Azerbaijan lies on the Caspian Sea where the Caucasus mountains come down to the coast, with a capital that mixes a walled old town, oil-boom mansions and modern towers. Beyond Baku are rock carvings, mud volcanoes and old silk-road towns in green mountain valleys.
Azerbaijan for visitors
Baku's Old City, inside medieval walls, has the Maiden Tower, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and old caravanserais, and a long seafront boulevard runs along the bay below the Flame Towers. The Heydar Aliyev Centre, with its flowing white curves, is the best-known modern building. South-west of the city, Gobustan has prehistoric rock carvings, with mud volcanoes nearby. On the Absheron peninsula, Yanar Dag is a hillside where gas burns constantly, and the Ateshgah is an old fire temple. In the north-west, Sheki has a palace with stained-glass windows and a caravanserai where you can stay, and Quba is the gateway to the mountain village of Khinalug. Baku has a metro; buses link the regions, and a car or driver helps in the mountains.
Time in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan has one time zone, Asia/Baku, and is on UTC+4 all year: the clocks do not change. Right now Baku is 4 hours ahead of London, 1 hour ahead of Moscow and the same time as Dubai. The gap with Europe is an hour smaller during European summer time.
Climate and weather
Azerbaijan has several climates in a small area: Baku and the Absheron coast are dry and often windy, the central lowlands have hot summers, the Greater Caucasus is cool with snowy winters, and the far south near Lankaran is green and humid. In Baku, average highs reach 30°C in August, and average lows fall to 3°C in February. The capital gets only about 279 mm of rain a year, mostly in autumn and winter, and November is the wettest month in Baku.
- Baku
- Istanbul
Show the numbers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baku | 7.3 | 7.4 | 10.6 | 16.8 | 23.2 | 27.8 | 30.1 | 30.3 | 25.5 | 19.7 | 13.4 | 9.3 |
| Istanbul | 8.8 | 9.4 | 12.0 | 16.1 | 21.0 | 25.7 | 28.0 | 28.2 | 24.6 | 19.9 | 15.0 | 10.7 |
Best time to visit Azerbaijan
May, June, September and October are the most pleasant months, warm but not hot, and good for both Baku and the mountains. July and August are hot in the lowlands but the right time for hiking around Quba and Sheki and for the Caspian beaches. In winter, the Shahdag resort has skiing, while the capital is cool, damp and windy.
Practical facts
- Capital: Baku. Population: about 10 million (UN World Population Prospects 2024, 2023 estimate).
- Currency: Azerbaijani manat (AZN). Cards are widely accepted in Baku; carry cash in the regions.
- Language: Azerbaijani. Russian is widely understood in Baku, and English is spoken mostly by younger people and in hotels; sağ ol means thank you.
- Calling code: +994.
- Driving: on the right.
- Emergency numbers: fire 101, police 102, medical emergencies 103 ([1]).
Plan your trip with hoyoopin
- The live weather and the month-by-month climate table for Baku are on this page.
- Istanbul city guide: the nearest of our city guides.
- World Clock and Weather for Sheki, Ganja, Quba or any other town in Azerbaijan.
- Asia: time zones and key facts for the continent.
Sources
- Smartraveller (Australian Government), Azerbaijan: fire and rescue 101, police 102, medical emergencies 103.