.
When you’re done, there is a set of stairs at the end of the viewing platform that leads back down to the Bulvar. (If you don’t want to ride the funicular, you can also walk up via this alternative route.)
Highland Park is open 24/7 and is free to visit. The Baku Funicular operates from 10am until 8pm (with a break from 1-2pm) daily and costs 1 AZN one-way.
10. Photograph the Heydar Mosque – one of the best things to do in Baku at night
Islam is the predominant religion in Azerbaijan (with up to 95% of people identifying as Muslim, and almost an even split between Sunni and Shia) – yet it is widely to considered to be the most secular nation in the Muslim world.
Indeed, walking around the central part of Baku you will only encounter one or two mosques.
One mosque I do recommend going out of your way for is the Heydar Mosque. Located in the 6th Micro-Region on the northern outskirts of the city, it requires a 30-45 minute taxi ride (or a trip on the metro to Nasimi Station) – but it is very much worth the journey.
This is a new mosque, having been completed in 2014. Dedicated as it is to Azerbaijan’s former leader, it is particularly opulent both inside and out.
This mosque looks all the more impressive at night, which is why I recommend going towards the end of the day.
Groundskeepers turn on the floodlights around 20 minutes before sunset. The four minarets and stonework illuminated by brilliant warm lights is quite breathtaking.
I recommend you arrive around an hour before sunset – this will give you enough time to photograph the mosque during golden hour, pop inside, then watch as the lights come on. The call to prayer goes out shortly after for another memorable scene.
11. Ride the Baku metro
While most of downtown Baku is walkable, you will need transportation to reach the Heydar Mosque plus the remaining attractions mentioned below. The Baku Metro is an efficient and affordable way to get around.
Inaugurated in 1967 when Azerbaijan was part of the Soviet Union, Baku’s underground was the fifth subway system in the USSR. Its deep stations and decorated platforms are very much of that era, with mosaics and murals that are heavy on Azerbaijani imagery with Soviet flourishes here and there.
The most beautiful of the 27 stations are Nizami and 20 Yanvar. You can see photos from more of the stations in this blog post – but a word of caution, photography is strictly prohibited inside the metro, and guards take this very seriously.
I snapped a few sneaky photos on my recent trip, and I regretted it! I was approached by two guards who stood over me while I deleted the photos from my camera roll and from the trash (I did sneak one past them, though). They were friendly enough, but it was a nerve-wracking encounter.
The metro in Baku has a couple of quirks. Some stations serve multiple lines from the one platform, so you might be waiting for your train to arrive only to see the timetable switch and a different line pass through. It takes a bit of getting used to.
The Baku metro runs from 6am until midnight. A single fare costs 0.40 AZN, payable with a rechargeable transport card (BakiKART) that you can purchase from any of the automated machines. Note that every station has metal detectors and a security check.
12. Marvel at the ultra-modern Heydar Aliyev Centre
One of my favourite pieces of architecture in the world, the Heydar Aliyev Centre is a must-see in Baku. It is, in many ways, a complete contrast to the ancient monuments in the Icherisheher. Look closer and you will see that its form references traditional Azerbaijani designs.
Designed by the acclaimed Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, the cultural and business centre opened in 2012. While the primary reason to come here is to walk around its expansive perimeter and photograph the curvaceous building from all angles, you can also duck inside to see whatever exhibition is on.
I particularly love this perspective, where the curved facade appears to wrap around the apartment buildings behind it.
Read more about visiting the Heydar Aliyev Centre in my dedicated post.
13. Pop into the Yasil Bazar (Green Market)
The Yasil Bazar or ‘Green Bazaar’ is a 25-minute walk from the Heydar Aliyev Centre, thus I recommend doing both while you are on this side of town.
The huge undercover marketplace sells both fresh produce and artisanal products including spices, dried fruit, and pickles galore. Look out for loose-leaf Azerbaijani tea from Lankaran and muraba sweet preserves made from walnuts, seasonal berries and other fruits.
Unlike some markets in Central Asia, photography is OK at the market in Baku. All the people I met on my visit were exceedingly welcome and many of them wanted to pose for a photo!
From the market, you can continue down the avenue to connect back up with the Baku metro at the main railway terminal (28 May Station).
14. Venture outside the city to Balakhani
If you have a spare afternoon, the satellite suburb of Balakhani (Balaxani) is an interesting spot for a walk. Styled to resemble a Greek village, the houses have all been whitewashed and beautified with creeping jasmine vines and street art murals. It is all very heavily curated, but I still enjoyed it.
