No Schengen visa, 5-hour flight: Why Azerbaijan is a hit with Indian passport holders

Lately, social media, and specifically Instagram, have become a key influencer in shaping our travel plans. Whether it's the cherry blossoms in Japan or the scenic beauty of Kazakhstan, platforms like Instagram have not only ignited our desire to explore the world, but also nudged us towards booking our next trip.

Now, it seems that Indians have set their sights on a new coveted destination - Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan: The viral hit

Located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia, bordered by the Caspian Sea to the east, and Russia to the north, Azerbaijan with a mere population of 1.1 crore (according to their latest calculations) is now seemingly becoming a popular choice for a lot of Indians (including Indian travel influencers).

Azerbaijan's capital and largest city, Baku, known for its “European feel" (as described by these travel influencers), is also becoming a major tourist hotspot.

For instance, searches for Baku showed a whopping 438% increase in 2023, according to Skyscanner’s Travel Trends 2024 report.

Fun Fact: This predominantly Muslim country is also a major hit with Pakistani tourists.

But why is everyone suddenly interested in visiting this Eurasian country (apart from making Reels)?

Here are some reasons

• Flight ticket prices

Rohit Khattar, founder of Your Travel Genie, a travel company that arranges solo travel especially for women, says that he has also seen increased demand for Azerbaijan trips amongst Indians.

One of the reasons he attributes to this is the flight prices.

“Earlier, a round trip to Azerbaijan would cost you around Rs 50k; now, it’s around Rs 25k,” he says.

“The flight prices have gone down drastically,” he adds.

According to the Skyscanner report, flight ticket prices to Azerbaijan from India have fallen by 22 percent in 2023 compared to 2022.

We also checked the prices for flights to Baku, Azerbaijan, from Delhi and found that to be true. For instance, round-trip tickets for March 2024 (as checked on February 13) were around Rs 30k.

Additionally, you can get a non-stop flight to Baku from Delhi and be there in just 5 hours.

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• Three-day visa

There is no doubt that in countries where obtaining visas can be a hassle, tourists (especially Indians) often end up disappointed (we see you, Schengen visa).

However, Azerbaijan has recently streamlined its visa process with an e-visa for Indians.

More about e-visa

Getting an Azerbaijan e-visa is an easy three-step process.

Step 1: Apply through their online government portal

Step 2: Fill in the data and pay

Step 3: You’ll receive your visa within three days via email

And price? The visa will cost you USD 20 (approximately Rs 1,600).

• Instagram's love for Europe

There is no doubt that Indians love to travel abroad; especially to Europe. However, travelling to Europe is not easy on the pockets, takes almost a month, and most importantly, the visa process itself is very tedious.

For all these above-mentioned reasons, Azerbaijan is now becoming an alternate choice for Indians instead of Europe.

How did it happen? Well, the credit somewhat goes to the Indian influencers who not only travelled to this country but also promoted this Eurasian country as the country where you "can get European vibes" because of its beautiful scenery and architecture.

Rohit agrees, “The architecture of their capital city, Baku, is very similar to what you will see in Eastern Europe; so, many Instagram vloggers portray Azerbaijan as mini-Europe on a budget.”

However, he says that this is somewhat factually incorrect, "Since Azerbaijan is an ex-Soviet country, it has a lot of Russian architecture. But because people have not been to Russia or any ex-Soviet country, they think it is European architecture, and promote it as the same."

And when Indians think they can travel to “Europe on a budget”, they choose to go to Ajerbaijan.

• Not so expensive

Even though

1 Azerbaijani Manat = 48.82 Indian Rupee, Azerbaijan is comparatively cheaper than other countries; especially if you were to look at Europe.

Rohit says, “Food is comparatively the same prices as in India.”

You can also find hotels for as low as Rs 1,500, or McDolnads or other fast food chains that have a similar pricing range as that in India, according to Rohit.

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• Social media

Now, for all these above-mentioned reasons, Azerbaijan quickly became a favourite with Indian social media influencers, and it started going viral, with people sharing their travel stories on Instagram. This encouraged more and more people to take a trip and explore the country, resulting in Azerbaijan becoming a viral hit on social media.

The country is also safe for women or other solo travellers. According to Rohit, “It’s safe for women to go at 3 am there.”

Azerbaijan: What all to see

Azerbaijan offers a rich tapestry of culture, history, and natural beauty to explore, with friendly people always willing to help. Now, if you want to go to Azerbaijan, you can have a comprehensive exploration of the country in a week.

Here are five things that you cannot miss seeing (thank us later):

1. Baku

Start your trip by exploring the capital city, which is known for its blend of modern architecture and ancient landmarks.

Don't miss the iconic Flame Towers, the historic Old City (Icherisheher), and the stunning Heydar Aliyev Centre designed by Zaha Hadid.

2. Gobustan National Park

Known for its ancient rock carvings, mud volcanoes, and unique landscape, Gobustan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

3. Mud Volcanoes

If you’re a geography nerd who loves visiting nature in its purest forms, Azerbaijan might be the place for you.

Home to nearly half of the world's mud volcanoes, Azerbaijan’s volcanoes can be an otherworldly experience.

4. The picturesque towns

Other famous places in the country include Sheki (a picturesque town in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains), Gabala (a popular resort town in the mountains), and Ganja (known for its historic sites, including the Nizami Mausoleum and Javad Khan Street).

5. Caspian Sea Coast

You can visit the coastline of the Caspian Sea, relax on the beaches, or take a boat trip to discover coastal villages and islands.

Don’t forget to indulge in the flavours of Azerbaijani cuisine, which features dishes like plov, kebabs, dolma and baklava.

Hotels to stay

• Azerbaijan has various hotels of various ranges from luxurious to dorms offering bunk beds.
• For instance, A & F HOSTEL, a hostel in Baku, offers bunk beds for solo travellers for as low as Rs 683.
• Moderately priced hotels include Cityland Hotel Baku, with good ratings and in the capital city, with prices starting from Rs 5,000.
• According to Booking.com, Azerbaijan has several luxury hotels. For instance, Baku has 233 luxury hotels, like The Merchant Baku, and Winter Park Hotel Baku with prices starting from Rs 9,000.

Best time to visit

You can visit the country during two seasons to see it in the best form: spring and winter.

From April to June, the lowlands of Azerbaijan are green, and flowers are in complete bloom. It is the perfect time to visit this region.

But if you’re a fan of winter sports and like, sorry, love, snow like Loleari Gilmore from ‘Gilmore Girls’, January and February are the best months for you.

Remember to avoid the summer seasons, as temperatures can go as high as 40 degrees Celsius!

So, will you be visiting Azerbaijan?