Azerbaijan

Places in Azerbaijan

• Baku

  Azerbaijan’s capital pairs a UNESCO-listed walled Old Town with Turkish-Islamic, Western European, and Russian influences. Its low-lying, breezy setting and dense urban attractions make it a strong base for city exploration.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$42

  Best months

  Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct

• Goychay

  Goychay is the rayon capital in central Azerbaijan, best known for its annual Pomegranate Festival held in late October or early November. The city serves as a practical stop on a road trip between Sheki and the Azerbaijani lowlands, with a relaxed small-town atmosphere and few tourists.

  Atlas entry

• Göygöl

  Göygöl is a compact town famous for its unique German colonial heritage. Founded by farmers from Bavarian Swabia in the 19th century (formerly called Helenendorf and Khanlar), the town preserves nicely renovated Swabian houses along streets like Sebuhi Haciyev (formerly Kirchenstraße) and Hummel Street.

  Atlas entry

• Göygöl National Park

  Göygöl National Park is Azerbaijan's premier alpine hiking destination, centered on two stunning mountain lakes—Göygöl itself and the even more photogenic Maralgöl, with its crystal-clear turquoise waters. The park offers marked trails ranging from easy lakeside walks to challenging climbs up Mount Kəpəz, all within the Caucasus foothills.

  Atlas entry

• Ismailli

  İsmayıllı is a quiet historic town in Azerbaijan's Sheki Region that functions primarily as a convenient travel hub for nearby Caucasus Mountain destinations. Most travelers pass through to reach the charming highland village of Lahich, famous for its copper work, or continue deeper into the mountains toward Qabala or Sheki.

  Atlas entry

• Khachmaz

  Khachmaz is a major city in Northeastern Azerbaijan positioned between the Caucasus Mountains to the west and the Caspian Sea to the east, about 10 km from the coast. The city serves as a regional center with rich historical monuments including ancient Albanian mosques, Bronze Age barrows, and medieval fortresses.

  Atlas entry

• Khankendi

  Khankendi (formerly Stepanakert) served as the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh and offers museums documenting the region's complex history, from ancient Armenian settlements to the Karabakh war. The city features Soviet-era urban planning by architect Alexander Tamanian, local fruit vodkas (especially mulberry), and proximity to monasteries like Gandzasar.

  Atlas entry

• Khinalug

  Khinalug sits at 2,250 m above sea level, making it the highest, most remote and isolated village in Azerbaijan and among the highest settlements in the entire Caucasus. With only about 2,000 inhabitants who speak a language found nowhere else on earth, this is one of the most culturally distinct destinations in the region.

  Atlas entry

• Lankaran

  Lankaran serves as Azerbaijan's southern gateway near the Iranian border, renowned throughout the country for producing the finest tea. The city offers a slower pace than Baku with Persian-influenced architecture, hot springs, and access to the Talysh mountains.

  Atlas entry

• Naftalan

  Naftalan is a one-of-a-kind medical tourism destination famous for its therapeutic naftalan oil, a viscous black-brown liquid with no known analogues in the world. The resort town has been operating since 1926, treating patients from across the Soviet Union with its unique petroleum-based treatments.

  Atlas entry

• Qabala

  Qabala is one of Azerbaijan's oldest cities, once serving as the capital of Caucasian Albania. The city offers over 93 historical memorials including ancient ruins, stone monuments, and medieval towers.

  Atlas entry

• Qax

  Qax is a small mountain town at the foot of the Greater Caucasus, serving as a gateway to Azerbaijan's most scenic northwestern region. The town features a historic 18th-century Inner Market (İçəri bazar) with original fortress walls, a Georgian Orthodox Church, and a regional history museum with archaeological and ethnographic collections.

  Atlas entry

• Qobustan

  Qobustan is home to one of Azerbaijan’s most significant archaeological treasures: over 6,000 rock petroglyphs dating back 5,000-40,000 years, earning it UNESCO World Heritage status. The surrounding landscape features spectacular dormant and heavily eroded mud volcanoes, making for dramatic hiking terrain.

  Atlas entry

• Quba

  This historic mountain city is known for apple-growing country and cooler summer scenery. Across the river, Red Settlement adds a distinctive Mountain Jewish cultural dimension, while nearby valleys open into the Caucasus.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$42

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Shamakhi

  Shamakhi is one of Azerbaijan's oldest towns, serving as the capital of the Shamakhi Rayon in the Baku Region. The town preserves significant historical architecture including the 743-year-old Juma Mosque, royal mausoleums, and the ruins of Gulistan Fortress perched on a steep hill.

  Atlas entry

• Sheki

  A small city in the forested Greater Caucasus foothills, Sheki combines Silk Road history with living Azerbaijani culture. Compact sights, tea houses, piti, and nearby mountain villages make it a relaxed heritage base.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$33

  Best months

  Apr–Sep

• Shusha

  Shusha is a culturally significant fortified city in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, long considered the cradle of Azerbaijani art, poetry, and music. The city sits on a plateau with dramatic views over the Karkar Canyon and was historically a center of Caucasian Albanian heritage.

  Atlas entry

• Sumqayit

  Sumqayit is Azerbaijan's third-largest city, offering a glimpse into the country's Soviet industrial past. With only 5-6 of its original 90 heavy industrial plants still operating, the city has a unique atmosphere of decaying factories alongside planned residential areas separated by 3-4 km of green space.

  Atlas entry

• Zaqatala

  This wooded mountain resort sits at 600 m and offers waterfalls, alpine scenery, and hiking on the Caucasus slopes. Its many ethnic communities add a distinctive cultural layer to a quiet regional stop.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$29

  Best months

  Jun–Aug