How many days in Baku? 3 with Gobustan

In Baku, the answer depends less on the sights than on how you get in. Many people picture a Caucasus loop with Tbilisi and Yerevan, ending here. At the moment that does not work overland, so plan Baku as a trip of its own, flying in and out. 3 days are then right: two for the city, one for Gobustan. With 4 days you can add the Absheron peninsula.

Before you plan: entry and safety

The UK Foreign Office (as of 4 November 2026) makes two points that change your route:

• Restricted by land: entry by land or sea is restricted, while air travel is not. The Georgia land border is listed as temporarily closed, the border with Armenia is closed, and leaving by road needs permission from the authorities.
• Areas to avoid: the FCDO advises against all travel within 5 km of the Armenian border, and against all but essential travel to the south-western districts affected by the conflicts of 2020 and 2023, including Lachin, Fuzuli, Shusha, Khankendi and Aghdam. Baku and Gobustan are not in those areas. It also warns about mines and unexploded ordnance there.

The FCDO also mentions a heightened risk of regional escalation, which could close airspace. You will need a visa, which is usually handled through the ASAN e-visa service; the FCDO's entry page has the current rules. The German Foreign Office also warns that an Armenian visa in your passport can lead to questioning or refused entry.

How many days in Baku at a glance

A single day hardly justifies the trip, especially with a visa to arrange first.

Day 1: inside the walls and along the sea

The Old City (Icherisheher) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has kept much of its 12th-century walls. Go early to the Maiden Tower, the round landmark built over much older structures, then climb to the 15th-century Palace of the Shirvanshahs with its mosque, mausoleum and bathhouse.

At lunchtime you'll find qutab and plov around Fountains Square. Then go down to the water: the Carpet Museum looks like a half-rolled carpet, and just behind it runs the Boulevard, the long promenade on the Caspian. Baku is known as the city of winds, so a jacket belongs in your bag even in spring. In the evening, the funicular takes you up to Highland Park, with views of the bay and the Flame Towers.

Day 2: Zaha Hadid, the market and oil money

The Heydar Aliyev Center by the architect Zaha Hadid lies outside the old town and works best in the morning, when you have time for the white curves and the park. Taza Bazaar comes next, with fruit, spices and dried fruit.

Back in the centre, the National Museum of History, in the mansion of the oil magnate Taghiyev, shows how much money was moving through here around 1900. The Nizami Museum of Literature, with statues of poets in its facade, stands on Fountains Square, and from there Nizami Street, with its oil-boom facades, takes you into the evening.

Day 3: Gobustan and the mud volcanoes

Gobustan is 64 km south-west, with 1:06 hours of pure driving, so allow about an hour and a half. UNESCO counts more than 6,000 rock engravings spanning 40,000 years across 537 hectares. Public transport isn't practical. The easiest choices are a taxi for the day or a tour such as a day trip from Baku to Gobustan^* (Klook) that combines the rock art and the volcanoes.

The mud volcanoes are small cones bubbling with cold grey mud. Here is the catch: after rain the access track is often difficult. So don't fix this trip for your final day; watch the forecast and move it. The Bibi-Heybat Mosque lies on the road south. You don't really need a rental car in Azerbaijan^* (Localrent), but if you do drive in the countryside, the German Foreign Office warns of unmarked roads, animals on the road and checkpoints, and advises carrying a copy of your passport and visa.

Day 4: the Absheron peninsula

With one more day, head north and east onto the Absheron peninsula. The burning hillside of Yanar Dag is only 23 km and 24 minutes of pure driving from the centre, looks its best at dusk and pairs well with the Ateshgah fire temple. It is enjoyable, but the part of the trip you can most easily skip.

Where to stay

• Old City (Icherisheher): inside the walls, with the tower and palace on foot. Quiet in the evening, with a short walk to the Boulevard.
• Around Fountains Square and Nizami Street: restaurants, shops and the metro on your doorstep, livelier in the evening.

Best time to visit Baku

Averages 2015–2024 from the ERA5 reanalysis (via Open-Meteo), rounded.

Baku is dry: no month averages more than 43 mm of rain. So temperature decides. April to June and September to October are the most pleasant. July and August reach 31 °C, with nights above 22 °C. Winter is cool and windy. Spring also suits Gobustan, because the volcano track is most likely to be passable when there is little rain.

From the airport into town

The Aeroexpress bus runs from both terminals to the railway station at the "28 May" metro stop, taking about 30 minutes according to the airport, every 20 minutes from 06:00 to 23:15 and every 45 minutes through the night. You need the rechargeable Baku Card travel pass from the machines outside the terminal, and a group can share one. For mobile data, our eSIM comparison for Azerbaijan lists the plans.

Baku and the rest of the Caucasus

If you also want to see Georgia and Armenia, plan them as a separate trip for now. Our Georgia and Armenia itinerary works without Baku, and how many days in Tbilisi covers the neighbouring capital. More cities are in how many days for which city.

How YesTrip helps

YesTrip has a ready three-day plan for Baku with times and a map. Copy it into the app and move Gobustan to a dry day once you see the forecast for your dates. The packing list suggests clothes to match, though the windproof jacket and covering up for mosques are worth remembering yourself. The offline package keeps the map on your phone without a signal. YesTrip is free and books nothing itself: flights and tours go through the provider.

Baku trip planDay by day, with map and tips

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