Baku, Azerbaijan

The Baku City Circuit is one of the most spectacular and chaotic street circuits in Formula 1. A 6km layout through the streets of the Azerbaijani capital, including a extraordinary castle section where cars thread through medieval alleyways at full speed, it has produced some of the most dramatic races in recent F1 history. Baku itself — the oil-rich Caspian capital — is a genuinely fascinating city: Soviet boulevard architecture, an ancient walled city, extraordinary museums and a food culture shaped by Persian, Russian and Caucasian influences.

F1 2026: 24–26 September. Late September in Baku is outstanding — warm (22–26°C), the summer heat having eased, the Caspian light at its most golden. One of the finest times of year to visit. Book accommodation early; Baku has seen significant hotel development in recent years but race weekend demand is high.

Baku's Metro system (2 lines) covers the main areas but not the circuit or the old city directly — taxis and ride-hailing apps are the most practical option. The circuit is on the Caspian boulevard and within walking distance of the main hotels. The old city (Icherisheher) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that can be walked in a morning. A hire car is useful for day trips to the Absheron Peninsula.

The Nizami Street/Boulevard area is ideal — the main pedestrian boulevard along the Caspian, walking distance to the circuit and the best restaurants. The Four Seasons Baku and JW Marriott Absheron are both excellent and overlooking the circuit. The old city (Icherisheher) has a small number of boutique hotels within the medieval walls — the most atmospheric accommodation in Baku.

The Old City (Icherisheher) — a UNESCO World Heritage Site entirely enclosed within 12th-century walls; the Maiden Tower (12th century), the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the medieval mosque are extraordinary and almost entirely unvisited by most F1 weekend visitors. The Heydar Aliyev Center — Zaha Hadid's extraordinary flowing white building (2012) is one of the finest pieces of contemporary architecture in the world; the interior design and cultural exhibitions are outstanding. The National Museum of History — the collection covering Azerbaijan from prehistoric times through the Silk Road era to the Soviet period is one of the finest in the Caucasus. The Bibi-Heybat Mosque on the Caspian shore south of the city — a beautiful working mosque rebuilt in the 1990s on the site of an original 13th-century structure. Gobustan National Park — 65km south of Baku, the UNESCO-listed rock carvings (10,000–35,000 years old) and the mud volcanoes are one of the most extraordinary natural sites in Central Asia.

Azerbaijani cuisine is one of the great undiscovered food traditions of the world. Piti (slow-cooked lamb and chickpea soup in individual clay pots) and Dolma (stuffed vine leaves, peppers and tomatoes) are the signatures. Levengi (stuffed fish or chicken with walnut and herb paste) is extraordinary and specific to the region. The Teze Bazaar (Central Market) is the finest place to experience Azerbaijani food culture — spices, pomegranate, dried fruits and fresh bread. Firuze Restaurant near the old city is outstanding for traditional Azerbaijani cuisine in a genuinely beautiful setting.

Baku is flat in the boulevard and circuit area. The old city involves cobblestone streets and some gradients. September weather is ideal. The circuit castle section involves very narrow streets — spectators in this area are very close to the cars.

Baku is a safe city for tourists. Exercise normal urban awareness. The emergency number is 112. Photography restrictions apply near government buildings. Travel insurance recommended.

The castle section grandstand at the Azerbaijan GP (Turn 8 to Turn 12, through the medieval walls) offers the closest proximity to F1 cars of any grandstand in the world — the alleyways are so narrow that the cars brush the barriers on both sides. This is the most dramatic viewing in Formula 1. Walk the old city at dawn on Saturday morning before the race crowds arrive — the medieval streets with the race infrastructure being set up around them create a genuinely surreal and beautiful spectacle. Visit Gobustan on Friday (the day before qualifying) — the mud volcanoes are genuinely extraordinary and the 65km drive along the Caspian coast gives a completely different perspective on Azerbaijan beyond the Grand Prix infrastructure.