5 Top Places in Baku and Sheki: Opening Hours, Tickets, Getting There and Where You Don’t Need a Car

⚠️ Please note. This article is for information only: Karavan does not sell tickets for or book visits to these places. Opening hours and prices may change — please contact the venues directly with any questions.

In short. The Heydar Aliyev Center is open Tuesday to Sunday, and a ticket costs 15 manats. You don’t need a car for Icherisheher: entry for non-residents is paid and restricted, and the Old City is best explored on foot. The Sheki Khan’s Palace is about 300 km from Baku, and it’s easiest to get there by car. The Carpet Museum stands on the Seaside Boulevard, next to the Old City. Baku Crystal Hall and Baku Convention Center are easiest to reach by taxi.

These five places are what visitors to Baku search for most — and they ask the same questions about them: when it’s open, how much it costs, how to get there and where to leave the car. Below are short answers for each place and an honest tip on where a car really helps and where it only gets in the way.

Getting there: summary table

Place	Where	Best way to get there	Do you need a car?
Heydar Aliyev Center	1 Heydar Aliyev Avenue	taxi	not necessary
Icherisheher	central Baku, by Icherisheher metro station	on foot or by metro	no — entry is restricted
Sheki Khan’s Palace	Sheki, about 300 km from Baku	by car	yes
Carpet Museum	28 Mikayil Useynov Avenue	on foot from the Old City or by taxi	no
Crystal Hall and Baku Convention Center	National Flag Square and 130 Tabriz Street	taxi	no

1. Heydar Aliyev Center

The undulating white building designed by Zaha Hadid is Baku’s most recognisable modern landmark and one of the most photographed places in the city. Inside are the Heydar Aliyev Museum and permanent and temporary exhibitions.

What	Details
Address	1 Heydar Aliyev Avenue
Opening hours	Tuesday–Friday 11:00–19:00, Saturday–Sunday 11:00–18:00, closed on Mondays
Ticket office	closes an hour before the centre
Ticket	15 manats, children under 6 free
Extra	the classic car exhibition is paid separately

Getting there. A taxi is easiest: the centre stands on a major avenue, and the car will drop you right at the entrance. Come towards evening — after closing the building is beautifully lit, and the best photos are taken outside.

2. Icherisheher: leave the car behind

Baku’s Old City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: fortress walls, narrow lanes, the Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs. And the main advice here is simple: don’t plan to visit the Old City by car.

Why you don’t need a car here

Entry is restricted. Icherisheher is a pedestrian zone, and the number of cars inside the walls is limited.
Entry is paid. For non-residents it’s 3 manats for the first 15 minutes and 5 manats for each additional hour, payable by card only.
Strict rules. Violations aren’t fined — instead, entry is banned, first for a week, then a month, then a year.
The streets are narrow and steep, and there’s practically nowhere to park inside the walls.

The best way is to take the metro to Icherisheher station: the entrance to the Old City is right next to it. If you came by car, leave it at your hotel or in a car park outside the walls and explore on foot.

Tickets

Site	Ticket for foreign visitors
Palace of the Shirvanshahs	24 manats for adults, treasury included; children 5–17 — 12 manats
Maiden Tower	about 10–15 manats, according to various sources

Prices are as of September 2026. It’s best to arrive at the palace at opening time: queues form at the ticket office during the day, and the courtyards get crowded with groups.

3. Sheki Khan’s Palace: here you need a car

The Khan’s Palace is Sheki’s main sight and one of the most beautiful 18th-century buildings in the Caucasus. In 2019, the Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan’s Palace was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The palace is famous for its shebeke stained-glass windows, assembled without nails or glue, and its painted walls.

What	Details
Where	Sheki, inside the fortress walls, about 300 km from Baku
Opening hours	daily, 10:00–18:00
Ticket	5–10 manats, according to various sources
Drive from Baku	about 4–5 hours

Why a car is best

Sheki isn’t a “couple of hours” trip. The drive takes 4–5 hours each way, and besides the palace the town has old caravanserais, craft workshops and its famous Sheki halva. With a car you decide when to leave, where to stop along the way and how long to stay. Many travellers stay overnight to see Sheki in the morning, before the tour groups arrive.

