Example Itinerary
Baku City Break
Get a taste of Azerbaijan’s enigmatic capital, Baku, and its surrounds on this quick four-day itinerary. A city of contracts, see its famed medieval walled old city, with its ancient sites the Palace of Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower, as well as it’s ultra-modern iconic architecture including the Flame Towers and the Zaha Hadid-designed Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center. Also take day-trips outside of Baku to nearby attractions including the fascinating Ateshgah Fire Temple, Yanar Dag, and Gobustan State Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This itinerary is an example. It’s designed to inspire you and provide you with thoughtfully curated ideas. You can choose to do this exact itinerary or completely personalize it. All trips are 100% bespoke.
Highlights
- Inner City: One of Azerbaijan’s UNESCO Heritage Sites, the Inner City is the historical core of Baku and is a must-see for any traveler to the country.
- Mud Volcanoes and Petroglyphs: Not far from Baku is Gobustan State Reserve, a national park worth visiting for its fascinating barren landscape of mud volcanoes and ancient rock paintings.
- Eternal Fire: Nicknamed the ‘Land of Fire’, Azerbaijan has been known for its close relationship with fire. See the Zoroastrian Fire Temple where pilgrims historically came to worship Azerbaijan’s mystical ever-burning flames, as well as a still-burning hillside.
Day-by-Day
Day 1
Baku
Arrive in Baku, the capital and commercial hub of Azerbaijan which sits in the east with a coastline built along the Caspian Sea. You will be met by your guide and driver and taken to your hotel via private luxury transfer. Check in and spend the rest of the evening at leisure.
Hotel Options
Day 2
Baku
Your exploration of Azerbaijan begins with a walking tour through Baku’s medieval walled Inner City, Icheri Cheher. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this well-preserved old city is still a vibrant, living city that tells the history of Baku’s development over the past nine centuries within its narrow cobblestoned alleyways, historic caravanserais, hammams, mosques and hidden courtyards. The most ancient monument is the Maiden Tower, the symbol of the city which dates back as early as the 7th-6th centuries BC. Another must-see is Shirvanshah’s Palace, located at the highest point in the city, and described by UNESCO as “one of the pearls of Azerbaijan’s architecture.” Then, visit Gobustan Historical Reserve. The expansive archaeological park is an lunar desert-scape pock-marked with boulders, man-made caves, and mud volcanoes. The collection of rock carvings date back over 40,000 years to the ice age and depict scenes of prehistoric life such as tribal dances and hunting. Also within the area is another sight to behold - the mud volcano, a natural phenomenon where gases below the surface expel mud to the surface. There are only about 850 mud volcanoes in the world, with 300 of them found in Azerbaijan alone. Return to Baku for the evening.

Day 3
Baku
This morning, head out to the Absheron Peninsula to visit the Ateshgah Fire Temple, a pilgrimage site dedicated to its ‘eternal flame’. This area is known for its burning natural gas outlets which has long attracted Zoroastrian fire worshippers since its construction in the 17-18th centuries. Not far away is Yanar Dag, which translates to Fire Mountain. Also known for its eternal flame, it is a hill with natural gas burning on its slope. Return to Baku and stop by the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center, an iconic Baku landmark designed by star-chitect Zaha Hadid. The complex encompasses an auditorium, museum, exhibition halls, and offices. Spend the rest of the afternoon how you wish. For traditional culture, try out a hammam, chat with locals at a teahouse, and browse for textiles and carpets. For a more modern take, Baku fosters a thriving creative scene that see art galleries featuring avant-garde local artists and street art works, boutiques, concept stores, theaters, and cutting-edge international sports arenas. Don’t miss a stroll along Baku Boulevard, a scenic promenade along the coastline of the Caspian Sea.
Day 4
Departure
On your last day, spend your morning at leisure. When ready, a private car will take you to the airport for your flight onward.

Exclusively Asia
With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.
With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, in the continent that our north American founders Catherine and Jay have adored and explored for decades, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.
Travelogues
An Asia-focused magazine brought to you by Remote Lands - a platform for adventure, luxury, and authenticity from experts and explorers around the continent.
Beyond Baku
- Author
- Mark Elliott
Variety is the spice of life in compact, accessible Azerbaijan.
Baku: A Capital of Contrast on the Caspian
- Author
- Mark Elliott
Azerbaijan’s multi-layered capital is far more than just a “Dubai on the Caspian”
Alinja Castle: The Machu Picchu of the Caucasus?
- Author
- Mark Elliott
In a remote corner of Azerbaijan, a ruined crag-top castle site is so dramatic that it’s often compared to the far more famous lost city of the Incas.
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