Baku Travel Tips: What to Know Before You Go

TLDR

Azerbaijan uses the manat (AZN), most Baku locals speak Russian and increasing English, tipping is 10 percent, and the Old City is safe to walk at night. Pack modest clothing for mosques, bring layers for Caspian wind, and plan around the summer heat. This guide covers the practical details you wish you knew before landing.

Currency, ATMs, and Tipping

Azerbaijan uses the manat, symbol AZN or ₼. One AZN is roughly split into 100 qəpik. ATMs are common across Baku and dispense AZN at the interbank rate (some charge 1 to 3 AZN per transaction, so check the on screen fee before confirming). Kapital Bank and PASHA Bank ATMs usually have the friendliest foreign card support. Most central shops and restaurants take Visa and Mastercard, but smaller tea houses, bazaars, and corner shops want cash. Bring some small notes (1, 5, 10 AZN) for taxis and markets.

Tipping is appreciated but not always expected. At a sit down restaurant 10 percent is standard if no service charge is added. Cafes and bars round up. Taxis don’t need a tip beyond rounding up, though a small 1 to 2 AZN tip to a driver who helped with bags is polite.

Language, What Works in Baku

Azerbaijani (Azeri) is the official language. Russian is widely spoken, especially by anyone over 35, in bureaucratic settings, and in older neighborhoods. English is increasingly common among younger Bakuvians, in hotels, tourist restaurants, and central shops, but don’t assume it everywhere. Taxi drivers are often more comfortable in Russian than English. For planning ahead, see our Baku neighborhood guide.

Learn five Azeri phrases and locals will warm to you: salam (hello), sağ ol (thank you), xahiş edirəm (please), bağışlayın (excuse me), and neçədir (how much). Google Translate’s offline Azerbaijani pack works well and saves data. Menus in central restaurants usually come in English, though it helps to know the names of dishes (plov, dolma, qutab, dovga, saj).

SIM Cards, Wifi, and Staying Online

The big three providers are Azercell, Bakcell, and Nar. All three sell tourist SIMs at Heydar Aliyev Airport arrivals and in downtown shops. A 30 day tourist plan with 10 to 15 GB of data runs 18 to 30 AZN with your passport. Coverage is excellent in Baku and the Absheron Peninsula, good along the main highways, and patchy in remote mountain regions like parts of Quba or Qabala.

Hotel wifi is reliable in mid-range and up properties. Public wifi exists at major metro stations and some cafes but is spotty. An eSIM from a provider like Airalo works on most new phones and saves you the in person queue at arrival.

Dress, Mosques, and Cultural Etiquette

Baku is a secular, cosmopolitan capital. You’ll see women in shorts and men in shorts during summer without any issue in Fountain Square or along the Boulevard. That said, the countryside and smaller towns are more conservative, and mosques everywhere require modest dress: long pants or skirts covering the knee, shoulders covered, and women should bring a scarf for the head. Shoes come off at the mosque entrance. For official country-level information see the US State Department Azerbaijan page.

Shaking hands is the standard greeting for men. Men and women often nod or place a hand over the heart rather than shake hands at first meeting. Azerbaijanis are hospitable and may insist you join them for tea, accept if you have time, it’s a genuine kindness.

Weather, Packing, and Seasons

Baku’s climate is semi-arid, softened by the Caspian. Spring (April to mid-June) is mild at 15 to 25 degrees Celsius with the famous Baku wind (the Khazri from the north) picking up on random days, pack a light windbreaker even in May. Summer from late June to early September runs 27 to 34 degrees Celsius with low humidity but strong sun; bring hats, sunscreen, and light cotton clothes. Autumn mirrors spring.

Winter (December to February) drops to 3 to 10 degrees Celsius, often with cold wind off the sea. Snow is rare in the city centre but possible. Bring layers year round because the wind changes a warm day fast. See also our Baku travel tips.

Safety, Scams, and Practical Gotchas

Baku is very safe by regional standards. Violent crime against tourists is rare. The main gotchas are taxi overcharging (use Bolt or Uber, never a yellow street taxi without a meter), pickpocketing in packed metro cars at rush hour, and occasional ATM card skimmers at unlit kiosks. Use ATMs inside bank branches when possible.

Photography of government buildings, military sites, and the presidential residence is forbidden. Always ask before photographing people, especially in rural areas. Do not discuss Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia, or border politics with strangers, it’s a sensitive subject.

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Frequently Asked Questions