Baku is a city of contrasts. In one afternoon you can walk medieval lanes inside a twelfth-century wall, drink tea in a caravanserai, and stand beneath glass towers that light up like flames over the Caspian Sea. For Pakistani travellers, it is also one of the easiest foreign capitals to visit: a short direct flight from Lahore or Islamabad, a quick online Baku visa, halal food everywhere and a warm welcome. Here are the best things to do in Baku, grouped so you can build your own itinerary.
The Old City (Icherisheher)
1. Walk the walled Old City
Icherisheher, the Inner City, is the historic heart of Baku. Together with the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower, the walled city was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. Enter through one of the old gates and lose yourself in narrow stone lanes, small mosques, carpet shops and restored merchant houses. Go early in the morning or at dusk, when the lanes are quiet and the lamps come on.
2. Climb the Maiden Tower
The Maiden Tower (Qız Qalası) is Baku's most famous landmark and the symbol of the city. Its origins are still debated, which adds to its mystery. Climb to the top for a view over the Old City rooftops and across the bay.
3. Explore the Palace of the Shirvanshahs
This royal complex, built by the Shirvanshah rulers, includes the palace, a mosque, a mausoleum and peaceful courtyards. It is one of the finest examples of medieval architecture in Azerbaijan.
4. Visit the caravanserais
Baku sat on trade routes for centuries, and its old caravanserais once housed merchants and their goods. Some are now restaurants, where you can eat traditional food in a stone courtyard.
5. Shop for carpets and crafts
The Old City has many carpet and craft shops. Azerbaijani carpet weaving is recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Even if you are not buying, ask shopkeepers about the regional styles and the buta motif.
Modern Baku
6. See the Flame Towers at night
The three Flame Towers dominate the skyline. After dark their facades turn into moving flames, a display best seen from the Boulevard or the Old City walls.
7. Visit the Heydar Aliyev Center
Designed by Zaha Hadid and opened in 2007, the Heydar Aliyev Center is one of the most photographed buildings in the region. Its flowing white form has no straight lines. Inside are exhibitions on Azerbaijani history, culture and art.
8. Stroll the Baku Boulevard
The seaside Boulevard runs along the bay with gardens, fountains, cafés, an amusement area and the Caspian breeze. It is the city's favourite evening walk and perfect for families.
9. Ride up to Highland Park
Take the Baku Funicular up to Highland Park (Dağüstü Park) for one of the best panoramic views over the city and the bay, especially at sunset.
10. Visit the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum
The Carpet Museum on the Boulevard is housed in a building shaped like a rolled carpet. Its collection shows centuries of weaving traditions from different regions of the country.
11. Fountains Square and Nizami Street
Fountains Square is the lively centre of downtown Baku, and nearby Nizami Street is lined with shops, cafés and grand early twentieth-century buildings from the oil-boom era. Baku is often called the "Paris of the East" for this architecture.
12. Shop in Baku's malls
Baku has several large malls, including Ganjlik Mall, Deniz Mall, Port Baku Mall and Park Bulvar, useful on a hot afternoon or a cold winter day.
Fire, rock and mud: the Absheron and beyond
13. Yanar Dag, the burning mountain
Yanar Dag is a hillside on the Absheron Peninsula where natural gas seeping from the ground keeps a fire burning continuously. It is most dramatic after dark. It is a reminder of why Azerbaijan is called the Land of Fire.
14. Ateshgah fire temple
The Ateshgah of Baku in Surakhani is a fire temple built by Indian traders in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, used as a place of worship by Hindu, Sikh and Zoroastrian communities. For visitors from South Asia, its inscriptions and history feel surprisingly close to home.
15. Gobustan rock art
About an hour's drive south of Baku, Gobustan National Park protects thousands of prehistoric rock carvings and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Near Gobustan there is even a Roman inscription from the first century AD.
16. The mud volcanoes
Close to Gobustan, small mud volcanoes bubble and gurgle out of the ground. The Absheron area has many of them. Wear shoes you do not mind getting dirty, and go with a local driver, as the tracks are rough.
Day trips and longer escapes
17. Gabala
Gabala, in the foothills of the Greater Caucasus, offers forests, lakes and cable cars, and is cooler than Baku in summer. It is a favourite for honeymooners and families who want nature after the city.
18. Shahdag
Shahdag is a mountain resort in the north, popular for skiing in winter and fresh mountain air in summer.
19. Sheki
The historic town of Sheki, with its Palace of the Sheki Khans, is known for its silk and sweets and is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is a long drive, so plan at least one night.
Food and culture
20. Eat like a local
Azerbaijani food is a highlight of any trip. Try saffron plov, dolma, qutab (thin stuffed flatbreads), kebabs and pakhlava, followed by black tea served in a pear-shaped armudu glass with jam. Halal food is easy to find across Baku. In the evening, look for a performance of mugham, Azerbaijan's classical music, which is also inscribed by UNESCO.
Best time of day for each sight
Timing makes a real difference in Baku. The Old City lanes are calmest in the early morning, before tour groups arrive, and most atmospheric at dusk. Museums such as the Carpet Museum and the Heydar Aliyev Center are perfect for the hottest part of a summer afternoon or a windy winter day. Yanar Dag is far more dramatic after dark, so plan it for the evening. Highland Park and the Boulevard are best at sunset, when the Flame Towers begin to glow. Gobustan is best visited in the morning in summer, as there is little shade at the rock art site.
A sample three-day Baku itinerary
- Day 1: Old City, Maiden Tower, Palace of the Shirvanshahs, lunch in a caravanserai, evening on the Boulevard with the Flame Towers lit up.
- Day 2: Gobustan rock art and mud volcanoes in the morning, Heydar Aliyev Center in the afternoon, Highland Park at sunset.
- Day 3: Ateshgah and Yanar Dag on the Absheron Peninsula, then shopping on Nizami Street and dinner near Fountains Square.
With five days or more, add Gabala or Shahdag. Our team can turn this into a tailor-made Baku tour package that fits your dates.
Things to do in Baku in the evening
Baku comes alive after dark. The Flame Towers light up, the Boulevard fills with families and couples, and the Old City walls are floodlit. Start with sunset at Highland Park, walk down to the Boulevard, and finish with dinner near Fountains Square. Tea houses stay busy late, serving black tea with jam and sweets. On some evenings concerts of mugham or classical music are held at the city's halls; check local listings on the day. Yanar Dag, the burning hillside, is also at its most impressive at night.
Practical tips for Pakistani visitors
- Visa first: Pakistani passport holders need a visa before travel. Most tourists use the official Azerbaijan e-visa.
- Getting around: the Baku Metro has three lines and 25 stations; top up a rechargeable BakuCard. Use metered or app-based taxis.
- Money: the currency is the Azerbaijani manat. Read our currency exchange guide.
- Weather: spring and autumn are the most comfortable. See Baku weather by month.
- Dress: relaxed in the city, modest at mosques.
- Registration: visitors staying more than 15 days must register their place of stay with the State Migration Service; hotels usually do it.
Start planning
Send us your passport photo page and travel dates on WhatsApp. We will prepare your Baku visa and help plan the trip, from the Old City to the mountains.
