Baku in 3 Days: A Practical Itinerary

Three days is enough to see the essentials of Baku without rushing. Spend Day 1 on foot in the Old City and along Seaside Boulevard, Day 2 in modern Baku with the Heydar Aliyev Center, Highland Park below the Flame Towers and the Carpet Museum, and Day 3 outside the city at Gobustan and the fire sites of the Absheron peninsula, or in Shamakhi if you prefer the hills.

Day 1: Old City and Seaside Boulevard

Start in Icherisheher, the walled Old City, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site together with the Shirvanshahs’ Palace and the Maiden Tower. The tourist information centre at 55 Boyuk Gala Street is open daily from 10:00 to 19:00 and is a good first stop for a map and current ticket information. Prices for the Maiden Tower and the palace are not clearly published online, so check them at the counter on the day.

The compact Old City is best explored on foot; give it a full morning and lunch inside the walls.

In the afternoon walk down to Seaside Boulevard, the long promenade on the Caspian. The Baku Eye, a 60-metre Ferris wheel opened in 2014, takes around 30–40 minutes for one rotation. End the evening around Fountain Square and Nizami Street.

Day 2: Modern Baku

Begin at the Heydar Aliyev Center, about 7 km northeast of the Old City. The flowing white building is free to see from outside; the museum inside has its own ticket, so check opening days and prices before you go.

Next, head to Highland Park. A short funicular ride from the lower station by the Bahram Gur monument brings you up to the park, where the Flame Towers stand behind you and the whole bay opens below.

Spend the afternoon at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum. As of 2026, foreign visitors pay 10 AZN, and an audio guide costs 5 AZN. The exhibition is open Tuesday to Friday 10:00–19:00 and at weekends 11:00–20:00; the ticket office closes one hour earlier and the museum is closed on Mondays. The third floor is currently under renovation.

Day 3: Gobustan and Absheron

Gobustan reserve lies about 70 km southwest of central Baku and is known for its ancient rock art. The reserve is open 10:00–17:00. Nearby are the mud volcanoes: the Gobustan and Caspian area holds roughly 300 of the world’s about 700, and a Mud Volcanoes Tourism Complex opened in 2024.

In the afternoon cross the peninsula to Ateshgah, the fire temple in Surakhani (its flame is now fed by piped gas; the natural one died out in 1969), and Yanar Dag, the burning hillside in Mammadli village. From 1 January 2026 foreign visitors pay 15 AZN at each. A combined Yanar Dag and Ateshgah ticket costs 25 AZN, and adding the Mud Volcano Complex makes it 35 AZN, valid for 72 hours. Foreign children under 12 enter free. These are news-reported prices as of 2026, so check before travel.

If you would rather see green hills than semi-desert, go west to Shamakhi instead.

Practical tips

• Do not plan Day 2 for a Monday: the Carpet Museum is closed.
• Baku is called the City of Winds. The north wind, khazri, can be strong, so bring an extra layer.
• The Day 3 sights are spread around the peninsula, so most visitors go by car or on a tour rather than by public transport.
• Stay central, near the Old City, Fountain Square or the Boulevard, so that Days 1 and 2 are walkable.

With 4T Transfer

4T Transfer can cover the whole trip at fixed prices per car, not per person. The airport transfer to central Baku costs $15 in a standard sedan, $20 in a comfort sedan or $25 in a 6-seat minivan, with a driver waiting in arrivals with a name sign, flight tracking and 45 minutes of free waiting after landing. The private Baku City Tour takes 8 hours and costs $90; the Absheron & Gobustan tour covers Day 3 in 8 hours for $95; a Shamakhi day trip costs $120 for 9 hours. Child seats are available on request, and we answer on WhatsApp 24/7.

Frequently asked questions

Updated 5 October 2026. Prices and timetables of other companies can change — please check before you travel.