Baku walking tour & city guide
A walled old city below the Flame Towers.
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Baku, on the shore of the Caspian Sea, grew rich twice from oil, at the end of the 19th century and again in the 21st. Its UNESCO-listed walled Old City is surrounded by grand oil-boom mansions and, on the hills above, by glittering modern landmarks like the Flame Towers.
The Old City
Icherisheher, the Old City, is enclosed by medieval walls and full of winding lanes, caravanserais and mosques. The mysterious Maiden Tower, whose origins are still debated, offers a view from its roof, and the 15th-century Palace of the Shirvanshahs is a complex of halls, tombs and a bathhouse.
Nizami Street and the Boulevard
Nizami Street, the main pedestrian shopping street, is lined with ornate buildings from the first oil boom, and Fountain Square is the city's meeting point. The seaside Boulevard runs for kilometers along the Caspian, with parks, cafés, a Venice-style canal and the carpet-shaped Carpet Museum.
Modern Baku
The three Flame Towers, covered in LED screens that show flickering flames at night, dominate the skyline above the Highland Park viewpoint. The Heydar Aliyev Center, designed by Zaha Hadid, is a flowing white building without a single straight line.
Near the city, Yanar Dag is a hillside where natural gas has burned continuously for decades, and Gobustan has ancient rock carvings and mud volcanoes.
Top sights in Baku
- 1
Icherisheher (Old City)
A walled medieval city.
- 2
Maiden Tower
A mysterious ancient tower in the Old City.
- 3
Palace of the Shirvanshahs
A 15th-century royal complex.
- 4
Flame Towers
Three skyscrapers lit like flames at night.
- 5
Baku Boulevard
A long seaside park on the Caspian.
- 6
Heydar Aliyev Center
A flowing white building by Zaha Hadid.
Food markets & where to eat in Baku
Taza Bazaar
The main market for fruit, spices and caviar.
Old City
Restaurants in old caravanserais.
Fountain Square
Cafés and tea houses in the center.
Food to try in Baku
Plov
Saffron rice with lamb, chestnuts and dried fruit.
Dolma
Grape leaves stuffed with meat and rice.
Qutab
Thin flatbreads filled with herbs or meat.
Azerbaijani tea
Served in pear-shaped glasses with jam.
Opening hours and prices change often. Please check with each place before you visit.
Plan your trip to Baku
Enjoyed the walk? Here is everything you need to see it for real.
- Hotels in BakuCompare places to stay and prices.
- Tours & ticketsWalking tours, museums and day trips in Baku.
- eSIM for AzerbaijanStay online from the moment you land.
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