Baku City Tour

Baku Boulevard - beyond the Old City there is no better way to get a feel for Baku’s relaxed, Mediterranean atmosphere than by strolling along the Boulevard — the capital city’s promenade. This beautiful sweep of coast offers hours of pleasant strolling along the waterfront with ever-changing views of the city.

Icheri sheher ( Old City) - The heart of Azerbaijan’s cultural heritage has a history of thousands of years and is located in the historic center of Baku, the capital city of the ancient state of the Shirvanshahs and symbol of Azerbaijani statehood. This unique historic ensemble has been called the ‘Acropolis of Baku’, Old City or Icherisheher. The Old City territory includes the Shirvanshah Palace, Synyk Kala minaret, Maiden Tower, “Bayil Stones”, Seyid Yahya Bakuvi mausoleum, caravanserais – the Multani and Bukharian caravanserai, Mollahana, numerous mosques – Muhammad ibn Abu-Bakr, Akmad, Molla Ahmad, Juma, Lezgi, mosque-madrassahs, bath-houses, Baku Khans’ House and also numerous rich residences of the ХIХ century.

Shirvanshahs’ Palace - Once home to the Shirvanshahs that ruled most of today’s Azerbaijan between 9th-16th centuries, this UNESCO World Heritage Site in Baku was constructed in the highest point of Icherisheher between the 12th-14th centuries. Not only is the palace a timeless example of medieval Islamic architecture, but also a contemporary museum.

The Maiden Tower is so old, we can’t tell what it was originally meant for. It may have been a Zoroastrian fire temple, an observatory, or a fortress. Maybe it was a watchtower, as it certainly gives incredible views across Baku and the Caspian Sea.

Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center - famous architect Zaha Hadid designed the crown jewel in our modern architecture. Not a single straight line was used in the center’s design, resembling a wave reaching from the ground to the sky and back down again. It symbolizes an eternal cycle, bridging the past and the present to unite people under shared ideas. The center regularly plays host to international exhibitions.

Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum is a key centerpiece in our national culture, and only an innovative rug-shaped architectural wonder could do it justice. Situated on the Baku Boulevard, the carpet museum houses the largest collection of Azerbaijani carpets in the world; 6,000 of them bring to life the past, patterns and philosophies of our carpet weaving traditions. The museum’s 600 m2 lobby is good for receptions, while conference rooms on the first and third floors can host up to 70 and 46 seated visitors respectively. The fully equipped exhibitions hall is decorated with traditional carpets from all of the seven schools of Azerbaijani carpet weaving.