Azerbaijan is a country located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region, and is bathed by the Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan is often called the “Land of Fire,” and there several reasons, the country is abundant in oil and natural gas, it was a center of fire worshipping and fire has always been one of the symbols of Baku, the capital country. It is also home to an amazing collection of about 350 mud volcanoes. This country is a nexus between ancient empires and the new generation, thanks to the extraordinary transformation suffered.
Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 <, via Wikimedia Commons
Rəşad İsgəndəroğlu (Isr Obvius), CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Chmee2, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
CC BY 2.0 Nick Taylor
By Robert Wilson,(CC BY-ND 2.0)
Sefer azeri, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
The best time to visit Azerbaijan is April to June and September to October, the skies are clear and the weather is pleasant for all kinds of sightseeing, which will let you avoid the 40°C summers and sub-zero winters, particularly in the mountains.
Caspian Sea: summer is hot, especially dry, central plain that bakes in the scorching sun. However, during these months the Caspian Sea has a cooling effect on the coastal regions, making summer one of the best times to visit for beachgoers. You will find plenty of summer activities along the Caspian Sea, from swimming to sunbathing to kitesurfing.
Hiking and other outdoor activities: Azerbaijan is home to plenty of mountain villages offering a taste of rural life, historic culture and trekking routes. If you want to visit the mountains, the best time to visit is from April to October, or only summer, if you want to do some trekking.
Winter activities: Caucasus Mountains are perfect for skiing. The ski season is between December and March.
The Azerbaijan Manat is the official currency. Typically, 1,81 to 2,08 manats per Euro and 1,68 to 1,70 manats per US Dollar.
The official language is Azerbaijani or Azeri. Turkish and Russian are widely spoken; few people speak English.
Most nationalities can apply for an e-visa while some do not need a visa at all. For all others, tourist visas can be obtained by applying via the nearest Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan. When applying for e-visas to Azerbaijan, you must apply at least 3 working days before your visit, your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the e-visa expires, and the e-visa fee is $24 USD, an urgent e-visa is $51 USD and is non-refundable. All tourists travelling to Azerbaijan for more than 15 days need to get registered at the place where they are staying with the State Migration Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This is free and usually done by the hotel (or any other accommodation providers) but you should ask in advance.
The following nationalities can travel to Azerbaijan visa-free: Belarus, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey. For the following nationalities visas to Azerbaijan are also available upon arrival: Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Israel, Oman, South Korea, Japan, UAE, Iran and Indonesia. Foreign residents of the Gulf Cooperation Countries (the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman) can get a visa upon arrival if their residency is valid for at least another 6 months. Residents of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman need to be accompanied by a citizen of the corresponding country to be eligible for visa upon arrival. It is preferable to have a notarized English translation of the residence permit for more convenient border crossing procedure. The full list of countries eligible for an e-visa to Azerbaijan is available here.
For more information about electronic visa and procedures (apply, pay and download the e-visa sent via email), check here
Credit cards are becoming more popular; Azerbaijan remains mostly a cash-based society. Most major hotels and restaurants in Baku will accept international credit cards. ATMs are available in Baku and other major towns, and these usually accept foreign-issued bank cards. Most ATMs are inside banks, but some can be found in supermarkets and hotels. It is possible to pay most utility bills at an ATM in Azerbaijan.
Offices may open as early as 9am and close as late as 6pm; lunch breaks at offices last an hour or more, restaurants and bars are open from 8am until 9pm in rural locations, in big cities from 11am to 11pm. Bazaars are open from 8am to 2pm and shops from 10 am to 7pm.
Time: GMT +4 hours.
Heydar Aliyev International Airport (Baku Airport is located northeast of the modern capital. The distance from Baku Airport to the centre is 25 kilometres. By car, it takes 30 minutes to get to the centre of Baku).
Ganja International Airport (is an airport serving Ganja, the second-largest city in Azerbaijan. The distance from the airport to the centre is 9,5 kilometres. By car, it takes 10 minutes to get to the centre of Ganja)
Qabala International Airport (is an airport serving Qabala. The distance from the airport to the centre is 22 kilometres. By car, it takes 20 minutes to get to the centre of Qabala).
Lankaran International Airport (is an airport serving Lankaran, located in the south-east of Azerbaijan. The distance from the airport to the centre is 4,5 kilometres. By car, it takes 21 minutes to get to the centre of Lankaran)
Public transport has improved significantly over the past few years. Buses are modern, accessible and reliable, and same goes for the metro system. Getting in around the country is easy with many means of public transport. Baku is the only city in Azerbaijan with a metro service. The city is very practical, stations are generally clean and safe, with trains running every two to three minutes. Fares are cheap and independent from the length of the journey. BakiKart is a single Smart Card for payment on Baku Metro and BakuBus. Baku Card is the official city card of the capital Baku. It includes free public transport (including airport express line). The card comes in three different types: 24 hours, 72 hours and 7 days, and includes free public transport across the city, as well as free entry or discounts at selected museums and attractions, plus a range of discounts and special offers at many shops, cafés and restaurants. The cards are sold at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, tourist information points, major hotels and tourist agencies around the city, and automatically activate the first time you use them.
