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….
Baku on a map. It is situated right between Russia and Iran.
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!).
Baku, Azerbaijan. Not what I expected…
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.
Welcome to Baku! The airport had a lot of old school signage.