Azerbaijan, a country of 10 million known mostly for its exports of oil, is rarely on any traveler’s radar. However, this so-called “Land of Fire” has a ton of surprises for those who dare to step out of their comfort zones and visit Azerbaijan.
With its significant location connecting Europe and Asia as part of the ancient historical Silk Road, with the north straddling the lush green landscape of the Caucasus Mountains, and a hyper-modern metropolitan that is Baku, the capital city, we are going to explore everything Azerbaijan has to offer with our comprehensive 2-week backpacking itinerary.
Without further ado, let’s begin our journey with a look at the overview map of where we will be visiting in Azerbaijan.
Baku, a hyper-modern metropolis that will shatter your perception of Azerbaijan the moment you set foot in the city. Striking a balance between the old and the new, you will find historical sites that will make you long for the old days and stunning curved architecture that will remind you of Singapore.
Given you have 2 full days in Baku, on your first day, you can spend your time exploring the Old Town, which is considered to be the most ancient part of the city. You will find many impressive structures here, such as the Maiden Tower, that are dated back to the 12th Century.
One of the sights in the Old Town that I highly recommend is the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, a 15th-century palace complex consisting of the palace, the burial vaults, and the shah’s mosque. You can get quite a nice view of the city’s contrast between the old and the new from the balcony in front of the palace.
The Old Town is also beautiful at night and a great place for you to go out for a drink while walking around the crisscrossing streets of the Old Town in solitude.
With the injection of oil money, the city has become a playground for architectural experiments. The futuristic Heydar Aliyev Art Center is a beautiful, fluid modern structure from the mind of Zaha Hadid, where art exhibitions are often held.
The beautiful design of the exterior of the Heydar Aliyev Art Center is worth appreciating from all angles, so be sure to spend some time walking around the building.
Another stunning piece of architecture in Baku is the Heydar Mosque, a huge mosque built with special stones based on the Shirvan-Absheron design architecture, located in the northern part of the city. The mosque is best visited at night when the entire structure is lit up with artificial light.
Baku is located along the balmy coast of the Caspian Sea, and they have built a beautiful, spacious promenade that stretches for 4 km along the coast. I highly recommend you spend your evening strolling along the promenade, checking out the Carpet Museum and Mini-Venice along the way.
From the Carpet Museum, you continue on and make your way up the stairs to the top of Highland Park, where you will be rewarded with a panoramic view of the city and a stunning sunset.
You will also be able to see the Flame Towers from Highland Park at night, where they project beautiful light shows of animated fire, water, and waving flags every night.
On your second day in Baku, I would recommend that you take a tour to see cool sights like Gobustan, Mud Volcanoes, Ateshgah Fire Temple, and the Burning Mountain of Yanar Dag.
A tour I recommend you go with is the Gobustan and Absheron tour (All inclusive) tour, which will take you from Baku to Gobustan as well as mud volcanoes, Yanar Dag (Burning Mountain), and Ateshgah Fire Temple for around 50 USD AZN per person, including lunch.
Gobustan is a great place for you to learn about the prehistoric people who settled in this part of the world since the 8th millennium BC. You will find thousands of rock engravings and petroglyphs that depict hunting scenes, people, ships, constellations, and animals from the 12th Century BC.
Mud Volcanoes are another interesting sight to see near Baku. What makes the mud volcanoes here special is the fact that they are one of the few mud volcanoes in the world that are actually cold, due to the water from the Caspian Sea. You can even stick your hand in them. Really!
The tour will also take you to Ateshgah Fire Temple, a 17th-century place of worship that was frequented by Hindus, Sikhs, and most importantly, Zoroastrians. There is no better place to learn about Zoroastrians in this part of the world than here.
Personally, I think Yanar Dag is overrated. The burning fire is due to the natural gas reserve underneath it, and it seems like the reserve is going to be exhausted soon as the fire becomes less and less dramatic every day. However, since it is included in the tour, why not go check out what all the fuss is about?
After an entire day of exploring the surrounding landscape of Baku, you can end your day with a little stroll along the Nizami Pedestrian Street, find yourself a nice restaurant like Xezer Restaurant, and treat yourself.
From Baku, you will have to take a bus to Quba from Baku International Bus Terminal. The bus runs every 30 minutes from 7:30 AM to 5:55 PM, and the fare is 4 AZN per person.
The journey will take about 2 hours. For this bus, you do not need to book in advance as there are several buses going every day. Alternatively, you can rent a taxi for 40 AZN per car, and the driver will take you directly to Quba.
If you are short on time and looking for a convenient way to travel from Baku to Quba and Khinaliq, you can also go with an organized tour. You will be able to easily visit 2 places, excluding Laza, with the Quba Khinaliq from Baku Group Tour, which costs only around 60 USD per person. This is not bad considering you are going directly from Baku.
