Baku is a vibrant city of around two million people and the capital of Azerbaijan. Honestly, it wasn’t even on my radar until 2011, when the country won the Eurovision Song Contest. Before that, I had never even heard of Azerbaijan – let alone considered visiting.
But that’s exactly what makes it so special.
Azerbaijan still isn’t at the top of most people’s bucket lists (although its popularity is growing fast), which means it feels refreshingly undiscovered. The culture is incredibly unique, the people are genuinely warm and hospitable, and the whole experience completely exceeded our expectations. Out of all the countries we visited on our trip, this was the one that surprised us the most.
What really stood out was the contrast – Baku feels like a city caught between worlds. On one hand, you have deep-rooted traditions and Soviet influences; on the other, bold, futuristic architecture and rapid modern development. It’s this juxtaposition that makes the city so fascinating.
We visited in September 2023 as part of our Caucasus road trip, starting in Azerbaijan before travelling onwards to Georgia and Armenia.
- Our 2-Day Baku Itinerary
- Where We Stayed
- Day 1 – Exploring the Old City
- Day 2 – Exploring the New City
- A Bit of Story Time…
- Final Thoughts
- Related Posts
Our 2-Day Baku Itinerary
Day 1 – Exploring the Old City
- Free walking tour of the Old City
- Walk along Nizami Street
- Dinner at Qaynana Restaurant
Day 2 – Exploring the New City
- Taxi to the Heydar Aliyev Centre
- Visit Yasil Bazaar
- Shopping and lunch at Deniz Mall
- Walk around the Carpet Museum, Little Venice & Baku Eye
- Sunset at Highland Park (via funicular)
- Dinner at Shirvanshah Museum Restaurant
- Drinks at 360 Bar
Where We Stayed
For the first part of our trip, we stayed at Qala Hotel in the Old City. We booked a Deluxe Double Room for four nights, which cost around £80 – an absolute bargain considering the location.
The room had stunning views over the city and the Caspian Sea, and the breakfast (served at a nearby hotel) was delicious. I’d highly recommend staying here if you want to be right in the heart of the Old City.
On our final night, after returning from our road trip, we decided to treat ourselves and stayed at Fairmont Baku Flame Towers. This luxury hotel is located inside one of Baku’s iconic Flame Towers and felt like a completely different experience – modern, sleek, and incredibly indulgent.
Day 1 – Exploring the Old City
After checking in, we headed straight out for food and found ourselves in a beautiful courtyard in the Old Town. We ordered three gutabs – traditional Azerbaijani stuffed flatbreads filled with herbs, meat, or cheese. Simple, but so delicious.
We picked up a local SIM card before heading to the meeting point for our walking tour (in front of KFC in the main square – easy to find!). We had pre-booked via a local free walking tour company, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions we made.
The tour gave us a fantastic introduction to Baku’s history and architecture, taking us through some of the city’s most fascinating landmarks:
Miniature Book Museum
Baku Museum of Miniature Books is the only museum of its kind in the world, officially recognised by Guinness World Records. It houses over 6,000 miniature books in dozens of languages—including some as small as 2mm x 2mm (you genuinely need a magnifying glass!). There’s even a tiny copy of the Quran.
Maiden Tower
Maiden Tower is a 12th-century tower and one of the main symbols of Baku, even featured on Azerbaijani currency. There’s a story tied to it: a king tried to force his daughter into marriage, so she asked him to build her a tower first – and once it was completed, she tragically threw herself from the top. You can climb it, but our guide actually recommended skipping it for better views elsewhere.
Palace of the Shirvanshahs
Palace of the Shirvanshahs dates back to the 15th century and was once the residence of the ruling family. It’s now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Interestingly, parts of it were later used by the Russians as a military warehouse, and restoration only began in 2003. We only viewed it from the outside, which is probably why it didn’t completely wow us.
Ismailiyya Palace
Ismailiyya Palace has a much sadder history. It was built by oil magnate Musa Nagiyev in memory of his son Ismail, who died from tuberculosis. Inspired by Gothic architecture he saw in Switzerland, he commissioned a Polish architect to design this stunning Gothic-Venetian style building.
After the tour, we wandered down Nizami Street – Baku’s main shopping street—but by that point we were seriously hangry again. We ended up at Qaynana Restaurant (recommended by our guide), which had beautiful interiors and served delicious traditional dishes.
We finished the day strolling back through the romantic, softly lit Old City streets, already completely in love with Baku.
Day 2 – Exploring the New City
After breakfast overlooking the Flame Towers, we were ready to explore Baku’s modern side. The oil boom of the early 2000s funded a wave of futuristic construction—earning Baku the nickname “Dubai of the Caucasus.”
Heydar Aliyev Centre
Heydar Aliyev Center was one of the main reasons we wanted to visit Azerbaijan – especially for my architect husband.
Designed by Zaha Hadid, the building is truly stunning. Its flowing, fluid shape constantly changes depending on your angle – shifting from soft waves to sharp, dramatic lines. We could have easily spent hours just walking around it and taking photos.
Yasil Bazaar
Yasil Bazaar is a vibrant local market selling everything from fresh produce to spices, dried fruits, pickles, and more. We picked up some loose-leaf Azerbaijani tea to bring home as gifts.
Deniz Mall
By this point, we were hungry (again!), so we headed to Deniz Mall. Built on land reclaimed from the Caspian Sea, the mall is designed in the shape of an eight-petal flower with a flame tower in the centre. It actually reminded us a bit of the Sydney Opera House. We grabbed lunch in the food court before exploring nearby.
Carpet Museum, Little Venice & Baku Eye
The Azerbaijan Carpet Museum is designed to look like a rolled-up carpet – such a fun architectural concept. It took six years to build and houses over 10,000 pieces. We mainly explored the exterior and watched a live carpet-weaving demonstration inside.
Next door is Baku’s “Little Venice,” a peaceful canal area perfect for people-watching. Nearby, you’ll also spot the Baku Eye – a smaller version of the London Eye. We didn’t make it there in the end as it was too windy and we were getting tired, but it still looked impressive from afar.
Dinner at Shirvanshah Museum Restaurant
We had planned to take the funicular up to Highland Park for sunset, but by this point we were too tired (and slightly lazy), so we went straight to dinner at Shirvanshah Museum Restaurant.
This place is such a unique experience – it’s part restaurant, part museum, with each dining room styled after a different period in Azerbaijani history. The food was excellent, and we were entertained throughout the evening with live musicians and traditional dancers. It does get very busy, so I’d recommend booking ahead.
A Bit of Story Time…
On our way back to the airport, we had a pretty intense experience.
We visited between 15th–20th September 2023, during a time when Artsakh was at the centre of a major military offensive. Tensions were high, and the impact on local people was very real.
Our Uber driver started off friendly, making small talk—but the conversation quickly became heavy. He spoke about the war, the loss of so many men, and how it had affected his family. Then, unexpectedly, he started showing us extremely graphic photos from his time in the conflict.
He was clearly traumatised – at one point crying for a full 10 minutes – while also driving erratically and barely watching the road. It was a 30-minute journey that honestly felt terrifying. We considered asking him to pull over, but we were too scared – and with only an hour before our flight, we didn’t feel like we had much choice.
It was a stark, sobering reminder of the human cost behind political conflict.
Final Thoughts
Aside from that unsettling experience, we were completely blown away by Azerbaijan.
The history, the food, the architecture, and especially the people made it an unforgettable destination. It felt raw, real, and unlike anywhere else we’d been.
Maybe we’re a little biased – but out of all the Caucasus countries we visited, Azerbaijan was our favourite by far.
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