AI may have contributed to this destination’s text and activity data. Confirm opening days, transport, prices and entry conditions with the relevant operator or authority; automatic live-data updates do not verify these descriptions.
Sheki
A Silk Road town of painted palaces
- Best time to visit
- May, Jun, Sep, Oct
- Currency
- AZN
- Time zone
- UTC+4
- Country
- Azerbaijan
A green hill town on the old Silk Road, with a UNESCO-listed khan's palace, a stone caravanserai and famous halva.
- Baku
- Ganja
- Sumgait
- Mingachevir
- Sheki
Quick facts
- Country
- Azerbaijan
- Capital
- Baku
- City population
- 70,000
- 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
- 700 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 | 5° | 7° | 11° | 17° | 22° | 27° | 30° | 29° | 24° | 17° | 11° | 6° |
| Low | -2° | -1° | 3° | 8° | 12° | 16° | 19° | 18° | 14° | 9° | 4° | 0° |
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.$36
- HighComfortable hotels, a balanced mix of sights and trips.$83
- LuxuryLuxury hotels, more paid experiences and day trips.$185
Top things to do
- ≈ $5
Palace of the Shaki Khans
An 18th-century summer palace famous for its painted halls and shebeke windows of coloured glass fitted without nails.
- Half day
- Upper old town
- Indoors
- Free
Upper Caravanserai
A two-storey stone inn from the Silk Road era, with a courtyard you can visit and rooms still let to guests.
- Half day
- Upper old town
- ≈ $3
Kiş Albanian church
A small, very old church in a village 5 km away, linked to Caucasian Albania.
- Half day
- Villages nearby
- ≈ $8
Sheki halva and piti
Taste the layered, syrupy Sheki halva in the old town, and piti, a lamb and chickpea stew cooked in clay pots.
- Half day
- Upper old town
- Good in the evening
- Free
Walk above the old town
Trails from the fortress walls into the wooded hills, with views back over the tiled roofs.
- Half day
- Villages nearby
- Good for kids
Before you go
Entry and visas
Everyone needs a visa to visit Azerbaijan. Most travellers apply for an e-Visa through the official ASAN Visa service (evisa.gov.az) at least 3 days before travel; an urgent 3-hour option costs extra. E-visas are normally single entry and allow a 30-day stay within a 90-day validity period, and you must print it and show it with your passport on arrival. Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months after you arrive and have at least 2 blank pages. 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 an apartment or private home.
Official websiteFrom the airport
Buses and shared taxis from Baku take about 5 hours; the drive can be combined with Shamakhi and Gabala.
Getting around
The upper old town is walkable but steep; taxis are cheap for the villages around.
Local tips
- Photos are not allowed inside the khan's palace.
- Stay a night in the caravanserai for the atmosphere.
- Buy halva from bakeries where you can see it being made.
- Evenings are cooler than in Baku; bring a layer.
Areas worth knowing
- Upper old town
- Villages nearby
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) · Azerbaijan Tourism Board