Tours From Baku
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Getting Around Azerbaijan by Road
Every distance out of Baku, how long the drive really takes, and what a car with a driver costs — with the cheaper ways of covering the same road said plainly.
Choose where you are going to see prices.
Azerbaijan looks smaller on a map than it drives. Baku to Sheki is 305 km and takes about four hours twenty; Khinalig is seventy-five kilometres closer and saves you barely twenty minutes, because the last hour climbs. Distance is a poor guide here — the mountains are where the hours go. Three ways cover any of it: a car with a driver, which leaves when you do, sets you down at the door and is priced per vehicle rather than per seat; an intercity bus from Baku's main terminal, cheaper and slower, ending at a bus station instead of your hotel; or a guided day, which makes the road the point rather than the cost. The table below prices the first for every car that fits, and each route page is honest about the other two.
Distances, driving times and prices
Road distance and a realistic driving time for every route we run, with a fixed price for each car that fits. Where the fare depends on the vehicle or the hour, it says so rather than guessing.
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Airport transfers
| Route | Distance | Driving time | from | Details & booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How to Get from Baku to Heydar Aliyev Airport Getting from the Airport into Baku | 25 km | 30 min | ₼ 35 | |
| From the Airport Straight to Gabala From Gabala to the Airport | 210 km | 3h | ₼ 170 | |
| From the Airport Straight to Shamakhi From Shamakhi to the Airport | 135 km | 1h 55m | ₼ 250 | |
| From the Airport Straight to Quba From Quba to the Airport | 150 km | 2h 15m | ₼ 200 | |
| From the Airport Straight to Shahdag From Shahdag to the Airport | 185 km | 2h 50m | ₼ 200 | |
| From the Airport Straight to Sheki From Sheki to the Airport | 290 km | 4h 10m | ₼ 250 |
Out of Baku
Between regions
| Route | Distance | Driving time | from | Details & booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Shahdag Down to Quba | 46 km | 1h | On request | |
| How to Get from Quba to Khinalig Getting Down from Khinalig to Quba | 60 km | 1h 30m | On request | |
| How to Get from Gabala to Sheki Getting from Sheki Back to Gabala | 90 km | 1h 30m | On request |
Going somewhere else? Tell us the journey and we will quote it
Which car fits
Frequently asked questions
How long does the drive actually take?
Longer than the kilometres suggest, once you leave the motorway. Baku to Gabala is 225 km in about three hours fifteen; Sheki is 305 km in roughly four hours twenty; Khinalig is only 230 km and still takes four hours, because the last stretch is a mountain road. Every route page carries the real figure rather than a map estimate.
Is the bus a realistic alternative?
On the main corridors, yes. Intercity buses leave Baku's main terminal for most regional towns and cost a fraction of a car. What you give up is the timetable, the door and the luggage. Departures shift with the season, so check on the day rather than trusting a printed schedule. With an early flight, a lot of bags, or a hotel outside the centre, the bus stops being the cheaper option in any sense that matters.
Do I pay per person or per car?
Per car. The price covers the vehicle, the driver and the fuel whether one of you travels or six, and it is agreed before departure rather than run on a meter. That is why four people often pay less per head for a private car than for four bus seats plus the taxi at the far end.
When is a transfer the wrong choice?
When you want the stops. A transfer is the car and the driver on your own schedule — no guide, no itinerary. If what you actually want is Diri Baba and Shamakhi on the way to Gabala, a guided day does that better, and usually for less than a car plus tickets bought separately. We would rather say so than sell you the car.
Can one booking cover several towns over several days?
Yes, as separate legs on consecutive dates: Baku to Gabala, Gabala to Sheki, Sheki back to Baku is three legs and one arrangement. If the driver stays with you overnight instead of driving back, that is priced per night and quoted before you decide.