Baku walking tour: Old City, Maiden Tower & local life

The Maiden Tower looms dark and enigmatic at the edge of the walled Old City, its origins still a mystery.

A walking tour of Baku's Old City and landmarks including the Maiden Tower, Palace of the Shirvanshahs, Baku Boulevard and Fountains Square, led by a live English-speaking guide. The tour lasts three to four hours and covers the walled medieval core of the city alongside modern Baku's waterfront and public squares. Children from age one are welcome. All fees and taxes are included. You choose between the Baku Heritage tour or the Baku Sightseeing Tour at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Maiden Tower10m
2. Baku Old City40m · entry included
3. Palace of the Shirvanshahs20m

Explore Baku's historic and cultural sites

• Visit Maiden Tower
• See Muxtarov's mansion
• Tour first Democratic Republic Parliament building
• Explore Baku Museum of Miniature Books
• Visit Muhammad Mosque
• Walk through Baku Old City
• Pass by Fountains Square
• View St. Gregory the Illuminator's Church
• See Executive Power of Baku City building
• Pass by Juma Mosque
• Walk along Baku Boulevard
• Pass by Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall
• Tour Palace of the Shirvanshahs
• Visit Baku's Upland Park

The experience

The walk starts in the medieval heart of Baku: the Old City, a walled settlement that became Azerbaijan's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. You move through narrow streets past the Muhammad Mosque, built in the 11th century with a minaret damaged by Russian naval bombardment in 1723 and left unrepaired for over a century as a symbol of the city's resistance. The Juma Mosque stands nearby, constructed on ground where fire worshipers once gathered, its conical dome resting on four central pillars. These aren't museum pieces behind glass. You walk past them, through courtyards and passages where the Old City still holds about 3,000 residents.

The Maiden Tower rises at the southern edge of the walled city, looking out toward the Caspian Sea. No one knows when it was built or what it was originally for: its name and purpose remain shrouded in mystery, with no written sources surviving to explain either. You'll stand at its base and hear the competing theories. From there the route opens onto Baku Boulevard, a seafront promenade established in 1909 that stretches about three kilometers along the coast. Oil barons built mansions here over a century ago, and the boulevard was artificially extended inch by inch into the sea. You walk past fountains, sculptures and pedestrian paths, then move through Fountains Square: a public gathering place crowded with locals in the evenings, lined with restaurants, boutiques and shops. The square sits where Istiglaliyyat Street meets the Old City walls and runs into Nizami Street, making it a crossroads for everything within walking distance in central Baku.

The Palace of the Shirvanshahs closes the route. Walking through its nine restored buildings (pavilions, courtyards, palace rooms, a crypt, cistern, Turkish baths and mosque). You get a tangible sense of daily life within the palace walls. The complex was recently restored room by room. Your guide speaks English throughout and can answer questions about the architecture, the history layered into each stop, and how these places have shaped the city's culture. The tour includes all fees and taxes. You don't arrange entry separately.

What’s included

• All fees and taxes.
• a live English-speaking guide throughout the three to four hours.
• entry to the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Baku Museum of Miniature Books.
• access to the Old City walled streets, the Maiden Tower area, Baku Boulevard and Fountains Square.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 9 Jun 2027

AgesAdult (30 to 70 years) · Senior (71 to 86 years) · Youth (18 to 29 years) · Child (12 to 17 years) · Infant (1 to 3 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Baku Sightseeing

Is this one for you?Choose the Heritage tour if you want the deeper history: the medieval mosques, the palace complex and the stories of how Baku's culture took shape over centuries. Pick the Sightseeing tour if you prefer a broader view of both old Baku and the modern city's public spaces and landmarks. Either way, a moderate level of fitness keeps the pace manageable across the three to four hours of walking.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (18 to 29 years); Child (12 to 17 years); Infant (1 to 3 years).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How much walking is involved and what's the fitness level needed?

The tour lasts three to four hours on foot through the Old City's narrow streets, along the boulevard and through palace courtyards. Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness. The route includes some uneven ground and stairs, particularly in the Old City and at the Palace of the Shirvanshahs.

What was the Muxtarov Palace and why is it on the tour?

The Muxtarov Palace was built by a millionaire oil industry supplier as a Valentine gift for his second wife. He had the renowned Qasumov brothers construct a copy of an Italian building she admired during her travels. It's a striking example of Baku's oil-boom architecture and the stories behind the city's grand buildings.

Is there a museum stop on the walking tour?

The tour includes the Baku Museum of Miniature Books, the world's only museum dedicated to miniature books, located in the Old City. The collection contains over 6,500 miniature volumes from 64 countries, including rare editions of Russian and Azerbaijani classics, collected over 30 years.