What to Bring on a Day Trip from Baku

The packing list for a day out of Baku is short, and almost everybody gets the same three things wrong: shoes, water, and a layer for a mountain they did not realise they were driving up.

Shoes, before anything else

Two of our tour pages say this in their own words. The Old City walk: shoes matter more than fitness here — the cobbles are uneven and there are slopes. Gobustan: the ground at both the petroglyphs and the mud volcanoes is loose and uneven, and closed shoes make the difference.

Closed and flat is the whole rule. The mud volcanoes in particular are approached along an unpaved track and the ground around them is exactly what the name suggests — sandals end the visit early, and white trainers do not come back white.

Water and something to eat

The gaps between stops on these routes are an hour or more, and several of them have nothing at either end. The Gobustan page says it outright: bring water and something to eat between the sites. That is not a formality on an eight-hour day, and it matters more on the twelve-hour ones.

Buy both in Baku before the pickup rather than counting on the road. The village shops exist, but they are not where the schedule stops.

One layer more than the weather in Baku suggests

Baku is on the Caspian at sea level. Khinalig is at 2,300 metres, Shahdag is in the mountains, and both are meaningfully colder and windier than the city you left at eight in the morning — often while Baku is still warm.

The reverse trap is summer at Gobustan: the site is exposed and hot by mid-morning in July and August, with no shade at the volcanoes. Sun cover matters more there than a jacket does.

And most twelve-hour days come back after dark, when it is colder than it was at the last stop.

What to bring, by trip

What you do not need

Hiking boots — nothing here is a hike. A large bag; the vehicle is not a problem but carrying it around a village is. And a printed voucher: tell us your name at the meeting point and that is enough.

Frequently asked questions

What should I wear on a day trip from Baku?

Closed, flat shoes and one layer more than Baku's weather suggests. The mountain routes are several degrees colder than the city, and the long days come back after dark.

Is food included?

Check the tour page you are booking, and ask us if it does not say — we would rather answer than have you assume. Either way, bring something for the gaps between stops: they are an hour or more and most of them have nowhere to buy anything.

Do I need cash?

Bring some. Cards work in Baku and in the larger towns, but the village stops — Lahij's coppersmiths, a roadside stall — run on cash.

What about Gobustan specifically?

Closed shoes above all: the ground at the petroglyphs and the mud volcanoes is loose and uneven. In July and August add sun cover, because the site is exposed and hot by mid-morning and there is no shade at the volcanoes.

Is it cold in Khinalig?

Colder than Baku, and windier. The village sits at 2,300 metres, so a warm layer belongs in the bag even on a summer morning that starts warm at sea level.

What do I need for the two-day trip?

An overnight bag — the Ganja and Göygöl trip sleeps in Ganja and returns the next day. Otherwise the same list, with the second day starting in the mountains.

Before you go

Check the hours the night before, not the morning of. How long each trip actually takes is the article that decides how much of this list you need, and travelling with children adds a few items of its own.

The full list of trips is on the day trips page, with the longer routes under multi-day tours.