Rainy day · Baku · Azerbaijan
7 things to do in Baku when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Khortan, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Palace of the Shirvanshahs, Heydar Aliyev Center and Azerbaijan Carpet Museum. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 8–9 hours across 5 areas; 1 is free. January is usually the wettest month, with about 6 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 1
- Time to see them all
- 8–9 hours
- Areas
- Old City (İçərişəhər), Narimanov and Seaside Boulevard and Neftchilar Avenue
Baku on a rainy day
Palace · Old City (İçərişəhər)
1.Palace of the Shirvanshahs
Allow time for the courtyards and the mausoleum, where carved inscriptions are among the finest in the complex.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Architecture · Narimanov
2.Heydar Aliyev Center
Walk around the outside first for photos, then decide whether to go in; the exterior is the highlight.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Architecture
- Iconic
- Art
- Rainy day
- Photo spot
Museum · Seaside Boulevard and Neftchilar Avenue
3.Azerbaijan Carpet Museum
Visit before buying a carpet to learn about regional styles and quality.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Religious site · Surakhani
4.Ateshgah Fire Temple
Combine it with Yanar Dag in the late afternoon and stay for sunset at the burning hillside.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Museum · Old City (İçərişəhər)
5.Museum of Miniature Books
Look for the smallest books in the centre cases; staff can point them out.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · Fountain Square and Nizami Street
6.National Museum of History of Azerbaijan
Ask for directions to the oriental hall and the ballroom-style rooms; they show the scale of oil-boom wealth.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Architecture · Fountain Square and Nizami Street
7.Baku Metro stations
Buy a BakuCard and ride a few stops between Sahil, Nizami and İçərişəhər to see the station décor.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
- Art
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Old City (İçərişəhər) | Palace of the Shirvanshahs and Museum of Miniature Books | 1–1.5 hours + 30 minutes |
| Narimanov | Heydar Aliyev Center | 1.5–2 hours |
| Seaside Boulevard and Neftchilar Avenue | Azerbaijan Carpet Museum | 1–1.5 hours |
| Surakhani | Ateshgah Fire Temple | 1 hour |
| Fountain Square and Nizami Street | National Museum of History of Azerbaijan and Baku Metro stations | 1.5 hours + 1 hour |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 1 free, 5 low cost, 1 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Heydar Aliyev Center; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Old City (İçərişəhər) and Narimanov): Palace of the Shirvanshahs → Museum of Miniature Books → Heydar Aliyev Center, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Seaside Boulevard and Neftchilar Avenue, Surakhani and Fountain Square and Nizami Street): Azerbaijan Carpet Museum → Ateshgah Fire Temple → National Museum of History of Azerbaijan, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Fountain Square and Nizami Street): Baku Metro stations, at least 1 hour.
The wettest months
- January: highs of 7°C (45°F), about 6 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Cold and windy, with occasional sleet or snow; good for museums and tea houses.
- February: highs of 7°C (45°F), about 6 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Cold and quiet, with strong winds; the lowest prices of the year.
- March: highs of 10°C (50°F), about 6 rainy days, moderate crowds. Cool, with spring arriving; Novruz celebrations fill the city with bonfires, sweets and street festivities.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Old City (İçərişəhər) — Walled medieval quarter of caravanserais, carpet shops and boutique hotels
- Fountain Square and Nizami Street — Pedestrian shopping streets of oil-boom mansions, cafés and bars
- Seaside Boulevard and Neftchilar Avenue — Luxury hotels facing the Caspian along the city's main promenade
- Port Baku and White City — Modern waterfront district of towers, malls and new boulevards
- Narimanov — Residential and business district around the Heydar Aliyev Center
More of Baku
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Baku?
Palace of the Shirvanshahs. The 15th-century palace complex of the Shirvanshah rulers stands at the highest point of the Old City and includes the palace, a mosque, a mausoleum, a bathhouse and a divan-khana pavilion with carved stonework.
+Which of these are free in Baku?
Museum of Miniature Books.