Things to do · Baku · Azerbaijan
16 best things to do in Baku
16 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: AlixSaz, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Baku are Old City (İçərişəhər), Maiden Tower and Palace of the Shirvanshahs. Of the 16 picks below, 7 are free, 7 work on a rainy day and 3 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Old City (İçərişəhər)
- Free sights
- 7
- Good on a rainy day
- Palace of the Shirvanshahs
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old City (İçərişəhər) | Old City (İçərişəhər) | Half a day | Free |
| Maiden Tower | Old City (İçərişəhər) | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Palace of the Shirvanshahs | Old City (İçərişəhər) | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Flame Towers | Highland Park | 30 minutes | Free |
| Heydar Aliyev Center | Narimanov | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Highland Park and the funicular | Highland Park | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Baku Boulevard | Seaside Boulevard and Neftchilar Avenue | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Azerbaijan Carpet Museum | Seaside Boulevard and Neftchilar Avenue | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Fountain Square and Nizami Street | Fountain Square and Nizami Street | 1 hour | Free |
| Ateshgah Fire Temple | Surakhani | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Yanar Dag | Absheron Peninsula | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Bibi-Heybat Mosque | Bibi-Heybat | 45 minutes | Free |
| Museum of Miniature Books | Old City (İçərişəhər) | 30 minutes | Free |
| National Museum of History of Azerbaijan | Fountain Square and Nizami Street | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Baku Metro stations | Fountain Square and Nizami Street | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Teze Bazaar | 28 May and railway station area | 1 hour | Free |
The 16 best things to do
Neighbourhood · Old City (İçərişəhər)
1.Old City (İçərişəhər)
Baku's walled historic core, UNESCO-listed with the Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, is a maze of stone lanes, caravanserais, mosques and small museums. The double walls and gates such as the Double Gates (Qoşa Qala) date mainly from the 12th century onwards.
Enter through the Double Gates near Istiglaliyyat Street and wander without a plan; the area is compact and hard to get lost in.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Landmark · Old City (İçərişəhər)
2.Maiden Tower
A cylindrical stone tower about 29 metres tall at the edge of the Old City, its origins and purpose still debated by historians. Inside, a museum tells its legends and history across several levels, and the roof gives views over the Old City and the bay.
Visit late in the afternoon for warm light on the Boulevard from the roof.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Views
Palace · Old City (İçərişəhər)
3.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.
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 · Highland Park
4.Flame Towers
Three curved glass towers on the hill above the city, completed in 2012, house a hotel, apartments and offices. After dark their LED-covered façades display moving flames and the national flag, visible from all over the city.
Watch the light show from the Boulevard or the Old City walls after dark.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- After dark
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Architecture · Narimanov
5.Heydar Aliyev Center
Zaha Hadid's flowing white building, completed in 2012, has no straight lines or sharp angles. Inside are exhibitions on Azerbaijani history and culture, a collection of classic cars and changing art exhibitions. The landscaped grounds are free to explore.
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
Viewpoint · Highland Park
6.Highland Park and the funicular
Highland Park (Dağüstü Park), next to the Flame Towers, has the best panorama over the bay, the Boulevard and the Old City. It includes Martyrs' Lane, a solemn memorial avenue. The Baku Funicular climbs from Neftchilar Avenue to the park in a few minutes.
Ride the funicular up at dusk, watch the city lights come on, then walk down the steps to the Boulevard.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Couples
- After dark
- Photo spot
Waterfront · Seaside Boulevard and Neftchilar Avenue
7.Baku Boulevard
The Seaside Boulevard, founded in 1909, stretches for kilometres along the Caspian, with gardens, fountains, cafés, the Little Venice canals with small boat rides, the Baku Eye Ferris wheel and the Carpet Museum. It is the city's favourite place for an evening walk.
Walk it in the evening, when families come out, the air cools and the Flame Towers light up.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- After dark
- Couples
- Outdoors
Museum · Seaside Boulevard and Neftchilar Avenue
8.Azerbaijan Carpet Museum
Housed in a building shaped like a partly rolled carpet on the Boulevard, the museum displays carpets from Azerbaijan's weaving regions, as well as embroidery, jewellery and metalwork. It explains the patterns and techniques that distinguish regional styles.
