Baku was definitely one of the most unique cities I have had the pleasure of visiting. At the intersection of empires and cultures throughout history, Azerbaijan is a true melting pot, and these things to do in Baku involve a bit of everything from fascinating architecture to unique museums and food found nowhere else on the planet.
I was solo traveling in Baku and exploring the city and day trips at my own pace for about 5 days – but you can do a lot of these things in a shorter time span if you want! One thing I learned is that Azerbaijan has a lot more to explore and that I’d love to go back one day… but I still made the most of my trip with the Baku activities below.
Top Things to do in Baku
Here are the must-do’s in Baku around the city itself, from viewpoints to history and unique buildings and monuments.
Views at Highland Park
If you love a great view like I do, the Highland Park viewpoint is the place to go in Baku for a sweeping skyline vista. You can walk the 600 steps up the stairs or catch a lift on the funicular. Since Baku is known for being a windy city, it was pretty chilly during my winter visit – so be warned and come with layers!
But, the view over the whole city is so worth it. I love to head to viewpoints when I first arrive in a city so that I can ‘get a lay of the land’ if you will and look out over the city I’m about to explore. This is a great palce to do that for Baku!
Visit the Famous Azerbaijan Carpet Museum
Azerbaijan is home to one massive and unique museum: the Carpet Museum. And the building itself is in fact shaped…like a carpet. On display are incredible Azerbaijani carpets from the 17th – 20th centuries, plus more, including ceramics, metal works, and jewelry.
The museum also displays various weaving techniques because let’s be honest, some of the carpets are insanely impressive. Learning how people make such detailed and massive carpets gives you an extra appreciation for them. It’s a great souvenir from here!
Visit or Find Views of the Flame Towers
These are the most recognizable buildings in Baku’s skyline – the Flame Towers. As Azerbaijan was a land of fire worshippers, the Flame Towers carry that history in their one-of-a-kind architecture. At night time, they light up with unique lightshows. You can pretty much see these from everywhere in the city, but there are great views of them from Highland Park and Mini Venice.
You can visit the Flame Towers themselves – they are actually a fancy hotel, The Fairmont. But I think it’s best to get views of them from around the city!
Mini Venice
Right next to the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum and Baku Boulevard is Mini Venice. These little canals actually offer gondola rides! This is a cute and romantic activity to do along the Baku Boulevard. It’s cute year-round, but it’s extra bustling in summer where you can unwind in the sun and float along the turquoise waters.
Hang out in the Walled Old Town: Ischerisheher
With so much history in the country, visiting the Walled Old Town (called Ischerisheher) is one of the best things to do in Baku. It’s a great spot to get lost walking around in the tiny alleyways and staircases, pop in and out of shops to pick up souvenirs and some gifts for loved ones, and admire the old-style architecture.
There are loads of restaurants here, street food vendors, and charming little shops in old buildings. There are also some historic sites here that you must visit too.
Visit the Maiden Tower
Located in the Old Town of Ischerisheher is the Maiden Tower – one of two UNESCO cites in the old town. It’s said to have been completed in the 12th century, but could be even older because they aren’t sure if it was a fortification or a fire tower of Zoroastrians, which were the dominant religious group.
Aside from wandering around outside and pondering its story, the Maiden Tower is also home to a museum that tells the story of Baku. You can explore ruins around it or hike up to the top of the tower for one of the best views of the city skyline.
Explore History at the Palace of the Shirvanshahs
Located in Old City, the Palace of the Shervinshahs was built during the Shervinshah dynasty. They ruled from the 8th to 15th centuries, but the Palace of the Shervinshahs was completed in the 15th century. There are tons of rooms to explore and learn about their purposes, and get a dose of history.
It didn’t last long until the palace fell into ruin when their rule ended . Luckily, much of it has been restored. You can see the old ruins and tombs, and even take a photo in the old clothing that would have been worn back in the day.
Do Some Cafe Hopping (Fav: Deem)
One of the things to do in Baku when you want some downtime between all the exploring is visit a cafe. Baku has tons of cute cafes around the city. One of my favorites I went to was called Deem, which is also in an area with a lot of other cute cafes too!
Stroll Down Nizami Street
Nizami Street is the main pedestrian walking area in Baku, boasting European architecture, shops, and restaurants. This is kindof like the main street every big European city has that’s super wide, full of pedestrians, and crammed full of shops and restaurants (but rahter than cute local shops, this is the place to find larger chain shopping)!
