Baku in 24 hours for the time-poor

Baku compresses beautifully. The medieval Old City, the oil-boom mansions, the Caspian seafront and the futuristic skyline all sit within a few kilometers of each other, which means a single well-planned day delivers a genuine portrait of the city. Here is that day.

Key facts

• Layout: the walled Old City (Icherisheher) sits beside the seafront boulevard; almost everything below is walkable
• Getting around: walking plus the occasional taxi covers this route; the funicular handles the one big hill
• Best months: April to June and September to October — Baku's wind is famous for a reason

08:00 — Breakfast, then into the walls

Start with an Azerbaijani breakfast — fresh bread, white cheese, honey, eggs with tomatoes — and strong tea served in a pear-shaped armudu glass. Then enter Icherisheher, the UNESCO-listed Old City, while it is still quiet. Wander the sandstone lanes to the enigmatic Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, the restrained masterpiece of Baku's medieval rulers.

11:00 — The boulevard

Exit the walls to the Baku Boulevard, the long seafront park along the Caspian. Stroll past fountains and teahouses with the water on one side and the city's eclectic skyline on the other. The Azerbaijan Carpet Museum — its building shaped like a rolling carpet — sits along here and rewards even a brief visit; carpet-weaving is the national art form and the collection shows why.

13:00 — Lunch

Find a traditional restaurant for plov, the saffron-scented national rice dish, or qutab — thin stuffed flatbreads off the griddle. Follow with more tea; in Baku, tea follows everything.

14:30 — Heydar Aliyev Center

Taxi to Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Center, the flowing white landmark that redefined the city's image. Even if you skip the exhibitions inside, the building itself — a single unbroken wave of a structure — is one of the great architectural sights of the 21st century. Photographers should circle it slowly; it has no bad angle.

17:00 — Fountains Square and the passeggiata

Return to the center for Fountains Square and pedestrianized Nizami Street, where Baku's evening promenade unfolds beneath oil-boom-era facades. Café terraces here are prime people-watching territory.

19:00 — Up the funicular for sunset

Ride the funicular up to Highland Park for the classic panorama: the bay curving below, the Old City's tangle, and the three Flame Towers beginning to glow. Time it for dusk.

20:30 — Dinner and the light show

Dine on kebabs, or fish from the Caspian tradition, then find any viewpoint facing the Flame Towers. After dark their facades become screens — rippling flames, the national flag — and the whole skyline performs. It is gloriously excessive, and the perfect final image of the day.

Tip: Licensed taxis and ride-hailing apps are inexpensive by European standards — use them freely to stitch this route together, but agree the fare or use the app meter before setting off.