Baku Airport to the city centre: taxi or bus?
25 km, 30 to 40 minutes. Prices checked September 2026.
Take a taxi, booked in the app, from inside the terminal. It is 20 to 25 AZN for economy, against about 2 AZN for the H1 bus. The bus is ten times cheaper and it ends by putting you on the metro at 28 May station with your suitcase. On a short trip the 20 AZN buys back half an hour and a transfer you do not want in your first hour in the city.
Four ways in, and the gap is bigger than the price
| Option | Price | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Taxi, economy my pick |
20 to 25 AZN | Book in an app inside the terminal. The desk by the exit costs more. |
| Taxi, comfort | 25 to 35 AZN | Business class starts at 40 AZN. |
| H1 bus | about 2 AZN | BakıKart only, no cash. Ends at 28 May, then the metro. |
| London cab the purple ones |
30 to 50% more | Fun once. Not with bags, not on arrival. |
The bus, honestly
The H1 runs 24/7 from the terminal, which is genuinely useful for a late landing. But you pay with a BakıKart, bought from the machine in arrivals, because the driver will not take cash. People queue for the bus first and find this out at the door.
Then it drops you at 28 May and you are getting on the metro with your bag anyway. At rush hour, with luggage, the saving stops looking like a saving.
If you are travelling light and not in a hurry, the bus is a real option and 2 AZN is 2 AZN. I am not pretending otherwise. I just made the other call.
What the extra 20 AZN actually buys
About one shared plate of lülə. What you get back is half an hour and not dragging a suitcase down into the metro before you have seen anything. On a one day trip that is the best value overspend of the day.
And then stop taking taxis
Downtown Baku is jammed all day and a car is slower than your legs there. The taxi earns its money twice: on the ride in from the airport, and on the climb to Highland Park. Inside the Old City it is a waste, and the quarter sits on a slope, so walk it top to bottom rather than climbing it in the heat.
Cash before you leave the airport
Carry 50 to 80 AZN in cash for the day. The funicular booth is cash only with no ATM nearby, and so are some taxis and the bazaar. Do not change money at the airport, where the rate is poor. Kapital Bank and International Bank ATMs downtown are visibly better.
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How far is Baku airport from the city centre?
About 25 km, which is 30 to 40 minutes by road outside rush hour.
How much is a taxi from Baku airport?
20 to 25 AZN for economy if you book it in an app from inside the terminal. Comfort is 25 to 35 AZN and business starts around 40. The desk near the exit charges more than the app.
Is there a bus from Baku airport?
Yes, the H1, running 24/7 to 28 May metro station for about 2 AZN. You need a BakıKart from the machine in arrivals, because the driver does not take cash.
Can I use a card in Baku?
In most restaurants and shops, yes. Carry 50 to 80 AZN in cash anyway for the funicular booth, some taxis and the bazaar.