Almost a Month in Baku, Azerbaijan: My First Solo Trip (Old City, Yanardag and Quba)
Flynas from Jeddah to Baku, a new friend at the gate, a hotel that was hard to find, and nearly a month exploring Old Baku, the Maiden Tower, Yanardag fire mountain, Nizami Street and Quba.
By Hafiz Tayyab · 10 October 2026 · 2 min read
The route
- JeddahtoBakuflynas
- BakutoYanardagBus 88A + 147
- BakutoQuba
- BakutoLahorePIA
Maiden Tower
12th-century tower in the Old City (Icherisheher).
Yanardag
A hillside that has burned for centuries.
Dominoes with friends
The local way to spend an evening.
When my brother flew home after our Umrah in August 2023, I stayed on. From Jeddah I flew flynas to Baku. It was my first solo trip abroad after Afghanistan, and it turned into almost a month.
Arriving in Baku
At the boarding gate in Jeddah I met Qaiser bhai, a fellow Pakistani heading the same way. We flew together over the Caspian Sea and landed at Heydar Aliyev International Airport on a sunny afternoon.
- Immigration was quick. With the visa arranged in advance, there were no complicated questions.
- Change some money to Azerbaijani manat at the airport.
- Buy a BakuKart at the transport kiosk outside. It's your ticket for city buses.
Finding the hotel was the hard part. It took a while, but Qaiser bhai stayed with me until we did.
Old Baku and the Maiden Tower
The Old City (Icherisheher) is a walled maze of stone streets. Inside:
- The Maiden Tower, from the 12th century, with spiral stone corridors to the top.
- Stalls selling brass lamps, papakha sheepskin hats and old Soviet medals.
- The quiet marble courtyard of the Juma Mosque.
Yanardag, the burning mountain
Outside the city is Yanardag, a hillside where natural gas has kept a wall of fire burning for centuries. It keeps burning through rain and snow.
How I got there: city buses 88A and 147, then a 9-manat entry ticket. There's a small museum on site too.
Nizami Street and Fountain Square
Back in the centre, Nizami Street is Baku's most famous walk: European-style buildings, green cobblestones, bronze statues and Fountain Square at one end. It's best right after rain.
Dominoes, friends and Quba
Some of my favourite memories aren't sights. One evening with friends we played dominoes the Azerbaijani way, counting every tile, and it got very competitive.
I also took a trip out to Quba, a quieter town in the north, to see something beyond the capital.
All in all I stayed somewhere between 23 and 27 days. Long enough to feel at home.
The flight home that didn't happen
For the way back I had booked Wizz Air. At the airport they didn't let me board. I had to sort out a new ticket, and in the end I flew PIA to Lahore.
Lesson learned: with low-cost airlines, read every rule about documents and check-in before you go to the airport.
Tips for Pakistanis visiting Baku
- Get the visa sorted before you fly. It made immigration simple.
- BakuKart first, then use buses everywhere.
- Stay near the Old City or Nizami Street so you can walk most places.
- Budget a day trip to Yanardag and, if you have time, Quba.
Next on the journey: Ramadan Umrah 2024 and Eid in Makkah. All Azerbaijan videos are on the Azerbaijan series page.
Watch the episodes
Exploring OLD BAKU: Inside Maiden Tower & Ancient Streets!
22 Sept 2024
Yanardag: The Mysterious Fire Mountain of Baku, Azerbaijan
27 Sept 2024
Exploring Baku's Most Famous Street: Walking Down Nizami Street Azerbaijan
29 Sept 2024
Playing Azerbaijan’s Traditional Domino Game with Friends in Baku!
1 Oct 2024Questions people ask
How do you get around Baku?
Buy a BakuKart at the airport kiosk. It works on city buses, which is how Hafiz Tayyab got around, including to Yanardag.
How do you get to Yanardag from Baku?
By city bus: he used routes 88A and 147. The entry ticket was 9 manat.
Is immigration at Baku airport difficult for Pakistanis?
With a visa arranged in advance, his immigration at Heydar Aliyev Airport was quick and without complicated questions.
What happened with Wizz Air?
He had booked Wizz Air for the way back, but was not allowed to board. He flew home to Lahore on PIA instead.
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