Complete Azerbaijan Travel Guide 2026 – Budget, Food, Transport & Hotels

This vlog is for those people who are planning their Azerbaijan trip, because in this vlog I am going to give you all the information that will prove to be very beneficial for you.

So first, let’s talk about the visa. For UAE residents, there is a visa-on-arrival facility in Azerbaijan. So, you can apply for a visa after landing at the Azerbaijan airport. But the best thing would be to apply in advance — it will take hardly 3 days to get your visa, and it will cost you around $8 to $20.

And for Indian citizens, the process is also very easy. You can easily get a visa. If you want to apply online, there is a website called “Asan Visa” where you can apply for an Azerbaijan visa, and within three days, you will receive your visa.

Point number two — Where to stay in Azerbaijan:
If you are staying in Baku, then choose a location from where you can easily get taxi and metro, because Baku city has a lot of traffic.

So, I would suggest you choose a location where you can easily find taxis or metro access.

Talking about taxis — there are Baku taxis, similar to London taxis — small, cute, in maroon-red color. You will find these taxis around the city. But they are a bit expensive compared to other taxis, like Bolt taxis and NGO taxis.

So the best option is to download the Bolt, Uber, and Yango apps on your phone. This way, you will not face any problem finding a taxi. Having 2–3 options on your phone will make it easy because, compared to India or the UAE, the taxi frequency here is not very high.

This is something I realized after coming here — so keeping multiple apps helps a lot.

Now, another important point — Language.
Most people here — I would say 98% — speak the local Azerbaijani language.
So, there is a bit of a language barrier. Youngsters between the ages of 16 to 20 can speak a little English, but senior citizens face difficulty in understanding it.

So, this language barrier exists — that’s why I would suggest keeping a translator app on your phone. We also used a translator — in many situations, people couldn’t understand our language, so we typed in English and translated it into Azerbaijani.
And this is how we were communicating with people in Azerbaijan.

There are many translator apps available, so just download a good one — especially useful in outskirts areas, where it might be difficult to communicate otherwise.

Now let’s talk about where to explore in Azerbaijan.
Baku is world-famous — when people think of Azerbaijan, they think of its capital, Baku. People visit Baku first.

It’s a very lively city — it doesn’t feel poor at all. It’s very posh and lavish. You’ll see expensive cars on the roads, luxurious buildings, shining people, and branded clothing stores everywhere.
Baku has different vibes.

Outside Baku, we explored Shahdag, Quba— and there are many other small places.
If you want to visit them, the best option is to rent a car. We also rented a car — it’s easy to rent one.

The best thing is that at the airport, there are many car rental companies. You can compare their prices and choose one.
Some places can only be reached by car — no public transportation goes there.

If you want to drive yourself, that’s also possible. You can easily get a car.
Even Indian passport holders can rent cars here.
UAE residents with a UAE driving license can also rent and drive cars.

Driving yourself in the outskirts is an incredible experience — truly hard to describe in words.
We covered almost all of Azerbaijan by car — it was so beautiful that we stopped at many places just to capture the scenery.

Talking about traffic rules — they are very strict here.
Especially speed limits — you must drive within the mentioned speed, otherwise you’ll get fined.
So, it’s best to follow the rules while exploring Azerbaijan.

And one more thing — there is an app called Waze (waze.com).
If there are police officers on the road ahead, the app will show them too — so if you’re traveling, it helps you stay aware and avoid any problems.

If you ever find yourself in Azerbaijan, be sure to get the Waze app, because it is a fantastic application.

Now that it has been addressed, we will discuss finances.
The Manat is the name of the currency that is used in this region.

One Manat is equivalent to around 2.8 Dirhams when converted to Dubai currency, and when converted to Indian currency, it is equivalent to approximately ₹49 per Manat.

But it’s not an expensive country to explore — it’s very affordable.
You’ll find plenty of budget-friendly hotels here. You can search on booking.com based on your budget and preferred location — whether you want to stay in Baku or outside Baku, you’ll find many options.

Also, always keep some cash with you, because there are many places where cards are not accepted.
You can also exchange money at the airport.

Now let’s talk about the best time to visit Azerbaijan.
This country has a unique beauty in both summer and winter.
We came here in summer — from June to November — and during this time you’ll see a completely different side of Azerbaijan.
Everything is green, and you’ll see roses everywhere. There are lots of roses here — like marigolds in India, here you’ll see roses all around, especially in the outskirts.

And if you come between November to February, the entire country will be covered with snow.
So, it totally depends on your choice — whichever season you prefer, summer or winter, you can visit anytime.

Now let’s talk about food, which is very important.
The food here is very good — not exactly like Indian flavors — everything is cooked with very mild spices.

People mostly eat chicken kebabs and mutton with vegetables. You’ll easily find chicken kebab and rice everywhere.

We also enjoyed it a lot — it’s full of flavor.
For vegetarians, options are a bit limited, but there are plenty of fruits — you’ll find fresh fruits everywhere: berries, watermelon, apples — and they are super tasty, fresh, and juicy.

For vegetarians, you’ll also find rice, traditional saffron pilaf, salads, and hummus.
So, it’s not that vegetarians can’t survive here — you just have to order smartly.

So guys, these were all the small and important tips that I shared with you so that you can plan your Azerbaijan trip better.
These are all the things we learned after coming here.