Baku to Lankaran, Lerik and Astara: How to Get There

Lankaran (Lənkəran) is the subtropical south of Azerbaijan on the Caspian: tea, citrus, black sand and the Hyrcanian forest, on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2023. Since 8 November 2021 Lankaran has been a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, and its signature dish is lavangi. An hour's drive into the mountains lies Lerik (about 1,100 m) with waterfalls, Buzeyir Cave and the Museum of Longevity; to the south is Astara with the mountain village of Sim and the “burning spring” Yanar Bulaq. On the way from Baku you pass the Istisu hot springs in Masalli.

How to get there from Baku

• By car: Baku – Lankaran is 244 km, about 2 h 35 min without stops. In practice Baku → Istisu (Masalli) takes 2 h 50 min with two short stops. Lankaran → Astara is 40–44 km (about 30 min), Lankaran → Lerik about 60 km (about 1 h), Istisu (Masalli) → Lerik 1 h.
• By train: there is no passenger train at the moment. On 27 October 2026 the head of ADY announced plans to gradually restore passenger services to Yalama, Mingachevir and Astara by 2030. The Baku station timetable for 30 October 2026 shows no trains to Lankaran or Astara; check ticket.ady.az.
• By bus: from the Baku International Bus Terminal (Avtovağzal), roughly every 3 hours, 3 h 20 min – 3 h 40 min, about $6 (Rome2rio, undated). The fare cap on intercity buses is 3.7 qepik per km (since 30 June 2024). To Astara there are 2 buses a day, 4 h 25 min, about $7. There is no direct bus to Lerik: take the bus to Lankaran and change, about 5.5 hours in total.

What to see

• Khan's House (Lankaran History and Local Lore Museum) — the palace of Mir Ahmed Khan, built in 1913, was the first three-storey building in the city. It has been a museum since 1991 and holds more than 7,000 exhibits.
• Zindan Round Tower and lighthouse — the two surviving towers of an 18th-century fortress: one served as a prison (1869–1959; legend says Stalin was held here), the other has carried a lighthouse since 1869. The tower is seen from outside; the lighthouse can be entered only with staff.
• Hirkan National Park and Khanbulan Lake — relict forest with ironwood trees, on the UNESCO list since 2023. Khanbulan is a reservoir about 17 km from Lankaran with a picnic area and an easy trail of about 3 km around the lake. Open all year.
• Ibadi Istisu, Haftoni — a hot spring of about 42 °C in a beech forest, about 14.5 km from the centre, with indoor pools. Stay in the water no longer than 10–15 minutes. Ticket 3 AZN; open 08:00–20:00.
• Istisu, Masalli — on the way from Baku: pools in a forested gorge, hot (~40 °C), warm (~20 °C) and cold (~5 °C), with changing cabins and a poolside café. Pool 5 AZN, towel 2 AZN, parking 1 AZN (17 October 2026). Open 10:00–18:00, May–October.
• Museum of Longevity, Lerik — more than 2,000 exhibits about local people who lived past 100. Tickets from 2 AZN; open 09:00–18:00.
• Buzeyir Cave — a Stone Age site and archaeological monument of national importance, 40 km (45 min) from Lerik. Asphalt leads to the rock, then a 5–10 minute climb on stairs with handrails to a terrace at the entrance; it is dark inside, so bring a torch. Free (18 October 2026).
• Bibiyani Waterfalls — a narrow canyon with a waterfall of about 15–20 m. A local UAZ jeep takes you there, then it is a 5-minute walk along the stream and over stones, so wear comfortable shoes. The UAZ trip takes about 1 hour there and back; 30 AZN per car per waterfall (30 October 2026).
• Sim village and waterfall — a mountain village near the Iranian border, 20–25 km from Astara, with a waterfall of about 30 m and samovar tea by the White Bridge. From the UAZ it is an easy 10-minute walk. Spring and autumn (15–25 °C) suit the visit.
• Yanar Bulaq — the “burning spring”: water containing methane catches fire from a match. About 9 km north of Astara on the old road; bring your own matches.

One-day route

• 09:00 — Khan's House museum (check opening hours in advance), then at 10:00 a walk to the Zindan Round Tower and lighthouse in the city centre, seen from outside.
• 10:45 — the Big and Small Bazaars and the mosques by the market: tea, honey, jam, spices.
• 11:45 — a tea plantation, 20–30 minutes from the centre; the visit with the museum takes about 30 minutes.
• 13:00 — Khanbulan Lake, about 17 km from Lankaran: a walk on the trail of about 3 km and a picnic.
• 15:30 — Ibadi Istisu in Haftoni, about 14.5 km from the centre.
• 17:30 — dinner with fish lavangi at Xan Lənkəran.

Lerik and Astara make a second day: Lerik → Bibiyani Waterfall (UAZ, about 1 h) → Buzeyir Cave (40 km, 45 min) → Sim via Lerik and Astara (about 1 h 40 min from Buzeyir) → Sim waterfall (UAZ, 10-minute walk) → dinner in Lankaran; leaving Lankaran in the evening, you are back in Baku by 21:00. Plan everything outdoors before sunset: in mid-October it gets dark at about 18:20, and after 19:00 only dinner and the hotel are open in Lerik.

What to eat

• Lavangi — chicken or fish (kutum, asp, carp) stuffed with walnuts, onion and sour plum paste, baked in a tandoor. Also pilafs with pumpkin, borani (with smoked fish) and fisinjan (with duck and pomegranate sauce), turshu kebab and aubergine kuku.
• Sweets: Lankaran kulcha, gandli kulcha, loku and murabba (preserves) of cherry, sweet cherry, strawberry and feijoa. Lankaran tea comes from the country's first tea factory (1937); citrus and feijoa are harvested in October–November. In Lerik try shor (cottage cheese), butter, ayran, herbal tea and honey from the village of Orand.

Where to eat: Xan Lənkəran (Lankaran, at the hotel) serves fish lavangi, dushbara, salads, compote and tea; Təbəssüm in Lerik serves quickly and guests are happy, but order in advance; Borani is in the Gala district of Lankaran. At Istisu (Masalli) food is ordered right at the pools.

Where to stay

• Khan Lankaran Hotel — 3*, in the city, near the bus station.
• Khazar Palace Hotel & Restaurant — on the Caspian shore south of the city, 39 rooms, pools and a spa.
• Lankaran Springs & Wellness Resort — 5*, 182 rooms in Haftoni, with thermal springs and a spa.
• Qafqaz Sahil Resort Hotel — 4*, 42 rooms, by the beach.
• Riva Hill Resort — 3*, by a river outside the city, with an outdoor pool and a children's pool.

In Lerik there are stays on our site in Hamarmesha village: A-Frame VIP with pool and sauna, A-Frame with pool, A-Frame Standard and a honeycomb wooden house with pool.

When to go

• Climate: October is the wettest month, with 259 mm in Lankaran (1991–2020 normal); July is the hottest, with average highs up to 30.7 °C; January averages about +5 °C. In Lerik, too, October is the wettest month. Sea swimming runs May–October, with water at about +26 °C.
• Seasons: Istisu in Masalli is open May–October and Yanardag in Masalli May–September; Ibadi in Haftoni has no seasonal limits. The Lerik waterfalls flow all year and are fuller in winter.
• Autumn: the second half of autumn is the most beautiful time at Khanbulan, and citrus is picked in October–November. Birds at Gizilagach: April–May and October, wintering November–March. The first Tea, Rice and Citrus Festival was held on 19 December 2017, and the first Lavangi Festival around 5 December 2024.

Frequently asked questions

Updated 30 October 2026. Prices and timetables of other companies can change — please check before you travel.