Things to do in Baku includes places to visit in Baku or Baku sightseeing, Baku shopping and Baku city tours. Baku has always been one of the oldest capitals of Azerbaijan and one of the most popular cities on the historical Silk Road, on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Baku city is the capital of Azerbaijan and this is due to severe damage of an earlier capital Shamakhi city as a result of an earthquake in 1141 during the reign of the Shirvanshahs.

Baku old city was built according to the order of the ruler of the Sirvanshahs, Manuchohr III, and was a defensive fortress for medieval cities and surrounded by walls to protect the city from external attacks. Inside the fortress, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, the Maiden's Tower, the Quadrangle Fortress and the Bayil (Sabail) Fortress-were built inside the Caspian Sea to protect the city of Baku from possible attacks from the sea. In addition to the location of Baku, the production of oil in the city led to the next stage of development of the city helped to create things to do in Baku.

The production of oil around Baku Old City, the fact that traders and rich people in the city were engaged in oil production and sold their oil to neighbouring countries led to the emergence of Baku millionaires and the recognition of Baku as one of the top destinations in Azerbaijan. Wealthy Baku oil millionaires have expanded the city by building a number of commercial and private buildings around the city, such as infrastructure buildings, schools and theatres, bringing in foreign experts to build these buildings and developing the whole.

 Baku sightseeing such as fountains square, seaside boulevard, the highland park was created. The Fountain Square was called Nikolayev Garden during Tsarist Russia. For more information on monuments, historic buildings in Fountain Square and Baku downtown and to see most of the historical architectural monuments of Baku sightseeing, the Baku Downtown Original Walking Tour is a unique opportunity for you.

Baku Boulevard is a promenade established in 1909, walking at Baku downtown is one of the top things to do in Baku. Its history goes back more than 140 years, to a time when Baku oil barons built their mansions along the Caspian shore and when the seafront was artificially built up inch by inch. Engineers have reported that the boulevard might be as long as 26 km, including Bibiheybat. Kazimierz Skurewicz, a Polish engineer, designed a 20-meter-wide embankment, using vegetation that would survive Baku's extremely hot, dry and gusty climate.

According to the order of Baku's Mayor, R. R. Hoven, passed a decree in the 1880s saying that all ships entering Baku harbours from Iran had to bring fertile soil with them. In reality, this was a kind of "tax" or "duty" imposed for the right to use the harbour and load up with oil. Visiting Baku boulevard you can see a Parachute Tower, Baku Crystal Hall (which hosted Eurovision Song Contest 2012), Baku Ferris Wheel, Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, National Flag Square.

Writing about things to do in Baku we can not skip the Highland Park (Dagustu Park), which shows a breathtaking panorama of Baku city. Highland Park can be reached by walking, Baku Funicular or taxi. Popular Baku sightseeing such as Baku Flame Towers, The National Parliament, Turkish Mosque is also located here. You will not be considered to have visited Baku without seeing the beautiful panorama of Baku city. By participating in our Night Baku Tour, you can see this landscape and more than 30 architectural monuments together with the night landscape of Baku city.

Visiting Gobustan and Ateshgah are some of the most popular things to do in Baku. Gobustan National Historical-Artistic Preserve Museum is an important open-air museum with a history of more than 16,000 years, which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007. It is interesting to note that there are about 300 mud volcanoes located near the Gobustan open-air museum.

Atesgah means fire place, one of the most famous Zoroastrian temples in Baku. Ateshgah is a unique place created by Indian merchants and travellers who came to Azerbaijan via the Great Silkway. Near Atesgah Temple is Burning Mountain. The place is also one of the most popular places visited by ancient Indian merchants and other Zoroastrians. To visit Gobustan and Atesgah, which are in opposite directions, you have to drive 240 kilometres, but there is no reason to be sad. By joining our Gobustan and Absheron tour all of these Baku sightseeings you can visit in one day. It will be useful for you to read our blog post about top destinations in Azerbaijan before coming to Baku city.