Visit the Azerbaijan Railway Museum
When I first saw the Railway Museum, I thought it was a train station; it used to be one, but now it’s a museum! The Azerbaijan Railway Museum seemed to have lots of interesting things, but all the signage was in Azerbaijani. However, if you are especially interested in this type of thing, they offer tours in English too.
Taste the Flavors at Yasil Bazaar
Located off of Baku Station, the fragrant Yasil Bazaar is one of the must things to do in Baku to taste local spices and flavors. If you’re the type that loves browsing local countries’ super markets, then you’ll love the Yasil Bazaar.
At the bazaar they sell fruits, vegetables, spices and more from 8am to 9pm every day. Grab dried fruits, many different styles of Turkish delights and other candies, chocolate covered nuts, and so much more. It’s great to stop and grab a snack on the way to the Heydar Aliev Center.
Wander the Halls of the Heydar Aliev Center
You can’t miss the Heydar Aliyev Center; it’s probably one of the coolest architectural marvels I’ve ever seen. The building is designed to have no straight lines – crazy right? You’ll understand when you get here and are impressed by the sweeping lines of the walls and ceilings.
The cost to enter is 15 Azerbaijani manats, or about $9 USD. The museum is so massive I didn’t even get to all of the displays – there are so many, from art to culture to sculpture to my personal favorite that you’ve got to visit: the Mini Baku exhibt, where you’ll see all the Baku landmarks in one place designed as to-scale mini replicas.
Museum of Miniature Books
In addition to the Carpet Museum, another unique museum in Ischerisheher in Baku is the Museum of Miniature Books! Yes, you read that right. It’s the only one in the world and has miniature books from over 60 countries.
The collection was actually created by Zarifa Salahov, who collected the books for over 30 years. I didn’t get to go here as there was a group having a private event, but it’s nearby many of the main attractions in old town if you’re keen to visit, like the Palace of the Shirvanshahs.
Visit the Baku Boulevard on the Waterfront
Stretching across the entire seafront of the city is the Baku Boulevard. It’s a wide, sprawling seafront pathway that’s home to lots of parks, cafes, sculptures, and even theaters.
It’s the place where people lounge around in the shade, go on walks with loved ones, or even enjoy bike or electric scooter rides wth a sea view. I loved renting the city scooters here to get around while exploring.
Baku Eye
The Baku eye is a giant Ferris wheel right on the boulevard with easy skyline and sea views. It would be great around golden hour for soft light or after dark when the Flame Towers light up. It’s a quick, low-effort way to get your bearings – grab a ticket on the spot and ride with a friend for photos.
Unique Buildings of Baku
Baku is unique and even similar to Dubai in that it has a lot of extremely unique skyscraper buildings. There are skyscrapers of tons of interesting shapes and sizes, which is clear the moment you get into the taxi from the airport. Some buildings have viewing platforms, and others are simply interestingly shaped corporate buildings. But either way, it’s cool to take in the views of all of Baku’s unique architecture on a large scale, after taking it in on a small scale in the old town, too.
Baku Crystal Hall
That futuristic arena on the peninsula where Eurovision was held – all sharp angles and LEDs. You can’t always go inside, but it’s worth a stroll for the architecture and the waterfront views back to the city. Come at night if you can… the lighting makes it feel a bit sci-fi.
Caspian Waterfront Mall
This is a lotus-shaped complex on the boulevard with shops, cafés, and an easy indoor break when the wind picks up. Pop in for coffee, a bathroom stop, and a warm reset before carrying on along the seafront. It’s a good spot to duck into and reset after the Carpet Museum or Mini Venice!
Things to do in Baku at Night or for Food and Drink
Here are the places I ate and drank and enjoyed in Baku.
But first, a video of the dishes to look out for:
Grab a Drink at the 360 Bar at Hilton Hotel
Grabbing a drink at the 360 Bar on the top floor of the Hilton Hotel is one of the best things to do at night in Baku for stunning nighttime views. The bar is a little pricey, but as the floor rotates showing off 360 degrees of the Buku skyline, it’s worth the splurge. The cocktails are great and the food is too!
Eat Azerbaijani Food at Dolma Restaurant
Another place to visit for some traditional Azerbaijani food is Dolma. It’s just off Nizami Street with an underground dining area, and they have great options for Azerbaijani food!
Try a Local Food Spot: Stolovaya 8
For something less expensive and low-key, my tour guide brought me to a spot called Stolovaya 8. This is the spot to come for truly local food, jsut make sure you are ready to translate the menu!
