Yanar Dag
Absheron
Natural gas burning out of the hillside. Foreigner entry in the notes is about 5 AZN. Often sold with Gobustan as a fire day.
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
أذربيجان · AZN · Emergency 112 · Tourist police +994 12 598 88 88 · as of 2026-08
How the country is laid outQuick orientation — regions & cities▸
Baku is the base: Boulevard, Bolt, and the metro (Green Line works end at Nizami while the tunnel works continue). The Absheron fire sites, Yanar Dag and the Gobustan mud field, are day trips. The 2–3 day road is Baku, Shamakhi, Lahij, Gabala, Sheki, about 600 km. Ganja and Lake Goygol sit on the way back, or you exit at Red Bridge into Georgia. Nakhchivan is a separate flight on AZAL only. The land border with Armenia is closed. Do not raise Armenia or Nagorno-Karabakh.
PlacesTop sights with photos & tips▸
Gobustan mud volcanoes
Gobustan
The mud cones are free. A regular car cannot drive the last track. The notes say a budget tour may then ask 20–30 AZN a person for the 4WD, so confirm the 4WD is already in the price. The petroglyph park is a separate ticket, about 15 AZN.
Lahich
Ismayilli
The notes spell the mountain village Lahich. Copper and crafts, on the Sheki road. Carry cash after Gabala. The day from Baku with Shamakhi is long; start early.
Lake Goygol
Goygol
Alpine lake past Ganja. The notes name a German heritage village, Helendorf, nearby. The Baku–Ganja train is 10–20 AZN and 5–6 hours.
Sheki Khan's Palace
Sheki
18th-century summer palace, shebeke windows, UNESCO. Foreigner entry about 9 AZN. Licensed guides inside are 10–15 AZN; ignore the ones working the gate.
Gabala waterfall
Gabala
The notes' Yeddi Gozel stop: a forest waterfall about 20 minutes from Gabala, entry 2–5 AZN, muddy after rain.
Baku Boulevard
Baku
The Caspian front. Bolt to the center is 8–12 AZN. The airport desk asks 30–50 AZN. Use 2GIS offline; Google misses Old City doors.
Shahdag
Qusar
The ski mountain in the winter notes. A self-drive rental anywhere in the notes is 40–70 AZN a day plus fuel. That figure is not a Shahdag transfer price. Mountain roads are winding.
Prices (ranges, not quotes)What things cost — realistic ranges▸
| Item | Range | USD | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolt, airport to the center The official desk asks 30–50 AZN for the same ride. | 8–12 AZN | ~USD 4.7–7.1 | 2026-08 |
| Bus, Baku to Sheki 6–7 hours. Night train is 15–30 AZN via ADY.az. | 10–15 AZN | ~USD 5.9–8.8 | 2026-08 |
| Bus, Baku to Gabala 3.5–4 hours. | 8–12 AZN | ~USD 4.7–7.1 | 2026-08 |
| Gobustan petroglyph park, foreigner The table writes about 15 AZN. The mud volcanoes are free. A 4WD sprung on site is another 20–30 AZN a person. | 15 AZN | ~USD 8.8 | 2026-08 |
| Yanar Dag entry The table writes about 5 AZN. Ateshgah, the fire temple, is a separate stop at about 8 AZN. | 5 AZN | ~USD 2.9 | 2026-08 |
| Sheki palace entry, foreigner Yeddi Gozel waterfall is 2–5 AZN. | 9 AZN | ~USD 5.3 | 2026-08 |
| City tourist SIM, about 10 GB The same pack at the airport is 60–80 AZN. | 40–50 AZN | ~USD 23.5–29.4 | 2026-08 |
| Tea-house trap bill The notes say 50 AZN or more. If someone invites you, you pick the place. | 50+ AZN | from ~USD 29.4 | 2026-08 |
HotelsWhere to stay — top picks & nightly prices▸
Sheki Palace Hotel
Sheki
Mid-range, mountain views, pool. Notes' range, not a quoted night.
40–80 USD / night
No public phone number in the August 2026 notes.