Tip: leave Baku early in the morning, and if you plan to return the same day, allow 9–10 hours of driving there and back.

4. The Carpet Museum and how to take a carpet home

The National Carpet Museum is the world’s first museum dedicated to carpets. It was founded in 1967, and since 2014 it has occupied a building shaped like a rolled-up carpet on the Seaside Boulevard.

What	Details
Address	28 Mikayil Useynov Avenue, Seaside Boulevard
Opening hours	Tuesday–Friday 10:00–18:00, Saturday–Sunday 11:00–19:00, closed on Mondays
Ticket	7–10 manats for foreign visitors, according to various sources

Getting there. From the Maiden Tower you can walk to the museum along the boulevard or take a taxi.

Bought a carpet? Don’t forget the certificate

A carpet is the most popular souvenir from Azerbaijan and the most common question at customs. The key points:

Get an export certificate for a handmade carpet. It’s issued by the Carpet Museum or the seller — official showrooms usually arrange it right at purchase.
Age matters. By law the threshold is the 1960s: items recognised as cultural property can’t be exported without permission.
Market stalls usually don’t provide a certificate — ask about it before you pay.

We’ve covered all the rules on exporting carpets, caviar, currency and medicines in our guide to Baku customs.

5. Concerts at Baku Crystal Hall and Baku Convention Center

Baku Crystal Hall

The country’s largest indoor concert venue stands on the Caspian shore, on National Flag Square in the Sabail district. It was built for Eurovision 2012 — and Eurovision 2012 is among Karavan Rent A Car in Baku’s clients. The arena holds over 20,000 spectators.

Getting there. The metro is far away, so a taxi straight to the square is simplest. There are buses too: routes 88, 120, 124 and 207 run to the square from Sahil metro station.

Tip: after a big concert, thousands of people leave at once, so book a taxi in advance or walk a couple of blocks away from the square.

Baku Convention Center

The congress centre at 130 Tabriz Street hosts forums, exhibitions and concerts: 17 halls with a capacity of up to 2,500 people. It’s not far from the city centre, and a taxi is the easiest way to get there.

Where you really need a car

Of the five places, a car is only truly needed for the trip to Sheki. In Baku it’s easier to get around by taxi and metro, and the Old City is best on foot. But for trips out of town — to Sheki, Gabala, Guba or Shamakhi — a rental car gives you a freedom no tour bus can match.

At Karavan Rent A Car in Baku you can rent a car for as little as one day — say, just for the trip to Sheki — and collect and return it at any time of day or night. All rental terms are in our guide to car rental requirements in Baku.

FAQ

How much is a ticket to the Heydar Aliyev Center?

15 manats, and children under 6 go free. The classic car exhibition is paid separately.

Can I drive into Icherisheher?

Only for a fee and with restrictions, so it’s best to leave the car outside the walls and explore on foot.

How much is entry to the Palace of the Shirvanshahs?

24 manats for adult foreign visitors, with the treasury included. Prices are as of September 2026.

How long is the drive from Baku to Sheki?

About 4–5 hours by car: the town is roughly 300 km from the capital.

Do I need a certificate for a carpet I bought?

Yes, get an export certificate for a handmade carpet. It’s issued by the Carpet Museum or the seller.

How do I get to Baku Crystal Hall?

A taxi to National Flag Square is easiest. Buses also run from Sahil metro station.

Conclusion

The Heydar Aliyev Center, the Carpet Museum and the concert venues are easy to reach by taxi, the Old City is best explored on foot, and Sheki is best reached by car. If you’re planning a trip to the regions, message a Karavan Rent A Car in Baku manager on WhatsApp or Telegram at +994-55-455-22-45 — they’ll find the right car for your route.