Travel Tips for Azerbaijan: 12 Useful Things to Know

Azerbaijan has been voted a top travel destination by Wanderlust, and with good reason! Azerbaijan is much more than just oil, glitzy buildings, and F1.

It’s unique blend of cultures, diverse landscapes, complex history, and welcoming locals, will have you wondering why there aren’t more tourists here already!

If you’re thinking of visiting (which is a great idea), these actually useful travel tips for Azerbaijan will help you out with transport, language, ATMs, itinerary highlights, etc.

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1. Azerbaijan Has a Middle Eastern, European, Soviet Mix

Azerbaijan has a mix of old and new (and glitzy) in Baku, while you head into the mountains, it starts to feel a little more European/Asian, and then when you head to Nakhchivan, it feels like you’ve actually stepped back into the Soviet era.

Baku is dry and arid and low-lying, while a lot of the rest of the country is mountainous and green and lush. Azerbaijan is a country of huge contrasts.

2. Public Transport is an Adventure

Azerbaijan’s transport consists of buses and marshrutkas. Cramped and limited, it’s definitely a challenge to get around the country, but if you’re heading to the main cities (Ganja, Sheki, Quba, Baku), you’ll be fine.

There used to be a train service that runs from Baku, up through Sheki and across the border into Georgia, but it has been closed since COVID. I am really hopeful that it’ll be up and running in the near future, so watch this space!

3. Bolt is THE Taxi App, but…

Bolt is the most commonly used taxi app in Azerbaijan, but be careful not to get scammed.

We had a driver not stop the journey in the app when we left, which meant that we got charged for him driving around the city for another hour (we complained and got a refund).

We had a driver turn up who was definitely not the registered driver, and who then demanded that we pay cash even though we had already paid through the app (she was aggressive and rude).

We had a driver who genuinely made us fear for our lives with his chaotic driving.

(We were only in Baku for a week so three bad rides threw the good to bad ratio well out.)

4. Cash vs Card: 50/50

Bigger establishments like hotels and supermarkets etc. usually accept card payments, but local transport, and smaller shops will need cash.

5. Fee-Free ATMs

The best ATMs for foreign cards with ZERO withdrawal fees are ABB, Kapital, and ATB.

6. Vegetarian Food is Really Tough to Find

We really struggled to find local vegetarian dishes in Azerbaijan, even in Baku. You’ll always be able to find egg dishes like yumurta and kuku, dolma with vegetarian fillings, pickles, salad, good bread. But, yeah, you’ll have to work pretty hard to stick to a veg diet here.

We gave Azerbaijan a 4/10 on the vegetarian-friendliness scale.

Must-try food: Shepherd’s Salad – tomato, cucumber, onion, pepper, lemon, oil

Must-try drinks: Thyme tea, NZS beer, Xirdalan beer

Coffee Country or Tea Town: Tea Town

7. Many Nationalities Need a Visa

An e-visa is required for many nationalities visiting Azerbaijan. The online visa system is pretty straight-forward to navigate and quick to issue confirmations.

One other important thing to note is that police registration in Azerbaijan is also required if your stay in the country will be more than 15 days.

Accommodation hosts will often be able to do the registration for you, but make sure that you have this conversation and double-check. If they cannot, they may be able to show you how to do it yourself.

We have heard of people being fined when leaving the country because they hadn’t registered with the police, so make sure you do your research and follow the current ruling.

8. Can You Visit Azerbaijan with an Armenian Passport Stamp?

This was my concern when visiting Azerbaijan as we had previously spent six weeks in Armenia.

We arrived by flight into Baku, received no questioning about our trip to Armenia at all, and were granted entry into the country within a few minutes.

If you have been to Nagorno-Karabakh, you will likely be denied entry and a visa.

The Caucasus countries have very strained relations with their neighbours, so DO NOT take this as gospel, and make sure you double-check the current situation before you travel.

9. Azerbaijani is the Spoken Language

Azerbaijani is a Turkic language which is similar to the Turkish spoken in modern-day Turkey, so much so, that Turkish speakers and Azerbaijani speakers can often understand each other.

English is not well-understood in Azerbaijan outside of Baku. Russian is also spoken by some.

Try to learn some of these basics before your trip:

10. Tipping Culture

Tipping isn’t necessarily expected, but restaurants often have a non-negotiable 10% service charge.

11. Prepaid Tourist SIM Provider

Bakcell has great coverage all over the country.

12. Highlights of a Trip to Azerbaijan

Definitely try to incorporate these into your Azerbaijan itinerary:

In a Nutshell

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