Located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, the Azerbaijani capital Baku combines a medieval old town with unusual architecture, combining Persian, Turkic, Soviet and European influences. This is the place where the West meets the East. We tell you why to go to Baku and what to do there.
How to get there
A plane ticket from Moscow to Baku costs from 8,000 rubles. Aeroflot, Utair and IrAero fly; travel time is 3 hours 25 minutes. Since mid-June, Azerbaijani AZAL and Buta Airways have resumed flights to Russia. You can also fly from St. Petersburg, Astrakhan, Mineralnye Vody and Kazan.
Planes fly to Heydar Aliyev Airport, from where an express bus runs to the city around the clock. The fare costs 1.3 manats, but you cannot pay by card or cash; you need to buy a BakiKart travel card at the exit from the terminal. They can also pay for travel on public transport in Baku. You can top up your balance at newsstands and at BakiKART terminals at metro stations and bus stops.
Entry rules
Russian tourists can visit Azerbaijan with a foreign passport; without a visa, they are allowed to stay in the country for no more than 90 days. To enter, you need a certificate of vaccination against COVID-19 or a certificate of illness, issued no earlier than 90 days before the trip. PCR tests are not required.
Where to stay
To be one step away from the main attractions, choose accommodation in the Sabail district, this is the very center of Baku. A little cheaper, but also close to the center – Narimanov and Nasimi districts. And if your goal is a beach holiday, stay in the Khazar region, for example, in the village of Mardakan or Bilgya.
We have selected hotels in Baku with good guest ratings for every taste and budget:
- Luxury apartment (rating 9.7 out of 10) – large, bright apartment in a new building in the city center with a balcony and sea views. The cost of accommodation starts from 3,820 rubles*.
- Boulevard Inn (rating 9.5 out of 10) – budget hotel in the center of Baku. A standard room for two without breakfast will cost 2,800 rubles*.
- Promenade Hotel Baku (rating 9.3 out of 10) – hotel at the beginning of Primorsky Boulevard next to the Palace of the Shirvanshahs. A deluxe room with a view of the sights and breakfast costs 8,400 rubles*.
- Theatrum Hotel Baku (rating 9.1 out of 10) is an old five-star hotel in the center of Baku. Daily accommodation in an economy class room with a king-size bed and breakfast starts from 4,400 rubles*.
- Khazar Inji (rating 9.0 out of 10) – a hotel with a pool and breakfast by the Caspian Sea in the village of Mardakan. A room for two with a sea view will cost 8,000 rubles*
Things to do
To walk around Baku without haste, see all the main attractions and be enchanted by the Azerbaijani capital, you need at least three days. If you are planning a trip to the sea, add another day.
Count all medieval buildings in the Old Town
Icheri Sheher, or Old City, is the heart of Baku and a real open-air museum. It is surrounded by a medieval fortress wall, beyond which the city did not expand until the 19th century. Therefore, the buildings inside are dense: there are no large courtyards and gardens, the houses are wall to wall, there are many labyrinths of narrow streets. And this adds coziness and atmosphere, especially in the evening, when locals are preparing dinner, playing backgammon, or just spending time outside with a cup of tea.
Among the attractions of the Old City are the Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs. The tower is shrouded in secrets and legends: its construction date and original purpose are still unknown. The palace was built in the 15th century as the residence of the rulers of Shirvan, a Muslim state on the territory of modern Azerbaijan. In addition to the palace itself, the architectural complex includes a mosque, mausoleum, tomb, bathhouse and Divan Khan. Entrance ticket costs 15 manats.
Repeat scenes from Soviet films
Thanks to the imagination of filmmakers in Soviet times, Baku streets often turned into foreign ones: sometimes they would become Tehran, sometimes Argentine, sometimes Istanbul, or even some kind of fabulous. Therefore, even if you have not been to Baku, its streets will seem familiar to you.
For example, the famous falling scene from “The Diamond Arm” was filmed on Kichik-Gala Street. And in the footage of “Amphibian Man” you can see the fortress wall and the Icheri Sheher tower.
Visit the caravanserai
Baku was a major trading center on the Silk Road, so special resting places for traders and travelers – caravanserais – were built throughout the city. Some of them have survived, and now their territory houses restaurants, craft workshops, hotels or shopping bazaars.
