Dubbed “the land of fire,” Azerbaijan is a former Soviet republic famous for its high-tech capital city of Baku, the Great Caucasus mountains, and strange fire phenomenon (hence the nickname).
I knew two things about Azerbaijan before I visited: it won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2011, and it has a lot of oil money.
But, when I backpacked around Azerbaijan, I found it to be one of those “undiscovered gems” that too many people skip!
Azerbaijan was such an amazing, wonderful, beautiful, and friendly place. Baku, the capital, is a modern city steeped in oil money with a recently built subway, fast wifi, and tons of Parisian-style and futuristic buildings, while the rest of the country is incredibly rural with small towns surrounded by gorgeous mountains and farmland. In tiny villages, older men with canes sat in town squares gazing at passersby.
Locals, who don’t see many visitors, are very welcoming. There’s a lot of history here, incredible national parks, and fantastic hiking.
Coming here is coming to a part of the world free from the negatives of tourism where you can enjoy people and places in an authentic way.
So get going to one of my new favorite countries!
From things to do, costs, ways to stay safe, save money, get around, and more, this comprehensive Azerbaijan travel guide will help you plan your dream trip by giving you all the tips, tricks, and travel hacks you need.
