Government House Azadliq Square
75 minutes
30 minutes
1 April - 31st October 2015
First Tour: 10am (July & Aug) / 12pm (Low Season)
Last Tour: 10pm (Jul & Aug) / 4pm (Low Season)
1 Day
Ticket cost: $20 USD
Baku can now boast of Baku city sightseeing tours on red double deckers, a familiar view in all major tourist spots worldwide. This is a very easy, comfortable and probably the cheapest way to explore Baku on your own and get familiar with all the major tourist attractions of Azerbaijan capital. Hop on - hop off service allows you get off at any stop and spend your time researching that or another place in more detail. The service has by right become very popular among foreign tourists coming to Baku. The service is run by City Sightseeing Company, a franchise of the international tourist bus chain company.
They use the famous open top, double-decker, hop-on hop-off buses introduced to many countries since 1999. The company, that organizes tours in more than one hundred cities on five continents, provided tours for 13 million people in 2013.
The Baku city tour lasts around 80 minutes and takes visitors to Baku's major attractions along the route with 15 stops. As mentioned, it is also possible to hop on and off at any stop and the ticket is valid for 24 hours.
The iconic red buses operate daily along streets of Baku from 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. in low season and until 10:30 p.m. in high season with a frequency of 30 minutes.
For 20 manats (about $20) you will be offered an interesting audio tour, shown the most interesting places of Baku and introduced with interesing facts about its history, people and traditions. Audio tours are available in English, Azerbaijani, Russian, Spanish, German, French, Farsi and Japanese and even many locals take a tour and learn many interesting facts about their native city that they even have not been aware of.
You can start your acquaintance with Baku from any stop along the route. Hopping on at the Azadliq Square you will witness gorgeous Neftchilar Avenue, old Seaport, and modern skyline, resembling Dubai.
Then the bus will take you to 2014 year's winner of the Designs of the Year Award the Heydar Aliyev Center. Here you can spend some time and visit an exhibition in the futuristic building. The bus will make another stop at the Modern Art Museum, where the best samples of local and foreign modern art is presented.
After becoming familiar with Azerbaijani art, the bus will take you to the fundamental Government House and you will learn about exciting history of its creation.
Next stop will be at the pilgrimage destination of all the tourists in Baku - the Maiden Tower. Here you can visit a brand new museum in the historical symbol of Baku dating back to the ancient times.
Afterwards, you will see amazing samples of Baku's architecture presented in buildings of the State Oil Company, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Four Seasons hotel. Travelling along the old wall of the Inner City you will hear the story of the State Philharmonic Hall, which you will reach in minutes.
Icherisheher metro station will astonish you with its own structure of glassy pyramid resembling the well known pyramid of the Louvre by Pei, laying against the background of the Old City. Here you can spend another hour surveying the narrow streets of Old City and stocking up with the keepsakes.
Higher and higher, the bus will take you to the Flame Towers - a new symbol of Baku. These gigantic towers are the most impressive in the sunset.
At the top of hill you will see the building of Azerbaijani Parliament and hear the mournful history of the Alley of Martyrs.
The bus will also stop at the staircase to the Highland Park, where the magnificent panorama of Baku spreads before your eyes.
Though the trip is not over yet, the red bus will give you an opportunity to travel further by the funicular and bring the rest of tourists to the National Flag Square, another great place to enjoy the nice view of Baku.
From this end point of the Seaside Boulevard, tourists will go to the trailhead witnessing on their way to the Puppet Theater and the Museum Center.
Quite a lot to see in a one day, don't you think so? Enjoy your tour!