One of the popular caravanserais in the Old Town – the Azerbaijani restaurant Karvansaray – is located a two-minute walk from the Maiden Tower.
Walk through the center of Heydar Aliyev
The Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center is an example of modern architecture. The snow-white futuristic building, almost without a single straight line, was designed by the architect Zaha Hadid.
It’s worth coming here at least twice: in the daytime to check out the exhibitions, and in the evening to stroll through the nearby park with art objects and admire the illumination of the building. Entrance – 15 manats, the center is closed on Mondays.
Buy some sweets and spices at the oriental bazaar
Baku’s largest market, Yashil Bazaar, is located a couple of blocks from the Heydar Aliyev Center. Such a variety of dried fruits, sweets, spices, herbs and delicacies cannot be found in ordinary supermarkets. They say that even vegetables and fruits taste different from each seller. It’s dangerous to go here on an empty stomach!
Life at the bazaar is especially hectic on weekends; come for the freshest products in the morning. Don’t forget to bargain with the sellers and don’t be shy to try their products. As a souvenir, take pistachios with honey, saffron and sesame, as well as halva, baklava, tea and aromatic seasonings.
Taste national cuisine
Azerbaijani cuisine is a combination of Turkish, Central Asian and Persian recipes and traditions. And this is not only tea, kebabs, baklava and various types of pilaf. People here love dolma (minced meat with rice and spices, wrapped in grape leaves), dushbara (dumplings in broth), dovga (yoghurt soup with spinach), kutaby (flatbread) and lavanga (filled with walnuts, onions and plum sauce).
National cuisine is served in Sumakh, Dolma and Qaynana restaurants. The national Azerbaijani breakfast – Baku-style omelet with tomatoes – is worth trying at Burc Qala and Wood House Baku. And for tea and baklava, go to Çay Evi 145 and Pakhlava.
Love carpets
The minimum program is to go to the Carpet Museum (the building of which is also in the shape of a carpet!) and find out why they mean so much in Azerbaijani culture. There is a huge exhibition of carpets from different eras, sizes, designs and weaving techniques. In one of the halls you can even watch the carpet weaving of a real craftswoman. And in the souvenir shop you can buy both a whole carpet and a miniature version of it. It is better to go to the museum with a tour or take an audio guide (8 manats). Entrance – 7 manat.
Walk along Primorsky Boulevard and find Little Venice
A walk along the boulevard is an opportunity to see almost all of Baku from the Caspian Sea. There is a lot of greenery, there are baobab trees among the trees, there is a bicycle path, a Ferris wheel, fountains, children’s carousels and street food stalls. Locals love to walk along the boulevard both on a sunny day and in the evening when the lights turn on.
The guests’ favorite part of Primorsky Boulevard is the Little Venice oasis, an artificially created system of canals and islands. This is a recreation area with openwork bridges, Venetian-style restaurants and green islands. You can walk between the islands or ride along the canals on real Italian gondolas for 3 manats.
Take a ride on the funicular to Nagorny Park
In 5 minutes, a silent carriage rises from the center of Baku directly to the Flame Towers and to the Nagorny Park. There is an observation deck overlooking the city and Primorsky Boulevard. Moreover, among the passengers there are many local residents who use the funicular not as an attraction, but as transport to get home.
Especially It’s spectacular to take the funicular up at sunset, when the lights turn on and the city sparkles with a million lights. The fare costs 1 manat, Monday is a day off. You can go down the steps through the green alley next to the rails.
Spend a day at the beach
You cannot swim in Baku itself – there is an oil field nearby, so the sea here is dirty. But you can go to the villages of Bilgya or Mardakan, which are 30–40 kilometers from the city. The water of the Caspian Sea in these places is clean and transparent, and the sandy beaches are equipped with sun loungers and umbrellas. Some beaches are free, others are closed and belong to sanatoriums or five-star hotels. There are two water parks – Dalga Beach Aquapark Resort in Mardakan and Bilgah Beach in Bilgah. You can get to the villages by buses 172 and 182 or by taxi.
*Prices valid at time of publication.
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