AZERBAIJAN
10 Unmissable Things To Do In Baku
THE ULTIMATE TRAVEL GUIDE
10 Unmissable Things to Do in Baku: A Traveler’s Dream
Baku, the “City of Winds” and capital of Azerbaijan, blends ancient Silk Road heritage with futuristic skyscrapers, Soviet grandeur, and Caspian Sea glamour. Here are the 10 experiences that will make your trip unforgettable—now with every detail you’ll ever need.
1. Explore the Flame Towers
Baku’s undisputed skyline icons, the Flame Towers are three glass giants (182 m, 160 m, 160 m) shaped like flickering flames. Over 10,000 LED panels turn them into the world’s largest full-surface display, creating nightly fire shows visible from 15 km away.
History
Completed in 2012 by HOK architects for $350 million. Symbolise Azerbaijan’s eternal fires and oil wealth. One tower houses Fairmont Baku (190 m rooftop bar), another luxury apartments ($1.5M+), and the third offices. During Eurovision 2012 they displayed every participating flag. The project won “Best Hotel & Tourism Project” at MIPIM 2013.
Height: 182 m (39 floors), 160 m (36 floors ×2)
LED panels: 10,000+ covering 83,000 m²
Light show times: 8 PM – midnight daily (fire, flag, heartbeat, Azerbaijan map)
Best photo spots: Highland Park (Upland Park), Martyrs’ Lane, Dagustu Park, Baku Boulevard opposite Carpet Museum
Access: Free funicular from Boulevard (7 AM–10 PM), taxi 5–7 AZN
Fairmont Le Flambeur bar: Cocktails 25–40 AZN, open to non-guests
Observation deck: Limited (hotel guests only), book spa day-pass 150 AZN for rooftop pool access
Drone rules: Allowed below 120 m with permit
The LED system has more bulbs than the entire Las Vegas Strip and can display 10 million colours. In 2012 Guinness recognised it as the world’s tallest LED display.
Arrive at Martyrs’ Lane 30 mins after sunset for blue-hour shots. Use a tripod. Visit Fairmont’s 31st-floor bar for cocktails with panoramic views (dress code: smart casual).
2. Wander through Baku Old City (Icherisheher)
UNESCO-listed Icherisheher is a 22-hectare walled fortress-city continuously inhabited for over 1,000 years. Its labyrinth of 3,000+ alleys hides 12th-century mosques, caravanserais, hammams, and the mysterious Maiden Tower.
History
Founded 8th–12th century. Capital of Shirvanshahs (15th c.). Survived Mongol, Persian, Russian rule. Silk Road hub with 500+ historic buildings. 1,300 families still live here. Featured in James Bond “The World Is Not Enough”. Restored 2010–2020 with UNESCO oversight.
Area: 22 hectares, 12th-century walls 2 km long
Must-see (12 sites): Maiden Tower (Giz Galasi), Shirvanshahs’ Palace, Juma Mosque (1078), Multani Caravanserai (14th c.), Bukhara Caravanserai, 11 medieval hammams, Haji Gayib bathhouse
Combo ticket: Palace + Maiden Tower 15 AZN (valid 3 days)
Guided tours: Free daily 11 AM & 4 PM (tip 10–20 AZN), private 50–80 AZN
Metro: Icherisheher (red line)
Food: Çay Evi 145 (tea + sweets 8 AZN), Qaynana Restaurant (dushbara 12 AZN), Dolma Restaurant (set menu 35 AZN)
Shopping: Antique Row (Güllü küçəsi), silk scarves, copper, miniature paintings
Opening hours: 24/7 (palace 10 AM–6 PM)
The Maiden Tower is the only building in the world depicted on three national currencies (old 10-manat note, new 1-manat coin, souvenir medal).
Download offline map (Maps.me). Start at Double Gates, end at Gosha Gala Gapisi for sunset photos. Try tea in traditional armudu glasses with local pakhlava at any çay evi.
3. Stroll along Baku Boulevard
One of the world’s longest seaside promenades (officially 3.7 km, extended to 12+ km in 2024), Baku Boulevard is the city’s social heart with parks, fountains, and Caspian views.
History
Opened 1909 by oil baron Zeynalabdin Taghiyev. Soviet additions: Parachute Tower (1936), musical fountains. Post-2010: Mini-Venice, Baku Eye (60 m), shopping malls, yacht club. Now includes Crescent Bay development.
