Baku in 4 days: Old City, Gobustan and Yanar Dag
Baku · Azerbaijan · 4 days
Best time to visit Baku
April to June, September and OctoberBest from April to June and in September and October, with days of 20–28 °C. July and August are 33–38 °C and humid on the coast. Winter is 5–10 °C with the north wind the city is named for; sights stay open but the Boulevard is bleak.
Travelling from the Gulf: Baku is a Gulf favourite in the summer break because it stays cooler than home, so July and August hotel prices are at their highest and the Old City is full. Novruz (around 20–21 March) and the Formula 1 weekend (September) also fill hotels. Ramadan is quiet in Baku: restaurants open as usual, nothing closes, and halal food is common.
Flights, stay and entry for Baku
Flight and entry details below are for travellers starting from Saudi Arabia.
Flights
About 3 hours 30 minutes direct from Riyadh (flynas, several days a week); about 3 hours 45 minutes from Jeddah. Azerbaijan is 1 hour ahead of Saudi Arabia.
Search RUH → GYD flightsAll flight routesWhere to stay
Inside or beside the Old City, or around Fountains Square and Nizami Street.
Find a stay in BakuStay connected
A travel eSIM gives you mobile data when you land, so maps and ride apps work without waiting for a SIM card or Wi-Fi.
eSIM and travel extrasEntry rules
Saudi, Bahraini, Kuwaiti and Omani citizens enter visa-free for up to three visits of 30 days each until 15 February 2027 (UAE and Qatari citizens are visa-free permanently). Residents of Saudi Arabia travelling on Indian, Pakistani or other listed passports apply for the ASAN e-visa: single entry, 30 days, USD 20 plus a USD 9 service fee, issued in about three working days. Egyptian and Filipino passports are not on the e-visa list and need an embassy visa.
ASAN Visa: Azerbaijan e-visa Azerbaijan visa and entry rulesWhat 4 days in Baku cost
| Style | Per person per day (SAR) | Per person per day (USD) | Whole trip (SAR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 200–320 | 53–85 | 800–1,280 |
| Mid-range | 450–700 | 120–187 | 1,800–2,800 |
| Luxury | 1,200–2,200 | 320–587 | 4,800–8,800 |
Per person per day: hotel (shared double), meals, Metro and ride-hailing, entry tickets. The Gobustan day with a tour or a hired car is the most expensive day; the Old City tickets are 15 manat each. Flights are not included. Rough estimate at October 2026 prices; USD 1 = SAR 3.75.
Day 1: The Old City
- Morning
Maiden Tower
Icherisheher Metro station is just outside the western wall. Start at the 12th-century tower on the sea side: 15 manat, open 9 am–6 pm, with the Old City roofs from the top.
- Afternoon
Palace of the Shirvanshahs
The 15th-century royal complex at the top of the Old City: 15 manat, open daily 10 am–6 pm, audio guide another 15. The lanes between the two sights hold the caravanserais and carpet shops.
- Evening
Nizami Street
The pedestrian shopping street outside the walls, with Fountains Square at its western end. Dinner here or in the Old City; try plov, qutab and dushbara.
Day 2: The Boulevard and the Flame Towers
- Morning
Baku Boulevard
The seafront promenade along the Caspian. Walk from the Old City past the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum (the rolled-carpet building; closed Mondays) to the Crystal Hall end. Rent a bike if the wind is down.
- Afternoon
Heydar Aliyev Center
Zaha Hadid’s white curves, 15 minutes by taxi from the centre. Open 11 am–7 pm (to 6 pm at weekends), closed Mondays; the exhibitions inside need a ticket, the lawn outside does not.
- Evening
Highland Park
Take the funicular from the Boulevard up to the park under the Flame Towers for the bay at dusk, then walk through Martyrs’ Lane. The towers light up with flames after dark.
Day 3: Gobustan and the mud volcanoes
- Morning
Gobustan National Park
UNESCO rock art, 67 km south of Baku, about an hour by road. Entry is 10 manat including a guide; open 9 am–5 pm. See the museum first, then the petroglyph trail on the hill.
- Afternoon
Gobustan mud volcanoes
Half an hour from the museum over unmarked tracks. Either book a Baku tour that includes both (from about USD 54 per person) or hire a local Lada taxi arranged at the museum, about 30 manat for the petroglyphs and the volcanoes together.
- Evening
Bibi-Heybat Mosque
On the way back, the rebuilt mosque on the shore south of the city is free to visit outside prayer times and catches the last light over the bay.
Day 4: Absheron: the fire sites
- Morning
Ateshgah Fire Temple
The 17th–18th century temple at Surakhani, 30 minutes east of the centre, built over a natural gas vent; small entry fee, open daily. Taxi or the Baku tours that pair it with Yanar Dag.
- Afternoon
Yanar Dag
The hillside that has burned on natural gas for decades, 25 km north of the city. A small ticketed site with a viewing terrace; the flames show best as the light fades, so make it the later stop.
- Evening
Fountains Square
Back in the centre for a last walk through the square and the side streets off Nizami; the airport is 25 km north-east, about 30 minutes by taxi.
Getting around Baku
The Metro costs 0.30 manat a ride on a BakıKART (2 manat for the card); Icherisheher station is at the Old City and 28 May station near Nizami Street. Bolt and Uber are cheap for the Heydar Aliyev Center and the Absheron sites. For Gobustan, a tour or a hired car for the day is simpler than buses plus taxis.
Baku questions
Do Saudi citizens need a visa for Azerbaijan?
Not at the moment: Saudi passport holders get up to three visa-free visits of 30 days each between 15 February 2026 and 15 February 2027. After that, or once the three visits are used, the ASAN e-visa or a visa on arrival applies. Check before you book.
I live in Saudi Arabia on an Indian or Pakistani passport. How do I get a visa?
Apply on evisa.gov.az for the ASAN e-visa: single entry, 30 days, USD 20 plus a USD 9 service fee, about three working days (three hours for the urgent option). Egyptian and Filipino passports are not eligible for the e-visa and must apply at an embassy.
Is 4 days enough for Baku?
Yes for the city and the two day trips. With five or six days, add Sheki (the Khan’s Palace, about 5 hours by road) or Gabala in the mountains.
What currency does Baku use?
The Azerbaijani manat (AZN), worth a little over two Saudi riyals. Cards work in hotels and most restaurants; keep some cash for taxis, Gobustan and the Old City tickets.