The history of this area goes back to 1593 when an oil well was dug nearby. As you walk around you can still see tiny rigs bobbing below the earth like ducks on the surface of a pond. I think this is one of the only places in Azerbaijani where you can surreptitiously photograph oil infrastructure without being reprimanded.
There are several specific points of interest in Balakhani, including the cemetery and turbe (mausoleum), and the old hammam. There are a couple of boutique shops and cafes here as well. It’s a very small area that you can easily cover on foot in a couple of hours.
To get to Balakhani, first ride the metro to Koroglu then take bus 214. Buses wait in front of the kiosks near the Olympic Park metro exit. You can use the same transport card for both. It takes around 60 minutes to reach Balakhani from the centre.
15. Take a day trip to Gobustan, Ateshgah & Yanardag
There are several attractions on the Absheron Peninsula near Baku that you should visit as a day trip from the city. I highly recommend a combined tour to Gobustan, Ateshgah and Yanardag.
When I was last in Baku with my dad, we joined this day tour that I booked through Viator. Although parts of the day were a little rushed, we both really enjoyed the trip and thought it was excellent value for money.
Gobustan (Qobustan) is located an hour southwest of Baku along the Caspian Coast. There are two things to see here: The State Historical and Cultural Reserve (i.e. the petroglyphs), and the Gobustan mud volcanoes. All day tours incorporate both.
Azerbaijan is home to the vast majority of the Earth’s mud volcanoes (around 344 in total), including the biggest. The Gobustan landscape is a wild and rugged terrain blistered with bubbling craters that is really a lot of fun to wander around.
I first visited the mud volcanoes back in 2017. On my recent trip, I found it was exactly as I remembered – but in the near future it will be developed for tourism and fenced/ticketed. In the meantime, the only way to reach the area is with a local taxi. I really hope the Lada Army hangs around as travelling through the moon-like landscape in a retro car makes the experience all the more surreal and exciting!
Nearby, the Gobustan State Historical and Cultural Reserve is an open-air museum of petroglyphs and rock carvings. One of Azerbaijan’s five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, there are an estimated 1,000 examples of rock art here, the oldest of which were created 40,000 years ago.
Tours start at the small museum and continue through the landscape via walking paths. The whole area is eerily beautiful, and both the marked signage and the guided tour are terrific. The petroglyphs here are some of the best I have ever seen – they are easy to spot and in great condition.
Located back on the eastern side of Baku, Ateshgah (pictured above) is an ancient temple that is sacred to Zoroastrian, Sikh and Hindu worshippers. Constructed between the 17th and 18th centuries and used by traders moving along the Grand Trunk Road, it now houses a small museum.
The final stop, Yanardag, is Baku’s famous ‘flaming mountain’. It is much smaller than you might imagine (more like a tiny hillock), but the spectacle is impressive nonetheless.
As the story goes, in the 1970s a shepherd flicked his lit cigarette onto the ground and the hill caught alight. The flames, fed by natural gas oozing up from underground, have been burning ever since.
I could have sworn I saw a gas pipe in there amongst the silver coins people toss to the flames for good luck – but who knows!
If you want my honest opinion, Ateshgah and Yanar Dag are both a bit overrated. The sites have been overdeveloped and are a bit naff. Gobustan was definitely the highlight for me back in 2017 and again on my last visit.
Read more about it in this dedicated Gobustan Guide, or use my round-up of the best day trips from Baku to explore alternative options.
Where to eat & drink in Baku
Passage 145: This restaurant off Fountain Square has a couple of special dishes, including a Baku Salad – tomatoes, red onion, cornelian cherries and mint. Their balli tort honey cake was one of the best things I ate in Baku.
Dolma: Every time I visit Baku I make sure to eat at least one meal at this underground restaurant. The dish of the house is dolma (recognised as part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage), and I especially love their plov (Azerbaijan’s national dish), which comes in all different flavour combinations and sizes.
Fisincan: This restaurant’s covered terrace is a nice setting for lunch. We had a decent Azerbaijani saj (mixed grill) here, but I wasn’t too fussed about the service.
KEFLI: This cute wine bar serves Azerbaijani wines along with gourmet cheese and tasting boards. I love the retro posters. Be sure to make an advanced reservation if you are visiting on a weekend.
90’lar Cafe: This quirky cafe-restaurant is styled to be a throwback to the 1990s. Cocktails and light meals (mostly European cuisine and burgers) are available. If you’re interested in seeing live music in Baku, many of the city’s best jazz bars – including ETUD – are located in this area.
Coffee Moffie: My favourite cafe in Baku, Coffee Moffie has excellent coffee and sweets, with ample seating and WIFI for remote workers.
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.
