Azerbaijan trip planner: 6 unforgettable journeys in 'The Land of Fire'

1. Baku and its surroundings

Azerbaijan’s Caspian capital has an ancient heart yet buzzes with 21st-century pizzazz 

Best for: Cosmopolitan comforts seasoned with art, history and culture
Why do it? To discover Azerbaijan’s metropolitan contrasts and charms with a minimum of effort
Route: Walk the evocative Old City, then explore fire temples, mud volcanoes and the impressive Heydar Aliyev Centre

For anyone who has watched the Azerbaijan Formula 1 Grand Prix, you’ll have an inkling that Baku is much more than just a Dubai wannabe. Bold feats of 21st-century architecture may include a 28-storey, crescent-shaped building and a shopping mall that looks like a lotus flower, but there is a wealth of history here too.

The city’s century-old ‘oil boom’ bestowed a Neoclassical grandeur on many of its old neighbourhoods, recalling a time when Baku was the one of the world’s top petroleum producers. Then there’s the UNESCO-listed Old City (Icheri Sheher), a medieval walled core home to sights such as the Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, along with caravanserai restaurants, art galleries and a maze of alleyways. For convenience, it’s worth finding accommodation inside its walls or within stumbling distance of Fountains Square, the pedestrianised epicentre of an enticing dining zone filled with wine bars and pubs.

Join locals in strolling the bayside promenade and gazing at the Caspian. For panoramic city views, head up to Highland Park using the short funicular railway, then return by bus from the stop opposite the aptly named Flame Towers, a trio of skyscrapers that taper to flicker-shaped points in honour of Azerba.

The city technically encompasses most of the Absheron Peninsula, a 60km-long beak of land pecking at the Caspian Sea. While much of it is rather industrial, Qala has an ancient heart that is preserved as an ethnographic museum, while on the fringes of the main city you’ll spy architect Zaha Hadid’s exquisite Heydar Aliyev Centre. There’s also a fire temple at Surakhany, an ever-burning flame pit called Yanar Dag and a fine fortress tower at Ramana. Several tour companies combine visits to all of the above with trips south to the petroglyphs at Gobustan and the mud volcanoes at Alat, although doing all this in one day can be punishing.

2. The mountainous north

Find peace among the slopes, waterfalls, villages and trails of the Greater Caucasus

Best for: Jaw-dropping scenery, unique villages, winter skiing, summer hiking and kite surfing
Why do it? For a gateway into the impressive mountain scenery of the Greater Caucasus
Route: Baku, Quba, Jek, Xinaliq, Qusar, Laza

The most popular route north involves an impressive lane that winds up from the patchily attractive city of Quba to the almost mythical village of Xinaliq (also written Khinalug). This scenic odyssey starts out in pretty picnic woods at Qachrash and crosses meadows with distant mountain views before passing a tooth of rock that guards the first of two deep-cut canyons.

After the second canyon, the route climbs steeply into grassy uplands. The village of Jek sits huddled around a distinctive rocky knoll with splendid panoramic views. From there, a memorable trek on horseback descends to another part of the canyon before crossing the river and climbing up to the isolated settlement of Qriz. However, if you’re driving, you’ll probably keep on until the road ends at fabled Xinaliq, where houses stack a steep knoll and locals speak a language unique to this area.

Staying in one of the area’s homestays lets you experience life as a shepherd, but do take note that precious few locals speak English. Even places that describe themselves on booking sites as ‘hotels’ are likely to still be very rudimentary, typically with long-drop outdoor toilets.

For vastly more comfort, stay nearer to Quba, or perhaps explore an entirely different valley inland, starting from Qusar. In winter, the Shahdag Ski Resort has three luxurious hotel complexes as well as other, less flashy options, plus a superb network of cable cars. In the off-season, all but one of the five-star stays closes and you’ll need to refer to the resort website to see which of the seasonal activities are running. Regardless, it’s always worth continuing 6km further on to the contrastingly rustic village of Laza, whose memorable setting is ribboned with braids of waterfalls tumbling off the majestic mountainscape.

En route north, don’t miss the abrupt Beshbarmaq ‘holy peak’, and do consider a 16km side trip to kite-surf Blue Planet’s glorious lagoon site.