Azerbaijan by train, train services are operated by Azerbaijan Railways. The system’s infrastructure is currently undergoing modernisation and refurbishment. The centre of the rail network is Baku, with an extensive network connecting all parts of the country. Long distance services connect Baku with Moscow, Tumen, Kharkov and Rostov. Online ticket purchasing is available for local services, and tickets can be reserved up to ten days in advance. They must be collected at least one hour prior to departure. To purchase tickets online or for more information about other long-distance routes, click this link.
Azerbaijan by bus, buses are an inexpensive way to travel. Bus schedules are generally available at bus stops. Passengers pay the driver for their journey when they board. Buses link all the main cities in Azerbaijan; there are also services to Tehran, Istanbul and Tbilisi. The bus station in Baku has both a local and an international terminal.
In Azerbaijan, most taxis are unmetered. It is possible to negotiate much lower fares if you have the patience. Driving may be a little adventurous and rear seat belts do not abound. It is important to know that taxis do not generally accept foreign currencies. Make sure you have change before travelling as some drivers may not. Another option is Marshrut or Shared Taxis, the vehicles are usually 12-seat Russian vans or second-hand vans from western Europe. Marshruts drive along a fixed route and stop at any point along that route when flagged down or told to stop. They run parallel and more often than most buses but some have their own routes. Marshruts can be used for local, regional and even international transportation. They have no schedules; they leave when full. For the independent traveller this is the mode of transport with the best combination of convenience and cost. Border crossings can be slow, due to the quantity of luggage to be checked and the bribes to be negotiated.
It is possible to drive in Azerbaijan with an International Driving Permit for up to a month. Tourists can find several car rental agencies; they should check the requirements for renting a vehicle. Driving is on the right side of the road. While most roads in Baku are paved well-maintained, travel outside the main city may require a four-wheel-drive vehicle due to the poor conditions of the roads. Traffic accidents are common in Azerbaijan, as local drivers have a reputation for disobeying the traffic rules, an is a recommendation to be better well-prepared for the poor conditions. A private car for moving through Baku city is no essential, the city has a bad reputation in terms of traffic jam.
Forgetting to register with State Migration Service
Mentioning Armenia. Azerbaijan is in a war with Armenia over a disputed area called Nagorno-Karabakh. This is a territory that officially is a part of Azerbaijan, but ruled by ethnic Armenians.
Leave food or drinks unattended or in the care of strangers. There have been some reports of travelers being robbed after having their drinks spiked, particularly in Western-style nightclubs and bars in Baku.
Shared taxis and unofficial taxis because passengers have been assaulted.
Drive at night. There is usually little or no lighting on the roads and there are a lot of potholes and bumps that can cause a bad accident if you can not see them coming.
In bigger Azerbaijani cities, drinking tap water is not recommended without boiling it first. Bottled water is widely available. In rural areas, water drawn from springs is generally excellent and many cities folk carry empty bottles when driving country lanes to fill up at a roadside.
Azerbaijan cuisine is full of greens and vegetables like aubergine, sweet pepper, spinach, cabbage, beet, onion, radish, are used in variety of dishes. Rice and flour products are used in national cuisine. Fresh herbs also accompany main dishes quite often. Many of Azerbaijan national food items are made of lamb and poultry meat. Light snacks are also very much part of starters of meals. Black tea is the national beverage of Azerbaijan.
The main dishes in Azerbaijan are: “Piti” (is a liquid sauce made of lamb and chickpeas and baked chestnuts. It is made with a slow and unique cooking method, and it has been prepared for generations), “Buglama” (consists of lamb pieces, stewed with onions, tomatoes, peppers, black pepper, and bay leaves, in a small amount of liquid), “Gutabs” (are stuffed with a variety of greens, vegetables, meat, or cheese. Traditionally prepared in the form of semi-circle. Gutabs are served with sumac and yogurt), “Bozbash” (is a soup, prepared with peas, meatballs, and potatoes boiled in a broth with saffron and turmeric), “Sheki pakhlavasy” (is made from rice flour and filled with nuts. The dough is prepared in a copper frying pan. Coriander and cardamom are also added to the mixture. Once assembled, is saturated with sugar syrup, leading to a sweet flavor and alluring glaze).
In Azerbaijan, there are two associated plug types, types C and F. Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins and plug type F is the plug which has two round pins with two earth clips on the side. Azerbaijan operates on a 220V supply voltage and 50Hz
Healthcare in Azerbaijan is provided by public and private healthcare institutions and regulated through the Ministry of Healthcare. Public hospitals are run by the state and medical care is offered free of charge for Azerbaijani residents. However, public healthcare in Azerbaijan remains largely underdeveloped and inefficient compared to most European countries. Most facilities are located in Baku and public healthcare is almost non-existent outside the city. Despite positive changes in recent years in the public healthcare system, fortunately, private medical facilities offer much higher standards of care, including modern equipment and well-qualified staff. It is important to have a health insurance is therefore a priority for many foreigners visiting the country.
There are no mandatory immunizations for travelers to Azerbaijan though you should be up to date with Typhoid, Tetanus, Polio and Hepatitis A, but it is so highly recommended you seek advice from your doctor or travel center as to the correct immunizations and preventative treatments.
Malaria is present, yet low risk, in some southern regions and prophylaxis may be required.
There are plenty of pharmacies in the main cities, which are well stocked with a range of medication, many of them in Baku are open 24/7.
Service charges are usually included in bills and tipping is not compulsory. However, taxi-drivers, waiters and hotel staff are commonly given some small change.