From Baku’s UNESCO Old City to Khinalug at 2,350m — a complete ranked guide for every type of traveler
Azerbaijan is compact enough that you can cover the country’s major highlights in 7–10 days. Here is an honest, ranked guide to the best places to visit, with practical recommendations for each.
| Category | Must-see | 2–3 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Baku Old City (Icherisheher) | Must-see ✅✅ | 2–3 nights | UNESCO World Heritage. Maiden Tower, Palace of the Shirvanshahs, atmospheric lanes, and the Caspian Boulevard. |
| 2. Sheki Khan’s Palace | Must-see ✅✅ | 1–2 nights | The finest 18th-century Islamic palace in the Caucasus — the shebeke stained-glass interior is extraordinary. |
| 3. Gobustan Rock Art | Must-see ✅✅ | Half day | UNESCO-listed petroglyphs 40,000 years old, combined with cold bubbling mud volcanoes. |
| 4. Gabala / Tufandag | Highly recommended ✅ | 1–2 nights | Cable car to Caucasus views, 5-star mountain resort, and the Music Festival in July. |
| 5. Khinalug village | For adventurous travelers ✅ | 1 day | Europe’s highest inhabited village at 2,350m — unforgettable mountain road approach from Quba. |
| 6. Lahij copper village | Highly recommended ✅ | Half day | Medieval coppersmith workshops in a river gorge — the most authentic craft stop in Azerbaijan. |
| 7. Quba & Red Village | Worth including ✅ | 1 day | Pomegranate orchards and Krasnaya Sloboda — one of the only all-Jewish towns outside Israel. |
| 8. Lankaran & Hirkan forest | For longer trips ✅ | 1–2 nights | Subtropical south: tea plantations, Hirkan temperate rainforest, quieter beaches. |