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
Street · Fountain Square and Nizami Street
1.Fountain Square and Nizami Street
Fountain Square and the pedestrian Nizami Street are the city's main gathering places, lined with oil-boom-era buildings, shops, cafés and restaurants. The square's fountains and benches fill with locals on summer evenings.
Come in the evening, then walk through the Old City gates for dinner.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- After dark
- Architecture
Religious site · Surakhani
2.Ateshgah Fire Temple
In the suburb of Surakhani, about 30 km from the centre, this pentagonal fire temple was built in the 17th and 18th centuries by Hindu and Zoroastrian traders and pilgrims around natural gas vents. A flame burns in the central altar, and the cells around the courtyard hold exhibits on the temple's history.
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
Nature · Absheron Peninsula
3.Yanar Dag
A hillside on the Absheron Peninsula, about 25 km north of the centre, where natural gas seeping from the ground has burned continuously for decades. The flames along a 10-metre stretch of rock are most impressive after dark.
Go at dusk; the flames look much more dramatic in the dark, and it can be cold and windy in winter.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- After dark
- Kids
- Photo spot
Religious site · Bibi-Heybat
4.Bibi-Heybat Mosque
On the coast road south of the city, this mosque was rebuilt in the late 1990s and 2000s after the original was destroyed in the Soviet period. Its domes and minarets face the sea, and it houses a shrine venerated by pilgrims.
Dress modestly; women should cover their hair, and scarves are often available at the entrance.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Views
Museum · Old City (İçərişəhər)
5.Museum of Miniature Books
A small, free museum in the Old City dedicated to tiny books from around the world, including some so small they need a magnifying glass to read. The collection was assembled by a private collector over decades.
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
Housed in the mansion of oil magnate Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, the museum covers Azerbaijan's history from prehistory to the 20th century. The restored mansion rooms, with their gilded and painted interiors, are as impressive as the collections.
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
Baku's metro, opened in 1967, has Soviet-era stations decorated with marble, chandeliers and mosaics; Nizami station is known for its mosaic panels illustrating the works of the poet Nizami Ganjavi. A ride costs very little.
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
Market · 28 May and railway station area
8.Teze Bazaar
Baku's main food market sells saffron, sumac, dried fruit, nuts, pomegranates, cheeses, pickles and herbs, with sellers happy to offer tastings. It is a good place to see the ingredients behind Azerbaijani cooking.
Buy saffron and dried fruit here rather than in Old City souvenir shops, and compare prices between stalls.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Heydar Aliyev Center, Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, Museum of Miniature Books and National Museum of History of Azerbaijan |
| History | Old City (İçərişəhər), Maiden Tower, Palace of the Shirvanshahs and Azerbaijan Carpet Museum |
| Views | Maiden Tower, Highland Park and the funicular and Bibi-Heybat Mosque |
| Outdoors and nature | Baku Boulevard and Yanar Dag |
| Food and markets | Teze Bazaar |
| After dark | Flame Towers, Highland Park and the funicular, Baku Boulevard and Fountain Square and Nizami Street |
| With children | Baku Boulevard, Yanar Dag and Museum of Miniature Books |
| On a rainy day | Palace of the Shirvanshahs, Heydar Aliyev Center, Azerbaijan Carpet Museum and Ateshgah Fire Temple |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Baku?
Old City (İçərişəhər). Baku's walled historic core, UNESCO-listed with the Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, is a maze of stone lanes, caravanserais, mosques and small museums.
+What can you do for free in Baku?
Old City (İçərişəhər), Flame Towers, Baku Boulevard, Fountain Square and Nizami Street and Bibi-Heybat Mosque. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Baku when it rains?
Head indoors to Palace of the Shirvanshahs, Heydar Aliyev Center, Azerbaijan Carpet Museum and Ateshgah Fire Temple.
+What is there to do in Baku at night?
Flame Towers, Highland Park and the funicular, Baku Boulevard and Fountain Square and Nizami Street are best after dark.