# Flame Towers, Baku

> The Flame Towers are three glass skyscrapers above Baku Bay. You can't tour them — inside are the Fairmont hotel, flats and offices — so you watch them from outside, free and at any hour, best from Highland Park next door. After sunset the facades become screens of moving flames. Allow about an hour; the funicular up costs 1 AZN.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/flame-towers

- City: [Baku](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku), Azerbaijan
- YesGo score: 43/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 1 h
- Opening hours: Towers and park: outside any time; light show after sunset; funicular Tue–Sun, closed Mondays
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Entry: Free — you see the towers from outside; the park is open
- Light show: Every evening after sunset
- Funicular fare: 1 AZN one way, cash
- Funicular hours: Tue–Sun, closed Mondays; 10:00–20:00 with a 13:00–14:00 break or 10:00–22:00 — sources differ
- Observation deck in the towers: None open to the public — use Highland Park
- Inside: Fairmont Baku hotel, apartments and offices
- Time needed: About 1 hour with the park and Martyrs' Lane
- Address: Mehdi Hüseyn Street, Baku
- Coordinates: 40.35972, 49.82611
- Facts checked: 02.11.2026

## Key facts

- **182 m** — roof height of the tallest tower; the others are 165 m and 161 m (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, Flame Towers)
- **10,000+** — LED luminaires on the facades that draw the flames (source: English Wikipedia; Audiala guide)
- **3 towers** — a hotel, an apartment block and an office building (source: English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **2007–2012** — construction; opened in 2013 (source: English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **HOK** — the US architecture firm behind the design (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Audiala guide)
- **1960** — the funicular from the seafront opened — still the only one in Azerbaijan (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, Baku Funicular)
- **455 m** — of track between Bahram Gur and Martyrs' Lane stations (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, Baku Funicular)
- **20 January 1990** — victims of that night lie in Martyrs' Lane in the park (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, Martyrs' Lane)
- **9 October 1998** — the Eternal Flame memorial was unveiled (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, Martyrs' Lane)
- **Kirov Park** — the Soviet name of the hilltop park, with a Kirov statue removed after independence (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, Martyrs' Lane)

> **You can't go up the Flame Towers** The towers hold the **Fairmont Baku** hotel, private apartments and offices. There is no public observation deck and no tour inside; the lobby, restaurants and terraces are for hotel guests and diners with a booking. Some listings sell an "observation deck ticket" — we could not confirm it anywhere. The views are from outside, and they are free.

## What time is the Flame Towers light show?

The show starts every evening once it gets dark and runs on a loop. More than **10,000 LED luminaires** turn the glass into three giant screens: flickering flames, then the blue, red and green of the Azerbaijani flag, a figure waving a flag, and the towers "filling" with water. Each scene lasts about two minutes. There is no official end time; unofficial guides say it runs until around midnight.

Our plan: walk up to Highland Park half an hour before sunset, watch the bay in daylight, wait for the first flames, then walk down to the seafront. The show looks best from below, from the Boulevard, where you see all three towers burning at once.

## Where is the best view of the Flame Towers?

For the towers themselves, step back: the [Baku Boulevard](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-boulevard) promenade and the square on Neftchilar Avenue (Neftçilər) frame all three above the old stone buildings. From inside the [Old City](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-old-town) walls they rise over the rooftops. Bring a wide lens if you want them whole from closer up.

For the view from up there, go to **Highland Park** (Dağüstü park) at the towers' foot. The balustrade looks across the whole bay, the Boulevard, the port and the [Maiden Tower](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-maiden-tower). The towers are right behind you, almost too close for one frame.

## What are the Flame Towers?

Three steel-and-glass skyscrapers, **182, 165 and 161 metres** tall, built between 2007 and 2012 by the US firm HOK. Their shape is three tongues of fire — a nod to Azerbaijan's old nickname, the Land of Fire, and to the natural gas flames that have burned on the Absheron peninsula for centuries.

Is it worth it? As architecture you see them from almost everywhere in central Baku, so you don't need a special trip just to look. Going up to Highland Park is worth an hour for the bay panorama, Martyrs' Lane and the flames overhead at night. Skip the climb if you're short on time — the Boulevard gives you the classic shot for free.

## What to see in Highland Park

- **The bay panorama** from the balustrade — Boulevard, Old City, port and the Caspian.
- **Martyrs' Lane** (Şəhidlər Xiyabanı) — the memorial cemetery for the victims of 20 January 1990 and of the Karabakh war. In Soviet times this was Kirov Park, built over an older cemetery.
- **The Eternal Flame** — a domed memorial with a burning flame, unveiled on 9 October 1998.
- **The Martyrs' Mosque**, built with Turkish support, and the memorial to Turkish soldiers who died in the 1918 Battle of Baku.
- **The funicular** itself — a short 1960s-built ride with the bay below you.
- **The towers up close** after dark, flames moving right above your head.

## How to get to the Flame Towers

1. From İçərişəhər (Icherisheher) metro, walk through the Double Gates (Qoşa Qala) into the Old City or follow the outside of the wall down to Neftchilar Avenue.
2. Follow the avenue to the lower funicular station, Bahram Gur, by the Bahram Gur statue — about 15 minutes on foot. The [Carpet Museum](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-carpet-museum) is next to it.
3. Ride the funicular up to Martyrs' Lane station: 3–4 minutes, 1 AZN, paid in cash. It does not run on Mondays — then take the stairs next to the station or a taxi.
4. At the top you are in Highland Park: the viewing balustrade is right there, Martyrs' Lane and the Eternal Flame further in.
5. The foot of the towers is about 10 minutes' walk through the park. A taxi from the Old City to Mehdi Hüseyn Street takes about 10 minutes.

