Things to do in Azerbaijan

Wander among thousands of prehistoric rock carvings dating back 40,000 years, depicting human figures, animals, and ritual scenes in a stark, windswept landscape.

Watch cold, grey mud erupt in miniature cones across a lunar-like terrain at one of the world's largest mud volcano fields, splattering and gurgling continuously.

Step into the 18th-century summer residence of the Sheki Khans, its facade adorned with shebeke (multicolored glass mosaics) and interiors glowing with elaborate floral frescoes.

Explore the pentagonal temple complex near Baku where natural gas flames once burned from the ground, attracting Zoroastrian and Hindu pilgrims for centuries.

Marvel at a continuous natural fire that has blazed for thousands of years on a limestone hillside, caused by seeping gas, especially dramatic at dusk.

Ascend the 12th-century cylindrical tower in the Old City to a rooftop terrace offering sweeping vistas of the Caspian Sea, Flame Towers, and the walled city below.

Get lost in the UNESCO-listed medieval heart of Baku, lined with sandstone buildings, artisan shops, mosques, and hidden courtyards behind ancient walls.

Watch the trio of iconic skyscrapers transform into a giant LED display of flickering flames and the Azerbaijani flag, best viewed from the city's highest park after dark.

Walk the 3.5-km seaside promenade stretching from National Flag Square to Freedom Square, passing amusement parks, the Baku Eye, and open-air cafés.

Savour the king of Azerbaijani rice dishes—saffron rice with lamb, dried fruits, and chestnuts—inside a historic caravanserai as soulful mugham music fills the air.

Unwind at a traditional tea garden with armudu glasses of black tea, served alongside diamond-shaped baklava, dried fruits, and the fragrant steam of samovar.

Climb the weathered 14th-century fortress tower on the Absheron Peninsula, with commanding views over an ancient village and the Caspian coastline.

Cruise the Caspian to an industrial island transformed into a seaside retreat, where an old lighthouse stands sentinel over quiet beaches and migratory bird stopovers.

Trek through alpine meadows and rocky outcrops to the 4,243m summit, rewarded with a panorama of jagged peaks, green valleys, and distant Caspian glimmers.

Carve down 17 km of pistes in the Greater Caucasus, with reliable snow, modern lifts, and a resort village offering cosy mountain dining and firepits.

Sleep within the thick stone walls of a 18th-century Silk Road inn, where merchants once stabled camels and traded wares, now with atmospheric courtyards and antique decor.

Taste the region's signature sweet—a layered pastry filled with crushed nuts and syrup, uniquely prepared on giant copper trays over an open fire.

Bathe in curative crude-oil baths at specialized sanatoriums, a therapeutic tradition unique to Azerbaijan, where warm naphthalene-rich mud eases joint and skin ailments.

Visit a 1st-century Caucasian Albanian church restored to reveal a glass floor over ancient burial chambers, set against a backdrop of forested foothills.

Watch master weavers at wooden looms create intricate regional carpets with age-old motifs, and try your hand at knotting wool in a warm village home.

Drive a winding road into the Caucasus to a 5,000-year-old village perched at 2,350 metres, where stone houses cascade down a dramatic slope and an isolated language is preserved.

Take the cable railway from Neftchilar Avenue up to the terraced cemetery and eternal flame, overlooking the entire Bay of Baku and the city skyline.

Step inside an architectural masterpiece of fluid, wave-like white curves, housing rotating exhibits of modern art, sculptures, and Azerbaijani cultural displays.

Ride a gondola above dense forest to summer hiking trails, cascading waterfalls, and a mirror-like lake, with the option to zipline or mountain bike back down.

Sip cocktails on open-air terraces overlooking the illuminated street, with DJ sets and views of the historic Beşmərtəbə Hamammı and bouncing crowds below.