Azerbaijan travel itinerary for 3 days, 5 days, 7 days and 10 days

Azerbaijan has recently warmed up to tourists. Like several other oil-based economies, Azerbaijan is also looking for alternative sustainable industries to promote. Rich in culture, natural beauties and local wonders, you can find plenty of things to do in Azerbaijan. Some may visit for a short duration, but even if you decide to stay longer, you can go deeper into the countryside.

Azerbaijan has great infrastructure, fresh local mouth-watering cuisines, kind people, refreshing urban life, lovely countryside and affordable prices. If you are looking for something offbeat, the “Land of Fire” certainly makes its way to the list. You also spend an ample amount of time in Baku with a lot to do and vibrant nightlife.

Pace yourself and adjust the itinerary as per your comfort. If you are travelling with kids, elders or just want to take it slow, certainly keep some breathing space between the itinerary. The ones below are built to fast-travel with a range of activities.

No matter where you come from, you will probably start your trip in Baku. For a short trip, Baku is the best place to spend your time. For 2 days, you can spend time in Baku city, while for the 3rd day, you can head a little outside to Gobustan and Absheron.

Baku has a lot to see. Start your time in Baku by visiting the İçәrişәhәr or the old town located in the centre of the city. Here you can visit the Palace of Shirvanshahs, Maiden Tower, and just wander around to enjoy the architecture. Dig into some traditional food, followed by some tea and desserts. Head to Highland Park in the evening for the view of the Flame towers.

For the next day, head out to Baku Boulevard if the weather permits. Baku Boulevard is huge, and you can spend at least an hour walking around. You can visit the carpet museum on one side and Little Venice next to it. Then walk over to the city centre and Nizami Street to taste the Baku life. Head over to the Heydar Aliyev Centre to explore the architectural wonder of Baku.

Explore Baku at your own pace. Here is a 3-day itinerary with top things to do in Baku

For the last day, you can plan a day trip to Gobustan and Absheron Peninsula. You can either hire a private car or book a group tour online or via one of the tour operators on Nizami Street. Gobustan is famous for wall rock art dating back all the way to 40,000 years, along with mud volcanoes. On the other hand, you will find the burning hill or Yanar Dag and Atashghah Zoroastrian Fire Temple in Absheron.

Planning a day trip? Read our guide on visiting Gobustan and the Absheron Peninsula

For a slightly longer trip to Azerbaijan, you can still follow the same itinerary for Baku, along with a day trip to Gobustan and the Absheron peninsula. However, you do not always need to stay in Baku in one stretch if you are planning to fly back from there. You can squeeze a couple of days to Gebele and Sheki and then return to Baku.

For the first day, you can visit Baku’s old city and the Flame Towers. Book a day trip to Gobustan and the Absheron peninsula for the next day. For the third day, start from Baku and head towards Shamaki, visiting the Jumma mosque along the way. Continue travelling to Nohur Lake and Gebele. Definitely visit the Tufandagh ski resort, which is one of the top things to do in Gebele. You can either stay the night at Gebele or travel to Sheki and stay there.

For the fourth day, take your time and enjoy your time in Sheki. Spend at least half a day in Sheki by just walking around the town. You can also travel a little ahead to Kish and visit the Albanian church in the town. Make your way back to Baku in the second half of the day. For the last day, enjoy the Baku Boulevard, the Carpet Museum, Nizami street, Heydar Aliyev centre and Yasil Market if time permits.

Heading to Sheki? Here is our detailed itinerary for visiting Shamaki, Gabala and Sheki

To enjoy Azerbaijan for a complete week, you can either spend more time in Baku by taking it slow in the 5-day itinerary, or you can add another day trip to it. You will need to return to Baku as a starting point for both these trips. So you can start your visit in Baku by visiting the Old City and Flame Towers for the first day. 

For the second and third days, head out to Shamakhi by visiting the Jumma Mosque. If you want to spend more time, you can also check out the Alpaca Farm to visit and pet some Alpacas and the Shrivan Winery after that. Continue travelling to Gebele, stopping at Nohur Lake. If the weather permits, you can also enjoy boating on it. Visit the Tufandagh Ski Resort in Gebele and stay the night in Gebele or Sheki. Enjoy a half day in Sheki visiting the Sheki Khan Palace, Karavansaray, Kish for Albanian Church and Bio Garden. Return to Baku the same day.

You can plan a day trip to Gobustan and the Absheron peninsula the next day, while in Baku, to take a break from the long travel. Although it is going to be a pretty busy day as well. The next day, start your travel to Candy Cane Mountains all the way to the town of Quba. You can either stay in Quba or travel to Khinaliq on the same day. Some prefer to visit the Shahdag mountain, popular for Ski activity, but if you have been to Tufandagh, then that will be covered already. Spend the next day in Khinaliq and return to Baku.

For the last day, enjoy the Baku Boulevard, the Carpet Museum, Nizami street, Heydar Aliyev centre and Yasil Market if time permits.

If you are planning to stay for 10 days or more, then you have all the time to explore Azerbaijan and throw in a couple of offbeat locations. You can still follow the previous itinerary, but extend your time in the countryside or Baku, depending upon your preference.

Start your time in Baku for the first day, visiting the Old town and Flame towers and plan a day trip to Gobustan and Absheron Peninsula for the second day. 

Starting the third day, you can head towards your trip to Shamakhi. Since you have more time on your hands, you can also add Lahich as a stop on the way to Gebele. Enjoy the small village of Lahich for a couple of hours and enjoy lunch there. Head to Nohur Lake and stay at Gebele for the day. Visit Tufandagh Ski resort on the same day if time permits.

On the fourth day, you can travel to Qakh for the day. Qakh is a small town near the Russian border north of Sheki. You spend a few hours just walking around and enjoying the countryside. Qakh does have a few lovely churches and an old town of its own, worth visiting. Sit around and have a local meal. Head back to Sheki for the night.

You will spend the fifth day in Sheki. Sheki is again a small town, but slightly bigger than Qakh. It is also picturesque, where you can enjoy the town for its idyllic and rustic beauty. Visit the Sheki Khan Palace, the Karavansaray, the Bio Garden and the Albanian church in the town of Kis. Return to Baku on the same day.

You can plan to spend the next (sixth) day in Baku visiting the Baku Boulevard, Carpet Museum, Nizami street or the city centre and Heydar Aliyev Museum. Spend the night enjoying the nightlife and get ready for the next destination.

For the seventh head to Candy Cane Mountains from Baku. Continue your journey to Quba to visit the Red town and the Jewish Synagogue, Carpet Weaving Shop and Gachrash Foresh. 

The next day, you can travel to Khilnaliq and spend some time in the village. There are a couple of viewpoints on the way. In the village, you can visit a Zoroastrian temple, a museum and just a lot of zen. Head back to Quba later in the day.

On the ninth day, get ready to visit Mount Shahdag. The main attraction is the Shahdag mountain resort. It is somewhat similar to Tufandag Ski Resort. But there are activities like Alpine Roller Coaster as well. However, if you want to use this day to return to Baku and enjoy more time in the city, you can do that as well. You can enjoy your last day in Baku catching up on a couple of offbeat places, or just grab some delicious food.

Looking for offbeat destinations? Here are 12 places to visit in Azerbaijan beyond Baku