3 Days in Baku Itinerary

Admittedly, I had never considered visiting Baku, Azerbaijan. It wasn’t until we were in Tbilisi, Georgia that we planned a short trip and itinerary there to visit a good friend of mine. I’m so glad we went. I mean, visiting our friend and his family was worthwhile enough.

Baku is an enthralling city. The mixture of traditional and ultramodern architecture evokes elements of international influence. You might recognize the Parisian influence of apartment buildings to a futuristic conference centers that might find their home in a Star Wars movie and canals that are quite literally called Mini-Venice. You want a taste of architecture from around the world and across time? Baku’s got it.

The food scene is fantastic as well, with affordable eats from fine dining to family style seafood restaurants on the Caspian Sea (check out our favorite restaurants here). 

Of course, you cannot visit Baku without confronting its tumultuous ancient and contemporary history. Cultural upheavals meet conflicting geopolitical identities in this former USSR country.

If you’re in the Caucus region, a trip to Baku, Azerbaijan  is worth your time and money. It’s a travel experience we haven’t quite matched anywhere else and is so often under-looked. 

From charming pedestrian seats to architecture straight from a sci-fi novel and historical palaces to get lost in, Baku will pull you in and have your head turning as you try to take it all in. So yeah, go get lost in Baku if you can!

How long should you spend in Baku?

How long your Baku itinerary should be for really depends on your travel style and interests. Yeah, I know that’s a copout. But truly, there’s plenty to soak in if you like history. If you’re into pampering yourself and shopping, you’ve got options. Food? Yup, plenty of unique offerings and experiences from this Silk Road town. 

That being said, if you want us to pare down the highlights into a digestible itinerary, we can easily recommend three full days. This will give you enough time to explore the old and new sides of Baku. Plus, you’ll get to some fascinating ancient historical and natural landmarks unique to Azerbaijan.

You won’t get bored in three days, and you won’t be too rushed. Of course, if you want to take things more leisurely, we think that four or five days also isn’t bad. You can spend more time in cafes, shopping, and seeing some additional sites outside the city.

Day 1 – The Old

Situated on the Silk Road and later the hub of an oil boom, Baku’s history is filled with ups and downs. Our focus for Day 1 of our Baku itinerary will be on the Old City today with a short foray into the nearby City Center for some historical museum and monument visits (even if you’re not into history museums, consider the one we recommend! It’s got amazing mansion rooms that are worth the price of entry).

Morning

One of the first things we recommend on Day 1 of almost any itinerary is taking a walking tour. Like most cities, you can easily find walking tours of Baku. We highly recommend taking a walking tour starting in the Old City.  You can add on to the typical Old City walking tours with other topics like food tours or Soviet Architecture. This will provide a wonderful introduction to the history of Baku from a local perspective.

The tours generally take you through Old City where you’ll be introduced to the old mosques and baths among the winding streets. You’ll see Maiden’s Tower from the outside and the Palaces of the Shirvanshahs, too. Most likely you’ll visit the inside of the Museum of Miniature Books. This is a great intro to Baku on your itinerary.

Afternoon

You’ll want to grab lunch around Fountain Square where your morning tower is likely to end. We recommend Firuze Restaurant for traditional cuisine in an atmospheric basement restaurant. Yes, it’s underground, but the vibe and decorations make this place a treat.

After lunch, visit the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan. You’ll get a mix of palatial mansion rooms and both ancient and more recent history throughout the exhibits. It’s definitely worth an hour or two, if you’re a history buff.

If you’re so inclined, double-back into Old City to take in the views atop Maiden’s Tower. Devote an hour or so to delving into the Palaces of the Shirvanshahs so you don’t just see them from the outside.

Then wander around the Philharmonia Garden and the exterior of the Philharmonic Hall for some intriguing picture opportunities. You might be tempted to head down to the Promenade from here, but we’ll save it for tomorrow.

Evening

With the first day on your Baku itinerary nearing to a close, make your way up to Highland Park. If you time it right, you might be here in time for sunset. Explore the park area and enjoy the panoramic views. But we’re not just here for that.

Take a sobering walk down Martyr’s Lane and visit the Shahidlar Monument. The memorial is dedicated to those killed by the Soviet Army during Black January. It’s wortwhile to read up on this bloody bit of history to get a glimpse of Azerbaijan’s shifting identities and constant struggles for independence. Night offers a good time to reflect here, where it will most certainly not be busy and many visitors unfortunately skip this.

Finish your night at the top of the Flame Towers in Bar19 Restaurant in the Fairmont. Good views, good food, and decent drinks make this a great spot to watch the city unfold before you at night. Not to mention, they usually have live music to set the mood.

