A Baku itinerary from the walled old city to the burning hillside
Baku mixes a UNESCO-listed walled city, glass towers on the Caspian and strange landscapes an hour away: mud volcanoes, rock carvings and a hillside that burns all year. Use this prompt and your todo.is agent will put them in a sensible order, with the evening light show and transport sorted.
The prompt
- Make a [NUMBER OF DAYS]-day Baku itinerary for [WHO IS TRAVELLING] arriving [ARRIVAL DAY AND TIME]. Stay area: [AREA]. Include Icherisheher (Maiden Tower, Palace of the Shirvanshahs), the Baku Boulevard on the Caspian, the Heydar Aliyev Center and Highland Park for the Flame Towers at night. Add [DAY TRIPS] with how to get there and how long it takes. Suggest Azerbaijani food to try (plov, qutab, dushbara) and a tea house. Note any visa steps for my passport from [COUNTRY]. Email me a PDF with links to official sites and a short Telegram summary. Don't book anything.
What to change
- [NUMBER OF DAYS]: E.g. "3". Three days covers the city plus Gobustan and Absheron.
- [WHO IS TRAVELLING]: E.g. "a couple", "two colleagues with a free weekend", "family with teens".
- [ARRIVAL DAY AND TIME]: E.g. "Thursday at 16:00 at Heydar Aliyev airport".
- [AREA]: E.g. "inside the Old City", "near Fountain Square", "by the Boulevard".
- [DAY TRIPS]: E.g. "Gobustan rock art and mud volcanoes, Ateshgah fire temple and Yanar Dag", or "Sheki overnight".
- [COUNTRY]: E.g. "the UK". Many nationalities use an e-visa; your agent checks the official ASAN Visa site.
Example result
- Baku in 3 days, a couple
- Arriving Thursday 16:00 · staying inside the Old City
- Day 1: Boulevard and Flame Towers
- • Late afternoon: airport to the Old City (about 30 minutes by taxi or Bolt).
- • Walk the Baku Boulevard along the Caspian as the sun goes down.
- • Evening: funicular or stairs up to Highland Park. The Flame Towers light up after dark and the bay view is the best in town.
- • Dinner of plov and qutab near Fountain Square.
- Day 2: Icherisheher and the Heydar Aliyev Center
- • Morning: inside the walls: Maiden Tower, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, old caravanserais and carpet shops.
- • Lunch: dushbara soup in a cellar restaurant.
- • Afternoon: the Heydar Aliyev Center, Zaha Hadid's flowing white building, inside and out.
- • Evening: Nizami Street and a tea house with jam and pakhlava.
- Day 3: Gobustan and the Absheron loop
- • Morning: Gobustan National Park (about 1 hour south): thousands of rock carvings and a small museum.
- • Nearby mud volcanoes: the last stretch is a rough track, so most visitors switch to a local car.
- • Afternoon: Ateshgah, the fire temple in Surakhani.
- • Dusk: Yanar Dag, the burning hillside, best seen once it is dark.
- If you have a 4th day
- • Sheki (about 5 hours by road): the Khan's Palace with stained glass and a caravanserai you can sleep in.
- Good to know
- • Use a ride-hailing app or agree on a taxi fare before you get in.
- • The Caspian wind is strong in Baku; bring a layer even in spring.
- • Check visa rules and site hours on official sites before you go.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in your days, arrival time, area, day trips and passport country.
- Paste it on the Today screen in todo.is, or send it to your agent on Telegram.
- You get a PDF itinerary with visa steps, transport times and links, plus a short summary.
- Reply with changes ("add Sheki overnight", "less walking") and book tours yourself.
Tips for a better result
- Do Highland Park and Yanar Dag after dark. Both look far better at night than in daylight.
- Combine Gobustan, the mud volcanoes, Ateshgah and Yanar Dag in one day with a driver or tour. They are spread around the peninsula.
- Ask your agent to check the e-visa rules for your passport a few weeks before you fly.
- Spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) are the most comfortable months in Baku.
Baku itinerary: FAQ
- How many days do you need in Baku? Two days covers the Old City and the modern sights. Three days lets you add Gobustan, the mud volcanoes and the fire sites.
- Do I need a visa for Azerbaijan? Many nationalities can get an e-visa online before travel, and some are visa-free. Check the official ASAN Visa site for your passport.
- Can I visit the mud volcanoes without a tour? Yes, but the final track is rough. Most people take a taxi to Gobustan and switch to a local car for the last part.
- Can todo.is plan Baku and Tbilisi together? Yes. Ask for both cities in one trip and your agent will compare flights and the overnight train between them, with links.
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