Best Time to Visit Baku

Spring and early summer: May is the sweet spot

April is mild and fresh, but you'll want a jacket on the Caspian seafront. By May it's warm enough to walk the Boulevard (the long waterfront park) without sweating. Evenings stay comfortable. Icheri Sheher, the walled Old City, is lovely at this time of year, and the narrow lanes around the Maiden Tower are pleasant to wander.

June gets hot and has a rain oddity. It shows 46 mm, far more than July's 4 mm, though it falls on only 2 days. Expect a short downpour, not a grey week.

Formula 1 usually brings the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to the city streets, and the track runs right past the Old City walls. Dates move around, so check them before you book a hotel. Hotels fill up and prices jump on race weekends.

Summer and early autumn: hot, dry and best for the coast

July and August are the warmest, and August tops the list. Days are sunny and dry, and nights stay warm. The city feels sticky by mid-afternoon. Do what locals do: slip into a museum such as the Heydar Aliyev Center, then come out for sunset.

If you want a beach day, head north of the city to the Absheron Peninsula, where the Caspian coast has sandy stretches. Travelling with kids? Summer school holidays make this the busiest time for local families. Beaches get packed on weekends, so go on a weekday.

September is the quiet winner. The sea is still warm, the heat has eased, and crowds thin out. October is gentler again, though rain shows up on about five days.

Winter: grey, windy and cheap

From November to March, Baku turns cool, damp and often cloudy. Sun is limited, with only about three hours a day in December and January. The wind can cut through you on the waterfront. This is low season, so rooms are easier to find and museums are calm.

It's a good time if you hate crowds and want to spend your days indoors. Sit in a tea house with pear-shaped glasses of black tea, or warm up with a bowl of piti, a lamb and chickpea stew.

Novruz, the spring new-year festival, arrives around 20 March. Expect bonfires, sweet pastries like shekerbura, and wheat sprouts on tables. Even in a Fair-rated month, it's a great reason to visit.