region
Absheron
Sleep in Baku; do Gobustan and the mud volcanoes as one morning by car, the Absheron fire temple and Yanar Dag as an evening, and keep the Old City for after 17:00.
Rules in force · 3Apply for the e-visa only on the official portal (ASAN Visa)Azerbaijan's land border with Armenia is closed to ordina…
- Azerbaijan ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official portal (ASAN Visa); lookalike sites charge extra.
- Azerbaijan ↗Azerbaijan's land border with Armenia is closed to ordinary travellers, and several governments advise against travel near it and in the former conflict areas because of mines and military zones. Read your own government's current advice before you book anything outside Baku and Absheron.
- Azerbaijan ↗Do not photograph military sites, government buildings or oil and gas installations; drones need a permit.
Absheron is the peninsula that Baku sits on: one city and three short excursions inside 90 minutes. Moving hotels between the centre and the coast wastes the morning; keep the Baku room, go out early or late to avoid the heat and the wind, and come back to the same bed. Distances look small on the map but roads to the petroglyph and mud-volcano sites are slow after rain.
Where to sleep
Old City for atmosphere with cobbles, Fountains Square side for ease and a lift.
Rock-art reserve and mud volcanoes; 60–75 min each way by car.
Ateshgah fire temple and Yanar Dag; 30–45 min by car.
Caravanserai town; 4–5 h by road, sleep one night.
Night sequences
- 4 nights
- Baku 4, Gobustan morning, coast evening
- 6 nights
- Baku 4 + Sheki 2 (road day each way)
- Do not chain Baku, Gobustan, the coast and Sheki in two days: it is mostly car seats.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gobustan | Baku | 75 min | unknown | Taxi or tour; go before 10:00 to avoid the heat on the plateau. |
| Ateshgah and Yanar Dag | Baku | 45 min | unknown | Evening trip; Yanar Dag is best after dark. |
Bags between cities
No luggage forwarding: leave the big bag at the Baku hotel and take a day pack.