Your Last BordersBEST PLACES TO VISIT IN AZERBAIJAN
Azerbaijan is a transcontinental country of over 10 million inhabitants located by the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus mountains. It’s between Eastern Europe and Western Asia, surrounded by Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, and Iran. Its official language is Azerbaijani, its main religion Islam, its local cuisine delicious, and its people really welcoming. Thus, there’s plenty of best places to visit in Azerbaijan.
The main Azerbaijan tourist places will take you through the country’s past as a muslim hub, soviet city, modern European capital, and major oil land. In Azerbaijan you’ll find ancient rock carvings, old mosques, walled medieval cities, remains of soviet brutalism, and impossible sky-scrappers. Along with stunning mountain landscapes, fancy resorts by the Caspian beaches, and lots of fire.
Best places to visit in Azerbaijan near Baku
1. Baku, Azerbaijan’s Capital city
Every trip to Azerbaijan tends to begin in Baku, the country’s stunning capital and largest city. Over two million people call Baku their home. It’s the biggest city in the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus region, meaning places to visit in Baku are endless.
Baku offers a delightful contrast among the ancient, the present and the future. The old town will make you feel in an African medina, while the modern city has undeniable European vibes. Additionally, the promenade resembles a dream beach destination and its modern buildings could perfectly stand in Dubai.
Baku’s old city is as a UNESCO world heritage site with medieval walls, ancient mosques, and palaces. All surrounded by modern avenues and a wonderful promenade, with the famous Flame Towers at the end.
Check out this post on the best things to do in Baku to see how you can visit them for free. And consider joining one of these guided Baku city tours and day trips from Baku to enhance your experience in the city.
2. Gobustan rock carvings and mud volcanoes
Gobustan is a Historical and Cultural Reserve home of incredible rock paintings and mud volcanoes. As it’s located 65 km southwest of Baku it’s easily accessible by car, taxi, or with a guided day trip from Baku.
Gobustan’s rock cravings and cave paintings date back from the Stone Age. There’s over 6,000 of them, which makes the area one of the most interesting places to visit in Azerbaijan. These petroglyphs depict hunting scenes, animals, and worshiping.
You can visit them on your own from 9am to 5pm for less than $6. However, I strongly recommend going with a tour or hiring a guide at the entrance. That’s because there’s no English signs so you won’t understand what the carvings mean.
Near the prehistoric paintings of Gobustan lay one third of the world’s mud volcanoes, which you should also include in your visit to Azerbaijan. These mud volcanoes were naturally formed in the middle of the desert due to high concentrations of natural gas.
Unlike one would expect, the mud is cold and covered in bubbles that explode regularly. You can dip your hand in the volcanos and spread the mud over your face for a free spa-like treatment. Or watch me doing it on my Instagram and Tiktok pages.
There’s no opening hours nor fees to visit the 400 mud volcanoes in Gobustan. Just google their coordinates or let your tour guide lead the way through this moon-looking field. Just don’t miss Garasu Volcano, famous for having spewed mud over 1,000 into the air.
3. The Fire Temple of Ateshgah
Ateshgah, known as the Fire Temple, is one of the best places to visit in Azerbaijan to learn about the unique past of this Land of Fire. The country’s abundant oil and gas reserves that provoke mud volcanoes and spontaneous eternal flames were once a huge mystery to locals.
Without other explanations to hand, Azerbaijanis considered these god-made works and venerated fire above anything else. Thus, fire worshiping and Zoroastrian faith have played an essential role in local culture. And many temples were built upon naturally-burning sites.
One of these ancient temples is Ateshgah, located 15km North of Baku and popularly known as the Fire Temple. It dates back from the 17th century and was a Zoroastrian temple, religion that reached Azerbaijan from India through Iran. Later, it served as a sacred spot for Hindus and Sikhs.
The temple, built in the shape of an hexagon, features a castle-like fortification with an eternal flame. Nevertheless, the flame is now artificial as an explosion in 1969 ended it.
Nowadays the Fire Temple is a popular Azerbaijan sightseeing spot containing a museum on fire worshiping and local history. It’s open from 10am to 7pm every day and there’s an entrance fee of $2.20. Most visit Ateshgah in combination with the fire mountain and or Gobustan by private car or taxi, or with a guided day trip.
4. Yanar Dang, the burning mountain
Yanar Dang translates as burning mountain and is the living picture of Azerbaijan’s nickname Land of Fire. This is literally a random country hill that has been burning non-stop for centuries and no one is able to extinguish. All due to the immense amounts of leaking underground natural gas.
Rumor has it Marco Polo himself couldn’t resist taking a glance of the Fire Mountain during his travels. Despite the height of the flames is decreasing and some consider its current size to be disappointing, it’s not everyday one can visit a fire mountain and I strongly recommend taking the trip.
Yanar Dang is located only 20km away from Baku and another 20km from the Fire Temple, so most tourists visit these together when renting a car, booking a taxi, or joining a day trip. There’s an entrance fee of $5 and opening hours range from 9am to 6pm every day.
