Azerbaijan is an incredible and very affordable country to visit. If you want to see Azerbaijan on a shoestring budget, then follow our 10 essential budget travel tips for Azerbaijan.
Want some budget travel tips for Azerbaijan?
Azerbaijan is one of our favourite budget travel destinations as it has so much to offer. Amazing scenery, super friendly people, delicious food, fascinating culture, history and above all it’s really good value for money as a travel destination.
We spent a month travelling around Azerbaijan, covering as much of the country as we could. Along the way we enjoyed the capital city, Baku, visited sleepy Lankaran on the Caspian coast and the beautiful mountain village of Xinaliq in the north. Also we roamed around the pleasant cities of Quba and Ganja and we took in the idyllic towns of Lahic, Sheki and Zagatela in the foothills of the Caucasus.
We stayed in some great accommodation, ate in some very nice restaurants, had a few beers or wines most evenings and saw a lot of the country. Even though we did so much, our average daily spend came to less than US$ 14 each
We spent on average US $14 per person, per day in Azerbaijan
Wow, that’s a bargain!
Yep. Even though Azerbaijan has plenty of oil wealth, it is still a very reasonable country to travel in as far as the cost of living is concerned. We learned a few valuable tricks along the way and we’d like to share with you our 10 essential budget travel tips for Azerbaijan to help you enjoy this wonderful country on a shoestring budget.
US$1 = 1.69 Manat – May 2019
To find out current exchange rates go to XE.COM
How to travel the world as a Frugal Traveller
10 budget travel tips for Azerbaijan
1. Take the night trains
Travel by both bus and train in Azerbaijan is good value but the night trains are a bargain that cannot be missed. For example we travelled from Baku to Lankaran on a platskartney (3rd class) bunk for less than 7 manat each. 5.80 for a top bunk and 6.50 for a bottom bunk. For that you get fresh sheets to sleep in and a firm but comfortable bed for the night.
Considering the cheapest bunk in a hostel is around 7 Manat in Baku – it’s a great deal. Not only do you get a nights accommodation but you get to travel across the country at the same time.
Night trains go from Baku to Lankaran in the South, Ganja in the west and to Zagatala and Balakan in the NW and they also go to Tblisi in Georgia. They leave from the central railway station at 28 May square in Baku.
2. Stay in some great budget accommodation
There are some really good value accommodation in Azerbaijan. Cheap dorm beds range between 7 – 10 Manat per night in Baku. Budget hotels in other towns and cities were between 20 – 30 manat for a double room. In the small villages with no restaurants or tourist infrastructure, family home stays will give you a bed and 3 home cooked meals for 30 Manat per person.
These are the places we stayed and the prices we paid
- Khamsa hostel Baku – 7 Manat in a dorm bed
- Travel Inn hostel Baku – 10 Manat in a dorm bed
- Oskar Hotel Quba – 25 Manat for a 3 bed room
- Rauf Laliyev Xinaliq – 30 Manat per person for bed and 3 meals
- Qizil Tac hotel Lankaran – 25 Manat for a double en-suite
- Ganca hostel Ganja – 23 Manat double room
- Hidayet Hajivey guesthouse Lahic – 20 Manat double room
- Ilgars guesthouse Sheki – 20 Manat double room
- Karavansaray Sheki – 30 Manat double suite
- Zagatala hotel – 25 Manat double en-suite
Read about our home stay experience in the remote mountain village of Xinaliq
Some of these places cannot be found on booking.com Qizil Tac in Lankaran was a walk in but you can find it just beyond Heydar Aliev square. Hidayet in Lahic can be contacted on 050-632-0732. The Karavansaray in Sheki can be contacted on 055-755-55-70 or reseil_karvan@mail.ru
Without doubt the most spectacular place to stay of all of these is the Karavanserai in Sheki. This 300 year old silk road establishment is a living piece of history. Although it certainly isn’t the cheapest option, it is an unforgettable experience to stay in this enigmatic caravanserai and deserves a place in our budget travel tips for Azerbaijan. It is a real highlight of the region.
Read our blog on staying at the Karavanserai in Sheki
3. Eat Qutab
Qutab is a delicious snack which is found being sold on the street and in cafes. It is a flatbread cooked on a convex hotplate and kind of looks like a pancake. It comes with different fillings but the most popular are greens, pumpkin or some with lamb. They are a bargain at 30 – 50 Qopek = US 17 – 30 cents each and are a great little filler on the go.
Other delicious, cheap Azerbaijani food to look out for
Lahmucan – The local version of a pizza on thin flat bread. 1.50 – 3 Manat
Doner / Suarma – The standard meat in a roll you find throughout the region. Chicken or beef in either a bread roll or a lavash wrap. Found absoloutely everywhere. 1.50 – 2.70 Manat
Piti – A delicious double meal of a soup broth with chick peas, vegetables and mutton served in an earthenware pot. You pour the liquid into a bowl with bread as a first course and then mash up the remainder to eat seperately. It’s tasty, filling and comes for 4 – 5 Manat
Pirojki – The small, deep fried potato snacks you find being sold around markets and bus stations. A very simple, cheap snack at 10 Qopek each
4. Ride the Marshrutkas
The budget way of travelling locally, within cities and also around the country. Marshrutkas are the small minibuses that go everywhere. They will have lots of seats squashed together and get full quickly so you may have to stand. Friendly locals will always point you in the right direction for the number you want to get anywhere in a city. Local marshrutkas cost 30 Qopek – US 17 cents a ride.
