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Voykit pocket guide · Azerbaijan
Khankendi
Xankəndi
Skip Khankendi unless you have an official invitation and a licensed guide; otherwise stay in safer Azerbaijani cities.
Khankendi (Stepanakert) is a small, conflict‑affected city in Nagorno‑Karabakh. Visitor access is tightly controlled, requiring a state invitation and a guide. With limited services, most travellers spend only a few hours on a guided tour before returning to Baku or another major city.
- Country
- Azerbaijan
- Local name
- Xankəndi
- Best months
- May–Oct (milder weather, roads open)
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (cold, possible snow, limited transport)
- Stay
- 0–1 (day‑trip only) nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- AZN
- Money
- Azerbaijani manat (AZN, ₼): cards work in Baku shops, hotels and restaurants; carry manat for markets, taxis and small cafés.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₼5–10 excl. bed (check) · Mid ₼10–20 excl. bed (check) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Azercell, Bakcell and Nar sell SIMs with a passport; phones used over a set period may need IMEI registration (check).
- Emergency
- Police 102 · Fire 101 · Ambulance 103
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 220 V · 50 Hz · European plugs fit.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10% if not included.; Drivers and guides: AZN 10–20 a day.
- Water
- Bottled or filtered only.
- Toilets
- Malls, cafés; basic in regions.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (café) | ₼1–2 |
| Pizza slice (Tashir Pizza) | ₼3–5 |
| Taxi (city, 5 km (3.1 mi))Taxi (city, 3.1 mi (5 km)) | ₼5–7 |
| Bus fare | ₼0.1 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- check · Stepanakert Airport
- Closed since 1994; no commercial flights operate. The nearest active airport is in Baku (GYD), about 350 km (217 mi) away.Closed since 1994; no commercial flights operate. The nearest active airport is in Baku (GYD), about 217 mi (350 km) away.
Typical fares
- City bus
- ≈₼0.1 per ride (check)
- Taxi (5 km)
- ≈₼6
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
City buses run on a fixed schedule; fare was 100 dram in 2015 (check). Taxis are available but use the meter and expect higher rates than Yerevan.
See and do
Known for
- Stepanakert Shuka market
- We Are Our Mountains monument
- Artsakh State Museum of Local History
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Askeran Fortress | Taxi or guided minibus, about 30 km (19 mi), 45 min door‑to‑doorTaxi or guided minibus, about 19 mi (30 km), 45 min door‑to‑door | ≈1 h |
| Tigranakert ruins | Guided minibus, 40 km (25 mi), 1 hGuided minibus, 25 mi (40 km), 1 h | ≈1.5 h |
Sleep
- Edward's Guesthouse
- 4‑person dorm, 4,000 dram per person + 500 dram breakfast (check).
- R&K Hostel
- Dorms 4,000–10,000 dram, kitchen and garden (check).
- Hotel "Armenia"
- From 29,000 dram single room, pool, restaurant (check).
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Bağışlayınba-ghish-lah-yun |
| Thank you | Təşəkkür edirəmtash-eh-kyur eh-dee-rehm |
| How much is it? | Bu nə qədərdir?boo neh geh-der-dir |
| Can I pay by card? | Kartla ödəyə bilərəm?kart-la o-de-yeh be-lee-rem |
| Where is the toilet? | Tualet haradadır?tu-a-let ha-ra-da-dir |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake among men; hand on heart; avoid: Assuming women will shake hands
- Hospitality: Accept tea; avoid: Refusing outright
- Politics: Listen; avoid: Raising Armenia or Karabakh casually
Scams and watch-outs
- Travel to Karabakh requires a state invitation and a licensed guide (caution).
- Unexploded ordnance remains in parts of the region; stay on main roads (warning).
- Photographing military personnel or installations may be prohibited (warning).
Travel is possible only with official permission; otherwise avoid due to security and access restrictions.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Khankendi yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 (day‑trip only) nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Stepanakert Shuka market
- We Are Our Mountains monument
- Artsakh State Museum of Local History
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata – Khankendi: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12345
- Wikivoyage: Khankendi, revision 5312976 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5312976
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/khankendi). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.