🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

April to June and September to October are the most comfortable seasons, warm enough for Baku's seafront boulevard and mild enough for the mountains around Sheki and Quba. July and August are hot and dry in Baku, though the famous wind keeps the waterfront bearable. Winters are mild in Baku but cold and snowy in the mountains, when Shahdag ski resort opens.

Baku has a semi-arid climate with hot, dry summers, cool winters and strong winds off the Caspian Sea throughout the year. The foothills of the Greater Caucasus around Sheki, Gabala and Quba are greener and wetter, with cooler summer nights. Lowland areas inland can be very hot in summer.

Most visitors need a visa, usually obtained online through the official ASAN e-visa system at least three days before travel; it is normally single entry for a 30-day stay within 90 days, and some nationalities can obtain a visa on arrival. If you stay more than 15 days you must register with the State Migration Service; hotels often do this for guests. Azerbaijan's land borders, including with Georgia, are closed to regular travellers, so plan to arrive and leave by air. Travellers with evidence of a past visit to Karabakh via Armenia may be refused entry.

Baku has a metro (pay with a rechargeable BakuKart), city buses and inexpensive ride-hailing apps. Trains and intercity buses connect Baku with Ganja and other cities; buses and shared taxis are the usual way to reach Sheki, Quba and Gabala. Tours are the easiest way to combine Gobustan, the mud volcanoes and Yanar Dag in one day. Driving is fast and assertive, so many visitors prefer a driver for mountain trips.

Public transport, local food and tea houses are affordable, while international hotels and restaurants in central Baku are priced closer to European levels. Day tours and private drivers are often the biggest extra cost because some sights are spread out. Compare daily costs with the Trip Budget Calculator and convert prices with the Currency Converter.

Azerbaijan is a secular, majority-Muslim country with relaxed dress in Baku; cover shoulders and knees in mosques and dress more conservatively in rural areas. Tea is central to hospitality and is often served with jam and sweets. Remove your shoes when entering homes. Politics and the conflict with Armenia are sensitive topics; listen rather than argue.

Azerbaijani cuisine is built around rice, lamb, herbs and fruit. Look for plov (saffron rice dishes, the centrepiece of celebrations), dolma, qutab (thin flatbreads filled with herbs, cheese or meat), piti (a lamb and chickpea stew baked in clay pots, a speciality of Sheki) and Sheki's layered halva. Tea houses (chaykhana) are the social heart of every town.

Baku is generally safe for visitors, with low levels of street crime, though pickpocketing happens in crowded places. Travel to the Karabakh region and areas close to the border with Armenia is restricted and requires checking current official advice and access rules first. Photographing military and government sites is prohibited. Keep your passport, e-visa printout and migration registration (if needed) with you.