Mud Volcanoes Near Gobustan: How to Visit

Azerbaijan has more mud volcanoes than almost anywhere. The Azerbaijan Tourism Board says about 350 have been recorded in the country. The easiest place to see them is the Mud Volcanoes Tourism Complex, on the road past Gobustan.

This page draws on the complex’s own site, on azerbaijan.travel and on the President’s official website. We read them on 30 September 2026.

The complex at a glance

• What it is: a visitor site built around the Gilinj mud volcano, with an information centre and two exhibitions.
• Where: Absheron District, on the road that passes Gobustan State Reserve.
• Distance: about 80 km from central Baku, or 1 hour 20 minutes by car, according to the complex.
• Opened: 13 June 2024, on 12 hectares.
• Hours: every day, 10:00 to 19:00, weekends and holidays included.
• Website: a section of heritage.org.az, the site of the Reserves Management Center.

What is a mud volcano?

It is not a fire mountain. A mud volcano pushes a mix of mud, gas and water up to the surface. Pockets of gas and liquid under pressure force their way up and carry mud and sediment with them.

The result can be a cone, a long channel or a flat crater. Some flow slowly and steadily. Others erupt suddenly. The Tourism Board adds that some of the escaping gas can catch fire and burn for a long time.

The Tourism Board also notes that mud volcanoes are smaller than ordinary volcanoes but more often active. It names the two largest in the world, Boyuk Kanizadag and Toraghay, and says both are in Azerbaijan.

Gilinj, the volcano you visit

The complex is built around one volcano, Gilinj. The name means “sword” in Azerbaijani.

Gilinj is a row of eight cones, one after another, running towards a valley. Its active cones push out breccia, a rock made of sharp broken pieces. To the north-east, that breccia covers about 20 hectares. It lies in two strips, 300 to 500 metres long and up to 50 metres wide.

Science has no record of a strong eruption here. But layers found near Gilinj show it was active between 770,000 and 126,000 years ago. Toraghay, the one Guinness World Records lists as the world’s largest mud volcano, is nearby.

What else is at the complex

Start at the information centre. It explains how mud volcanoes form and what their mud contains.

The natural history exhibition holds nearly 100 animal skeletons, from Azerbaijan and further away. It includes giraffes, bears, tigers, lions, wolves and pumas. There are also dried insects, reptiles and fossils.

The mineral exhibition shows stones collected across the country, from Gobustan to Nakhchivan. You will see amethyst, malachite, quartz and turquoise, among others.

There is also a café-restaurant, so you do not need to plan lunch elsewhere.

Quad bikes and golf carts

You can walk the marked routes, or rent a vehicle at the information centre. The complex offers guided quad bike tours on a set route, using electric quads. Golf carts are the slower, quieter choice.

The rules are strict

The complex publishes its own safety rules. The ones that shape a visit are these:

Rule	What it means for you
Stay on marked routes	No wandering off across the mud
Keep 5 metres away	You watch the cones from a distance
No fire of any kind	Gas escapes here, so matches stay in your bag
No drones	Leave the drone in the car
No food brought in	Eat at the café-restaurant
No bicycles or horses	Walk, or rent a cart or quad

Children under 18 must stay with an adult. Photos for commercial use need the complex’s permission. In the fauna exhibition, you need the complex’s consent to take photos at all.

Getting there

The complex says to drive from Baku on the E119 main road. Then follow the road that passes Gobustan State Reserve. It gives the trip as about 80 km and 1 hour 20 minutes from the city centre.

It publishes no public-transport route. In practice this is a trip by car.

What to wear

The ground around the cones is mud and broken rock. Wear closed shoes with grip that you do not mind getting dirty. The site is open country, so bring a hat and a layer.

Tickets

You can buy a ticket at the entrance or in advance on iticket.az, the complex says. We do not print prices here.

There is also a combined ticket, sold by the Yanardag reserve. It covers Yanardag, the Ateshgah fire temple and this complex. It is for one person and lasts 72 hours after the first entry.

Pairing it with Gobustan

The Gobustan State Reserve sits on the same road. It holds more than 6,000 rock carvings and lies about 60 km south of Baku, according to the Tourism Board. It calls the mud volcanoes a short drive away.

That makes the two a natural pair for one outing. See the rock art first, then drive on to the volcanoes.

Yanardag and Ateshgah are on the Absheron Peninsula, on the far side of Baku. The 72-hour ticket lets you save them for another day.

Arranging it

Send us your date and the number of travellers, and say whether you want Gobustan on the same day. We will plan the drive and the time at each stop.