Last updated: August 2026

Our 3 days in Baku, Azerbaijan closed out our big Georgian vacation, which had been in the making since its cancellation in 2020 (due to Covid). Back then, I chose Baku due to a direct flight from Baku to JFK on Azerbaijan Airlines. The flight is no more (as of August 2026), but I kept the itinerary. Going in, I had no idea what to expect from Azerbaijan, and I hoped that we would be admitted entry after our 2020 visa was formally revoked due to border closings….

Spoiler alert, we had a wonderful time in Baku, and will 100% return. This article details our time in Baku, Azerbaijan and provides some practical information.

For those unfamiliar with Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan was formerly part of the USSR, having declared its independence in 1991, a few months before the USSR dissolved that December. Since then, it’s done quite well financially, capitalizing on its natural oil and gas. I’ve often heard it compared to Dubai for that reason, as well as its modern architecture. Located directly between Russia and Iran, with foreigners currently only able to enter by air (as of August 2026), it’s not exactly an easy destination to reach. A visa is also required for many nationalities, including US and Italian citizens (our nationalities). I found Baku to be, surprisingly, more European than Middle Eastern, having absolutely delicious food, friendly to foreigners, and honestly, making decent wine (a very big shock!).

We began our trip a few months in advance, by applying for a tourist visa online via Azerbaijan’s official website. We were approved within 1 business day (we applied on a weekend and were approved on Monday). The visa cost $20 USD (as of August 2026) and was valid for 90 days from the date of issuance, permitting us a single entry for up to 30 days in Azerbaijan. We printed the visa and brought it with us, but we did not need to show it in Azerbaijan (we were not even asked about it). The only place we needed to show the original visa was at the Batumi airport leaving Georgia.

DAY ONE: ARRIVAL IN AZERBAIJAN & DINNER IN BAKU

We arrived at Baku’s Heydar Aliyev International Airport in the early evening from Batumi, Georgia. Arrival and immigration were quick and easy. Our luggage arrived promptly, and we called a Bolt (a company similar to Uber) to our hotel in downtown Baku, the Four Seasons. The Bolt cost less than $10 USD. We arrived at our hotel about 30 minutes later.

Driving in and checking into the Four Seasons, we noticed that both the city and the Four Seasons are beautiful, modern, and welcoming. After checking in and admiring our FABULOUS room view of the Flame Towers (one of Baku’s most well-known symbols), we set out for our first meal in Baku.

I reserved a table at Chayki a few days in advance. Chayki is an upscale Azeri restaurant located on the popular Baku Boulevard, which is a pedestrian pathway that borders the Caspian Sea. It is the place to see and be seen. We passed lots of people strolling Baku Boulevard as we walked to dinner and also saw some of Baku’s famous sites, including Little Venice, the Carpet Museum, and National Flag Square.

We found Chayki pretty easily and sat outdoors on the top level. Chayki was quite crowded, and there was even live music. While we were not really sure what to order, or what we were ordering to be honest, the food was great, as was the Azeri wine that we ordered knowing nothing about it. Dan also smoked shisha. A great first dinner.

Baku Boulevard was still busy when we left Chayki around midnight. We called it an evening after dinner, but it was interesting to see so many people out and about.

DAY TWO: OLD BAKU, MODERN BAKU, & A FOOD TOUR

We slept very well at the Four Seasons. We woke up well rested and ready to explore Baku.

We began our first full day in Baku with an al fresco breakfast at our hotel. While it offered many familiar breakfast options, staff quickly prepared local Azeri dishes. This was our first introduction to real Azeri food (as the prior night’s dinner was simply too loud), and everything was incredible. I am not sure what I expected of food in Azerbaijan, but it was not this tasty goodness.

After breakfast, we walked to Old Baku, which is only about a 5 minute walk from the Four Seasons. Old Baku is the historic area of Baku, and it has been maintained in traditional style (no modern buildings in this part of town). Walking around, Old Baku is gorgeous, clean, and well maintained, filled with souvenir shops, restaurants, and cafes. We could not get enough pictures. If you are visiting, definitely plan to spend a half-day exploring Old Baku.

After taking too many pictures, we eventually purchased tickets to enter the Maiden Tower (usually dated to the 12th century, though some researchers argue parts are older) and the 15th century Palace of the Shirvanshahs from the tourist office. These are two of Baku’s most well-known sites. They both felt very Game of Thrones. If you are visiting, I don’t think either is necessary to enter, but they were interesting and worth the entrance fee.

We returned to our hotel mid-day for a break from the heat. It was only about 85 degrees, but felt much hotter. We visited the hotel’s restaurants and sampled Azerbaijan’s local beer, Xirdalan (now made by Carlsberg). We also used the hotel pool.

Our evening plans had us walking into modern Baku (about 10 minutes from the Four Seasons) for an Azeri food tour by a local born and raised in Azerbaijan. In addition to eating delicious food, we learned a lot about Azerbaijan, including its food, politics, people, and history. We also sampled some really great wine and the most delicious fast food sandwich. I wanted to return to every spot that we tried. This food tour will have its own post – stay tuned.

We ended the evening with shisha, followed by Azeri wine while watching the Flame Towers from our hotel room. The Flame Towers are really very impressive. And on the shisha note, shisha is quite common in Baku. We saw it at many restaurants and cafes. Most had their own “shisha master” whose job is exclusively to prepare the shisha.

