Azerbaijan in January: A Travel Guide For Visitors

Azerbaijan offers an exciting package of exposure and winter activities in January. The visitors can experience snow-covered mountains, which is a good reason to see Azerbaijan in January. This time of the year offers the perfect opportunity for tourists to enjoy winter sports and explore the traditional Azerbaijani culture.

If you’re searching for how to plan a trip to Azerbaijan in January, this guide will give you a detailed overview of weather insights, things to do, eat, wear, and more.

Table of Content

Why Visit Azerbaijan in January?
Azerbaijan Weather Guide for January
Best Tourist Spots in Azerbaijan in January
Exciting Festivals and Celebrations in Azerbaijan in January
Best Activities To Do In January
Famous Dishes to Taste in Azerbaijan
What to Pack for Azerbaijan in January?
Why Choose OneVasco?
FAQs

Why Visit Azerbaijan in January?

January is the peak of winter and the coldest month in Azerbaijan. The place experiences a cold and often frigid climate, with temperatures typically ranging from 0°C to 5°C (32°F to 41°F). It can even dip down to sub-zero in the evening during January. This can be the reason you can call it the best time to visit Azerbaijan in January.

Azerbaijan Weather Guide for January

Temperature	High: 2°C to 8°C Average: 4°C Low: -20°C
Rainfall and Precipitation	experiences a higher frequency of rainfall in January as compared to other months
Humidity	Moderate, 70% to 80%
Average Sunset Time	5:30 pm

Best Tourist Spots in Azerbaijan in January

Mentioned below are a few interesting places that you must add to your Azerbaijan travel list:

1. Baku

Beautiful Baku View

This is a place that you wish to add at the top of your list when planning your visit to Azerbaijan. Its amazing winter festivities during this time make for an enjoyable experience. The entire city is filled with joy, all because of sparkling Christmas markets, New Year celebrations, and crowds of joyful people gathering.

Major Attractions

Baku Boulevard
Maiden Tower
Carpet Museum
Nizami Str
Flame Towers

2. Gabala

This place transforms into a stunning winter wonderland during January because of its location in the middle of the Caucasus mountains. The most popular attraction here is the Gabala skiing resorts, which attract tourists to participate in winter sports activities. The town’s quaint and cozy vibe welcomes visitors to explore the highest mountain in Azerbaijan—Mount Bazarduzu.

Major Attractions

Gabaland Amusement Park
Nohur Lake
Gabala Shooting Club
Gabala City New Mosque
Seven Beauties Waterfall

3. Sheki

Beautiful Sheki View

This is another ideal spot to explore the stunning Caucasus mountains, which makes it a favored spot for tourists. You can experience the stunning snowfall and participate in your favorite snow activities.

Sheki is a preferred option in January because of its beautifully preserved historic architecture and some warm traditional delicacies served at this time.

Major Attractions

Sheki Khan’s Palace
Church of Kish
Sheki Fortress
Winter Palace
Teze Bazar

4. Lankaran

Beautiful Lankaran View

This is the oldest city in Azerbaijan which shows the outstanding historical culture of this country. The visitors here can explore the different civilizations, including Persian, Ottoman, and Russian. The place has a fantastic coastline surrounded by sand beaches and clear water, making it a wonderful spot to visit during winter.

Major Attractions

Lankaran Beach
Lankaran Historical-Cultural Reserve
Gizil-Agach State Reserve
Hirkan National Park
Lankaran Waterfall

Exciting Festivals and Celebrations in Azerbaijan in January

This will be a great time of the year to enjoy these festivals in Azerbaijan:

1. Experience Novruz Preparations

Novruz Festival Preparations

You can experience the preparations for Novruz, a Persian festival celebrated in March during January. This is among the Best activities in Azerbaijan in January to observe people participating in traditional activities like making sweets, unique decorations, event preparations, and more.

You can find markets featuring Novruz essentials like dried nuts and fruits. This is an excellent time to gain better insights into the traditions and culture here.

Key Highlights

A traditional holiday in Azerbaijan
Celebrates the spring equinox

2. Gara Garayev International Music Festival

This is a festival held every two years and dedicated to the popular Azerbaijani composer- Gara Garayev. The participants get the opportunity to explore exhibitions of photographs and documentary films about the composer’s life and work.

Key Highlights

Honours the composer Gara Garayev
Classical music performances

3. Enjoy The Baku Jazz Festival

Baku Jazz Festival

This festival, held every January in Baku, lets visitors enjoy Azerbaijan’s rich musical heritage. It brings together International and local musicians performing various classic Azerbaijani jazz mugham and modern styles.

The festival takes place at numerous venues across the city, offering visitors an exciting and enjoyable cultural experience. The Baku Jazz Festival can be an excellent opportunity to experience the warmth of music when visiting Azerbaijan in January.

