Things to do in Baku
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Baku
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Spring, joint best window. Terraces open and Gobustan and Khinalug roads are at their best.
Late May and June are the connoisseur window, warm and swimmable by late June without Formula 1 crowds.
Hot and dry, beach first. Sightsee in mornings and after 5pm and take the earliest Gobustan departure.
Autumn, joint best window. Best walking, golf and mountain weather, still swimmable early September.
Winter value season with cold wind, empty sights and low hotel prices. Shahdag ski season runs mid December to early April.
What's on
- Novruz 20-24 March approx.
Persian New Year and the biggest holiday: Old City festivities, bonfires and packed hotels.
- Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Usually mid to late September
Race on Saturday 26 September on the Baku City Circuit wrapping the Old City and Boulevard.
- Uzeir Hajibeyli International Music Festival September
Classical and mugham festival, confirm dates yearly.
- Baku International Jazz Festival usually October
Jazz and mugham festival, confirm dates yearly.
Best things to do in Baku
Icherisheher
UNESCO walled Old City of lanes, caravanserais and tea courtyards, with the palace and Maiden Tower as anchors.
Heydar Aliyev Center
Zaha Hadid landmark whose exhibitions, car collection and heritage museum earn a visit beyond the photo stop.
Highland Park
Terrace view over the whole bay and Old City, best at sunset as the Flame Towers light up behind you.
Baku Boulevard
Kilometres of Caspian promenade for cycling, cafes and evening strolling, where Baku socialises outdoors.
Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum
Rolled carpet shaped museum that teaches you to read regional weaving, with weavers demonstrating in the galleries.
Fountain Square
Pedestrian heart of modern Baku on Nizami Street, best after dinner for cafes, ice cream and people watching.
International Mugham Center
Evening mugham concerts in the seashell shaped centre on the Boulevard, with the opera house as the other option.
Taze Bey Hamami
Historic bathhouse ritual of steam, scrub and foam massage followed by tea, best after a day of walking.
Where to stay in Baku
Fountain Square / Nizami Street
first trip, all round base
Everything central is walkable and the densest restaurant and cafe cluster in the country is on your street.
Icherisheher (Old City)
atmosphere, couples and history first trips
Boutique hotels in caravanserai courtyards and stone lanes, with steep cobbles and taxi drops at the gates.
Baku Boulevard / Seafront
luxury and sea views
Grand hotel row facing the bay and Boulevard, a 10 minute walk from the Old City and Fountain Square.
Flame Towers / Highland Park slope
the icon stay
Spectacular views back over the city, with a funicular ride or taxi needed for everywhere else.
White City / Boulevard east
resort facilities and pool first stays
Resort facilities and sea views for less, with a taxi or long promenade cycle to the centre each time.
28 May / Railway Station district
budget cluster and transport
Densest budget hotels and hostels by the metro interchange and airport bus, busy and a bit frayed.
Think twice about
- Far suburbs sold as Baku: Khirdalan, Binagadi outskirts, Sumqayit and outer Yasamal
Nothing dangerous, everything far. You will spend the trip in traffic and Bolt fares will eat the saving.
- Shikhov / Bibi-Heybat industrial shore
Oil and port industry and polluted swimming water. A beach club afternoon elsewhere beats a hotel here.
- Far eastern Boulevard beyond White City
Resort isolated with pleasant grounds but nothing walkable, so a car ride comes before your day starts.
Best restaurants in Baku
Shirvanshah Museum Restaurant
Occasion dinner in a museum like old Baku room with live folk music and shah plov served with ceremony.
Sumakh
Polished modern Azerbaijani table for celebratory dinners, with refined classics and an open kitchen.
Firuze
Big cellar style centre classic serving the full traditional repertoire with an easy picture menu.
Nergiz
Cave like stone walled dining room under Fountain Square serving generous Azerbaijani standards.
Dolma Restaurant
Underground room built around mixed dolma, with kebabs, qutab and live music most evenings.
Sehrli Tendir
Tiny Old City tandoor spot for hot bread with cheese, herbs and honey, the definitive local breakfast.
Art Club Restaurant
Gallery like courtyard restaurant inside the walls, the Old City date night pick in warm months.