DAY THREE: YANAR DAG, THE HEYDAR ALIYEV CENTER, & MORE TASTY AZERI FOOD

We, again, woke refreshed for our third and final day in Baku. Those Four Seasons’ beds are so comfortable. As we enjoyed our breakfast so much the prior morning, we again began our day with a delicious breakfast at the Four Seasons. The restaurant staff again brought us their local dishes, which was so appreciated. The highlight was Syrniki, a fluffy pancake stuffed with cottage cheese and topped with local berries.

After breakfast, we ordered a Bolt to Yanar Dag. Located about 30 minutes outside Old Baku, Yanar Dag is an area where natural gas fires burn perpetually, and have been doing so for about 2,000 years. I wasn’t sure what I would think about this “site” (lame or cool), but it turned out to be the latter and well worth the drive from Baku. Indeed, fire burns constantly here and while the fire is small, you can get very close (yikes!) and it is incredibly hot.

Returning to Baku, we stopped at the Heydar Aliyev Center, which is a cultural center named for Azerbaijan’s most famous politician. The building contains a museum, which often hosts guest exhibits, and it is most well known for its design, by the architect Zaha Hadid. I expected to only “see” the outside of the building, but there was an animal-themed art exhibit by Gillie and Marc Schattner, so we went inside to see it. And honestly, the inside of the Heydar Aliyev Center is very cool, featuring a permanent collection, temporary collections, and a cafe and restaurant. If you have time, it’s worth going inside.

Due to the heat, we, once again, returned to our hotel for more down time in the afternoon before venturing out again in the evening. For our last dinner in Baku (for now!), we strolled down Baku Boulevard, this time the opposite direction.

I made dinner reservations at Sahil, which is an Azeri restaurant serving local dishes and shisha with outdoor seating. We sat outside, smoked shisha (after the off duty shisha master came in to prepare it for us!), and drank Azeri red wine. We also ordered some of our favorite Azeri dishes, none of which we knew existed a few days prior. We felt like such locals!

Sadly, we had to leave for the airport after our leisurely dinner. We used Bolt, and the cost was only $5.82 USD. We left Baku very happy with our stay and wishing we had a few more days to explore the country.

DAY 4: FLYING FROM BAKU TO ISTANBUL

Our flight departed Baku at the VERY early hour of 2:35 AM, yuck. To get home (NYC), we flew from Baku to Istanbul, and then from Istanbul direct to New York. While our final day in Baku was only a few hours at the airport, Baku at least has a few Priority Pass lounges that we visited for a last Azeri beer.

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR THOSE VISITING BAKU

1. The heat is real, at least in the summer (close to 90 F). There is also not a lot of shade in Baku and the surrounding area, so if you are touring, you are likely in the sun. Plan a mid-day break like the locals.
2. My credit card did not work many places in Baku, especially when asked to “tap” my card to pay (as of August 2026). It is not my credit card; it is a problem with Azerbaijan and its credit card processing system. I had no issues at my hotel or in larger establishments, but none of my cards ever worked at smaller places (and no, I don’t think this was a scam for cash payment). Plan to have local cash on hand. I looked into this, and this is a very common problem in Azerbaijan. I had no issue using the ATM.
3. Bolt is an inexpensive and easy way to explore the city. It works exactly like Uber. For cost reference, our ride from Old Baku to the airport was only $5.82 USD.
4. Azerbaijan has its own language. Older people generally speak Russian as a second language; younger people generally speak English. We did not have any issues finding people who speak English.
5. Watch out for scooters – they are everywhere!
6. Alcohol is legal and easy to find. You can even drink in the street.
7. We found people to dress more conservatively here, but you can wear whatever you want. I did not dress any differently than I did in Georgia, and I never felt out of place. Dan felt fine in shorts, although most men wore pants (instead of shorts).
8. We learned that dating apps are not for dating (they are for prostitutes, according to our tour guide at least)!
9. Many countries, including EU citizens and US citizens, need a visa to enter. It was easy and inexpensive to obtain online.
10. You can definitely explore Baku over a long weekend. I wish we had another day or two, but we felt like we saw a decent number of things during our short visit.

STEAL OUR TRIP TO BAKU, AZERBAIJAN

Here is everything we booked and used during our 3 days in Baku, current as of August 2026.

Azerbaijan visa: This is the official Azerbaijan visa website. We applied via this website.

Four Seasons Baku: 1 Neftchilar Avenue, Baku.

Bolt: Akin to Uber in Azerbaijan. Download and set up the app before you leave to avoid internet issues. It works just like Uber and was incredibly easy to use.

Chayki: Open daily 12:00 – Midnight. Reservations recommended via WhatsApp. Alcohol and shisha served.

Baku Food Tours: We did the Wine and Dine Experience at a cost of $150 USD per person. All food and drink included.

Yanar Dag: The official website of Yanar Dag. Not super helpful. No need to purchase advance tickets.

The Heydar Aliyev Center: 1 Heydar Aliyev Avenue, Baku.

Sahil: Neftchilar Avenue, 34. Reservations recommended via WhatsApp. Alcohol and shisha served.

Premium Bank Lounge: Terminal 1. Open 24 hours. We accessed this lounge via Priority Pass.