5. Oil pumps
Azerbaijan produces over 850,000 oil barrels per day. And since they barely consume 100,000, Azerbaijan has a surplus of 750,000 oil barrels per day. This means tonnes of oil money and wealth for the country and the State-owned Oil company of Azerbaijan Republic.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Azerbaijan is packed with oil pumps continuously extracting this black gold from the ground. And if, like me, you don’t come from an oil country, seeing them is quite impressive and makes one of the best things to do in Azerbaijan.
Getting close to oil pumps is safe, permitted, and free. A great place to do so is on the motorway from Baku to Gobustan. This road is packed with oil fields and all you’ll need to do to explore them is park your car on the hard shoulder, or ask your taxi driver to do so. Although seeing the actual oil is hard, you’ll definitely smell and hear it while observing the pumps.
Another great spot to see operative oil pumps without depending on a car is behind the Flamer Towers in Baku. If you walk towards the TV tower, right by the last house you’ll find some yellow oil pumps at work.
Feel free to walk around them and take some photos, no one will bother you and it will make one of your most unique memories from your trip to Azerbaijan. I shared my experience on my Instagram and Tiktok pages, if you’d like to check it out.
6. The Caspian Sea
Azerbaijan has a coastline of over 500km. Therefore, spending some time at the beach is one of the best things to do in Azerbaijan. However, local beaches are usually polluted and the nice clean ones are private and belong to resorts and beach clubs.
If you are looking for the real local experience, head to Bilgah Beach. It’s a decent free public beach fifteen minutes from Baku. However, there’s an old oil extractor in the water and no facilities whatsoever bar a single squatty potty toilet.
When I posted on Tiktok I had visited this beach I received a ton of comments saying swimming here is forbidden. Yet there’s no mention of that online and I swam along hundreds of locals without major consequences.
For those looking for the best holiday resorts near Baku, head to Crescent Beach Club or Amburan Beach Club. Crescent Beach Club was the first beach resort to open, it’s only 20km from the city centre and offers several wellness and dining options by the beach.
Similarly, Amburan Beach Club is a modern recreational centre 40km away from Baku offering a clean beach surrounded by swimming pools and several restaurants. You can book a day pass here.
If you are willing to travel further to get the best beach holiday, check out Nabran. It’s close to the Russian border, 3 hours from Baku, and offers the country’s cleanest waters. Alternatively, Lankaran near the Iranian border and 4 hours from Baku features the warmest waters and endless sandy beaches. There’s lots of boat cruises, diving schools and fishing trips in Lankaran.
Best places to visit in Azerbaijan away from Baku
7. Absheron National Park
Absheron National Park is a natural reserve established to protect local endangered fauna and flora. Especially water birds, gazelles, and Caspian seals, which are one of the world’s smallest types of seals.
Although the best time to spot Caspian seals is September, you can expect to see plenty of gazelles, jackals, snakes, badgers, comb jellyfish, and several bird species all year round.
The park is located by the sea, about an hour from Baku, and occupies over 783 hectares. It was established during the soviet times and rebranded in 2005. The entrance fee is $1.20 and the best way to get here is by private car, taxi, or with a day trip.
8. Qabala / Gabala
Qabala, also known as Gabala, is Azerbaijan’s oldest city. Located over 200 km away from Baku, in the midlands and surrounded by stunning mountains, Gabala is one of the Azerbaijan tourist spots most popular among locals. Thus, there’s many guided day trips to Gabala.
Gabala was the capital of the ancient Caucasian Albania State and a major spot along the Silk Road. Therefore, here you’ll find ancient burial areas, round brick towers, and a medieval water supply. In the modern part of the city there’s now a great amusement park and popular skiing resorts, for those visiting in winter time.
Breathtaking canyons and deep valleys surround Gabala. Including Nohur Lake, Damiraparan river, and the stunning Seven Beauties Waterfall. Stopping at Tufandang to enjoy the suspension bridge is also much recommended. No wonder Qabala offers the perfect blend of ancient history and natural beauty.
9. Shirvan National Park
Shirvan National Park is one of the biggest national parks in the country. It expands over 54,000 hectares in an area that used to be located at the button of the Caspian Sea and is now dry, although still lying at 25 meters below sea level. Just like Baku city, which lies 28 meters below sea level and is the world’s lowest capital.
The national park focuses on the protection and reproduction of Goitered gazelles. Also known as black-tail gazelles, these are also common in Georgia, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia and China.
Along the gazelles, several species of jackals, jungle cats, hedgehogs, turtles and birds, including flamingos, live in Shirvan National Park.
10. Astara and Yanar Bulag
Astara is considered the most beautiful city in Azerbaijan. It’s three hours south of Baku, towards Iran and by the beach. The city hosts old bathhouses, mosques, mausoleums, and a museum showcasing the region’s archeological finds.
When in Astara, save some time to visit Yanar Bulag, also known as the burning fountain. This is a fountain of burning water that is set on fire just as its being pumped out of a pipe due to its unusually high levels of methane.
