Azerbaijan Sightseeing From Baku Outward

October 18, 2026

Government travel advice. The FCDO in London advises against all travel within 5 km of the Armenian border and against all but essential travel to a list of south-western districts hit by the 2020 and 2023 conflicts, where landmines and unexploded ordnance are still found. The US State Department’s advisory sits at Level 3, Reconsider Travel. Armenia and Russia are closed by land and flights run as normal. The sights on this page are in Baku and in the north, west and mountains. Karabakh needs a permit and is not covered. Open the FCDO regional risks page and the US advisory before you travel.

This page lists Azerbaijan’s sights by distance from Baku, starting with what you can reach on foot and ending with places that need a night away. Four of the country’s UNESCO World Heritage cultural listings fall into the order naturally: the Old City, Gobustan, Sheki and Khinalug. Fees are in manat (AZN), at about 1.70 to the US dollar, for foreign adults.

In the city

The Old City. Icherisheher was inscribed in 2000 and is the walled core of Baku. The Maiden Tower, at Neftchilar Avenue 99, rises about 28 m over eight floors and has held a museum since 1964. It costs 19 AZN. The Shirvanshahs’ Palace Complex, at 1st Gasr Lane 76, dates to the 15th century and groups the palace, the Divankhana, a mausoleum, the Shah Mosque and a bathhouse. It costs 24 AZN. Hours for both are 10:00 to 19:00 every day. Walking the lanes, past the Double Gates, the Bukhara and Multani caravanserais and the Juma and Mohammed mosques, costs nothing, and the Siratagli complex is free to enter. The Icherisheher fee table is the official reference.

Heydar Aliyev Center. The Zaha Hadid building is best admired from outside, and its grounds are free. Museum admission is paid, but published prices and opening days vary, with Mondays reported closed, so check the centre’s website first.

The bay view. The funicular climbs from the seafront to Highland Park for about 1 AZN. From the terrace you see Baku Bay and the Flame Towers, and nobody charges for the view. Late afternoon gives the best light.

One to two hours out

Gobustan. The rock-art landscape, listed by UNESCO in 2007, lies 60 to 70 km south-west of Baku. Over 6,000 carvings cover its rocks, and the Gaval Dash stone stands near the entrance. Entry is about 10 AZN, though some listings say 15; opening hours vary, so go in the daytime and aim to arrive by about 15:00. The carvings are protected, so walk only on the marked trails and never climb, touch or chalk them.

Shamakhi and Maraza. Shamakhi is about 120 km west. Its Juma Mosque is large and rebuilt, and visitors dress modestly. Near Maraza, the 15th-century Diri Baba Mausoleum stands against a cliff; the 2026 foreign adult fee is 15 AZN.

Absheron. Yanar Dag, a gas fire on a low hillside at Mammadli, and the Ateshgah temple at Surakhani are about 30 to 45 minutes from the centre and cost 15 AZN each.

With a guide

Commentary adds most in the Old City and at Gobustan. Compare sightseeing tours from Baku and check what each price includes, especially entry tickets and any 4x4 transfer.

Worth a night

Sheki. UNESCO inscribed the Historic Centre of Sheki in 2019, and the Khan’s Palace inside the old fortress anchors it. The palace is known for its shebeke windows, costs 15 AZN, and restricts interior photography. The bus from Baku takes 6 to 6.5 hours.

Khinalug. This village, at about 2,350 m, is home to Ketsh speakers and forms part of a cultural landscape with the Koc Yolu route, inscribed in 2023. It lies 50 to 60 km above Quba, reached by taxi or 4x4, and an overnight stay gives time to see it.

Martyrs’ Lane

Martyrs’ Lane (Shehidler Khiyabani) is a national cemetery on the hill above Baku, with an eternal flame. It honours those killed in the January 1990 Black January crackdown and soldiers who died in the Karabakh wars. It is a place of mourning. Visitors should dress quietly, speak softly and ask first before photographing anyone. The FCDO warns that conduct there can lead to police action, and entry may be limited around 20 January.