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Baku
Old walls on the Caspian
- Best time to visit
- May, Jun, Sep, Oct
- Currency
- AZN
- Time zone
- UTC+4
- Country
- Azerbaijan
A medieval walled city beside glass towers, a long seaside promenade and fire that never goes out.
- Baku
- Ganja
- Sumgait
- Mingachevir
- Sheki
Quick facts
- Country
- Azerbaijan
- Capital
- Baku
- City population
- 2.3M
- Population of Azerbaijan
- 10.2M
- Country area
- 86,600 km²
- Official language
- Azerbaijani
- Currency
- Azerbaijani Manat (AZN) · 1 USD ≈ 1.7 AZN
- Time zone
- UTC+4
- Calling code
- +994
- Drives on the
- Right
- Elevation
- -28 m
- Plugs
- C / F · 220V
- Emergency numbers
- 112 · 102 · 103
- Best time to visit
- May, Jun, Sep, Oct
Temperatures through the year
Average daily high and low for each month in °C. Months marked with a drop are often rainy.
Temperatures through the year
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | 7° | 7° | 10° | 16° | 22° | 27° | 30° | 30° | 25° | 19° | 13° | 9° |
| Low | 1° | 1° | 4° | 9° | 14° | 19° | 22° | 22° | 18° | 13° | 8° | 4° |
Best time to visitOther months
Approximate daily cost
Per adult per day: food, local transport and half a double room, without activities or flights.
- ConservativeSimple stays, free and low-cost sights first.$41
- HighComfortable hotels, a balanced mix of sights and trips.$98
- LuxuryLuxury hotels, more paid experiences and day trips.$245
Top things to do
- ≈ $18
Old City, Maiden Tower and Shirvanshahs' Palace
The walled UNESCO-listed core: caravanserais, the 12th-century tower and the royal palace complex.
- Half day
- Old City (İçərişəhər)
- Good for kids
- Free
Seaside Boulevard
A long Caspian promenade with parks, cafés and the Carpet Museum's rolled-carpet building.
- Half day
- Seaside Boulevard
- Good for kids
- Good in the evening
- ≈ $7
Azerbaijan Carpet Museum
Centuries of weaving from every carpet school in the Caucasus.
- Half day
- Seaside Boulevard
- Indoors
- Closed: Monday
- ≈ $1
Funicular to Upland Park and the Flame Towers
The city's viewpoint, best after dark when the towers light up.
- Half day
- Upland Park
- Good for kids
- Good in the evening
- ≈ $12
Heydar Aliyev Center
Zaha Hadid's flowing white building, with exhibitions inside and a park around it.
- Half day
- Northern Baku
- Good for kids
- Indoors
- ≈ $15
Ateshgah Fire Temple and Yanar Dag
A fire-worshippers' temple and a hillside that has burned for decades; go at dusk.
- Half day
- Absheron Peninsula
- Good in the evening
- Free
Nizami Street and Fountains Square
Pedestrian shopping streets lined with 19th-century oil-boom mansions.
- Half day
- Old City (İçərişəhər)
- Good for kids
- Good in the evening
- ≈ $40
Day trip: Gobustan and the mud volcanoes
Rock carvings up to 40,000 years old and bubbling mud volcanoes, usually by tour or taxi.
- Full day
- Gobustan
- ≈ $60
Day trip: Gabala
Green mountain valleys, a cable car and lakes, about 3.5 hours' drive each way.
- Full day
- Gabala
- Good for kids
Before you go
Entry and visas
Most visitors need a visa for Azerbaijan. Apply for an e-visa on the official ASAN Visa portal (evisa.gov.az) at least 3 days in advance; it is normally single entry and allows a 30-day stay within a 90-day validity period. If you are travelling for the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a visa on arrival is available at international airports between 25 August and 30 September 2026. Entry by air is generally unrestricted, but land and sea borders are restricted, and the borders with Iran and Georgia are temporarily closed. If you stay longer than 15 days, you must register with the State Migration Service; hotels often do this for guests, but you must do it yourself in private accommodation.
Official websiteFrom the airport
The airport express bus (H1) runs to 28 May metro station; a taxi to the centre takes about 30 minutes.
Getting around
Metro and buses use a BakuKart. Bolt and Uber cost little and are easier than street taxis.
Local tips
- The Caspian wind can be strong; bring a layer even in warm months.
- Dress modestly at mosques; women cover their hair.
- Tea houses are a social ritual: tea comes with jam and sweets.
- Carry your passport: police may ask for ID.
Areas worth knowing
- Old City (İçərişəhər)
- Northern Baku
- Gabala
- Upland Park
- Absheron Peninsula
- Gobustan
- Seaside Boulevard
The UK Foreign Office last updated its advice for this country on September 2, 2026. The advice includes warnings against travel to some areas. Read it before booking.
Read the advice on GOV.UKMore cities in Azerbaijan
All destinations
Sources: ASAN Visa (official e-Visa portal) · State Migration Service of Azerbaijan · Azerbaijan Tourism Board