These are the prices we paid to ride Marshrutkas between cities
- Baku to Quba – 4 Manat
- Ganja to Ismayli – 6 Manat
- Lahic to Ismayli – 1.50 Manat
- Ismayli to Sheki – 6 Manat
- Sheki to Zagatala – 3 Manat
- Zagatala to Balakan – 1 Manat
5. Drink 1 Manat Beers
1 Manat beers can be found in bars and restaurants throughout Azerbaijan. At US 58 cents for a 500 ml drought beer, that’s quite a steal for all the beer drinkers out there. In fact there aren’t many countries in the world with those kind of bar beer prices. They will be the local varieties, NZS or Xirdalan which are both quite palatable light lagers.
6. Eat Business Lunches
A business lunch is a set, 2 course lunch which some cafes and restaurants offer, normally between 12 – 3 pm. They are normally a soup starter followed by a main course and usually also include salad and bread. A drink is included too. At 4 – 5 Manat a lunch they are a great way to fill up in the middle of the day.
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7. Drink Chai / Cay
Tea is the national drink in Azerbaijan and everywhere you go you will find Cay Evi. These are tea shops with people (normally groups of men) sitting around, enjoying a lazy afternoon over a pot of tea. It is a great way to sit back, relax and watch the world go by. There are many in and around the tree lined parks of towns and cities. In the basic ones you will get a chainik (pot) of tea for 1 Manat or a glass for 30 Qopek
8. Visit the free sights in Baku
There are plenty of free things to see and do in Baku to fill your time without spending much money. It’s one of those fascinating cities that is a blend of old, historic architecture and modern, state of the art buildings. There are plenty of places to wander around and get a great feel for Baku life.
These are some of our suggestions
Walk the Old City – the old, walled city of Baku is the historic core of the city and has been given UNESCO world heritage status. You can spend hours walking it’s narrow, cobbled streets and admiring the walls and buildings within them. Extra bonus – The miniature book museum is free and is worth a look in this kitsch museum!
Viewpoint at the Flame Towers – Go up to the viewpoint near to the Flame Towers at sunset for a great overall view of the city and watch the towers come to life with a sparkling light show as day turns to night.
Fountain Square – This is the public square where the youth come to hang out, families go for walks and oldies sit and chat on park benches. It’s a really pleasant spot to sit and eat an ice – cream and watch the Baku-ites go about their business.
Baku Boulevard – The long pedestrian walkway along the Caspian sea shore is another focal point of the city. Walk from Port Baku in the north to Flag Square in the south and enjoy the waterfront promenade. Along the way is Little Venice, the carpet museum, the opera house and the Baku eye big wheel.
The Heydar Aliev Centre – Take a bus or metro out to the Heydar Aliev centre in the east of Baku. This ultra modern cultural centre is a true work of architectural art. Designed by Zaha hadid, it looks like a giant sea shell and its smooth, flowing lines are incredibly eye catching. Don’t forget to get a selfie at the I Love Baku sign in front!
9. Go where other tourists don’t go – Lankaran and Ganja
This is a generic bit of advice when travelling anywhere in the world. Get away from the tourist meccas and you’ll see the real side of any country and get a better feel for it. Azerbaijan is a country that is relatively unspoiled by mass tourism anyway but head on out to the less visited parts and it will feel totally different.
In both Lankaran and Ganja we were constantly amazed by how surprised people were to see us. Strangers often approached us in the street saying “welcome to my city”. We felt we connected with people better there and had a unique experience of Azerbaijan.
On a budget travel front, non-touristy places tend to be cheaper as well. Prices for food and services are local rather than inflated to suit the tourist saturated market. So it’s totally win-win!
Read our blog post on a visit to Lankaran
10. Buy a Bakcell SIM
We all want to get online and fortunately the data plans in Azerbaijan are pretty good value for money. We chose Bakcell because they have the best coverage and the best value plan. It cost us 10 Manat for a free SIM, 4GB of data and 20GB of socialiser (Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp). That was easily enough for 1 month of use.
Tip – Make sure you buy it from an official Bakcell shop and not from a generic phone shop agent because they tend to scam you out of extra fees and charges. We bought ours from the Bakcell store in Fountain Square, Baku.
BONUS FRUGAL TRAVEL TIP – Get a hair cut!
One thing we noticed in Azerbaijan is that there are barbers and hairdressers everywhere. It seems to be a national pastime to nip out and get a trim. In Lahic we met the friendliest guy at the marshrutka stop who was the local barber. I couldn’t believe it when he told me a hair cut cost 2 Manat – That’s US $1.17
So I went into his little shack and got a head shave. A cut throat razor neck shave, an ear hair trim and eyebrows were included!
If you are ever in Lahic and need a trim, ask for Namick the barber!
We hope these budget travel tips for Azerbaijan were of use to you. If you have any more gems we’d love to hear from you. Please leave comments in the box below and share any more budget travel tips with us.
Happy travels
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4 thoughts on “10 essential budget travel tips for Azerbaijan”
Looks like I will be following much of your footsteps after the Taklamakan desert. I am eagerly reading your posts on Kazakhstan and the Caucasus. Also taking the Karakoram Highway to Pakistan after Xinjiang. Any tips there?
Great to hear you are on a similar journey. You can check out our YouTube videos on this region also. We didn’t take the KKH into Pakistan because the visa was too much of a problem then, although I’ve heard it has become easier to get one online now. We met others in Kashgar who had come that way and they loved Pakistan. We went from Kashgar over the Irkeshtam pass to Kyrgyzstan. We’ll be happy to answer any other questions you may have!
Such an interesting read… thanks for sharing … if I ever get to that part of the world, I will remember your advices, thanks!
We hope you make it there because it is a wonderful place to travel. Happy travels! 😊