Azerbaijan is simply an underrated travel destination. We travelled to Baku in September of 2025, just in time for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. But us being nomads, we decided to stay there for a month, rent an apartment and immerse ourselves in the city. We stayed there in the weeks leading up to the Grand Prix, as well as stayed another week after it was over. With so many fun things to do in Baku, it’s a great city to explore! This guide is full of our favourite experiences in the city, day-trips from Baku, and what it was like to attend the Grand Prix.
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Baku has tons of cool places to check out, and even after staying there for a month, it feels like we only touched the surface of places to go. The best part about being a digital nomad is experiencing the city through the lens of someone actually living there, discovering our favourite restaurants and things to do.
Why Baku Belongs on Your Travel Radar
Baku is an extremely walkable city, and the metro is also very easy to access. We had no issues getting to anywhere we wanted to go, and we felt safe everywhere we went. What I loved too is that there are tons of day trip options from the city centre, which made it super convenient and affordable to get out and join some day tours. Even going in September, one of the busiest times in Baku, it didn’t feel overly crowded (apart from the actual race weekend), and there are so many fun things to do in Baku. It still feels so undiscovered and really like a true gem if you are looking for a place to explore.
If you are staying longer than 15 days in Azerbaijan, then you’ll need to register your stay with the Migration Services Department. Read more about our experience and how we registered during our month-long visit to Baku.
Best Time to Visit: Weather & Race Season
I would have to vote that September is a great time to go to Baku. Not only am I biased as an F1 fan, but the weather truly can’t be beat. The weather was comfortable and warm, and we had plenty of sunny days. Near the end of September it’ll start to cool off slightly, but we only needed light layers when walking out and about.
Apart from September, I would say that the shoulder seasons are ideal. May-June & September-October have moderate temperatures and are perfect for sightseeing. July and August are very hot, and it can be more challenging to explore comfortably.
Azerbaijan does have a winter season and ski slopes as well, so this could be a really neat destination in the winter. The slopes are only about a 3-hour drive away from the city, and you can take a car or a bus to a nearby city to get there. I would be curious to travel to Azerbaijan in the wintertime – if you’ve been, let me know how it was!!
Top Museums & Fun Things to Do in Baku (How we Spent Our Time)
Heydar Aliyev Centre (One of our favourite spots)
We didn’t really know what to expect when visiting the Heydar Aliyev Centre, only that it was a recommended thing to do in Baku. My partner and I spent a couple of hours here, and we honestly do think that it’s worth the visit. Here you’ll learn about the history of Azerbaijan, who Heydar Aliyev was, as well as many exhibits in science, education, culture and more! We especially enjoyed the special exhibit at that time, “Reclaimed Beauty” by Dotun Popoola. The metal artworks there were absolutely incredible, and we were astounded by all of the incredible scrap metal creations. Absolutely a must in my books. It lives up to the hype, and it’s a top choice for me!
Azerbaijan Carpet Museum & Little Venice
The Azerbaijan Carpet Museum is one of the most unique buildings that I have seen. It looks like an actual carpet, and it’s quite something to see. I did enjoy walking through the carpet museum, and I think you can spend about an hour there. My favourite area in the museum is on the second floor, where they feature all the carpets along the side wall by the railing. The museum also features extremely unique carpets, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. A very cool museum, so definitely add it to the list!
Little Venice is located right next to the Carpet Museum, so you’ll find yourself there even without trying. Honestly, this felt a little touristy to me and not worth spending too much time there. It’s not very big, and the gondola ride doesn’t seem to be very exciting. It’s a neat idea to have a little Venice. Maybe it’s just me, but not really worth spending too much time.
Yaşıl Bazar (A Hidden Gem)
One of our favourite things to do in Azerbaijan was going to the Yaşıl Bazar. It’s a bit out of the way, and we got there by a Bolt taxi. It’s a large indoor market selling tea, fruits, spices, and so much more. We picked up some tea for gifts for my family as well as some pomegranate juice for us (which was SO good). When we went, it wasn’t busy as well, and I think this is a hidden gem to go and check out. It’s a great place to pick up local treats as souvenirs and gifts for friends and family back home!
Nizami Street (Where all the action is)
We walked in and around Nizami Street almost every single night. This area is jam-packed full of restaurants, bars, and shops. We booked an apartment just northeast of this area and could make it to this street in under a 10-minute walk. I would easily designate some time exploring this area. Fountain Square is a cool place to check out too. I loved looking into the souvenir shops near here and walking through the greenery in this park! Out of all the fun things to do in Baku, this area definitely is a must-go-to!