Day 2 – The New

We’re going to spend a little time outside the city center for Day 2 of our Baku Itinerary, but then a short cab ride will take us right back into the thick of it. Today is about admiring the contemporary architecture, people watching, snacking, and taking things leisurely while interspersed with some different stops.

Morning

Start your morning by visiting the “I Love Baku Sign” and getting the requisite photo before wandering up to the Heydar Aliyev Center. Admire the architecture and visit the exhibits inside. Check out the Congress Center, shaped like a spaceship, nearby. You won’t go in, but it’s another marvelous piece of Baku architecture.

Afterward, head to Nizami Street for some strolling, people watching, and more. Consider grabbing a coffee at Gazelli Cafe. Make your way over to the picturesque Baku Book Center, even if just to pop in for a few minutes to admire the space. By then, you won’t be far from Fountain Square. There are plenty of places along the way to grab a bite to eat.

Afternoon

Stroll down the Baku Promenade and enjoy breathtaking (and often windy) views of the Caspian Sea. There are vendors for snacks and outdoor eateries if you would like to sit for a while. On the way, don’t fret straying slightly off the promenade to enjoy a coffee at the Friends Central Perk Cafe. Yup, totally TV-show “Friends” themed. Totally unofficial. 

Your goal is to make it down to Mini-Venice.  Have a boat ride and admire the kitsch. It’s certainly a unique spot in the park. Afterward, visit the unmissable Azerbaijan Carpet Museum. The exterior architecture alone is worth checking out, and the exhibits themselves are actually pretty interesting. You’ll learn more about carpets in an hour than you ever thought you would know in your life.

Spend some time shopping at Deniz Mall–or, if you’re following the theme here, just admiring the architecture. The mall also offers some decent views of the promenade and back toward the Crystal Hall if you’re interested. Crystal Hall is quite a walk away, so if you want to get an up-close view of it, you’ll have to hoof it for 3 km or grab a taxi. The faraway view was good enough for us.

Evening

End the day near Baku Eye. Before or after dinner, you could have a colorful ride on the ferris wheel. The chic Chayki restaurant nearby offers exquisitely done Azerbaijani and regional dishes at a surprisingly good price despite the $$$$ you’ll see on Google Maps. We greatly enjoyed our drinks and every single dish we had there. If you like loud music, the top floors are for you. For a quieter, more intimate atmosphere, the bottom floor is key.

Day 3 – The Ancient

We drove our own vehicle for traveling outside of Baku for the third day in this itinerary. While I didn’t personally have to drive, the traffic was not a problem at all once you left the city. However, if you don’t want to drive yourself (and if you’ve had to navigate Baku traffic, I wouldn’t blame you), there are many operators that offer highly rated tours to these sites.

Morning

First things first on your Baku itinerary, head out to the Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape. Purchase a ticket that includes a guide for the petroglyphs. Trust me, it helps having someone who can interpret the ancient history and provide some stories about what you’re looking at. The guides we met had wonderful senses of humor and were pretty knowledgeable as well. It’s worth the few extra bucks. 

Anyway, first things first, visit the museum on site. It’s a good introduction to ancient history in the region and some of archeologists’ best interpretations of what you’re about to see. You’ll learn more about the ancient roots of humanity along with Azerbaijani culture. The museum is well done and will probably take about an hour.

Then head up to the site of the petroglyphs themselves. Again, with a guide or on your own, enjoy the views while exploring the ancient rock art. I honestly was pretty impressed with how well-preserved these old these petroglyphs are. You might spend about an hour here, too. There are an estimated 6,000+ carvings dating between 5,000 and 20,000 years old. You’ll see artworks of people, boats, animals, and more.

Once you’re done, continue on to visit the famous mud volcanoes. Now, we’ve hiked live volcanoes and seen plenty of old dormant ones. The mud volcanoes are not those. They’re basically just mounds of mud with gas spewing up in squelching bubbles and occasional miniature geysers. Did the mud volcanoes wow me? No. Were the fun to visit? Yeah.

Seeing the mud volcanoes is a uniquely Azerbaijani experience. It’s kind of hilarious and interesting all at once. But be prepared to get your shoes muddy if you get close. Either get some kind of disposable shoe booties to protect your shoes or be prepared to wash them thoroughly.

Afternoon

Some Baku itineraries will suggest visiting Yanar Dagh since you’re outside of Baku already. Yanar Dagh is a natural eternal flame thanks to the gases escaping the hillside. I’ve heard from many people it’s not really that impressive during the day. I mean, it’s some small fire coming out of the ground. But at night, it might look more impressive. I’m putting it hear because you might want to visit this quirky spot. I did not.

