- Accommodation:
- Passage Boutique Hotel
- Transport:
- The city has bus, tram, trolley-bus and underground services
- Baku is the only city in Azerbaijan with a metro service
- The old town is served by the Baku Soviet station. Sahil station, near 26 Comissars square, is downtown
- To use the metro you need to buy a magnetic card and charge it with the amount of trips you wish to take. The card comes in three different types – 24 hours, 72 hours and 7 days
- Bus, tram and trolley fares are paid in cash to the driver. Red BakuCity buses cost 0.2 manat per ride
- A funicular railway takes you up to Martyr’s alley (former Kirov park), though this is commonly out of service
- Most taxis are unmetered and a journey anywhere within the city center will cost 15,000 manats
- You can also pay for a private car with driver. The minimum charge is approximately €30 a day
- You can also use shared mini vans – known as marshruts / marshrutki – that can sit 12 people, though most have more with standing room. They have no schedule and only leave when full. The vans drives along a fixed route and stops at any point along that route when flagged down or told to stop. However, there is no official route map
- Azerbaijan’s Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku is the main point of entry for international tourists. From the airport, bus 116 departs from the airport-parking section every 30 minutes 7am-8pm
- Things to see:
- Yanar Dag
- Azerbaijan Carpet Museum
- Maiden Tower
- Old City
- Baku Ferris Wheel
- Heydar Aliyev Centre
- Martyr’s alley
- Flame Towers
- Mini Venice
- Palace of the Shirvanshahs
- Ateshgah of Baku
- Bibi-Heybat Mosque
- Heydar Mosque
- Freedom Square
- TV Tower
- Tips:
- Remember to check if you need a visa. In January 2017, the ASAN visa portal was launched in Azerbaijan. For a length of stay in the country of up to 30 days, a one-time electronic visa can be obtained and is available within 3 working days after payment and sent directly to the applicant’s e-mail. The fee is $20
- If you’re travelling further afield, the N38 Baku to Tbilisi, Georgia night train is a great way to travel. You will be asked to show your visa before boarding the train. The journey time is 13h 15min. Ticket prices depend on the carriage class. A first-class ticket costs $26,50 (45 manat). For more information, click here.
- It’s important to dress appropriately and when visiting mosques to cover your hair if you’re female. Males need to wear trousers
- Don’t forget to bargain in local markets and in souvenir shops
