Baku airport, Heydar Aliyev: what the terminal is like, how to get to the centre by bus or taxi, what to do as soon as you land and what not to forget before boarding

Almost everyone coming to Azerbaijan lands at Heydar Aliyev airport, 20 km north-east of the centre of Baku on the Absheron peninsula, and the first thing they see of the country is the 2014 terminal, with its pale wooden ceiling of giant cocoon shapes that serve as cafés and shops, and a passport queue that moves fast if you have your e-visa printed. The rest, where to get cash, which SIM card to buy, how to pay for the bus to the centre and how long it takes, is what this guide tells in the order it happens, from stepping off the plane to reaching the hotel, with what you need to know for the return and the trips that leave from the same peninsula.

What it is like

The airport is named after Heydar Aliyev, the president who ruled the country from 1993 to 2003, and has two terminals: terminal 1, opened in 2014, for international flights, a glass building with a wavy roof and, inside, the wooden cocoons by the Turkish studio Autoban that have earned it awards and photographs; and terminal 2, the old one, for domestic flights to Ganja, Nakhchivan and Lankaran and some to the former Soviet Union. Azerbaijan Airlines, the national carrier, operates here along with the big regional airlines, Turkish, Qatar, Emirates, flydubai, Lufthansa, Austrian and the Russian ones, with connections to Europe via Istanbul, Dubai, Doha, Frankfurt and Vienna. From the United Kingdom and most of Europe there are a few direct flights and many with a connection, usually in Istanbul; seasonal direct routes come and go and are worth checking each year.

What to do on landing, in order

First the passport: citizens of the European Union and the United Kingdom need the e-visa applied for online before flying, and without it the airline will not let you board, so it is not something that can be sorted out here; with the e-visa, the control takes minutes. After collecting your luggage, in the arrivals hall there are cash machines that give manats, better than the airport exchange offices, and counters of the mobile operators, Azercell and Bakcell, where you buy a SIM card with data for little money and with your passport, which is easier than looking for a shop in the city. And if you are taking the bus, at the stop there is a machine to buy and top up the Baku transport card, which is the only way to pay for the bus and works later on the metro.

How to get to the centre

The H1 express bus leaves from in front of the terminal every half hour or so and runs day and night; it takes the motorway, stops at Koroglu metro station and ends at 28 May station, right in the centre, in about forty minutes, and is paid with the transport card, not cash. It is the cheap and good option if your hotel is in the centre and you are not arriving at four in the morning with a lot of luggage. The official airport taxis, the purple ones at the marked rank, charge a fixed fare to the centre paid by card in the car and take half an hour without traffic; taxi apps work at the airport and usually come out a little cheaper, with the pick-up point in the car park. What is best avoided is accepting those who offer taxis inside the terminal.

For the return and from the first day

For the departing flight, the H1 leaves from 28 May at the same frequency and it is wise to be at the airport two hours ahead, because security and passport control are slow at certain hours; the terminal has duty-free shops with certified caviar, brandy, tea and saffron, cafés in the wooden cocoons, a paid VIP lounge and free wifi. And since the airport is on Absheron, the two trips on the peninsula lie on the way: Yanardag, the burning hillside, twenty minutes away, and the Ateshgah fire temple in Surakhani, half an hour away, which can be done on arrival day if you land in the morning or on departure day if your flight is in the afternoon.

Frequently asked questions