If you’re taking a tour, there’s a good chance you’ll visit the Atashgah Fire Temple. While you’re outside of Baku, this can be a worthwhile trip as well. Built in the 17th or 18th century, the Ateshgah complex is now an open-air museum and no longer has the natural gas flame. But it offers great insight into the history of fire worship and pilgrimage for Zoroastrians.

Evening

If you are willing to get outside the city, try one of the fish houses like Dərya Fish House. You’ll see a side of Baku that is more laidback and family centric while enjoying some wonderful sea views that you might not find on most itineraries. Otherwise, you can always grab dinner back near Fountain Square or Nizami Street at one of the many restaurants you’ve yet to try.

With More Time

Admittedly, if you take your time at every spot we highlighted on this three day Baku itinerary, you could feel rushed on your 3 Day Baku Itinerary. I don’t anticipate everyone reading every placard and spending more than an hour at each stop we mention. But if that’s you or if you like to intersperse your tourist sites with more cafe time, then you can easily stretch this itinerary over four days while doing more people watching.

But if you’ve got the extra one or two days in Baku, we’ve got more recommendations for your itinerary. The Təzə Pir Mosque is worth a visit. Both the interior and exterior are beautiful, and the park leading up to it can be enjoyed with a leisurely stroll.

The Təzə bazar offers a more local glimpse into shopping for goods and food. You might pair it with a walk down Winter Park to admire the buildings and gardens, if the weather is nice. 

Art lovers and admirers will enjoy the National Museum of Art. Soak in regional and international works.

Take in a show at the Puppet Theater, the Philharmonic Hall, or the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater. All these historic venues offer unique experiences in gorgeous settings.

The impressive Bibiheybat Mosque is a replica of a 13th century place of worship destroyed by the Russians. It’s a ways outside the city, but it’s possible to fit this in on Day 3 of the itinerary above.

Port Baku offers fine dinging, salons, spas, and high-end shopping experiences. The window shopping here is great, even if you don’t plan on making a couture purchase. But salon, spa, and restaurant prices are far more amenable, so you can easily spend a couple hours in the area. 

There are ski resorts and wineries within a few hours’ drive from Baku. Perhaps a little far for a day trip depending on the season, but it’s possible. You might consider a day trip to the mountains just to get a glimpse of an entirely different side of Azerbaijan. If you’re not comfortably arranging your own transport, there are plenty of well-rated options on sites like Viator.

Where to Stay

The most convenient area to stay by far is anywhere near Fountains Square. There are plenty of options ranging from budget stays to five star luxury hotels between this area and the Dənizkənarı Milli Park pressed up against the sea. You can’t go wrong with this location because it’s so easy to walk to almost all the sites we mention. (There are a few places, like the Heydar Aliyev Center which might require a taxi or a fish house outside the city center, but that’s unavoidable.) Restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars are all within a stone’s throw.

If you want an even more historical vibe, you can find a plethora of options in the Old City.  These tend to lean more on the boutique side. Again, you can find prices for everyone. 

Port Baku is an okay area if you like a specific taste of luxury. The JW Marriott is located there, right next to all the finest shopping and dining. But it’s not as convenient since you’ll be on the north end of all the touristy sites.

Similarly, you can stay at the Flame Towers. However, you’ll need to take a few more cab rides or do more walking than if you stayed in a central location.

Obtaining a Visa

Many travelers will need a visa to get into Azerbaijan. We recommend getting an e-visa ahead of time from the official government website: https://evisa.gov.az/en

Don’t get swindled at other websites offering to obtain a visa for more money. It can take up to three days to get approved, so don’t wait until last minute.

Getting Around

pick up a BakuCard which will cover all your transportation for free, plus get you into various museum along with additional discounts for shopping, eating, etc.

We had decent luck with taxis. But beware. THere can be a language barrier and many are unmetered. So you really need to know what you’re doing. Check out this guide on Baku taxis.

You can use Uber and Bolt in Baku. I recommend this so you don’t have to worry about taxis taking advantage of you as a foreigner.

Final Tips

• Be sure to get your visa in advance
• Most sites can easily be visited by walking, but we recommend using Bolt or Uber if you want a no-nonsense way of snagging a ride somewhere else
• If you want a close-up view of the mud volcanoes, be sure to either bring dirty shoes or some kind of booties, like these, to protect your shoes
• If you’re staying 10+ days in Baku, you may need to register with the State Migration Service
• We recommend dressing conservatively (long pants and shirts mostly, t-shirts can be fine) to better fit in with local customs. Baku is more cosmopolitan, but avoid excessive skin
• Try all the food! Traditional breakfast spreads at places like Central Baku are a fantastic way to start your day. You can find some delicious international fare, as well, especially with countries Azerbaijan has had a closer historical relationship with like Turkey and Russia
• Enjoy this unique city! I had no expectations coming here, and we loved our time here