Best Things to Do in Baku 2024 | Best Cities in the World #58: Baku

58. Baku AZERBAIJAN 🇦🇿 Score: 183.00

by Dan Lundberg / [CC BY-SA 2.0

The Dazzling and Emerging Capital of Azerbaijan

Table of Contents

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A. About Baku
B. Best Things to Do in Baku in 2024 (Detailed List with Photos and Information)
C. Other notable sights and attractions in Baku
D. Best Day Trips and Excursions from Baku
E. Top 10 List of the Best Things to Do in Baku (including close-by excursions)

A. About Baku

Nickname: City of Winds

The port city of Baku is the dazzling and emerging capital of Azerbaijan.

It consists of two principal parts: the downtown and the old Inner City. The Inner City of Baku along with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

Tourists can experience a unique mix of cultures while looking at modern high-end architecture, strolling along the Caspian Sea, or drinking tea in the bistro.

The Good:

Baku offers, first of all, a wonderful setting on the shores of the Caspian Sea and enjoys an excellent climate.

Furthermore, Baku is a very safe place with numerous pedestrianized streets.

Finally, the nightlife is excellent, and you can expect a surprisingly lovely urban experience at shockingly reasonable prices.

The Not-So-Good:

Cleanliness in Baku is difficult to rate for us. While the streets of the city are clean (littering comes with a hefty fine), water and air pollution are major problems. Mercer’s Health and Sanitation report even ranked Baku as the dirtiest city in the world due to the negative environmental effects of increased oil drilling and shipping activities.

Furthermore, the score for sights is (compared to all the other cities in the top 100) somewhat low.

B. Best Things to Do in Baku in 2024 (Detailed List with Photos and Information)

In total, we count more than twenty sights in Baku. The following sights contribute to a score of 5.75/10 in this most important category:

# BAKU OLD CITY 6

This well-preserved fortified city district with cobblestoned lanes was once the medieval capital of the Shirvan Shahs.

City District World Heritage Site: since 2000

by Самый древний / Public domain

# Heydar Aliyev Center 6

This masterpiece of modern architecture designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid is a unique, cultural center with surrealistic and almost impossible curved walls.

Futuristic Building

by RElton / CC BY-SA 4.0

# MAIDEN TOWER 6

Built allegedly in the 12th century, this legendary and mysterious round tower is the symbol of Azerbaijan.

From the top of Azerbaijan’s most recognized landmark, you can enjoy a wonderful view over Baku and its Old City.

Ancient Tower World Heritage Site: Since 2000

by Gulustan / CC BY-SA 3.0

# SHIRVANSHAH'S PALACE 5.5

Constructed in the 15th century, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a marvel of local stone masonry.

Palace World Heritage Site: Since 2000

by Abdulnr / CC BY-SA 3.0

# Flame Towers 5.5

At night, this iconic trio of skyscrapers sparkles in all the colors of the rainbow.

The tallest of the three Flame Towers has a height of 182 meters (597 feet) and offers a wonderful view.

Skyscraper | Modern Architecture Total Height: 182 m / 597 ft | Observation Deck: None | Completed: 2013 | Estimated Cost: US$350 million)

by Investigation11111 / CC BY-SA 4.0

# Bibi-Heybat Mosque 5.5

This beautiful mosque was constructed in 1998 as a recreation of a 13th-century mosque built by Shirvanshah Farrukhzad II Ibn Ahsitan II, which was demolished by the Bolsheviks in 1936.

Mosque

by Emin Bashirov / CC BY-SA 3.0

# Funicular 5

Take the funicular to the top for stunning views over Baku.

Funicular

by AlixSaz / CC BY-SA 4.0

# Boulevard 5

Established in 1909, Baku's wide pedestrian waterfront promenade runs 3.75 km along the Caspian Sea and offers the most beautiful night view of the city.

Waterfront Promenade Length: 3.75 km / 2.3 miles

by Berthold Werner / CC BY-SA 3.0

# Azerbaijan Carpet Museum 5

Inside this spectacular building that resembles a rolled carpet, you can discover obviously carpets, but also over 10,000 objects such as ceramics, metal works, and jewelry.

Museum

by President.az / CC BY-SA 4.0

# Nizami Street 5

Named after former Azerbaijani poet, Nizami Ganjavi, this beautiful 3.5-kilometer (2 miles) shopping street is only for pedestrians.

Shopping Street Length: 3.5 km / 2 miles

by Urek Meniashvili / CC BY-SA 3.0

Scoring and Icons Legend (Click here for detailed information)

10 = top-10 sight in the world

9 = world-class

8 = outstanding

7 = excellent

6 = impressive

5 = interesting

4 = decent

3 = mediocre

2 = bad

1 = abysmal

= World Heritage Site

= Excursion

C. Other notable sights and attractions in Baku

- Palace of Happiness 5

Palace

by President.az / CC BY-SA 4.0

- Heydar Mosque 5
- Upland Park 5
- Hacenski Mansion 5
- Nizami Museum of Literature 5
- House of Government 5
- Ateshgah Temple 5
- History Museum 5
- Fountain Square 5
- Teze Pir Mosque 5
- National Flag Square 5
- National Art Museum 5
- Museum of Modern Art 5
- Villa Petrolea 5
- Blue Mosque 5
- Mini Venice 5

D. Best Day Trips and Excursions from Baku

GOBUSTAN NATIONAL PARK 6

National Park World Heritage Site: since 2007 | Distance from Baku: 64 km

by Bert from Netherlands / CC BY-SA 2.0

Yanar Dag (15.4 km from Baku) 5

Mud Volcanoes (74 km from Baku) 5

E. Top 10 List of the Best Things to Do in Baku (including close-by excursions)

To sum things up, these are the ten best sights we recommend to you when visiting Baku for at least three entire days:

BAKU OLD CITY 6

Heydar Aliyev Center 6

MAIDEN TOWER 6

GOBUSTAN NATIONAL PARK (64 km from Baku) 6

SHIRVANSHAH'S PALACE 5.5

Flame Towers 5.5

Bibi-Heybat Mosque 5.5

Funicular 5

Boulevard 5

Azerbaijan Carpet Museum 5