With kids · Baku · Azerbaijan
Baku with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Sefer azeri, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Baku is a pleasant city for families, with the long Boulevard, Ferris wheel and boat rides, wide pedestrian areas and the drama of fire phenomena. Strong winds and summer heat are the main things to plan around. Top picks: Baku Boulevard, Yanar Dag and Museum of Miniature Books. Families usually base themselves in Seaside Boulevard and Neftchilar Avenue.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Seaside Boulevard and Neftchilar Avenue
- Rainy-day options
- 1
Best things to do with kids
Waterfront · Seaside Boulevard and Neftchilar Avenue
1.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
Nature · Absheron Peninsula
2.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
Museum · Old City (İçərişəhər)
3.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
Neighbourhood · Old City (İçərişəhər)
4.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)
5.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
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
Rainy-day ideas
- Museum of Miniature Books — Look for the smallest books in the centre cases; staff can point them out.
Where families should stay
$$$$ · Best for luxury, couples and families
Seaside Boulevard and Neftchilar Avenue
Neftchilar Avenue runs along the Seaside Boulevard, the long waterfront park with the Carpet Museum, Little Venice and the Baku Eye Ferris wheel. Several international luxury hotels face the sea here, and the funicular climbs from the avenue to Highland Park and the Flame Towers.
- Good
- Sea views; Promenade on the doorstep; Walk to the Old City
- Watch out
- Expensive; Busy avenue to cross
- Nearby
- Baku Boulevard, Carpet Museum, Baku Funicular
Family travel tips
- The Boulevard has playgrounds, rides and space to run, and is busiest with families in the evening.
- Bring windproof layers; the wind off the Caspian can be strong even in warm weather.
- Use underpasses to cross major roads with children.
- Restaurants welcome children, and plov and kebabs are reliable choices.
- Absheron beach resorts have pools and water parks for summer stays.
Day trips for families
- Gobustan and the mud volcanoes (About 1 hour by car) — Gobustan National Park protects thousands of rock carvings of people, animals and boats, some thousands of years old, with a modern museum explaining them.
- 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.
When to go with children
The best months overall are April–June and September–October. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Baku good for kids?
Baku is a pleasant city for families, with the long Boulevard, Ferris wheel and boat rides, wide pedestrian areas and the drama of fire phenomena. Strong winds and summer heat are the main things to plan around.
+What can kids do in Baku?
Baku Boulevard, Yanar Dag, Museum of Miniature Books, Old City (İçərişəhər) and Maiden Tower.
+Where should families stay in Baku?
Seaside Boulevard and Neftchilar Avenue: Luxury hotels facing the Caspian along the city's main promenade.