Dine at the Beautiful Mugam Club Restaurant
Based in a stunning and spacious building with a skylight ceiling, you’ll want to visit the Mugam Club restaurant just for the architecture! The ambiance is relaxing and welcoming and they also play music here. I recommend their lamb kabab!
Dine at the Shirvanshah Museum Restaurant
The Shivanshah Museum Restaurant is an immersive experience to say the least. Yes, it’s a little more of a touristy thing to do, but the entire restaurant is full of interesting and historic artifacts and traditional decor. The food is all authentic local food, and they even have musicians playing music while you dine. it’s an experience worth checking out.
Things to Do in Baku Video
I made this entire article into a video, too! Here’s the tiktok version of it.
Day Trips from Baku
During my 5 days in Baku, I spend 2 of the days doing day trips – one day to the closest region of the Caucasus mountains, Quba, and one to the mud volcanoes and eternal flames of the area. More on these below!
Yanar Dag
Just a 30-minute drive outside of Baku is Yanar Dag, where there’s an ‘eternal flame’ that has been burning for 4000 years – yes, even in rain, cold, snow, and all weather! As Azerbaijan is full of natural resources, there is a truly endless supply of methane gas and this one, nevel goes out.
Naturally, a flame that never goes out was considered sacred by people who inhabited this area. Azerbajan was a center where Zoroastrianism was practiced – that is, the fire worshipping religion that once dominated the area from the 8th Century BC.
Ateshgah Zoroastrian Fire Temple
This place really illustrates Azerbaijan’s fire-worshipping past in one tidy stop. Ateshgah sits 30–40 minutes from the city on the Absheron Peninsula, a walled 17th–18th century complex with a central altar where natural gas flames burn. The cells around the courtyard have small exhibits and inscriptions from Indian merchants who once traveled the Silk Road and funded the temple, which gives the place a cool Persia-meets-Punjab vibe.
It’s an easy half-day with a driver or Bolt, and most tours pair Ateshgah with Yanar Dag for a full fire theme (with the mud volcanoes below too). I did my day trip with Azerbaijan Tourism on IG.
Azerbaijan Fire Video
Here’s a video I made about the above!
Mud Volcanoes (Gobustan)
Yes, they’re real… and they bubble. The Gobustan mud volcanoes sit about 1–1.5 hours south of Baku on rough tracks, so plan a 4×4, a tour with the company above, or a local driver who knows the way. The “lava” is actually cool mud pushed up by gas, which means you can stand close for photos without roasting your eyebrows. It’s messy, lunar and strangely calming to watch the mud blip and gurgle.
Wear shoes you don’t mind sacrificing, bring wet wipes and water, and go on a dry day if you can — rain turns the clay into ice-rink chaos (which is why I ended up not being able to go close)! Many people combine this with the Gobustan rock art reserve and a quick stop at the “mini volcano” field nearby.
Quba + Shahdag (in the Caucasus Mountains)
This is the easiest region to visit on a day trip from Baku, and the most popular resort is called Shahdag. Shahdag is a ski resort, and so much more. You can ice skate, snowmobile, hike to waterfalls in the area, go paintballing, zorbing, zip lining, and you can ride the ski lift for epic views on a clear day.
Yes it’s a bit touristy but look at all the adventures! Oh wait, the best activity here is the coaster which still runs in the winter. It was the most fun I’ve had in a while!
We stopped for food in Quba at Sha Plov, which is a small local spot with amazing food. We the. Explored a hidden gem of the area which was totally empty – the road to Khinaliq. This is one of the tallest mountains around which is closed in winter, but the road there takes you through some of the most amazing landscapes I have ever seen!
Where to Stay in Baku
Travel Inn Hostel : Budget Hostel with Good Location
With both dorms and private rooms, the Travel Inn Hostel can serve solo travelers and even families. The bunks start at $10/night and privates around $30/night. It’s also conveniently located only a block from Sahil Station.
Zimmer Boutique Hotel: Cute and Affordable Boutique Hotel Where I Stayed
Right next to the Azerbaijan History Museum, the Zimmer Boutqiue Hotel has bright rooms (thanks to large windows) and updated creative interior. I loved my simple room here and had a really comfortable stay. Some rooms even have balconies! For how lovely the design is, it’s also quite affordable.
Hope you enjoy all of these things to do in Baku and get a good feel for the unique country of Azerbaijan.