Total length: 12.5 km (Old Boulevard 3.7 km)
Key attractions: Baku Eye (60 m), Carpet Museum, Mini-Venice canals, Crystal Hall, Flag Square (162 m flagpole), Dagustu Park, musical fountains (every hour after dark)
Baku Eye ticket: 15 AZN adults, 8 AZN kids
Gondola ride: 5 AZN (Mini-Venice)
Bike rental: 5 AZN/hour (Bolt scooters 0.5 AZN/min)
Yacht cruise: 20–50 AZN (30–90 mins)
Best sunset spot: Opposite Carpet Museum
Food: Paulaner Beer Garden, Chinar rooftop, street plov 7 AZN
The boulevard is longer than Dubai Marina Walk + Miami Beach Boardwalk combined. The 162 m flagpole was once the world’s tallest.
Rent a bike or scooter. Walk from Flag Square to Dagustu Park for Flame Towers night view. Visit musical fountains at 9 PM sharp.
4. Visit Gobustan National Park
60 km from Baku lies Gobustan—a UNESCO site with 6,000+ petroglyphs (40,000 years old) and over 300 active mud volcanoes, the highest concentration on Earth.
History
Petroglyphs depict hunters, dancers, boats, solar symbols. Roman graffiti from Legio XII Fulminata (1st c. AD). Mud volcanoes sacred to Zoroastrians. Rediscovered 1930s by quarry workers. Interactive museum opened 2011. NASA Apollo astronauts trained here 1960s.
Petroglyphs: 6,000+ across 100,000 m²
Mud volcanoes: 300+ active
Entrance fee (2025): 10 AZN adults, 2 AZN students, museum 4 AZN
Guided tour: 50–70 AZN/person (includes transport)
Distance: 60 km (1 hour)
Highlights: Dancing Men rock (12,000 BC), Gaval Chalan (musical stone), Roman inscription, 3D museum
Best time: March–May & Sept–Nov (avoid 45°C summer)
Time needed: 3–5 hours
Gobustan has more mud volcanoes than the rest of the planet combined. The musical stone produces drum-like sounds when struck.
Book guided tour (includes 4WD for mud volcanoes). Wear closed shoes, bring water, hat, sunscreen. Drone allowed with permission.
5. Admire the Heydar Aliyev Center
Zaha Hadid’s flowing masterpiece—no straight lines, just endless curves—has become the symbol of modern Azerbaijan.
History
Opened 2012, named after Heydar Aliyev. Cost $250 million. Won Design of the Year 2014 (London Design Museum). Hosts concerts, exhibitions, conferences. “I Love Baku” sign inside is Instagram favourite.
Architect: Zaha Hadid
Area: 57,500 m²
Entry: 15 AZN (exhibitions extra)
Current exhibitions: Classic cars, “Treasures of Azerbaijan”, miniature models
Metro: Nariman Narimanov (15-min walk)
Opening hours: Tue–Sun 11 AM–7 PM
Photo tip: Morning light best for white facade
Drone: Allowed outside (no permit needed)
The building contains no columns—weight distributed through the curves. Construction required 23,000 tonnes of steel.
Visit 10 AM for crowd-free photos. Walk the entire perimeter for different angles. Combine with nearby White City area.
6. Relax at the Caspian Sea
The world’s largest inland body of water (371,000 km²) offers urban beaches, luxury resorts, and wild dunes—all within 30 mins of downtown Baku.
History
Oil extracted since 10th century. Ateshgah Fire Temple built on gas vents. Soviet sanatoriums turned into 5-star resorts. Home to 90% of world sturgeon and 95% of black caviar.
Top beaches: Bilgah (5-star), Amburan Beach Club (party), Mardakan (castles), Shikhov (sunset), Crescent Beach (family)
Water temp (Aug): 26–28°C
Activities: Jet ski 40 AZN/15 min, yacht 150 AZN/hour, caviar tasting 50 AZN
Caviar farms: Neftchala (tours 120 AZN)
Best sunset: Shikhov Beach
Distance: 20–40 mins by taxi
The Caspian holds 40% of Earth’s inland water volume—more than all Great Lakes combined. It’s also home to the world’s smallest seal.
Visit Bilgah Beach Hotel day-pass (80 AZN includes pool). Try roadside sturgeon shashlik (15 AZN). Nabran (3 hrs north) for pine forests.
7. Visit the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum
Housed in a giant rolled-carpet building, this is the world’s largest carpet collection—14,000 pieces spanning 700 years.
