Season guide · Baku · Azerbaijan
Baku in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Cold and windy, with occasional snow; quiet and low-priced, good for museums and indoor sights. Expect highs up to 10°C (50°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 18 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 2°C (36°F) to 10°C (50°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 18
- Sea
- 6°C (43°F) to 9°C (48°F)
- Crowds
- Very quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7°C (45°F) | 2°C (36°F) | 6 | 9.6 h | 1/5 |
| February | 7°C (45°F) | 2°C (36°F) | 6 | 10.6 h | 1/5 |
| December | 10°C (50°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 6 | 9.3 h | 2/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 8°C (46°F) against a yearly 18°C (64°F), and 18 of the year's roughly 52 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 1/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: New Year celebrations
- December: New Year's Eve celebrations
Good choices for winter
Architecture · Fountain Square and Nizami Street
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
Palace · Old City (İçərişəhər)
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.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Architecture · Narimanov
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
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.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Religious site · Surakhani
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
Day trips in winter
- Gabala (About 3 hours 30 minutes by car) — A mountain resort area in the Greater Caucasus foothills, with forest walks, Nohur Lake and the Tufandag cable cars, which run in summer and in the ski season.
- Sheki (About 5 hours by car) — The UNESCO-listed historic centre of Sheki includes the Palace of the Shaki Khans, with its stained-glass windows and painted interiors, a large caravanserai where you can stay, and a food tradition of piti and Sheki halva.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Baku?
It is a trade-off: Cold and windy, with occasional snow; quiet and low-priced, good for museums and indoor sights. The best months overall are April–June and September–October.
+What is the weather like in Baku in winter?
Highs of up to 10°C (50°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 18 rainy days over the season.