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Voykit pocket guide · Azerbaijan
Naftalan
Spend 2 days for a health‑focused spa stay; day‑trip to Ganja possible if you have extra time.
Naftalan is a small petroleum‑spa town in Ganja Region, 330 km west of Baku. Oil‑bath treatments are the main draw and benefit from multi‑day stays; the town is walkable and offers several sanatoriums and a museum.
- Country
- Azerbaijan
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid)
- Stay
- 1–2 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 ₼30–45 excl. bed · Mid ₼45–70 excl. bed · High ₼70+ excl. bed (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
- General emergency 112 · Police 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 |
|---|---|
| Bus ticket Ganja ↔ Naftalan | ₼1–2 |
| Taxi from Goran | ₼10 |
| Coffee in spa hotel café | ₼2–3 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NAF · Naftalan Hava Limani
- Private flights only
Typical fares
- Bus Naftalan → Ganja
- about ₼1–2, 1 h
- Taxi Goran → Naftalan
- about ₼10, 15 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Town is very small; most attractions are within walking distance.
See and do
Known for
- Naftalan oil baths
- Chinar Hotel & Spa
- Museum of Crutches
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ganja | Bus from Naftalan (3 marshrutkas per day, 1–2 manat) or taxi 25 manat | ≈1 h |
Sleep
- Chinar Hotel & Spa
- Resort hotel, spa treatments included
- Qashalti Sanatorium
- Sanatorium, basic rooms
- Naftalan Sanatorium
- Sanatorium, full‑board options
Language
Azerbaijani is a Turkic language close to Turkish, written in Latin script since 1991. Russian is widely spoken in Baku. English is common among young people and in hotels. Lezgin, Talysh, Udi and other minority languages are spoken in the regions.
- Salam (hello), çox sağ ol (thank you), neçəyədir? (how much?).
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
- Bus to Ganja runs 3 times daily; tickets 1–2 manat.
- Taxi from Goran (on M2) to Naftalan costs 10 manat; from Ganja 25 manat.
- ATMs limited – only Kapital Bank near Martyrs Alley reliably works.
Naftalan is safe for tourists; main concerns are limited cash facilities and seasonal bus schedules.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Naftalan yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Naftalan oil baths
- Chinar Hotel & Spa
- Museum of Crutches
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Naftalan official site: vnaftalan.com/
- Wikidata – Naftalan: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123456
- Wikivoyage: Naftalan, revision 5325696 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5325696
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/naftalan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.