The Old City (A must-see area!)
Without question, you’ll want to go to the Old City, and I would spend at least a day there (if not more). We enjoyed spending time exploring the streets, loved the views of the Flame Towers, and especially enjoyed dinner there with live music.
There are also a few really neat souvenir shops that you can venture into. Notably, you’ll also find top museums in Baku such as the Museum of Miniature Books, the Open Air Museum, and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs. With so many things to do in the Old City, it truly is a place to spend some time. We were able to walk there from our apartment and came back to the Old City many times!
Attending the F1 Grand Prix in Baku (Only in September)
Any big F1 fan will know that Baku City Circuit is an incredible street race to watch. And honestly, attending it is so worth it. We got the 3-day ticket pass and sat in the Sahil Grandstand. We had views of turns 5, 6, and the straightway to turn 1. It’s such a unique location to watch a race from, as we could see multiple cars at different points in the track. This experience truly topped our list of fun things to do in Baku. It’s amazing having the circuit right in the heart of the city, and we even walked the track in the weeks leading up to the race!
Best Day Trips from Baku (Outside the City)
While this list focuses on fun things to do in Baku, you can also go on awesome day trips from the city center. Azerbaijan is a small country, and you can explore well outside Baku just within a day. I went on two day trips to different areas in the country. Both experiences were quite interesting! While we opted to do day trips, there is something to be said for spending a couple of days, especially in the Shahdag region. The day trips were about 8-12 hours long, with half of that being driving time. I am glad I got to explore so much! If I were to do it again, however, I’d redo one of the day trips since it’s far from the city and I’d spend the night near Shahdag.
Day Trip 1: Shahdag & Candy Cane Mountains
I did this day trip on my own as it was a looooooog one – just about 12 hours to be exact. I really wanted to see the Candy Cane Mountains and, of course, go on a coaster ride in Shahdag, because I mean, why not? Baku Heritage Tours was the tour operator, and had the weather been a bit better, this would have been even more of a great trip!
Our trip began with meeting in the Baku City Center with our tour guide. We then jumped aboard a sprinter van to begin our tour. It was a mid-sized group of about 15 people, and the seats were fairly comfortable – but what you’d expect from a sprinter van.
Our first stop was at the Candy Cane Mountains, which was an absolute highlight for me. We only had about 20 minutes there, and you could climb up the mountains as far as you wanted. I obviously chose to do this, and I really loved the photos that I got there.
Next up, we went on a pit stop for a stretch and a quick view of the Five Finger Mountain. This was shortly followed by lunch at Şah Quba Restaurant. I actually brought snacks and food, so I didn’t even end up eating there as it’s optional. I walked around the forest area, which was fine, but the view of the river was kind of cool.
Finally we arrived at the other main attraction: Shahdag. This was…….. unfortunate. Let me explain. When we got there, it was overcast and completely fogged over. This place on the tour is designated for adventure activities. Things like the big swing, paragliding, and the coaster. But on the day I went, you couldn’t really enjoy them. And some weren’t operating, if I’m remembering correctly.
My heart was set on going on the coaster, which I was still able to do. But I mostly saw fog the whole time haha. The coaster, though, was still a cool experience. You could go as fast as you wanted, really! However, with multiple people going on around the same time, you can only go as fast as the slowest person in front of you. I found myself waiting a bit, almost stationary at times. I would wait in order to give a bit of room so I could let my hands off the brakes and enjoy some coaster time at my own pace. You do really have to pay attention and keep your hands on the brake handrails, as you can go quick and you obviously don’t want to bump into anyone ahead of you.
After my coaster ride, I just walked around the resort area and had a coffee. It was also raining a bit at this point too, so there wasn’t really too much to do. I talked to someone who had spent the night at Shahdag previously. He mentioned that the weather was perfect and had clear skies that very same morning. If you want to enjoy more activities in Shahdag, I’d at least spend one night in that area. This would allow more time to try activities and have more flexibility. My tour only had a short window in Shahdag and the weather wasn’t the greatest when I went.
Book Your Tour to Shahdag
Day Trip 2: Gobustan & Absheron (Ancient Petroglyphs, Mud Volcanoes & The Burning Mountain)
This is the second day trip that I went on, and Ru was able to join as well. Baku Heritage Tours was the tour operator again, and this was a super fun day. This tour is a bit shorter, as the tour stops are much closer to the city. It was about 8 hours long, but with plenty of stops on the tour.
The first place we visited was the Bibiheybat Mosque. Our tour guide took us inside this stunning place, and we spent about 30 minutes there learning about the Mosque and also taking pictures outside.