## Funicular, stairs or taxi?

|  | Funicular | Stairs | Taxi |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| From | Bahram Gur station, Neftchilar Avenue | Neftchilar Avenue | Anywhere central |
| To | Martyrs' Lane station, Highland Park | Highland Park | The foot of the towers |
| Cost | 1 AZN, cash | Free | App fare |
| Time | 3–4 minutes | A steep climb | ≈ 10 minutes from the Old City |
| Monday | Closed | Open | Available |

Best combination: funicular up, stairs down — you land on the Boulevard just as the show gets going.

## Paying in Baku as a foreign visitor

Bring a few small manat notes: the funicular is paid in cash. Visa and Mastercard work in hotels, most restaurants and malls, and in the Bolt and Uber apps, which are the easiest way to get a taxi up the hill. Street taxis usually want cash. For the metro you need a BakıKart, sold at station machines; contactless bank cards are being rolled out at the gates.

## Before you go up

- [ ] It isn't Monday, or I'm taking a taxi
- [ ] Small manat notes for the funicular
- [ ] I know today's sunset time
- [ ] A warm layer — the hill above the sea is windy
- [ ] Comfortable shoes for the stairs down
- [ ] Martyrs' Lane is a cemetery — keep it quiet

## Baku views compared

Every Baku place with a view that YesGo has scored.

- [Maiden Tower](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-maiden-tower) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · 19 AZN for foreign visitors
- [Flame Towers and Highland Park](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/flame-towers) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; funicular 1 AZN
- [Baku Boulevard](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-boulevard) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free
- [Gobustan rock art and mud volcanoes](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/gobustan) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ 10–15 AZN, volcanoes extra

## Old City by day, Flame Towers by night

Old City and the Maiden Tower in daylight, the Carpet Museum late afternoon, funicular up to the towers for sunset and the Boulevard for the light show.

1. [Old City (Icherisheher)](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-old-town) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h · Free entry, museums from 10 ₼
2. [Maiden Tower](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-maiden-tower) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · 19 AZN for foreign visitors
3. [Azerbaijan Carpet Museum](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-carpet-museum) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 10 AZN for foreigners, students 3 AZN
4. [Flame Towers and Highland Park](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/flame-towers) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; funicular 1 AZN
5. [Baku Boulevard](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-boulevard) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free

> **Martyrs' Lane is a cemetery** Families of the dead and official delegations come here. Keep your voice down, don't sit on the graves and skip the posed selfies. To enter the Martyrs' Mosque cover shoulders and knees; women need a headscarf, and shoes come off at the door.

## Not to be confused

The park goes by several names: Highland Park, Upland Park, Dağüstü park, or Nagorny Park in Russian. "Highland Park" is also a residential complex next door. Martyrs' Lane is sometimes signed as Alley of Martyrs.

## Tips

- Go up half an hour before sunset — the bay in daylight first, then the flames.
- Walk down the stairs to the Boulevard: the show looks best from the seafront.
- On Mondays the funicular is closed — take a Bolt to the top or climb the stairs.
- For all three towers in one shot, shoot from the Boulevard or Neftchilar Avenue, not from the park.
- Carry small cash for the funicular; card payment there isn't guaranteed.
- Wind on the hill is strong outside summer — bring a jacket even on a sunny day.

## Questions

### Can you go inside the Flame Towers?

Not as a visitor attraction. The towers hold the Fairmont Baku hotel, apartments and offices; only hotel guests and restaurant diners with a booking go in.

### Is there an observation deck at the Flame Towers?

No public one. The viewpoint is Highland Park at the towers' foot, free and open, with the whole bay in front of you.

### What time does the Flame Towers light show start?

Every evening after sunset, on a loop of scenes about two minutes each. There's no official end time; unofficial guides say around midnight.

### Where is the best place to see the Flame Towers at night?

Baku Boulevard and the square on Neftchilar Avenue, where all three towers fit in the frame. From Highland Park they are right above you.

### How do I get to the Flame Towers?

Walk from Icherisheher metro to the Bahram Gur funicular station on Neftchilar Avenue, ride 3–4 minutes up to Martyrs' Lane, then 10 minutes through Highland Park. Or take a taxi.

### How much is the Baku funicular?

1 AZN one way, paid in cash. It runs Tuesday to Sunday and is closed on Mondays.

### Is it free to visit the Flame Towers?

Yes. The towers are seen from outside, and Highland Park and Martyrs' Lane are open to everyone for free.

### How tall are the Flame Towers?

The tallest is 182 metres to the roof; the other two are 165 and 161 metres.

### Are the Flame Towers worth it?

For an hour at sunset, yes — the bay view, Martyrs' Lane and the flames up close. Short on time? Watch the show from the Boulevard instead.

## How we checked

The towers have no visitor website, and the funicular's own site did not load on 02.11.2026, so the fare and hours are marked "checking". The 1 AZN fare matches in every source. Hours differ: Wikipedia gives 10:00–13:00 and 14:00–20:00, travel guides 10:00–22:00; all agree it is closed on Mondays. Height: 182 m to the roof in both Wikipedias, 190 m in some guides — we show 182 m. Floor counts differ between the English and Russian Wikipedia, so we leave them out. Paid "observation deck" tickets in some listings are not confirmed by the hotel or any encyclopedia. The show's end time comes from one guide and is unofficial. Payment advice is from local guides and news on metro contactless gates.

## Sources

- English and Russian Wikipedia: Flame Towers; Wikidata Q80499
- English and Russian Wikipedia: Baku Funicular
- English and Russian Wikipedia: Martyrs' Lane
- Audiala guide: Flame Towers — light show and access
- Travel in Baku and Tonkosti: Baku Funicular — fare and hours

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