Baku Travel Guide — Best Things to Do in Azerbaijan
This is our local guide to the best things to do in Baku and beyond — and, at the end, the most elegant edible souvenir you can carry home from Azerbaijan.
Baku in Motion
No sound, pure magic — the city's rhythm in short takes.
Perched where the Caspian Sea meets the winds of the Caucasus, Baku is one of the most captivating capitals you can visit — a city where a UNESCO-listed medieval Old City sits beneath futuristic glass towers, and where ancient fire temples share the horizon with the modern Baku Boulevard. Whether you have a long weekend or a full week, Azerbaijan rewards the curious traveller with history, dramatic landscapes and a warm hospitality built around tea, sweets and good coffee.
Top Things to Do in Baku
Icherisheher — the Old City
Wander the UNESCO-listed medieval core: the Maiden Tower, the Shirvanshahs' Palace and cobbled lanes full of caravanserais and carpet shops.
The Flame Towers
Baku's iconic trio of skyscrapers, wrapped in LED screens that blaze like flames after dark — best seen from the Highland Park overlook.
Baku Boulevard
A breezy seaside promenade along the Caspian — tea houses, the Little Venice canals and the Carpet Museum make it perfect for a slow afternoon.
Heydar Aliyev Center
Zaha Hadid's flowing white masterpiece — one of the most photographed pieces of modern architecture in the world.
Qobustan & the Mud Volcanoes
An hour south of the city: 40,000-year-old rock petroglyphs and a surreal field of bubbling mud volcanoes — a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Ateshgah & Yanar Dag
The Land of Fire lives up to its name: a Zoroastrian fire temple and a hillside that has burned continuously for centuries.
When to Visit?
The sweet spots are April–June and September–October: warm, walkable and crowd-free. July–August is hot; winters bring the famous Baku wind.
A Perfect 3 Days in Baku
Tap a day and follow the golden trail — coffee and chocolate stops included.
Get lost in Icherisheher: climb the Maiden Tower, visit the Shirvanshahs' Palace, hunt for the perfect carpet-shop photo.
Lunch like a local — plov, dolma and tandir bread in an old-town courtyard restaurant.
Stroll the Boulevard towards White City and pause at L'Oben Premium: specialty coffee, a Divan praline or two, and the sea breeze.
Ride the funicular to Highland Park and watch the Flame Towers ignite over the bay.
Morning at the Heydar Aliyev Center — walk every curve of Zaha Hadid's white wave and the galleries inside.
Head out to the Absheron Peninsula: the eternal flames of the Ateshgah fire temple.
Yanar Dag — the hillside that has burned for centuries. Best photos as the light softens.
Evening on Nizami Street: window-shopping, street musicians and a long Azerbaijani tea.
Day trip to Qobustan: 40,000-year-old petroglyphs, then the surreal bubbling mud volcanoes.
Back in town: the Carpet Museum on the Boulevard — the building itself is a rolled-up carpet.
Souvenir hour at L'Oben Premium: pick a Divan chocolate gift box, macarons or Turkish delight to carry home.
Farewell dinner with a Caspian view — and one last look at the glowing skyline.
City Icons — Flip & Discover
Tap a card — each hides a little secret on the back.
National Flag Square
The pole rises 162 m — once the world's tallest. Next door, Crystal Hall hosted Eurovision 2012.
Azerbaijan Carpet Museum
The building is a giant rolled-up carpet — inside, 10,000+ pieces form the world's richest carpet collection.
Nizami Street — 'Targovi'
The city's pedestrian heart, lined with 19th-century facades. Sweetest way to end the stroll? A box of macarons.
The Heydar Mosque
Built in Shirvan-Absheron style, its four 95-metre minarets make it one of the largest mosques in the Caucasus.
Day Trips Beyond Baku
If you have extra days, Azerbaijan's regions are spectacular. Rent a car or join a tour and discover the country beyond the capital:
- Sheki: the mirrored stained-glass Khan's Palace and a caravanserai you can still sleep in, wrapped in green Caucasus foothills.
