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Visiting Azerbaijan

Written for people arriving rather than for people already here. Each guide covers what a place is actually like, how long it takes to reach, and what to book before you land.

Guides

If you are heading somewhere not covered here, ask. We would rather tell you a place is a four-hour drive each way before you plan a day around it.

Before you book

Entry Most visitors use the ASAN electronic visa, applied for online
E-visa fee USD 20 standard, USD 60 for the three-hour urgent option
E-visa timing Three working days for the standard option
Length of stay Up to 30 days on the e-visa
Airport to city About 30 minutes from Heydar Aliyev International
Busiest weekend The Grand Prix, 24 to 26 September 2026
Getting around A car and driver — intercity public transport is limited
Languages we answer in Azerbaijani, Russian, English

How much country you can see, honestly

Azerbaijan is small on a map and slow on the road. Baku sits on a peninsula on the eastern edge, and almost everything worth the drive is north or west of it. The mountains are three to four hours away, and that is each way.

Three days is Baku and one day trip. Five days is Baku plus one region with a night in it. A week lets you cross the country properly, from the Caspian to Sheki, without spending the whole trip in a car.

Guides here say the driving time at the top for that reason. A plan that looks reasonable on a map and takes nine hours of road is the most common way a short trip goes wrong.

Baku, and then what

The walled Old City, the seafront boulevard and the Flame Towers are all within a compact area, so the city itself needs less time than people expect. Two full days covers it without rushing.

North takes you to Guba, Gusar and the Shahdag range, where the villages sit high and the roads narrow. Khinalug is the extreme case: one of the highest continuously inhabited villages in the Caucasus, reached by a road that is spectacular and slow.

West takes you to Shamakhi, Lahij and Sheki, for silk, copperwork and an eighteenth-century palace. This is the route to pick if you want the history rather than the altitude.

Gabala sits between the two, with the mountains behind it and a shorter drive than Sheki. It is the usual answer for people who have four days rather than seven.

The race weekend changes everything

The Formula 1 weekend in Baku runs Thursday 24 to Saturday 26 September 2026, and it takes over the city centre. The circuit runs through the streets around the Old City, which means road closures rather than a track on the outskirts.

Hotels inside the circuit perimeter sell out first and price accordingly. Drivers get booked out weeks ahead, and on race days they cannot reach large parts of the centre at all.

If your trip includes those dates, book the ground arrangements first and the sightseeing second. Our F1 guides cover the grandstands, the airport transfers, and what to do with the days either side.

Getting around

Inside Baku the metro is cheap and quick, and taxis are easy to find. You do not need a driver to see the city.

Between cities is a different question. Intercity buses exist but run to their own logic, and the places most visitors want to reach are villages rather than bus stations. A car with a driver is the practical answer, and it costs less than most visitors assume.

Roads in the mountains are narrow and, in winter, sometimes closed. If your trip is between December and March, ask before you plan a mountain day.

What we do here

We arrange the ground side: the airport pickup, the driver, the route across the regions, and the accommodation when you want us to book it.

We do not run group coach tours, and we do not sell a fixed itinerary you have to fit into. What we build is a route around your dates and the things you actually want to see.

And we say no when the answer is no. A village four hours away is not a half-day trip, and telling you that before you book is worth more to us than one sale.

Related pages

Common questions

How many days do I need for Azerbaijan?

Three days covers Baku and one day trip. Five gets you a region with an overnight. A week lets you cross the country without living in the car.

Do I need a visa?

Most nationalities apply online for the ASAN electronic visa: USD 20, three working days, and a stay of up to 30 days.

Is it safe to travel around?

Ordinary travel around Baku and the regions listed here is straightforward. Some border areas have separate rules, so ask before planning a route near one.

Can you meet a night flight?

Yes, and there is no surcharge for it. A lot of flights into Baku land between midnight and 05:00, so it is a normal booking rather than a special one.

Tell us your dates

Arrival date, how many nights, and what you want to see. We answer with a route that fits the time you actually have.