One day in Baku

Day by day

1. Day 1: Old City (İçərişəhər) and Maiden Tower

   Old City (İçərişəhər), Maiden Tower, Palace of the Shirvanshahs and Museum of Miniature Books, then Flame Towers in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Old City (İçərişəhər)

      Enter through the Double Gates near Istiglaliyyat Street and wander without a plan; the area is compact and hard to get lost in. Allow Half a day.

   2. Late morning

      Maiden Tower

      Visit late in the afternoon for warm light on the Boulevard from the roof. Allow 45 minutes.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Plov

      Traditional restaurants in the Old City and around Fountain Square; shah plov is often ordered for groups.

   4. Afternoon

      Palace of the Shirvanshahs

      Allow time for the courtyards and the mausoleum, where carved inscriptions are among the finest in the complex. Allow 1–1.5 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Museum of Miniature Books

      Look for the smallest books in the centre cases; staff can point them out. Allow 30 minutes.

   6. Evening

      Flame Towers

      Watch the light show from the Boulevard or the Old City walls after dark.

If it rains

• Swap in Heydar Aliyev Center (Narimanov): Walk around the outside first for photos, then decide whether to go in; the exterior is the highlight.
• Swap in Azerbaijan Carpet Museum (Seaside Boulevard and Neftchilar Avenue): Visit before buying a carpet to learn about regional styles and quality.
• Swap in Ateshgah Fire Temple (Surakhani): Combine it with Yanar Dag in the late afternoon and stay for sunset at the burning hillside.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 6–7 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.3 hours in December to 15 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Metro. Baku Metro's lines connect the centre with residential districts; stations such as İçərişəhər, Sahil and 28 May serve the main sights.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Baku
• 3 days in Baku
• 5 days in Baku

Questions travellers ask