Azerbaijan

Get in

As of Jan 2026, Azerbaijan's land borders with its neighbours remain closed to civilian traffic. The only legal way into the country is through an international airport. Land crossings are exit only, and only for non-citizens.

thumb|375px|A map showing the visa requirements of Azerbaijan (see description for key to colors)

See

thumb|300px|Atesgah of Baku (the "Fire Temple") is a 16th-century Zoroastrian compound near Baku. There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country; The walled city of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower as well as the Rock Art Cultural Landscape of Gokustan. Neft Daşları – City above the sea, the first operating offshore oil platform in the world, located 55 km from the nearest shore in the Caspian Sea. Mud volcanoes which spout up in over 300 locations nationwide, constitute more than half the total throughout the world, each site with its own character Caspian Hyrcanian forests found near the Iranian border Tears of Kyapaz a string of seven idyllic mountain lakes near Mount Kyapaz and Nagorno-Karabakh Seaside resorts located along the Caspian coastline

Do

Hang around in a smoky tea house, have a pivo or tea, and play dominoes. Try to attend an Azerbaijani wedding Contrary to reports, Azeri wine is more than drinkable, and whilst not as tasty as their Georgian or Armenian counterparts, is still a pleasant treat! Find a local drinking-hole and while away the hours! Buy local souvenirs and carpets. Don't be put off by the pestering stall-keepers. Persevere, be prepared to haggle, and you can get some really wonderful bargains!

Buy

Azerbaijan is well-known for carpets.

Eat

thumb|Appetizers and snacks. Azeri cuisine (azərbaycan mətbəxi) might not seem diverse to Western Europeans, but it is worth trying. Most of the dishes contain a lot of meat (including fat) and vegetables. Bread is a staple, and is quite revered by the people of Azerbaijan.

Piti is a national dish. It is made with mutton and vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, chickpeas), infused with saffron water to add flavour and colour, all covered by a lump of fat, and cooked in a sealed crock. Worth trying Şəki version of this dish (boiled chestnuts are used instead of potato), if you are there.

Cabbage, grape leaves, and eggplant wrapped meat (kelem, yarpaq, badimjan - dolmasi), kabab (kebab), rice with different variety of toppings (plov - It is said that plov is the king of Azerbaijani cuisine), gutabs and meatballs (kufta) are some of the several specialties of Azerbaijan. Yarpaq dolmasi is often considered to be the national dish.

Georgian food, in particular khachapuri (a cheese-filled bread), along with some Russian staples (borsh, crepes/bliny) have become common throughout Azerbaijan. Other cuisines such as Turkish, Italian, Asian, and American fast food, can be found in the biggest cities.

There are several soups that you might want to try: bozbash, buglama, ashgara (lamb with chestnut). Try Çoban qovurma (lamb stew with vegetables).

Drink

Some local drinks include ayran (a yoghurt drink based on sour milk) and sherbet (made from rose petals or saffron). There are also different sorts of quite decent wines produced from local grapes and a wide array of mineral waters from natural springs.

In some areas of Azerbaijan the markets offer lemonades (limonat/dushes) made from pears or tarragon.

Note: In general, it is forbidden for females to enter tea houses and drinking establishments. Drinking in general is also taboo for women in rural Azerbaijan. It's not a problem in Baku.

Sleep

There is a good selection of hotels in Baku, including many Western European chains, but options elsewhere in the country are limited but nevertheless growing. Prices for the hotels start from US$60. Rental apartments might be a good choice as they are cheaper than hotels and sometimes are even more comfortable.

Since many hostel-like places and guest-houses are popping up rapidly and randomly everywhere in the country (like in Sheki and Ganja), they are often poorly signposted, and from the outside a great hostel might look like an ordinary apartment. Hence, make sure beforehand to get a detailed description (including GPS) of where to find the place and which apartment to ring at. Otherwise, you might be lost forever and even locals won't know where this newly popped up place is.

Stay safe

Robbing and pickpocketing in the capital Baku, especially in poor and sparsely populated areas is possible but rare and is higher across the capital at night. Common sense is useful as in all other countries. Also watch your stuff in public transport.

Criminals posing as police officers have sometimes stopped foreigners and stolen documents and money. If you are stopped on the street by a person in a police uniform, be cooperative but ask to see a badge or ID card.

Stay healthy

Make sure your diphtheria, tetanus, and Hepatitis A & B immunizations are up to date. Malaria is a risk in lowland Azerbaijan, particularly around the border with Iran. Anti-malarials are not a must for Baku, but the risk is present in rural areas not far from the city.

Water should not be consumed unless from a sealed bottle. Bottled soft drinks or boiled drinks, such as tea or coffee, also reduce risks.

Respect

thumb|Tea served in a traditional armudu glass Azerbaijanis are a very reserved but very polite and well-mannered people.

When you are invited into an Azerbaijani home, make sure to bring them a gift. Anything is fine from flowers (be sure to get an odd number of flowers, as an even number is associated with funerals), to chocolate (but not wine and other alcoholic beverages), and indeed something representative from your country. In Azerbaijani culture it is the thought behind the gift, rather than the price, that matters. When you arrive at the house take off your shoes just outside or immediately inside the door, unless the owner explicitly allows you to keep them on. Even then, it might be more polite to remove your shoes. You may be offered slippers to wear. Azerbaijanis respect elderly people, so in a bus, tram, subway and in other forms of public transportation, young(er) people will always offer you a place to sit if you are an old(er) person as well as a handicapped person or a pregnant woman or have children with you. It is considered polite to let women be the first to board and leave the bus, tram, subway and in other forms of public transportation or to enter and leave a room. It is respectful to bend slightly (not a complete bow) when greeting someone older or in a position of authority. Younger people always initiate greetings with older people or those in a position of authority. If you do not know the person well, use their first name followed by an appropri…