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A bay-windowed corner building glows warmly against a dramatic dark teal evening sky in Baku.
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BakuTravel Guide

Azerbaijan6 stories

Azerbaijan's Caspian capital, where a UNESCO-listed walled old city meets oil-boom Beaux-Arts mansions and the flame-shaped skyline of a new era.

Is Baku right for you?

When to come

Spring and autumn

Around 31°C by day in August, 7°C in January — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

It depends where you stand. There is a cheap version and an expensive one — the guides below say which is which.

What we've planned, and who for

We have a full day here planned hour by hour. Longer stays are covered by subject rather than by route.

Baku is inWhere the food is the reason
When to go
January: around 7 degrees by day, 3 at night, 32 millimetres of rain, some rain.
February: around 8 degrees by day, 3 at night, 30 millimetres of rain, some rain.
March: around 11 degrees by day, 5 at night, 18 millimetres of rain, dry.
April: around 17 degrees by day, 9 at night, 17 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
May: around 23 degrees by day, 15 at night, 15 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
June: around 28 degrees by day, 20 at night, 9 millimetres of rain, dry and hot. We recommend this month.
July: around 31 degrees by day, 23 at night, 4 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
August: around 31 degrees by day, 23 at night, 8 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
September: around 26 degrees by day, 19 at night, 29 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
October: around 20 degrees by day, 13 at night, 33 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
November: around 13 degrees by day, 8 at night, 44 millimetres of rain, some rain.
December: around 9 degrees by day, 5 at night, 35 millimetres of rain, some rain.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

Spring and autumn

Average daily highs, recorded at Baku (Mastaga), 1991-2020 normals.

Where this comes from

NOAA (English Wikipedia, 'Baku')

Budget level

Mixed

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with
  • Tbilisi, Georgia450 km

    half a day's travel · both good in May, June, September · a different price level (budget)

  • Yerevan, Armenia460 km

    half a day's travel · both good in May, June, September · a different price level (budget)

Plan itWhere to stay in Bakuad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding Baku

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading Baku

Aerial view of Baku at dawn with the three glass Flame Towers rising above the city and the Caspian shore
01
Itineraries

Baku in 24 hours for the time-poor

Medieval walls at breakfast, Zaha Hadid by lunch, flaming skyscrapers after dark: a one-day route through the Caspian's most surprising capital.

Azerbaijan · 2 min
Plov: spiced rice with meat and dried fruit on a platter, Azerbaijan
02
Food

Saffron, Smoke and Sour Plum: Eating Baku From the City Wall Outward

Baku's cooking gets cheaper, better and more local the further you walk from the Maiden Tower, and this is the route outward, from the caravanserai courtyards to the nine-hour lamb of Narimanov and the fish shacks of the Absheron.

Azerbaijan · 10 min
The curved glass Flame Towers of Baku rising above green trees against a clear blue sky
03
Stays

Sleeping well in Baku, whatever your budget

Flame Tower suites, beaux-arts luxury beside the medieval walls, seafront high-rises and Old City guesthouses — matching Baku's beds to your budget.

Azerbaijan · 2 min
A narrow stone alley in Baku's Old City in the evening, strung overhead with warm filament bulbs that light the honey-coloured masonry, a tall arched window and terracotta pots on the step
04
Stays

Where to Stay in Baku: Neighborhoods and the City's Famous Hotels

Old City atmosphere, seafront grandeur or a room inside the Flame Towers? A neighborhood-by-neighborhood guide to sleeping well in Baku.

Azerbaijan · 2 min
A bowl of pomegranate seeds on a patterned carpet, Azerbaijan
05
Food

Baku Quarter by Quarter: Where to Sit Down and What to Ask For

The walled city, Fountain Square, the Boulevard and the Green Market each feed you differently, and the same plate of dolma can cost three times as much four hundred metres apart.

Azerbaijan · 10 min
The Baku skyline in silhouette at sunset, with the TV tower and the Flame Towers against an orange and purple sky
06
The List

The best day trips from Baku: fire, mud and mountain villages

Ancient petroglyphs, burning hillsides, bubbling mud volcanoes and Silk Road villages — the Absheron Peninsula and the Caucasus foothills put remarkable day trips within reach of Baku.

Azerbaijan · 2 min
In pictures

Baku, framed

Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, its white wave of a roof curling down to meet the marble plaza in front of it under a deep blue sky
Photo: Ismail Bashiri / Unsplash
The Ateshgah fire temple outside Baku, its square stone altar pavilion burning a natural gas flame under the central arch, ringed by the low domed cells of the pentagonal caravanserai under a hard blue sky
Photo: Danielle Barnes / Unsplash
The Flame Towers standing over Baku and the Caspian at dusk
Photo: Lloyd Alozie / Unsplash
Flame Towers, Baku
Photo: Adil Sattarov / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in Baku

See and do

Eat and drink

Where to stay

Before you go

Practical essentials for Azerbaijan

Money

Azerbaijani manat (AZN)

Language

Azerbaijani; Russian is widely understood and English is common in Baku's hotels and restaurants.

Power

Type C/F, 220V 50Hz

Getting around

Buy a BakiKart at a metro station or bus stop for Baku's metro and buses; contactless bank cards are still only being trialled at the gates.

Tipping

Not obligatory but welcomed — around 10% in restaurants, after checking whether a service charge is already on the bill.

Tap water

Baku's tap water is treated, but visitors are advised to drink bottled water.

Driving

Right-hand side; carry a 1968 International Driving Permit alongside your national licence.

Emergency

112 (unified); 102 police, 103 ambulance, 101 fire

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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