Chinar
Glamorous fusion room under the plane trees for pan Asian and Azerbaijani dishes, then drinks late.
Outdoor things to do in Baku
Dreamland Golf Club
IMG managed 18 hole championship course near Baku with academy, par 3 course and a stay and play hotel.
The National Golf Club
Mountain 18 hole round in the Greater Caucasus foothills, paired with the Quba Palace resort hotel.
Ateshgah Fire Temple
Pentagonal fire temple built by Hindu and Zoroastrian worshippers around a natural gas vent.
Yanar Dag
Hillside of burning natural gas seep, a short stop that is most impressive at dusk and after dark.
Gobustan Rock Art Reserve
UNESCO reserve with thousands of petroglyphs, a good museum and a Roman inscription, about an hour from Baku.
Dashgil Mud Volcano
Bubbling cold mud cones reached by off road transfer from Gobustan, with no shade and no facilities.
Khinalug
One of the highest and oldest villages in the Caucasus, reached by 4x4 with a homemade village house lunch.
Gabala
Resort town for the Tufandag cable cars, Nohur Lake and waterfalls, better as an overnight than a day trip.
Best hotels in Baku
The Merchant Baku
Former bank on Fountain Square turned polished boutique luxury, the best independent feeling centre stay.
Sultan Inn Boutique Hotel
Small traditional styled hotel with a terrace facing the Maiden Tower and the Caspian, romantic and central.
Sapphire City Hotel
Practical mid range stay on Nizami Street, 450m from Fountain Square, with everything walkable.
Sahil Hostel & Hotel
Budget dorms and simple privates 600m from Fountain Square that do not sacrifice location.
Shah Palace Hotel
Stone and timber boutique inside the walls around a courtyard, the full immersion Old City night.
Deniz Inn Boutique
Mid range boutique pick inside the Old City walls at below flagship boutique prices.
Two Seasons Boutique Hotel
Budget pick inside the walls with walkable everything and Old City charm.
Four Seasons Hotel Baku
Grand seafront address facing the bay and Old City, with Italian restaurant and serious spa.
Is Baku expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | AZN 90 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | AZN 195 a person |
| Splurge | AZN 450 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- International Mugham Center: a few days ahead
- Taze Bey Hamami: a few days ahead
- Dreamland Golf Club: a few days ahead
- The National Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Gobustan Rock Art Reserve: a few days ahead
- Dashgil Mud Volcano: a few days ahead
- Khinalug: weeks ahead
- Shahdag Mountain Resort: a few days ahead
- Book Formula 1 week hotels and restaurants months ahead, or avoid those dates if not coming for the race.
- Book Gobustan and Khinalug day tours 2 to 4 days ahead, a week for Khinalug in May or September.
- Reserve prime dinners at Shirvanshah Museum Restaurant, Sumakh and Chinar 1 to 3 days ahead.
- Reserve Taze Bey hamam prime slots a day ahead and email Dreamland for weekend tee times.
- Apply for the ASAN e-Visa at least 3 working days before travel if your nationality needs one.
Is Baku safe?
- Violent crime against visitors is rare and central streets are busy and lit late.
- Use crossings and underpasses, as pedestrian collisions are the main documented risk.
- Bring a wind layer for the Boulevard, even on a mild day.
- Emergency numbers are 102 police, 103 ambulance and 101 fire.
Baku travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Airport drivers quoting many times the app fare, including impostors matching a Bolt booking with a different car.
- Dirt cheap combined day tours with shopping stops, crowded buses and entries not included.
- Tourist priced Old City souvenirs and low quality goods sold as handicraft.
- Mini-Venice and the Baku Eye treated as headline activities rather than Boulevard extras.
- Going to the Flame Towers by day expecting a public observation deck.
- Swimming at Shikhov Beach, where the water is polluted.
- Market price fish, especially sturgeon, cooked before the price is confirmed.
Getting around Baku: public transport and more
- Walk the centre arc from the Old City to Fountain Square, the Boulevard and the Carpet Museum.
- Use Bolt for longer rides and pay by card in the app where you can.
- Buy a reusable BakuKart for the metro, buses and the airport express.
- Take the H1 airport express bus or Bolt from the official pickup at the airport.
Who Baku suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Baku your trip
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