Azerbaijan in Four Days

Azerbaijan was the first stop of my two-week tour through the Caucasus region. I didn’t know much about the country aside from being an oil-rich nation, so I kept my expectations to a minimum. Looking back, I wish I spent a few more days here, as Azerbaijan ended up being a hidden gem, and Baku, the capital, is a super neat city with stunning architecture. The highlight of my trip was visiting the countryside, which doesn’t get talked about enough. If you’re in Azerbaijan for four days, here’s what I recommend.

Day 1 : Day Tour in Baku

Baku is obviously a must see, and its pretty walkable for the most part. Definitely check out the Flame Towers, the most iconic symbol in Baku.

Old City is a must see as well. This is the most ancient part of Baku, and a major contrast from the rest of the city. You can easily spend two hours walking around the city.

Day 2: Sheki (Long Day Tour from Baku)

Sheki is an ancient city located roughly 4.5 hours or 358 km from Baku. To be honest, if you have an extra day, definitely stretch this out to two days. This tour was entirely too long just for one day.

Sheki was an important hub of trade along the Silk Road during the Middle Ages, which was a period of rich and diverse cultural development in the region.

Day 3 : Qobustan, Mud Volcanoes, Fire temple, Fire Mountain tour and Ramana fortress

This is one of the most popular day tours in Azerbaijan and one you can book from almost anywhere. Every tour is nearly identical and will include all of the aforementioned sites.

Day 4: Guba & Khinalug (Day Trip)

This was my favorite tour during my time in Azerbaijan. Khinalig village is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world, with a history spanning over 5,000 years. On your way you’ll stop by stunning landscapes in northeastern Azerbaijan.

You’ll have the opportunity to have lunch with a local family, which is great.

How to book tours in Azerbaijan

I booked all of my tours via Viator. The prices on there are a bit inflated, but I like to be organized and have everything ready to go before I arrive, so I opted to pay a bit more. You will save a lot more by booking tours in country with a local tour company without the middle man (Trip advisor/Viator).

Overall Rating

I enjoyed Azerbaijan and could see myself living in Baku for a bit; it’s pretty modern and centrally located in Asia/Europe, so you can easily catch a direct flight to most cities. The food is great and locals are super friendly towards foreigners. 8/10.