Azerbaijan, the 'Land of Fire,' blends ancient Silk Road heritage with futuristic architecture in Baku. Discover UNESCO-listed old towns, mud volcanoes, Caucasus mountain villages, and Caspian Sea beaches in this fascinating crossroads of Europe and Asia.
Top food tours
Guided experiences that show you Azerbaijan through its food.
Baku Old City Flavors Walk
A guided walking food tour through the medieval lanes of Icheri Sheher (Old City) visiting traditional tea houses, spice vendors, and family-run eateries that have fed Baku residents for generations. Sample qutab flatbreads, pomegranate molasses, traditional sweets, and glass after glass of Azerbaijani black tea.
Taza Bazaar Morning Market Tour
An immersive morning tour through Baku's famous Taza Bazaar with a local food guide explaining the significance of each section — the dried fruit mountains, the spice sellers, the cheese and dairy hall, and the pickle vendors. Includes tastings throughout and a breakfast of local breads, cheeses, and seasonal produce.
Azerbaijani Multi-Course Feast
An evening multi-course dining experience at a traditional Azerbaijani restaurant in the Old City, featuring dishes rarely found on tourist menus. The menu includes ash (slow-cooked stew), piti (lamb and chickpea soup in individual clay pots), shah plov (rice baked in pastry), and traditional mugham music accompaniment.
Sheki Sweets and Halva Tour
A day trip to the historic city of Sheki focused on the city's extraordinary confectionery traditions. Visit the Sheki Halva workshop to watch the intricate rice flour and nut confection being made, sample pakhlava varieties, visit the Saturday bazaar, and lunch on Sheki's famous piti soup in an ancient caravanserai.
Baku Wine & Mezze Evening Tour
An evening exploration of Baku's growing wine bar and modern restaurant scene, visiting four venues in the Fountain Square and Nizami Street area. Sample Azerbaijani wines from the Shamakhi and Ganja regions alongside traditional mezze — cheese platters, stuffed grape leaves, and pomegranate-dressed salads.
Tour formats
Different ways to experience Azerbaijan's food scene.
Street food tours
Street food crawls through Old City and Fountain Square area sampling qutab, kebabs, pakhlava, and fresh pomegranate juice
Market tours
Guided tours of Taza Bazaar and Green Bazaar with tastings and shopping guidance for local specialty ingredients
Restaurant tours
Multi-course dinners at traditional Azerbaijani restaurants featuring dishes from different regional cuisines within Azerbaijan
Specialty tours
Day trips to Sheki, Quba, and Goychay regions for regional food specialties including halva, pomegranate products, and mountain honey
Cooking classes
Take a piece of Azerbaijan home with you.
Azerbaijani Home Cooking Class
A hands-on cooking class in a Baku home kitchen learning to prepare three core Azerbaijani dishes from scratch. Students make qutab (herb-stuffed flatbread), dolma (stuffed grape leaves), and a saffron-scented plov rice dish. The class includes a shared meal of everything cooked with the host family.
Shah Plov Masterclass
An intensive class dedicated to mastering shah plov — Azerbaijan's most elaborate rice dish baked inside a kazmag (pastry crust) with dried fruits, chestnuts, and saffron. A professional Azerbaijani chef demonstrates the technique then supervises students through every step of this complex traditional preparation.
Azerbaijani Pastry and Sweets Workshop
Learn to make Azerbaijan's beloved sweet treats including pakhlava (walnut and honey pastry), shekerbura (moon-shaped almond pastry), and mutaki (walnut rolls) — the three essential Novruz holiday sweets. A pastry specialist teaches traditional dough preparation and decorative techniques.
DIY self-guided food tour
Self-guided Baku food route covering the best street food and market experiences in central Baku, walkable in 3-4 hours
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1
Stop 1: Taza Bazaar (7-9AM) — buy dried figs, walnuts, and fresh herbs for snacking throughout the day
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2
Stop 2: Qutab vendors near Fountain Square — try herb and cheese qutab flatbreads (2-3 AZN each)
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3
Stop 3: Old City tea house on Kichik Qala St — glass of black chai with cube sugar in traditional style
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4
Stop 4: Firuze Restaurant or a local plov house for Shah Plov lunch (12-15 AZN)
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5
Stop 5: Pomegranate juice vendor at Nizami Street — fresh-pressed pomegranate juice (3 AZN)
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Stop 6: Pakhlava shop near Old City walls — buy a box of mixed Azerbaijani sweets for dessert
Foodie tips
Get more out of every meal.
Azerbaijani chai (tea) is drunk from pear-shaped armudu glasses with cube sugar (not stirred in) — hold the sugar between teeth while sipping in traditional style
Shah plov served baked inside kazmag pastry crust is the most spectacular Azerbaijani dish — order it in advance at traditional restaurants as it takes 2 hours to prepare
Pomegranate appears in everything — salad dressings, meat marinades, rice dishes, and drinks. The Goychay pomegranate festival in October is a pilgrimage for food lovers
Sheki is a separate food destination worth a day trip — piti soup (lamb and chickpea in individual clay pots) is the regional specialty not easily found in Baku
Bread (çörək) is sacred in Azerbaijani culture — never place it upside down and always accept it when offered by locals
The Lahic and Quba mountain regions produce some of Azerbaijan's best mountain honey — buy directly from producers at Saturday bazaars for the lowest prices
Sturgeon (nərə) from the Caspian is a delicacy — grilled sturgeon or sturgeon kebab at waterfront restaurants is expensive but exceptional
Restaurants open late in Baku — dinner rarely begins before 8PM and restaurants stay open past midnight on weekends