Travel to Azerbaijan: visit Baku, Sheki and the Caucasus

On the western shore of the Caspian, Azerbaijan places side by side Baku's walled old city, the Flame Towers and the Heydar Aliyev Center, the rock carvings of Gobustan and, at the foot of the Greater Caucasus, Sheki and its khans' palace, only a few hours' drive away.

Why visit Azerbaijan?

Azerbaijan lets you combine in one week a modern capital on the Caspian, two UNESCO-listed sites around Baku and the villages of the Greater Caucasus. Less visited than its neighbours, it requires an e-visa obtained online and pairs easily with Georgia thanks to a flight of about one hour.

What to discover in Azerbaijan?

Baku, between ramparts and glass towers

The walled old city of Icherisheher can be explored in half a day. The seafront boulevard stretches for several kilometres to the Flame Towers, lit up every evening. Allow three days for the city and its surroundings: the burning hillside of Yanar Dag and the Ateshgah fire temple are 30 to 40 minutes from the centre. Baku deserves its nickname of city of winds: pack a warm layer even in May, and avoid July and August, often above 35 °C.

The Caspian coast and Gobustan

Around sixty kilometres south-west of Baku, the Gobustan reserve preserves more than 6,000 rock carvings on a semi-desert plateau. Combine the visit with the nearby mud volcanoes, reached along a dirt track by local taxi from the village: the trip takes half a day to a full day. The museum at the entrance helps you read the carvings. Across the Caspian, Kazakhstan and the Aktau region are only about an hour away by plane.

The Greater Caucasus: Sheki, Lahij and Quba

Five hours' drive north-west of Baku, Sheki brings together its khans' palace and a caravanserai where you can sleep: allow two nights. Further north, Quba is the base for Khinalug, perched at around 2,300 metres, about an hour and a half away on a mountain road. The village of Lahij, known for its coppersmiths, makes a day trip from Ismayilli or Gabala. The ideal season runs from May to October; in winter the Khinalug road can be cut off by snow.

Carpets, tea and Azerbaijani cuisine

Azerbaijani carpet weaving is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list: Baku's Carpet Museum, housed in a building shaped like a rolled carpet, takes about an hour and a half. Tea, served in tulip glasses with jams, comes with every meal. Try plov with dried fruit, stuffed qutab and Sheki pakhlava. The language, very close to the Turkish spoken in Turkey, makes exchanges easier for anyone with a few words of it. The country is secular and alcohol is easy to find.

Cities to visit in Azerbaijan

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Must-sees in Azerbaijan

Six sites that sum up the country's wide range, from the legacy of the khans to twenty-first-century architecture.

Maiden Tower

The emblematic stone tower of Baku's old city, whose origins are still debated, with a rooftop view over the port and the Caspian bay.

Palace of the Shirvanshahs

A fifteenth-century complex at the heart of Icherisheher, with mosque, mausoleum and bathhouse, UNESCO-listed together with the old city.

Heydar Aliyev Center

A cultural centre designed by Zaha Hadid, all white curves without right angles, hosting exhibitions and a museum; the exterior is free to photograph at sunset.

Gobustan petroglyphs

A UNESCO-listed reserve south of Baku, where thousands of rock carvings depict hunters, dancers and boats on a semi-desert plateau.

Sheki Khans' Palace

An eighteenth-century residence with painted walls and shebeke stained glass assembled without nails or glue, in Sheki's UNESCO-listed historic centre.

Khinalug village

A stone village perched at around 2,300 metres in the Greater Caucasus, home to a community with its own language, reached by a mountain road from Quba.

Frequently asked questions

Is an Armenian stamp in your passport a problem when entering Azerbaijan?
A simple Armenian stamp is generally not an issue. However, a past visit to Nagorno-Karabakh without Baku's authorisation, when the region was under Armenian administration, has led to entry bans. If in doubt, check with the embassy before you travel.
How to get from Baku to Tbilisi?
The simplest option is the direct flight of about one hour. A night train traditionally linked the two capitals, but Azerbaijan's land borders have remained closed to travellers in recent years: check their status before building a combined overland itinerary.
How long does the ASAN e-visa take?
The standard procedure quotes about three working days, with a more expensive urgent option. The electronic visa is single-entry and allows a 30-day stay. Print it or keep it on your phone for the check at Heydar Aliyev airport.
Where to see natural flames around Baku?
At Yanar Dag, a hillside where a natural gas leak has been burning continuously for decades, about thirty minutes from the centre. The visit is most impressive after dark. The Ateshgah temple, a former fire-worship sanctuary, is easy to combine on the same trip.
Is Sheki worth the long drive from Baku?
Yes, provided you spend at least one night there, as five hours of road separate the two cities. Sheki offers a sharp contrast with Baku, with its khans' palace, a caravanserai to stay in, sloping lanes and local halva. Going via Shamakhi allows a stop at its great mosque.
Is Nagorno-Karabakh open to tourists?
The region, under Azerbaijani control since September 2023, still requires permission for foreigners, usually as part of supervised visits. The French foreign ministry advises against the border zone with Armenia, where mines are reported. Do not include it in an independent trip.

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