3. Silk Road country

Follow the caravans of old to Azerbaijan’s UNESCO-hearted Sheki and beyond

Best for: The sheer variety of visiting options, peppered with some of Azerbaijan’s best wineries
Why do it? To find out more about Azerbaijan’s Silk Road history
Route: Baku, Shamakhi, Lahij, Qabala, Sheki, Zaqatala

The classic. This route sets out from Baku and crosses semi-desert before running alongside the green feet of the High Caucasus range, where bucolic side-trips up into the foothills await amid visits to Azerbaijan’s ‘Silk Road’ towns.

The star of the show is the city of Sheki, with its large caravanserais, khan’s palace, sturdy fortress walls, fine hotels and great hiking potential. Its UNESCO-listed historic centre, which was rebuilt after mud flows destroyed it in the 18th century, once flourished on the riches of the silkworm boom.

Further west, Zaqatala also has a lovely, if limited, Old Town and is a good starting point for walks up shepherds’ paths to Sound of Music-style vistas, though it’s a conservative place with few tourist facilities. In contrast, Qabala (east of Sheki) has several large, resort-quality hotels with inviting spas. Although its city centre is forgettable, the setting is pretty and a cable-car network operates year-round.

Day trips from Qabala visit the archaeological ruins of Old Qabala and some curious churches at Nij, though the cultural story here is perhaps more interesting than the buildings themselves. To the west, don’t miss the recently renovated silk village of Basqal or the larger, more enchanting coppersmiths’ settlement of Lahij. It’s worth staying at a homestay in Lahij to get a feel for the village after the numerous day-trippers have gone home.

To continue on to Shamakhi – with its impressive mosque, cemetery and winery – it’s now possible to take a steep, circuitous lane from Lahij that travels via Damirchi and the Shamakhi astronomical observatory at Pirqulu.

Note that if you’re travelling between Baku and Tbilisi (Georgia) by public transport, the land border is currently open only to those leaving Azerbaijan. An option for those aiming to do an eastern loop is to start by going from Baku to Ganja (see ‘The Lesser Caucasus’), then linking by bus to Sheki before returning east. At the time of writing, the Baku-Sheki-Zaqatala train services were temporarily suspended, so be sure to check ahead.

4. The Lesser Caucasus 

Explore Azerbaijan’s ‘other’ mountains and its old German colonies 

Best for: Germanic heritage, highland lakes, unique opportunities to bathe in ‘medicinal’ petroleum
Why do it? It makes for a good loop when combined with a Sheki-Baku trip and reveals Azerbaijan’s lesser-known cityscapes
Route: Naftalan, Ganja, Goy Gol/Maral Gol, Shamkir, Gadabay

At the southern fringes of central Azerbaijan’s agricultural plains lie the Lesser Caucasus mountains. They’re not quite as high as the northern Greater Caucasus but are very attractive and include some memorable peaks, most notably the pyramidal Murovdag and horn-shaped Kapaz.

The latter towers above a string of idyllic mountain lakes, of which the best known is the forest-ringed Goy Gol. More attractive still is Maral Gol, above which there are some lovely short walks in open grassland dotted with wild crocuses. These are worth exploring if you have the time.

To reach this area, start with a train ride from Baku to Ganja, Azerbaijan’s youthful second city. It has a growing café scene, distinctive brick architecture and a memorable yet affordable hotel set within a 17th-century caravanserai, one of the historic roadside inns that can be found along the Silk Road. These make for an atmospheric stay.

From Ganja, Goy Gol (the lake) is almost an hour’s drive beyond the confusingly named Goygol City. The latter was formerly known as Helenendorf and is home to Azerbaijan’s longest-operating winery. It is also one of several towns in this region founded by Germans who emigrated here in the 19th century. This community was mostly expelled during the Second World War, but neatly laid-out streets of older ‘German’ houses remain an attraction both here and in Shamkir, formerly Annanfeld.

If you have a car, it’s worth driving deeper into the foothills behind Shamkir, towards Gadabay, a gold-mining town near two impressive yet little-visited castle ruins and the 19th-century viaducts of a long-gone mineral rail line.

East of Ganja, the sanatoria found in the outwardly unassuming town of Naftalan provides the oddest of curative retreats. Bathing in gooey crude oil for medicinal purposes is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it has become a local speciality and often piques the curiosity of visitors.

