Icherisheher on Foot: Baku's Old City in Two Hours
A walled town of eleven hectares inside a working capital — the Maiden Tower, the Shirvanshahs' palace, two caravanserais, and the corner where a Soviet comedy shot its most quoted line.
Icherisheher is the walled core of Baku: about eleven hectares of lanes inside a fortification that is still standing, and the only part of the capital that was never rebuilt to a plan. It is on the UNESCO list, and it is also residential — people live behind most of the doors you walk past, which is why it does not feel like an exhibit.
The Maiden Tower
Nobody agrees what it was for. Eight storeys of stone, walls five metres thick at the base, and a dating argument that runs from the twelfth century back to something considerably older underneath it. Fire temple, watchtower, observatory — the theories are all still live, which is more interesting than a settled answer would be.
The Palace of the Shirvanshahs
The fifteenth-century seat of the dynasty that ruled from here: the divankhana courtyard, the burial vault, the palace mosque and the bathhouse, all cut from the same pale limestone as the town around them.
The caravanserais
Two survive on one street, the Multani and the Bukhara, built around courtyards with the animals stabled below and the merchants sleeping above. Both are restaurants today, which is a better fate than most buildings of their age get.
Everything else in two hours
The double gates, the fortress wall, the Haji Bani bathhouse dug out below the modern street, the fragment of a chapel, the Juma mosque, the house with the chain across its front — and the corner where The Diamond Arm filmed the line every Russian speaker can still quote. Baku knows exactly which corner.
What the walk is like
Two hours, entirely on foot, starting at the Maiden Tower. The lanes are cobbled and they slope, but there is nothing to climb. Up to eighteen people in the shared group; the same walk runs privately for your own party.
The meeting point and the first stop: eight storeys of stone whose purpose is still argued about.
The wall and the double gates
The line the town kept for eight centuries, and the gate everything and everyone came through.
Haji Bani bathhouse and the chapel ruins
A medieval hamam excavated below the modern street level, and the fragment of a chapel standing beside it.
The Multani and Bukhara caravanserais
Two courtyards where the road stopped for the night — animals below, merchants above.
The Palace of the Shirvanshahs
The divankhana, the burial vault and the palace mosque of the dynasty that ruled from this hill.
The Juma mosque and the khans' residence
The congregational mosque on its medieval footprint, and the house the khans of Baku kept in town.
"Chyort poberi!"
The corner where The Diamond Arm shot its most quoted line. Twenty seconds of film, fifty years of jokes.
Meeting point
📍Maiden Tower, Old City, Baku
Frequently asked questions
How long is the walk, and how far?
Two hours, and under two kilometres — Icherisheher is eleven hectares, so the distance is never the difficulty. The pace is set by how often we stop, not by how far we go.
Where do we meet?
At the Maiden Tower, which is the first stop as well as the meeting point and is the easiest thing in the Old City to find. Your confirmation carries the exact spot and time.
Is it all on foot?
All of it. No vehicle is involved, which is the only sensible way to see a walled town whose lanes were laid out for donkeys.
Are entrance tickets included?
No. The Maiden Tower and the Shirvanshahs' Palace each charge at their own door, and you decide on the day whether to go inside. Message us on WhatsApp beforehand and we will quote the current prices.
Is it suitable for children or older visitors?
Yes on both counts. The cobbles are uneven and there are slopes, but nothing is steep and nothing is climbed. Shoes matter more than fitness here.
Does the walk run in bad weather?
It goes ahead — Baku rain is rarely long, and much of the route has shelter within a few steps. If the weather is genuinely bad we will offer you another day rather than march you through it.
How long does the Baku tour take?
The tour takes approximately 2 hours.
Where does the tour depart from?
The tour departs from Maiden Tower, Old City, Baku.
What languages is the tour available in?
The tour is available in English, Russian, Turkish.
How much does the tour cost?
Pricing starts at ₼ 20 per person. The final price depends on your group size and the date you choose.
How do I book this tour?
You can book directly on this page — choose your date and number of travellers and confirm. Our team will then reach out to confirm the details.
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