This curious natural phenomena is meant to have healing properties so many go to Yanar Bulag to collect its water for drinking and to treat diseases.
11. Quba and Besh Barmag
The beautiful mountain town of Quba is the ultimate getaway to the Caucasus mountains. It’s 2.5 hours north from Baku, direction Russia, and makes a great place to soak in the Zeri culture, as it’s home to many ancient highlights.
These include a stone arch bridge from the 19th century, brick-laid Juma Mosque, a hammam, and Hadji Jafar Mosque. Quba also hosts a very special Jewish settlement with three synagogues and elaborate merchant houses.
If you are heading to Quba from Baku, stop at Besh Barmag. It’s a mystical and sacred piece of rock in the shape of five fingers meant to have fertility powers.
The top of Besh Barmag offers wonderful views over the nearby hills and the Caspian sea. The place is also very popular among bird watchers and makes a great picnic spot.
12. Xinaliq
Xinaliq is an ancient mountain village an hour away from Quba and accessible through a winding mountain road. Standing at 2,350m above sea level and at the top of a rocky formation, Xinaliq is the highest village in the country and also one of the most remote.
Locals here keep a traditional lifestyle consisting in breeding sheep, making honey, collecting herbs and weaving. So they basically live out of their herds and gardens. Most of them practice Sunni Islam, as opposed to the majority of Azeries who are Shiite, and speak their own language.
This is a great place to learn about the local lifestyle, buy handmade produce and enjoy stunning views of the Caucasus mountains. Including Bazardüzü which with its 4,466 meters is Azerbaijan’s highest peak.
13. Sheki
Sheki, 4 hours away from Baku direction Georgia, is one of the oldest human settlements in the Caucasus region, dating back from over 2,500 years ago. The city of Sheki was once famous for its silks and textiles, a tradition that remains alive in the area and that tourists still get to enjoy.
Sheki is a UNESCO world heritage site and its must-see spots include castles, mosques, caravanserais, souks, and bathhouses. Among them, Skei Khan’s Palace, built in the 18th century without a single nail, is the number one place to see. Don’t miss its beautiful wall paintings and carved windows.
Stopping in the nearby village of Kish is also much recommended, as here you’ll find a Chirstian church from the 5th century resembling those so common in Georgia and Armenia.
14. Ganja, Lake Goygol, and Mount Goyazan
Ganja is the second largest city in Azerbaijan and one of the oldest in the Caucasus region. It’s 4 hours away from Baku, in the direction of Armenia, near lake Goygol and barely an hour and a half from the Goyazan mountains.
Unique landmark to explore in Ganja include the Heydar Aliyev, Atatürk, and Cavadxan streets, Juma Mosque, medieval Hamam, local theater, City Hall, and Bottle House. Along with the Soviet-style hotel dedicated to the poet Nizami, and the Imamzadeh Mausoleum and its mosque.
An hour south from Ganja stands lake Goygol, a wonderful mountain lake created by an earthquake in the 12th century. Its super blue waters make this part of the Caucasus mountains one of the best places to visit in Azerbaijan.
Nearby Goygol village is also an interesting stop. This is a former German village featuring a Lutheran church and typical German houses.
On the opposite direction, if heading North from Ganja for nearly two hours, stands Mount Goyazan. This lone mountain of 857 meters stands against a flat background of beautiful plain rolling fields offering spectacular views of the nearby villages and the Armenian border. Photography, geography, and mountain lovers should certainly include it among their best places to visit in Azerbaijan.
15. Lahic
Located in the midlands 3 hours away from Baku, Lahic mountain village is famous since medieval times. Its popularity comes from its coppersmith workshops, most of which sell their products in local shops and teahouses. These include carpets, rugs, jewellery, paintings, tannery, and shoes.
The all time best pieces made by all of them are exhibited in the local museum. Thus, Lahic is exactly the mountain village you are picturing: winding narrow streets, old stone houses, tiny artisan shops, apple trees, horses, and lots of sheep. There’s a few accommodation options and plenty of hiking opportunities in the area.
Recap on the best places to visit in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan is a wonderful country to visit and offers plenty to do to every kind of traveler. From vibrant cities such as Baku to remote mountain villages, wonderful beach resorts, and endless historical sites.
For those with enough time to venture away form the capital, heard to the Iranian border for wonderful beach towns. Especially Lankaran and Astara. If you prefer heading North, your best beach town is Nabran.
In the Northern part of the country you’ll also find the beautiful mountain towns of Quba and Xinaliq. Finally, if visiting the Azeri midlands don’t miss Gabala, Sheki, nor Ganja and their surroundings. Plenty of mosques, palaces, caravanserais and stunning mountain valleys await in the area.
Either way, ensure your list of best places to visit in Azerbaijan includes culture, nature, fire, and water. And, above all, enjoy your trip. Head to my Instagram and/or Tiktok pages for insights of my trip around the country, and feel free to contact me with any questions.