Our next stop took us to Gobustan National Park (Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape) to learn about the Ancient Petroglyphs. This is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007, and I found this place so interesting! There are over 6000 rock carvings spanning over 40,000 years. It was quite special to see this up close and was the highlight of this tour for me.
We then only had a short distance before we found ourselves in small cars, taking our tour group to the mud volcanoes. This was quite unique to see up close. While we didn’t spend too much time there (you don’t need much), it was interesting to see how all of these mud volcanoes have formed in this area.
Next up, we took an hour-long pit stop for lunch, was actually kind of neat, as we had a couple different resturants/cafes to choose from and some souvenir shops were nearby. Our next highlight following lunch was touring Yanar Dag (The Burning Mountain) & Ateshgah Fire Temple. It was pretty wild to see the ongoing flame at Yanar Dag. Overall, this area is not too big, but definitely interesting no less! The Ateshgah Fire Temple was also a nice place to explore and tour the grounds with our guide.
Our final stop was at the Heydar Aliyev Center. While we didn’t actually go into the center, we just took pictures with the I Love Baku Sign out front. This actually was pretty fun as we all took turns getting our photo.
Overall, this was a super fun tour to go on, and I highly recommend it. With so many stops, it didn’t really feel like a long tour day. I especially enjoyed exploring Gobustan National Park and Yanar Dag. I think having a guide and joining a tour is truly the way to go in order to truly take in the history and understand the significance of these areas. If you are looking for a variety of fun things to do in Baku, then this day can’t be beat. It begins and ends right in the city center, and it was such a fun day out.
Out of the two tours, I’d have to say that the second one was my favourite. I enjoyed everywhere we went; we had options for lunch, and all of the stops were so interesting! The tour to Shahdag, although, was kinda fun. It was a super long day, and the weather at Shahdag was not on our side. I wasn’t really able to maximize my time there, and so I’d recommend at least spending one night in that area.
Book Your Tour to Gobustan & Absheron
Practical Tips for Visiting Baku
Getting Around: Metro, Taxis & Transport During F1 Week
One of the best things about Baku is that you can easily walk just about anywhere. It does get quite busy during the F1 weekend, but since the race is right in the city center, it was super easy to walk to.
If you want to take taxis, then Bolt or Uber AZ is the way to go. We primarily used Bolt, and we had no issues while we were there.
We also used the metro while we were there. The metro station was a close walk to our apartment, so we did use it a few times. We actually downloaded the BakıKart app to use the metro; however, you don’t need to do this, and you can simply tap your credit card. You can also purchase a transit card for 2 AZN and top up this card accordingly.
Wondering where to eat in Baku? Check out our articles on our favourite restaurants in the city!
FAQs About Visiting Baku
How many days do you need in Baku?
I would spend at least 3 days to explore Baku. This would give you a lot of time to explore the different neighbourhoods and try just some of the delicious local eats. We spent almost a month staying in Baku, and we loved trying so many new restaurants and shopping at different areas in the city.
If you want to explore more regions in Azerbaijan and go on trips outside of the city, then I’d recommend spending a week there to truly take it all in without feeling rushed!
Is Baku easy to explore during the F1 Grand Prix?
Baku is incredibly easy to explore during the F1 Grand Prix weekend. Of course, a lot of the more touristy restaurants right near the track entrances are quite busy, but honestly there are so many places to go that you’ll definitely find somewhere to go for food and drinks.
Each day of the race weekend, we spent the majority of the time at the track, watching the sessions and having fun doing activities in the fan zone. You really only have the evenings in Baku, and that’s not even including going to the concerts in the evening.
Learn about our experience attending the Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix in 2025!
Do you need a guided tour for day trips from Baku?
I would highly recommend going on a guided tour for the day trips from Baku. Without having a guide, I wouldn’t have had the experience and insight that I gained. It was great not having to think about transit at all, and the day trips were quite affordable!
Final Thoughts on Fun Things to do in Baku
I hope that this guide shows just all the fun things there are to do in Baku. This city has so much to offer, from exploring museums in the Old City area, embracing shopping and nightlife along Nizami Street, and booking a day trip for an incredible time outside the city. Despite being in Baku for one month, there are still things we could have done and explored. It’s truly worth your time to go and see. Baku is an incredible city, and we honestly loved our time there. Attending the F1 race is truly an incredible experience, and if you are interested in attending a race there, this one is near the top of the list! I hope you enjoy visiting Baku! Let me know what your favourite thing to do was!