The August 2026 notes give no direct hotel URL.
Passport. Cash still matters in Sheki.
Pool, mountain view
Sheki Saray Hotel
Sheki
Traditional style, central.
30–60 USD / night
No public phone number in the August 2026 notes.
The August 2026 notes give no direct hotel URL.
No public number in the notes.
Central
Marxal Resort and Spa
Near Sheki
Mountain resort and spa.
80–150 USD / night
No public phone number in the August 2026 notes.
The August 2026 notes give no direct hotel URL.
The notes give the range only.
Spa, forest
Duzdag Hotel
Nakhchivan
Hotel inside the salt cave, used for respiratory stays.
50–100 USD / night
No public phone number in the August 2026 notes.
The August 2026 notes give no direct hotel URL.
Cave entry itself is about 10–20 AZN. Fly AZAL; there is no land route through Armenia.
Salt cave
e-Visa at evisa.gov.az only, 20–60 USD, about 3 working days. No visa on arrival for most Western passports. Passport valid 6 months. No registration under 30 days. Porter 5–10 AZN, housekeeping 10 AZN on a longer stay, restaurant 10% if it is not already on the bill. Rate about 1.70 AZN per 1 USD. Ramadan: eating, drinking, or smoking in public by day is illegal.
Transport & delivery appsRide, food & delivery apps locals use▸
| App | Kind | Best for | vs others |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolt Baku | ride | Airport and city | Never an unmarked street taxi. Meters 'break'. |
| 2GIS Baku, offline center | maps | Old City and buses | Google is weak on Baku buses |
| Baku Metro Metro | transit | Green Line works | Nizami is the temporary end of the Green Line |
| Google Maps Regions | maps | Sheki road, not Baku buses | Pair with 2GIS in the city |
| Waze Driving | maps | Checking a Bolt driver is not looping | Report long routes in Bolt |
| ADY.az National rail | rail | Baku–Sheki and Baku–Ganja | Buy at the site, not a third party |
SIM / eSIM / internetStay online — SIM & eSIM options▸
Azercell
Main network
City 10 GB pack about 40–50 AZN; airport 60–80 AZN
80 Nizami Street. English is often spoken.
e& (Bakcell)
Cities
Same airport markup
28 Mall, Ganjlik Mall
Nar
Cities
Same pattern
28 Mall, Park Bulvar
Airalo, Nomad, Saily, or Roafly before you fly. WhatsApp calls, FaceTime audio, and Skype are blocked on local SIMs. Text and voice notes work. A VPN installed before arrival sometimes restores calls. Some eSIMs do not work in Nakhchivan; buy a local SIM there if you stay.
CultureDo's, don'ts & local customs▸
Clothes
Mosques: women cover hair, arms, and legs; men wear long pants. The street in Baku is ordinary city dress. Do not drink outside a licensed venue. Being visibly drunk in public is a criminal offense.
Food
Sheki: piti (clay-pot lamb — drink the broth, then mash the meat with bread) and Sheki pakhlava from Əliovsət Şirniyyat Evi or Aliahmed Sweetstore. A tea-house invitation can become a bill of 50 AZN or more if you do not choose the shop. Tip 10% when it is not included.
Marriage
The notes do not describe a wedding rite. Public same-sex affection draws trouble. Homosexuality was decriminalized in 2000. The notes say social attitudes stay conservative, and that there is no legal protection against discrimination.
History
Sheki was a khanate; the palace is the summer house, with stained-glass shebeke and a cooling system. Gobustan carvings run back thousands of years (entry about 15 AZN). Nakhchivan's Alinja castle is a steep ruined fortress, free, 2–3 hours with the hike. Momine Khatun and Noah's Tomb are in the notes as monuments; they are not photo cards here.
Stories
Best months in the notes: April–May and September–October. The events list says Novruz is 20–24 March and fills hotels. The season table says 20–21 March. The Baku Grand Prix in April or May multiplies rates; book months ahead. Do not photograph women without a clear yes, and do not photograph the Presidential Administration, police, or borders.
Map
Community translation — verify medical, legal, and visa text.