5. The green south

Azerbaijan’s deep south is more than tea and citrus groves

Best for: Green getaways, wild forests and roadless villages
Why do it? To seek out wildlife and nature far off the beaten track
Route: Shirvan National Park, Lankaran, Lerik, Astara Istisu and Sim

South of Gobustan, which is known for its petroglyphs and mud volcanoes (see Baku section), the largely flat scrubland lacks immediate impact. However, the Shirvan National Park is a mesmerising place to watch scampering goitered gazelles (jeyran) and is accessed through an easily missed gateway. If your vehicle is good enough to deal with the muddy tracks, continue to a bird hide overlooking a reed-fringed lake that’s a fabulous place to watch water birds, including seasonal flocks of flamingos. Be sure to call ahead though.

As you head further south, the landscapes become progressively greener, eventually turning almost semi-tropical beyond Lankaran. This is the region’s main hub city, a pleasant, laid-back place where the friendly market is the main attraction. The best accommodation options are out of the centre, ranging from budget-beauty Xan Lankaran to the indulgent Lankaran Springs spa resort, built over a natural hot-water source. Alternatively, there are plenty more rustic options to be found on the forest road that wiggles into the mountains and breaches the treeline before the upland mini-city of Lerik.

However, the most magical experience in this part of the country lies further south, in Hirkan National Park. Covering a vast area, the park’s most appealing drives for those without a 4WD are through thick woodlands to Hamosham or to Sim (unpaved just for the last couple of kilometres). Above Homosham is a panoramic ridge topped by what local myth claims is a petrified dragon, whereas Sim is an ancient village home to one of Azerbaijan’s most impressive waterfalls. A wonderful adventure involves walking there on a two-day hike from Astara Istisu, a trek that starts out in Tolkien-esque forests where the trees are shaggy with moss; it then continues via a couple of villages so remote that they have no roads. You’ll need a guide for this, so try Baku-based Camping Azerbaijan.

6. Remote Nakhchivan

This intriguing exclave is well worth the hopper flight from Baku

Best for: Discovering a self-contained world all of its own
Why do it? Not many make it this far. There’s also monuments, a salt mine and ‘Noah’s tomb’
Route: Nakhchivan City, Ashabi Kahf, Julfa, Alinja Castle, Ordubad, Batabat

Nakhchivan is separated entirely from the rest of Azerbaijan by the southern tail of Armenia. For now, the only way to reach this autonomous exclave is to fly. Fortunately, daily flights from Baku are frequent and cheap, and a direct route from Istanbul means you can get creative with open-jaw tickets. However, try to avoid mid-summer when the heat can be intense (topping 35ºC).

On your first day, stroll around Nakhchivan City, the region’s surreally calm ‘capital’ and transport hub, which is home to almost all of the hotels, restaurants and coffee shops. Discover the elaborate 12th-century Momine Khatin Mausoleum, explore a wealth of free museums and ponder ‘the tomb of Noah’, whose ark is claimed to have cleaved the peak of Mount Ilandag. On a clear day, Turkey’s Mount Ararat (Agridag to locals) rises like an apparition on the western horizon.

A popular day trip from the city accesses the crag-top ruin of Alinja Castle, but you’ll need to be fit enough to climb over 1,500 steps. Its moniker of ‘Eurasia’s Machu Picchu’ perhaps overplays the medieval site’s historical importance, but the panoramas are breathtaking, stretching across a shimmering reservoir to the mountains of Iran.

If travelling by taxi, combine Alinja with visits to the canyon-caves of local pilgrimage site Ashabi Kahf, views of the dramatic ‘Snake Mountain’ (Mount Ilandag) and wandering the alleys of lemon-growing village Ordubad. Some also like to ride the morning train to Julfa for the frisson of travelling the Araz River that forms the Iran border.

On another day, consider venturing inside the offbeat salt-mine complex at Duzdag, now used primarily as an asthma-therapy retreat. Then head into the mountains to see the ‘floating’ peat islands of Batabat, returning via Qarabaghlar to see another medieval tomb tower. Reliable local tour agency Natig Travel can help with arrangements and can organise birdwatching tours.

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