- Gabala: mountain resorts, cable cars and waterfalls — Azerbaijan's alpine escape.
- Quba & Khinalug: ancient carpet towns and one of the highest inhabited villages in Europe.
- Absheron Peninsula: fire temples, seaside forts and salt lakes, all within easy reach of Baku.
Experiences You Shouldn't Miss
- Azerbaijani tea culture: sip amber tea from a pear-shaped armudu glass, served with jam, nuts and sweets.
- Local cuisine: try plov, dolma, saj and freshly baked tandir bread in an old-town restaurant.
- Carpets & crafts: watch weavers at work and bring home a handmade Azerbaijani rug or copperware.
- A coffee & chocolate break: pause between sights for a freshly brewed coffee and a box of handcrafted chocolate — more on that below.
Azerbaijan, Frame by Frame
Swipe through — every frame is a place from this guide.
In White City? You're steps from us.
Strolling the White City stretch of the Boulevard? Drop by the boutique — coffee's brewing and the Divan counter is full.
Get directions →The Perfect Souvenir — Luxury Chocolate, Coffee & Gifts
Every great trip deserves an equally memorable souvenir — and in Baku, the most elegant one is edible. Divan İstanbul is a legendary confectionery house founded in Istanbul, and L'Oben Premium is its official distributor in Azerbaijan. At our boutique in Baku's White City (Ağ Şəhər) district you can discover Divan's handcrafted chocolate — the ideal stop for a luxury gift, a relaxed coffee break, or a taste to carry home.
Handcrafted Chocolate
Divan's cult madlen, praline and arduaz chocolates in signature gift boxes.
Specialty Coffee
Espresso, cappuccino and pour-overs — the perfect pairing with dark chocolate.
Gift Boxes & Macarons
Parisian macarons and Turkish delight, boxed to travel — a souvenir that impresses.
A boxed selection of handcrafted chocolates, delicate macarons or traditional Turkish delight travels beautifully and makes an unforgettable gift for the people waiting back home. Visiting for business? Our corporate gift boxes add a refined, personalised touch to any Baku meeting.
Quiz: Which Souvenir Are You?
Three quick questions — we'll match you with your perfect Baku treat.
1. Your idea of sweet perfection?
2. Your travel style in Baku?
3. Who is the gift for?
Your match: the Divan Chocolate Box
Refined, timeless and impossible to refuse — a signature collection box of handcrafted pralines and madlen.
See the collection →
Your match: the Macaron Rose Box
Playful colours, Parisian charm and fresh roses — the most photogenic gift in Baku.
See the collection →
Your match: Traditional Turkish Delight
Centuries of tradition in a silk-soft bite — pistachio, rose and pomegranate lokum for the whole table.
See the collection →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best souvenir to bring back from Baku?
The most elegant edible souvenir is a box of handcrafted chocolate. L'Oben Premium — the official Azerbaijan distributor of Divan İstanbul, in Baku's White City — offers gift-boxed chocolates, macarons and Turkish delight that travel beautifully.
How many days do you need in Baku and Azerbaijan?
Three to four days covers central Baku; add two or three more for day trips to Qobustan, Absheron, Gabala and Sheki.
Where can I buy luxury chocolate and coffee in Baku?
L'Oben Premium in the White City (Ağ Şəhər) district serves the Divan Istanbul chocolate collection alongside freshly brewed specialty coffee — a favourite stop for a luxury gift or a coffee break.
L'Oben Premium — White City, Baku Visiting Baku? Stop by our boutique in the Ağ Şəhər (White City) district to taste the legendary Divan chocolates, enjoy a coffee, and pick up the perfect gift to take home. Order via WhatsApp →
Photo credits & licenses
- Flame Towers — Avisadehh, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Icheri Sheher — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Baku Boulevard — Bro2123, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Gobustan mud volcanoes — CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Yanar Dag — Diego Delso (delso.photo), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ateshgah Temple (photo) — Diego Delso (delso.photo), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sheki Khan's Palace — Ludvig14, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- All videos and remaining photos — L'Oben Premium media archive