Key Highlights

Attracts famous jazz musicians
Features concerts, workshops and jam sessions

Best Activities To Do In January

Listed below are a few interesting activities that you can put on your list when visiting Azerbaijan:

1. Visit Gobustan Public Park

Key Highlights

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Full of ancient rock carvings
Bubbling mud volcanoes

When planning your visit in January, you can add a road trip to Gobustan National Park. This well-recognized spot is known for its ancient stonework and the mud volcanic eruptions there.

The landscape may be swathed with snow, but the amazing stone structures and petroglyphs make it among the Best activities in Azerbaijan in January. Accessible guided tours around the park help visitors discover more about Azerbaijan’s ancient history and legacy.

2. Hiking in Caucasian Mountains

Hiking in Caucasian Mountains

Key Highlights

An expansive range that spans across Azerbaijan
Opportunities for outdoor activities
Slopes blanketed in pristine snow

This mountain range, located across Georgia, Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, is perfect for hikers looking to explore their passion. The lush green Azerbaijani mountains are a trip you must not miss when coming here.

The winters are an exciting time of the year to explore the hiking trails and enjoy the best mountain scenes in the Caucasus mountains.

3. Explore Museums in Baku

Key Highlights

Explore the great culture of Azerbaijan
Get to know historic Azerbaijan

Baku houses some amazing museums, ideal for visitors to explore when visiting Azerbaijan in January. You can visit the uniqueAzerbaijan Carpet Museum, shaped like a rolled-up carpet, which shows the country’s rich weaving heritage.

The next on your list could be the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan, where you can learn about the country’s extensive and intricate legacy.

4. Relax in a Tea House

Key Highlights

Exclusive experience
Explore Azerbaijani tea drinking traditions
Enjoy with friends and family

Relax in a tea house when searching for What to do in Azerbaijan in January. This can be a unique way to escape the chilly waves outside when visiting Azerbaijan in winter. This includes visiting a traditional tea house to experience the Azerbaijani tea culture.

5. Look At The Unique Fire Mountain

Unique Fire Mountain

Key Highlights

Natural gas seeps from the earth’s surface
burning continuously for years
Explore the geological wonders in Azerbaijan

If you’re looking to add something unique to your Azerbaijan trip, go toYanar Dag, a burning mountain. A natural gas fire burns all the time, which can be really impressive during winters when the fire contrasts the cold, chilly air. Yanar Dag is among the most amazing locations people desire to visit in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan.

6. See Naftalan Oil Resort

Key Highlights

A unique therapeutic oil
Soak in the warm oil
Naftalan oil therapy beneficial for medical purposes

This is a popular spot for Naftalan crude oil, which people believe has medicinal properties. Visitors can soak themselves in Naftalan oil and take advantage of many oil-based treatments, such as pain relief and anti-inflammatory healing. You can also visit this place in Azerbaijan to take pleasure in an oil bath and enjoy other rejuvenating treatments at the spa.

7. Enjoy Winter Sports

Key Highlights

Exclusive experience for adventure lovers
Explore ski resorts

We can surely not miss mentioning winter sports on our list of the Best activities in Azerbaijan in January. This month seems to be an ideal time to enjoy skiing and snowboarding in the mountains.

You can find various resorts like Shahdag and Tufandag, which are popular spots with well-maintained slopes, modern facilities, and stunning white mountain scenes.

Famous Dishes to Taste in Azerbaijan

When planning your trip to Azerbaijan in January, you can not miss the popular delicacies served here. These include:

Plov

This is a commonly served dish during family gatherings or celebrating special occasions. We can call Plov a national dish in Azerbaijan, and if you can not miss it, try this when visiting here. This rice dish is made with flatbread, rice spices, chestnuts, dried fruits, onions, meat, and more.

Piti

This is a delicious Azeri soup known for its authenticity in areas of Azerbaijan. Its preparation includes slow-cooked chickpeas and lamb. This is a distinct recipe and extremely healthy to have when planning your visit here.

Dushbara

This is another popular recipe in Azerbaijan. It involves small dough dumplings served in lamb broth. The typical fillings include minced meat with onions and tomatoes, often served alongside dried mint, garlic, vinegar, and more.

Buglama

This is another nutrition-rich delicacy served in Azerbaijan that people around the country enjoy cooking and eating. It consists of meat pieces stewed with tomatoes, onions, peppers, black pepper, and more, all in a bit of liquid.

What to Pack for Azerbaijan in January?

The weather in January in Azerbaijan can be freezing or chilly, as mentioned above. This requires you to pack according to the weather there. Listed below is a checklist that you must follow while packing for your Azerbaijan trip in January: