Places / Asia / Azerbaijan
Baku
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At a glance
- Country
- Azerbaijan
- Region
- Baku
- Population
- 2.3 million
- Best time to go
- April to June, September to October
- Main airport
- Baku Heydar Aliyev International (GYD)
- Coordinates
- 40.41°N, 49.87°E
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Overview
Baku sits on the Caspian Sea, a city of contrasts where a medieval walled town is ringed by grand oil-boom mansions from the early 1900s and futuristic towers from the last two decades. It is often windy; the name is popularly linked to the Persian for "wind-pounded".
The seafront boulevard is the city's living room. Beyond the city, the dry Absheron peninsula holds fire temples, mud volcanoes and ancient rock art.
Things to see
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Photo: Sefer azeri, CC BY-SA 4.0 Old City
The walled heart of Baku, a UNESCO-listed maze of lanes, caravanserais and carpet shops.
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Photo: AlixSaz, CC BY-SA 4.0 Maiden Tower
A mysterious 12th-century stone tower at the edge of the Old City, with views from the top.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: Urek Meniashvili, CC BY-SA 3.0 Palace of the Shirvanshahs
A 15th-century royal complex of halls, a mosque and a bathhouse in sandy limestone.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: Original architectural work: Zaha Hadid Depiction: Interfase, PD Heydar Aliyev Center
Zaha Hadid's flowing white cultural centre, a striking piece of modern architecture.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: Viceskeeni2, CC0 Flame Towers
Three curved skyscrapers that light up with moving flames after dark, best seen from the Old City.
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Photo: Presidential Press and Information Office, CC BY 4.0 Azerbaijan Carpet Museum
A museum shaped like a rolled carpet, holding one of the world's largest collections.
Tickets and tours
Things to do
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Photo: Khortan, CC BY-SA 3.0 Stroll the Baku Boulevard
A long seafront park with cafés and fountains, busiest on summer evenings.
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Photo: Rəcəb Yaxşı, CC BY-SA 4.0 Gobustan and the mud volcanoes
Thousands of prehistoric rock carvings and bubbling mud volcanoes, about an hour south.
Find tours -
Photo: Nick Taylor, CC BY 2.0 Ateshgah Fire Temple
A fortress-like temple once used by fire worshippers, on the Absheron peninsula.
Find tours -
Photo: Frokor, CC BY-SA 3.0 Yanar Dag
A hillside where natural gas has burned continuously for decades, best visited at dusk.
Find tours
Where to stay
Old City
Atmospheric boutique hotels inside the walls, close to the main sights.
Hotels in Old CityFountain Square
The lively area just outside the walls, full of shops, restaurants and bars.
Hotels in Fountain SquareSeafront
Big hotels along the boulevard with Caspian views.
Hotels in Seafront
Getting around
The metro is cheap and efficient, and buses use a rechargeable BakuCard. Ride-hailing apps are easy and inexpensive.
Aero-express buses and taxis reach the centre in around 30 minutes.
When to go
Spring and autumn are warm and pleasant. Summer is hot and dry, and winters are cool, windy and grey.
Plan your trip to Baku
Guide last checked October 2026. Opening times and prices change, so check before you go.