A little more
Azerbaijan.
A lot less roaming.

Travelling to Azerbaijan: what to know before you go

Azerbaijan sits on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, between the Greater Caucasus mountains and the plains of the south. Baku pairs a walled medieval old city with bold modern architecture, while the countryside holds mud volcanoes, rock art and stone mountain villages. It suits travellers interested in history, architecture and the crossroads of Europe and Asia.

Where to go

• Baku's Old City. Icherisheher, the walled inner city, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with narrow lanes, caravanserais, the twelfth-century Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, a royal complex of halls, a mosque and a mausoleum.
• Modern Baku. The three Flame Towers light up the skyline at night, and the Heydar Aliyev Center, designed by Zaha Hadid, is a sweeping white building with almost no straight lines.
• Gobustan. A rocky landscape south of Baku with thousands of rock engravings of people, animals and boats, some dating back many thousands of years.
• Yanar Dag and Ateshgah. Yanar Dag is a hillside where natural gas burns continuously from the ground.

Best time to visit

Spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) are the best times, with mild temperatures and green or golden countryside. Summers in Baku are hot, though the Caspian breeze helps, and the mountains are cooler.

Staying online in Azerbaijan

Mobile coverage is good in Baku, other cities and along the main highways, with 4G widely available. It becomes patchy in high mountain areas such as around Khinalug and on remote roads. Free Wi-Fi is common in hotels, cafés and restaurants in Baku, and in many hotels elsewhere. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land so maps and ride-hailing work from the airport.