History
Founded 1967 by Latif Karimov. New building 2014 (shaped like rolled carpet). Azerbaijani carpet weaving = UNESCO intangible heritage. Hosts annual symposium.
Collection: 14,000 carpets + textiles
Entry (2025): 10 AZN adults, 3 AZN students
Live weaving: Daily 10 AM–5 PM
Star pieces: 17th-c. Tabriz Dragon, 18th-c. Sheikh Safi prayer rug
Regional schools: Shirvan (floral), Guba (geometric), Ganja (bold), Karabakh (dragon)
Opening hours: Tue–Sun 10 AM–6 PM (Mon closed)
Gift shop: Mini carpets from 50 AZN
Some carpets have over 1 million knots and took 10+ years to weave. The oldest dates to 1640.
Tuesday–Sunday only. Watch live weaving on 2nd floor—ask questions! Perfect rainy-day activity.
8. Discover the Baku Flame Festival
A fiery celebration of Azerbaijan’s “Land of Fire” identity with fireworks, fire dancers, concerts, and LED spectacles along the Boulevard.
History
Rooted in Zoroastrian fire worship. Modern festival launched 2012 to coincide with Eurovision. Now annual event attracting 200,000+ visitors.
Usual dates: Last weekend of July or first week August
Location: Seaside Boulevard + Highland Park
Duration: 3 days
Entry: Free (VIP zones 50–150 AZN)
Highlights: Drone shows, fire juggling, international DJs, Flame Towers synchronised display
Food stalls: 100+ vendors
Fire dancers perform ancient rituals unchanged for centuries. 2024 show used 500 drones.
Check exact dates on visitbaku.az. Best view from Dagustu Park (arrive 2 hrs early). Bring portable charger—lots of filming!
9. Visit Caspian Sea Oil Platforms
Boat tours take you past the forest of offshore platforms that made Baku the world’s first oil capital in the 1870s.
History
First offshore well 1864. Nobel Brothers, Rothschilds, Rockefellers built empires here. By 1901 Baku produced 50% of world oil. Platforms still pump 600,000 barrels/day.
Tour operators: Baku Tours, Absheron Travel
Price: 60–90 AZN/person (2–3 hours)
Departure: Boulevard near Crescent Hotel
Season: May–October
Includes: Guide, life jacket, tea, sometimes caviar tasting
Distance: 20–40 km offshore
Oil Rocks (Neft Dashlari) is a 200 km city on stilts—world’s first offshore platform (1949).
Book 24 hrs in advance. Bring sunscreen, hat, motion-sickness tablets. Best light 4–6 PM.
10. Experience Azerbaijani Cuisine
Azerbaijani food is a delicious fusion of Silk Road flavours—fresh herbs, grilled meats, tangy yoghurts, and endless black tea served in pear-shaped armudu glasses.
History
Influenced by Persian, Turkish, Russian, Central Asian cuisines. Over 200 types of plov. Tea culture central to hospitality—offered within 30 seconds of entering any home.
Must-try dishes: Saj (meat/veg on hot plate), piti (lamb stew in clay pot), dolma (stuffed leaves), dushbara (tiny dumplings), lyulya kebab, gutab, plov (200+ varieties)
Sweets: Pakhlava, shekerbura, girmabadam, baklava trio
Top restaurants: Dolma (Old City), Şirvanşah Muzey (palace setting), Nakhchivan (regional), Sumakh (modern), Paul (French-Azeri fusion)
Budget eats: Mangal steak houses (kebab 10 AZN), Çay Evi 145 (tea + sweets 8 AZN)
Tea houses: Open 24/7, tea 1 AZN per pot
Caviar: 50 g Beluga 150 AZN (restaurant), 28 g tin 45 AZN (supermarket)
Food tours: 45–75 AZN (4 hours, 8 tastings)
Azerbaijanis drink more tea per capita than any nation except Turkey—average 4–5 glasses daily.
Always accept offered tea. Try piti in clay pot—crack it open! Visit Old City food tour for hidden gems. Supermarkets sell excellent local wine (7–15 AZN).
Disclaimer: Information accurate as of November 2025. Prices in AZN are approximate. Check official websites for current fees, tour times, and festival dates. Baku is extremely safe, but use Bolt taxis, keep valuables in hotel safe. Dress modestly at religious sites, remove shoes in homes, ask permission before photographing people. Support local businesses and enjoy legendary Azerbaijani hospitality. Safe travels!