Trains, buses, domestic flights, and private transfers between Baku, Sheki, Gabala, and beyond
Public transport between Azerbaijan's main tourist regions exists, but it's genuinely slower and less comfortable than the alternative, and the price gap is smaller than most visitors expect. A shared minibus (marshrutka) from Baku to Sheki takes 5–6 hours with no fixed timetable; a private driver covers the same route in under 4 with door-to-door pickup.
That said, public options are worth knowing about, particularly for independent budget travel.
Departures run from Baku's main bus station near the 20 Yanvar metro stop, generally leaving once full rather than on a fixed schedule. Russian or Azerbaijani is needed to confirm destinations with drivers — English is rare on this route.
Azerbaijan's rail network connects Baku to Ganja and on toward the Georgian border, but doesn't currently serve Sheki, Gabala, or Quba directly, which limits its usefulness for most tourist itineraries. Where it does run, trains are comfortable and inexpensive, just slower than driving.
The one genuinely essential domestic flight is Baku–Nakhchivan, roughly 45 minutes versus an extremely long overland route through Armenia-adjacent territory that most tours avoid entirely. AZAL operates this route multiple times weekly.